"in God We Trust"???

[reconeil]

As bad as such perpetual nonsense regarding God exists in America,...such just seems to get worse and worse everyday.

Today in a Dear Editor Letter, there is a perfect example of what has been previously stated. Don't know how it slipped through The Home News Tribune's pacifying/sanitizing, editing/censoring and/or political correcting process,...but here goes an excerpt of what apparently just slipped through the cracks, which hopefully will get some heads out of America's politically-contaminated sand. Still, I believe a front page splash would have been much better.

"...a U.S. serviceman serving
in the Middle East asked his
father for some religious
articles including a Bible. The
postal authorities, in his home-
town in North Carolina, told
his father that the package
could not be mailed". "United
States Postal Service bulletin
22097 ssection E2 says, in
part, 'any mater containing
religious materials contrary to
The Islamic Faith' cannot be
mailed". "This rule has been
in effect since the Gulf War".

Whichever: "Gulf War" was alluded to in the above and absolutely God and Nation defeating nonsense truly doesn't matter to me. What truly does bother me about such politically orchestrated and asinine rules and regulations, is that besides being a slap in the face to most all of The U.S. Military and The American People,...it's downright embarrasing. Any people, anywhere on earth hearing of such, must automatically conclude that We Americans are simply a bunch of nationally-suicidal fools.

Also, and as well as I think I can debate, argue or make a point, the best I could ever answer to any foreigner coming to the above conclusion about We Americans,...is just to sadly shake my head and say: "Hey,...when you're right, you're right".

Regardless, all you friends out there,...cheer me up. Give me some answers to the lunacy of it all,...which certainly never come from our politicos and/or those in charge and permitting that all the lunacies go on and on and on forever.

Besides, there must be a better answer out there than: "Hey,...when you're right, you're right"? I sure hope so.

Neil

[Arrow]

Think I'm being quite mellow about it all.

No doubt...wish I could be as calm...

We Americans are simply a bunch of nationally-suicidal fools.

No doubt about that either...

So let me get this straight. We can ask a man or woman to do the bidding of this Republic even unto death and deny them the right to the spiritual tools of their Faith at a time when they need them the most.

And then we have aGeneral faulted when he states we are in a spiritual battle? TheGeneral is absolutely correct.

I am not affiliated with any religious organization but I would suggest to those that are that they need to give their pastors a heads up on this.

Next step Congressional Representatives (not that mine give a flyin flip)

As to the Postal Service now we know why they are having so much trouble staying afloat. I wouldn't be messin' with trying to stop the Gospel if I were them. They are in direct opposition to the commandment of the King of Kings. Matthew 28: 18-20

[reconeil]

While discussing America's latest caving-in to the worldwide and religiously fanatical demands of Islamically-dictatorial countries,...I was also amazed finding out that no U.S. or Coalition Occupiers better get caught wearing The Cross or a Star of David while in Iraq,...since THE LOOSERS (every which way possible) consider such offensive.

Plus, and as SICK as it is for THE LOOSERS (every which way possible) to make such asinine demands on THE WINNERS (every which way possible),...America's politicos forcing such a biasedly-hypocritical denial of religions on their/our very own military in Iraq...IS EVEN SICKER!!! Is Islam really all that better than all The Judeo-Christian Faiths??? I don't believe so, since quite the opposite has proven to be true. After all,...Islam kills.

Hey dummies,...get your heads out of your asses .
Americans are needlessly dying because you politicos are ordering a politically-correct occupation and forcing WINNERS to act like LOOSERS and/or roaming around on patrols as heathen and Godless targets of opportunity for their holier than thou (in their brainwashed minds) betters.

I personally believe that only small nightime with nightvision optics patrols are in order. All daytime movement should only be done IN FORCE and/or specifically to totally destroy a position discovered by the previous Night Patrol. And if Command of such a lethal Combined Arms Team, the only other orders I would give other that to wipe their asses out to a man, would be: "Smoke-em (re. cigarettes) and wear-em (re. Crosses and Stars),...if you got-em". "YOUR Constitution permits all Americans such,...no matter where you are". "Also, don't believe that The U.S. Military Code of Justice prohibits such either"? "Whatever, we'll check with Jag latter and after we've killed all those Islamic bums.

Neil

[BLUEHAWK]

Cripes, that is all I can think of to write... just Cripes.

This is all starting to really p--s me off...

[Seascamp]

Hodit, hodit,

As long ago as 1968 I recall the port inspectors going through our offloaded rigs and right there in the Port of Sfax, Tunisia. Those buggers confiscated all bibles, girlie magazines, pinups, etc., and the entire library of paperbacks. They even grabbed our truck batteries (big mama batteries), the wine in the pantry truck we had for our Italian crewmembers and Dave?s precious stock ?bambino? (Dave the Brit loved cognac and called it his bambino.) and then they grabbed all our toilet paper and tissue products. Ya see in that neck of the woods they made the most god-awful toilet paper and lead acid batteries to be imagined. The toilet paper was more like grocery bag material (ouch) and they only made six-volt batteries. Oh, we had humongous 24-volt batteries for the recording equipment and super sized dual 12-volt batteries for the trucks. So the challenge was to figure out how to make those piss-ant ?Nour? batteries work. So there we were 20 odd trucks, a D9 on a low boy, all stranded on the pier and watching all our stuff get loaded up and carted off. Same deal in Saudi Arabia and the rest of the places in the neighborhood. Bibles and any form of religious tract are strictly taboo and they?ll grab it up and sometimes put ya in the transit lounge to await the next flight out, da boot sure enough. The only Moslem countries that don?t make fuss that I know of are Mylisia and Indonesia. So I would assume the Post Office taboo isn?t anything new but probably is currently being enforced to a higher level. Too bad, but that?s the way things go over there and have forever.

There was an American compound-village-town near Riyadh and they were allowed to have (begrudged) informal services inside the compound but the could be no visible sign of church trappings and, Allah forbid, a Saudi attending services. Yikes, that would have gotten the religious cops boiling on in a heartbeat and flailing away with their stupid camel whips. And then some enterprising soul, whom shall go unnamed, built a still from gathered up scrap stainless steel tubing, some fittings, a modified pressure container, a hand full of thermocouples and kazammmm, a poor excuse for JD, but it worked.

Scamp

[Boats]

Scamp,

While I was working in Saudi (Jedda) I watched them open up a container and then break all the booze against a wall. Chanting something I knew wasn't prohibition related. But anyway the Saudi officials travel abroad - drink - gamble and carouse around with the women in this country - but back home these boys are perfect Muslims!! hmmmmmmm Double standards and their people never really know and if they did I don't think it would matter.

One of our guys got caught with a bottle of JD he paid $60 for and got put in a cage outdoors for 3 days as punishment.

If you were suspected of a crime you were arrested and put in jail for 3 to 4 weeks and every Friday their holy day they would take you out into the public and beat you with a rod. If you didn't confess to the crime after 3 ot 4 weeks you were inocent but you back wasn't looking too cool - if you know what I mean.

They would round up the infadels (me) and others to witness punishment on Friday. Saw one head and one hand chopped clean off. Unbelieveable -

[reconeil]

Don't doubt anything you said, and basically I don't care what Muslim countries do to their people, or even tourists for that matter. Hey,...it's their country and they can pretty-much do what they like. Plus,...tourists aren't forced going there or wherever.

Still, and when it comes to The U.S. Military travelling through or going to such fanatical and sicko places, American Civilian Leadership is and has been quite foolish in permitting any foreigner to inspect or confiscate ANYTHING from ANY American Fighting Man or Woman ordered there. Nor, should American Civilian Leaders force The Generals to order their men and women to obey any foreign restrictions or dictates alien and offensive to all Americans as a whole.

Fortunately, both your and more current experiences by The U.S. Military, and even though absurd, perverted and disgusting, have proved only annoying and demeaning. Whereas in Somalia, Americans permitting foreign dictates and basically giving over foreign control of U.S. Troops to foreigner control and support proved quite deadly.

The-bottom-line for me, is that no American politico has the right to dictate to any U.S. Serviceman what religions or customs must be respected or denied abroad, and especially while on the job and in hostile territory,...and also be dictated to take orders from and/or be regulated by foreigners, and especially from fanatical nuts while on the job.

Can you picture The French of Occupied France during WWII, demanding that The Germans all removed their swastikas,...since such were very offensive to the normally offensive French? I can't,...even though such a nonsense would be just about as silly as what's going on now in Iraq.

Neil

[Seascamp]

Ya Boats, it could get real grim all too often, for sure. I never saw a chopping up deal but did get in one hell of a fracas over near Al Jabail. It seems that one or more of the project guest laborers acquired one of the inflatable sex dolls and were selling ?tickets?. Well, a bunch of the guest laborers got the ?pipe benders? from their moment with the inflatable Venus and oh man, oh man, there was hell to pay. The local Mullah was sure it was us westerners that were behind the inflatable Venus caper, but their barracks was a few miles away from our lodgings and outside the our security perimeters (we couldn?t leave without military escort). And none of us were in the habit of pimping for an inflatable Venus anyway. But much to our surprise the Mullah and a mob of the rag muffins showed up outside the security gate demanding our hides and retribution. I almost to hate to say this but my business sponsor at the time was the bin Laden Business Group and a couple of their beefy boys choppered in to have a serious and aggressive discussion with the complainants. Then there was peace but damn, that was a real scary few hours. I had vision of some stinking mud hut with bars on it and being fed, camel spit, dog turds and cigarette butts. Aarrgg!!!!

Scamp

[Seascamp]

I have never been in the mid east as a member of the military so I?m not sure what goes on in that particular environment. But it is my understanding that if a military person is traveling by common carrier alone or in a small group, they will get the same treatment as any another person coming through customs. Lord help the Trooper that has a Playboy magazine or the like in his kit. It may be a different story when military groups arrive at an airfield that is in US custody and aboard a US military transport. Probably the same deal with a troop transport ship. I can?t envision any customs agent from any land getting aggressive and nasty with a Marine or Cav Company, especially if there are attitudes on display.

I can?t say this to be true, but I somehow think or recall that the Commanding Officer signs for the men and his word is his bond, so to speak. That was fairly much the it worked in the USN when we came into port.

As to the rest that you relate, I couldn?t agree more. If the world needed a barium enema, I have a map as to exactly where to put the squirt gizmo and start the pump motor going.

Scamp

[Boats]

Scamp,

I've seen US Naval ship's in port there and even went on board to chug a whole gallon of milk!! Got a US Flag from one of the skippers and on our 200th Birthday was out there waving it in the sand with a bunch of x-GI's -

We drank our sadeeke and got loaded. Fun day I don't remember a whole bunch about that day.

The American Embassy didn't even want us over there because they were afraid we would cause an international incident.

After 90 days I finally adjusted to the weather - lost 52 lbs and didn't get the hershey trotts like so many others from drinking the water.

We paid $8 US for 1 liter of bottle water per day. The Greeks were making a fortune on bottole water.

One day we found a container loaded with popcorn and took a 50 lb. bag to machine shop. We took a new 50 gal. drum and cooked up popcorn all day.

The smell was so great the little rag heads were piled up by the door. We filled up their dresses and they ate popcorn all day.

I remember when I first got there I was on some heavy equipment when one of the locals asked for a drink. He drank my bottled water until it was all gone. I like to have had a fit but the Limey told me you can not refuse anyone water if you have any its the law.

So I didn't carry water all day and drank only at night. Least to say you didn't piss much after 12 hours in the sunlight.