Musings of a Madman

Following is the text of President Obama’s address on a new strategy for the war in Afghanistan, as released by the White House on Tuesday 1 Dec 2009; for me this is one of, if not his finest:

Good evening. To the United States Corps of Cadets, to the men and women of our Armed Services, and to my fellow Americans: I want to speak to you tonight about our effort in Afghanistan — the nature of our commitment there, the scope of our interests, and the strategy that my administration will pursue to bring this war to a successful conclusion. It’s an extraordinary honor for me to do so here at West Point — where so many men and women have prepared to stand up for our security, and to represent what is finest about our country.

To address these important issues, it’s important to recall why America and our allies were compelled to fight a war in Afghanistan in the first place. We did not ask for this fight. On September 11, 2001, 19 men hijacked four airplanes and used them to murder nearly 3,000 people. They struck at our military and economic nerve centers. They took the lives of innocent men, women, and children without regard to their faith or race or station. Were it not for the heroic actions of passengers onboard one of those flights, they could have also struck at one of the great symbols of our democracy in Washington, and killed many more.  Click to continue…

To my fellow Brothers in Arms – both past and present, I salute you on this day.

This Veterans Day – I want to pay special tribute e to those who fought in the Pacific theater  WWII – in places like Guadalcanal, Marshall Is, Phillipine Sea, Leyte Gulf, Okinawa.  Your memory lives on.

As I write these words, our nation is at war. War is tough and nasty.  It rips at your very being and spits you out  like mere nothing.  As I reflect on years past, I suppose I could have spent my youth in some other vocation; I could have probably been an accountant  or even a policeman, but the confluence of time and fate has made me a military man.  In this vocation, I have found both meaning and value of things well beyond the material; and I have come to a cogent understanding of  and appreciate for, the utter complexities of living in a society such as our, froth with all the contradictions and tensions of race, sex, politics, etc…

So today is Veterans Day, a day with special meaning to those of us who wear the uniform…today is a proud one in the land of the brave”.

today And I am very proud to call so many other like me brother.  Today is our day.

Watch your Thoughts…They become words.
Watch your words…They become actions.
Watch your Actions…They become Habits.
Watch your Habits…They become your Character.

Greatest is not in where we stand, but in what direction we are moving. We must sail sometimes with the winds and sometimes against it – but sail we must, and not drift, nor lie at anchor.

Had to work today – had duty, but it’s ok. Today is no less special because of you and Cheyenne. Cheyenne is growing up now – I am so proud of her. You wouldn’t believe how well she reads, the questions she asks – she is really a joy. Funny thing is I feel your spirit in Cheyenne – uncanny at times, but true.

So today – 51 years after you were born and just right at 4 years after you left us, I just want to silently reflect on memories of you. And in keeping with my promise – I am re-dedicating our family site once again. It’s been a hard fought last few years; I have not been able to tend to the family site with as much regularity that it needs, but I will do what I can – hopefully an ember will catch at some point in our family and others will tend it as well. But for now I will carry on as promised. Still missing you sis…