NEWS AND OPINION:
Academy Award winning actor Jon Voight has issued a grass-roots call to arms as the nation honors its military with heartfelt thanks and thoughtful appreciation.
“Today is Veterans Day. We honor all our living and fallen heroes — thousands of young men who sacrificed their lives so we can live as free men. One of our own young Marines, Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi, was just released from a Mexican prison after long, torturous months, and we just found out from his own words during a Greta Van Susteren interview that he tried to kill himself with a broken light bulb that he plunged into his neck hoping to die, as to not endure his torture any longer,” Mr. Voight tells Inside the Beltway, citing a recent Fox News interview with the U.S. Marine. “Needless to say, his incarceration was a total lie. He was totally innocent.”
“President Obama has released five known terrorist murderers in a trade for an American soldier who was believed to be a deserter,” Mr. Voight continues, referring to the release earlier this year of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.
“He wants to legalize all the illegal Mexicans, and every other illegal immigrant from other countries as well. Why? For their vote for the 2016 election, for the Democrats. He is unconcerned for the billions of dollars it will cost the American taxpayers. It makes no difference to him. It made no difference on the latest illegals he let come across the borders a few months ago, children — unaccompanied by their parents, carrying all kind of illnesses — assimilating them into our society and our schools,” the actor says.
“Obama had nothing to say for Sgt. Tahmooressi, who endured this unthinkable torture. He made no attempt to free him. Not one word was said in his defense. Obama’s view of what is right and wrong is totally distorted. There should be total outrage for his policies he will put into action. He must be stopped. Every freedom-loving American should voice their outrage against his executive privilege.”
THE MILITARY’S TRUE NATURE
SEE ALSO: Wreaths Across America to honor every veteran buried at Arlington National Cemetery
“Our military is the most important organization on Earth,” declares Aaron Goldstein, a columnist for The American Spectator. “President Obama may fervently believe that the U.S. government is the most important organization on Earth. But let’s be honest. If we were to do away with most federal government departments and agencies, not only would this country continue to function, but there’s a very good chance we would function far better than we do now. However, if we did away with our military, this country would not survive for very long.”
Mr. Goldstein adds, “The most important organization in the world is only as good as the men and women who comprise it. Despite its shortcomings, the character of the overwhelmingly majority of men and women who volunteer to risk their lives for this country in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and the Coast Guard are the reason the U.S. military is the most important organization on Earth. Should you come across a member of the U.S. military, past or present, on this Veterans Day or any other day of the year, please say thank you.”
STEPPING UP, STEPPING OUT
“Locked, loaded and ready.”
— Description of their current status, courtesy of the United War Veterans Council, the nonprofit that has organized 21,000 participants, 40 floats and 200 vehicles for “America’s Parade,” the 95th annual New York City Veterans Day Parade on Tuesday. It is the nation’s largest celebration of military service.
’KEEP IT GOING’
SEE ALSO: Ted Cruz: Net neutrality is ‘Obamacare for the Internet’
“Thank you for your service is not a conversation, but it’s a start. Keep it going. Ask him where he served. Ask her what she did in the military. Listen, learn and most importantly ask, ’What’s next?”
— What to say to a veteran, from the organizers of the Concert for Valor, expected to draw 800,000 people to the national Mall on Tuesday night.
A D-MINUS FOR MIDTERM MOODINESS
“Americans don’t only have to live in a world of unresolved crises. We now have to absorb the fact that the players who lead our government and political system no longer accept the rules of engagement. For example, when one side wins an election, that means the other has lost, accepts defeat, regroups to see what went wrong, then tries to work with the winners to get things done. The Constitution has made it difficult for the president and Congress to do radical things, and that is a good thing. But it never said anything about political parties and gridlock,” sighs pollster John Zogby as he examines the postelection world.
“President Obama had a terrible week; the GOP had a great one. I hear a conciliatory tone coming from Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker John Boehner — but not from President Obama or Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid or House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. Losers have to lose graciously or everyone else loses,” Mr. Zogby continues, and offers Mr. Obama a weekly performance review.
“The president was saved from a failing grade this week only by a new jobs report that showed growth and lower unemployment. Grade: D-minus
FOXIFIED
Noteworthy programming on Fox News: the much-ballyhooed new documentary titled “The Man Who Killed Usama Bin Laden” hosted by Washington correspondent Peter Doocy, showcasing his interview with “The Shooter,” the Navy SEAL who says he fired the shots that killed terrorist leader Osama bin Laden during “Operation Neptune Spear” on May 1, 2011. The two-night presentation begins Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET, and continues Wednesday night at the same airtime.
BEWARE THE BOMBOGENESIS
The big fat blizzard that is sweeping across the nation has been named “Winter Storm Astro” by the Weather Channel, which started naming the frigid events four years ago for practical reasons. “It’s simply easier to communicate about a complex storm if it has a name,” says Bryan Norcross, a senior hurricane specialist at the network.
“Bozeman” is next name up on the roster, followed by Cato, Damon, Eris and 20 more just in case. But the aforementioned big, fat storm also has a new technical name, to add to the weather-event lexicon that so enraptures broadcasters and anchormen. So forget talk of the polar vortex and snowmegeddon. The new preferred term of choice is “bombogenesis” — surely a great name for a band, but in reality, it’s a sudden storm created at the enormous nexus of competing temperatures. Like the one this week.
“Bombogenesis typically occurs between a cold, continental air mass and warm ocean waters or between a cold polar air mass and a much warmer air mass. Many nor’easters are the product of bombs,” reports meteorologist Jeff Haby, founder of TheWeatherprediction.com, an educational site. And what follows: high winds, intense precipitation, heavy snow, lightning.
POLL DU JOUR
• 76 percent of Americans say a “hero” does what’s right regardless of personal consequences.
• 68 percent say a hero is willing to risk personal safety to help others.
• 64 percent says a hero stays levelheaded in a crisis and does more than what others expect from them.
• 65 percent say a hero does not give up until the goal is accomplished.
• 63 percent say a hero changes society for the better; 61 percent say a hero overcome adversity.
• 57 percent say a hero does not expect personal recognition.
• 48 percent say a hero commands the support and respect of others.
Source: A Harris Poll of 2,543 U.S. adults conducted Sept. 10-17 and released Monday.
• Cheers and squawks to jharper@washingtontimes.com.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.