Boobs on the Ground; US Military Veterans Respond – #HeforShe

Fox News, thank you so much for your inappropriate comments within days of the #HeforShe campaign launching. In case you’ve been out of the country, or living in hole, a couple of Fox News hosts mocked the first female fighter pilot from the UAE named Maj. Mariam Al Mansouri, who led the charge against ISIS terrorists in Syria. Let’s ignore the fact that she had to fight to become a pilot in a culture that doesn’t hold women in the highest regard; that it was her life long dream to serve in her country’s Armed Forces and that she’s fighting against the worst terrorist organization in history. Let’s forget all of that and just focus on the fact that she’s got boobs.

Greg Gutfeld, of the Fox show “The Five,” made a comment about how Maj. Mansouri couldn’t park the plane after she bombed them; and then his co-host Eric Bolling followed that up with, “Would that be considered boobs on the ground, or no?” And we wonder why people hate us? We wonder why we have lost the respect of the world and especially the Middle East.

First off, the two female co-hosts barely fought back against these ridiculous and sexist remarks made by two men against someone laying their life on the line for our safety. Sure, Bolling has gone on to apologize for his “joke.” The apology lasts less than 30 seconds. It’s pathetic. I can think of no other perfect response to this childish and inappropriate behavior than the open letter written to Fox News by members of the US military criticizing them for their lack of tact and stupidity.

In my book, this group of men and women who have put their lives on the line for this country said it so well. They are the perfect example of what #HeforShe is all about. The complete article can be found here and I’ve pasted the letter below from these men and women that comprise members of the ARMY, NAVY, Marine Corps, Air Force and National Guard. #HeforShe.

Dear Mr. Bolling and Mr. Gutfeld,

We are veterans of the United States armed forces, and we are writing to inform you that your remarks about United Arab Emirates Air Force Major Mariam Al Mansouri were unwarranted, offensive, and fundamentally opposed to what the military taught us to stand for.

First, foremost, and most obvious to everyone other than yourselves, your remarks were immensely inappropriate. Your co-host Kimberly Guilfoyle was so right to call attention to an inspiring story of a woman shattering glass ceilings in a society where doing so is immeasurably difficult. We never heard an answer to her question: why did you feel so compelled to “ruin her thing?”

As it turns out, women have been flying combat aircraft since before either of you were born. Over 1,000 Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) flew during World War II. Seeing as U.S. Army Air Forces Commander “Hap” Arnold said “Now in 1944, it is on the record that women can fly as well as men,” we can probably guess he thought their parking was adequate. The WASP legacy reaches into the present day; on 9/11, then Lt. Heather “Lucky” Penney scrambled her F-16. Completely unarmed, she was ready to lay down her own life to prevent further devastating attacks on American soil.

Thus the skill of women as fighter pilots is well established. And before you jump to the standby excuse that you were “just making a joke” or “having a laugh,” let the men amongst our number preemptively respond: You are not funny. You are not clever. And you are not excused. Perhaps the phrase “boys will be boys”—inevitably uttered wherever misogyny is present—is relevant. Men would never insult and demean a fellow servicemember; boys think saying the word ‘boobs’ is funny.

The less obvious implication of your remarks, however, is that by offending an ally and cheapening her contribution, you are actively hurting the mission. We need to send a clear message that anyone, male or female, who will stand up to ISIS and get the job done is worthy of our respect and gratitude.

We issue an apology on your behalf to Major Al Mansouri knowing that anything your producers force you to say will be contrived and insincere. Major, we’re sincerely sorry for the rudeness; clearly, these boys don’t take your service seriously, but we and the rest of the American public do.

Very Respectfully,

U.S. Army: Michael Breen, Richard Wheeler, Aryanna Hunter, Welton Chang, Michael Smith, Matt Runyon, Jon Gensler, Scott Holcomb, Terron Sims II, Josh Weinberg, Daniel Savage, Matt Pelak, LaRue Robinson, Anthony Woods, Dustin Cathcart, Kayla Williams, Dan Espinal, Jonathan Hopkins, Andy Moore, Kevin Johnson, Brett Hunt, Russell Galeti, Mick Crnkovich, Jonathan Freeman, Dan Hartnett, Dan Futrell, Matt Zeller, Jason Cain, Adam Tiffen, Sharmistha Mohpatra, Justin Graf, Lach Litwer.

U.S. Navy: Shawn VanDiver, Andrea Marr, Kristen Kavanaugh, Leo Cruz, Scott Cheney-Peters, Margot Beausey, Tony Johnson, Gail Harris, Alex Cornell du Houx.

U.S. Marine Corps: Geoff Orazem, Gordon Griffin, Timothy Kudo, Jonathan Murray, Richard Weir, Rob Miller, Sonia Fernandez, John Margolick, Katelyn Geary van Dam, Rob Bracknell, Andrew Borene, William Allen.

U.S. Air Force: Kelsey Campbell, Erik Brine, Chris Finan, Robert Mishev, Karen Courington.

U.S. National Guard: Kristen Rouse.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/us-veterans-send-fox-news-open-letter-about-boobs-on-the-ground-joke-2014-9#ixzz3EjWOVutX

If You’re Still Breathing You’re The Lucky Ones

Wow! This video from the #withSyria campaign was the first thing I saw this morning. Turn on your sound on your computer, tablet, phone etc. I watched it twice and I tried not to go into the ugly cry. I spent more than 30 years not crying and then something odd started happening as I headed into my mid-thirties. I started to cry. My friends find this hilarious. I find it annoying.

Syria is one of the most dangerous places in the world for children to live. I’ve been following this story since the civil war broke out more than two years ago. I’ve watched countless videos of people fleeing from chemical weapons attacks and bombings by their own government. I don’t need to understand Arabic to understand pain – that’s etched into the face of every person, young and old, in Syria. The world has largely turned a blind eye and been more focused on other conflicts – Gaza, ISIS etc. Somehow world leaders have missed the link between Syria and ISIS until recently.

Syrian civilians are targeted on a daily basis – a violation of international law. Assad and his regime should be indicted for war crimes. The most dangerous places for Syrians to be are markets, schools and hospitals; many of which continue to operate despite the risk. Generations of Syrian children – many of whom become refugees – are left without an education. What happens when you have generations who live in war and nothing else? Where they are denied their basic human rights and education?

In February 2014, the UN Security Council, which is comprised of the world’s most powerful nations i.e. the United States, stated that if these indiscriminate attacks didn’t stop then they would take further action. Nothing has happened and thousands more have died.

When the US government started its wishy washy approach on Syria – we’re going in – wait, no, we’re not going – eh it’ll blow over – I was appalled. I wrote to my Congressmen (something made so easy thanks to the internet) and asked for help for the Syrian people. I didn’t want another war – we’ve had enough of that – but what I did want is the United States to put the full force of it humanitarian response towards Syria.

We have tremendous power to influence and impact these types of issues. Case in point ISIS – nobody was moving until suddenly the US decides they’re going to do something about it. Months too late, but nevertheless. Like it or not we’re still seen as the leader of the free world (for how much longer I’m not so sure) and other nations rely on our input and action before they’re willing to move in any direction. This is something we inherited at the end of World War II. With that comes tremendous responsibility – a responsibility we have shirked beyond measure.

If you think what happens in these far off places has no impact on what happens here in this country you are mistaken. It’s what the CIA calls blowback or, in simple terms, – for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The way we respond and handle these situations has a direct correlation to the safety of our own country. Back to my question: What do you think happens to a generation that grows up in war without an education? Answer: It leads to fanaticism and the desire to do whatever it takes to survive.

Earlier this summer I commented on a post on Amnesty International and stated that I had written my Congressmen about a particular topic. A young man from Syria responded begging me to write my Congressmen to tell them what was happening in Syria. His exact words were: “There are real people here who don’t want to die.” I told him that I had already done so. I’ve done it again today. So if you’re bothered by what you see, you can sign the petition here to demand world leaders take action, or you can contact your Congressmen/women and demand they uphold our end of the bargain as leaders of the free world. And yes, I said demand. Here in the US we vote these people in and out of office. They work for you – make them earn it.

Murder on the Mediterranean

European countries along the Mediterranean have seen an influx of immigrants in recent years due to the ongoing conflicts and Africa and the Middle East. This year is one of the biggest surges yet. Not unlike Haitian or Cuban refugees in North America; migrants from Africa and the Middle East often board vessels bound for Italy in the hopes of giving themselves and their families a better life.

In the past two days, three shipwrecks have claimed more than 700 lives; more than 3,000 this year. One of these boats was intentionally sunk by the smugglers when the people refused to be transported from one vessel to another. The Guardian is reporting that up to 100 children are presumed dead in this heinous act. Imagine you’ve survived rape, famine, bombs, or ethnic cleansing to find yourself drowning in the middle of the Mediterranean.

While the root of the problem is obviously to try and resolve the conflicts in these migrant’s home countries, the interim solution is to provide better protection on the seas by having better coordinated rescue missions. This falls under the watch of the European Union which has a track record of turning people away instead of letting them in. Once a refugee has reached a country’s shores, the host country is under a legal and moral obligation to assist them in any way possible. This of course directly applies to countries in the EU as they are part of the UN and thus subject to international law. Immigration reform is another issue and with better practices and better access people would no longer need to risk their lives to get to safety.

We have these same problems here in the United States with the massive influx of Central American refugees fleeing corrupt and war torn regions. Once they are on American soil they must be interviewed and vetted before they are turned away and sent back home. The reception and treatment many of them have seen from my fellow Americans has been nothing short of shameful. Instead of standing at the border and screaming why not do something useful to try and help the people that do arrive on your shores. Organizations like the International Rescue Committee are a great place to start.

Is There Hope for Iraq?

I go away for a few days to visit my family and it’s as if the world is ending. We have another cease fire in Israel that I am hoping will last and now the world’s attention is focused on Iraq and the murderous rampage of ISIS. I’ve been watching most of the summer as ISIS militants filtered out of Syria into Iraq and began murdering innocent men, women and children – the majority of them from Iraq’s Christian and Yazidi minorities.

Secretary of State John Kerry, in a press conference on June 22, stated that, “What is happening in Iraq is not happening because of the United States in terms of the current crisis.” I’m confused as to where he’s been for the past 10 years because what’s happening in Iraq is due in large part to the US. Part of the reason ISIS has been able to make so much ground into Iraq is because of lack of leadership in the Iraqi government and the United States’ weak foreign policy.

In the past few years the US government’s ambivalent attitude toward the Middle East has provided violent militants with the leeway needed to rise to power. Our vacillating on Syria, removal of troops from Iraq and soon Afghanistan and the mishandling of the Benghazi scandal have all shown the US to be inept in foreign policy. I’m not saying we need a war – in fact that’s the last thing we need. There are other ways to show strong foreign policy without starting a war. We never should have been in Iraq in the first place, but that’s a whole ‘nother story.

ISIS has murdered members of the military, often beheading them and posting their heads on stakes or crucifying them. They’ve turned their guns on Iraq’s minority Christian and Yazidi population trapping thousands of refugees in the Sinjar Mountains where they risked death from dehydration and starvation. Ironically it’s the Kurdish armed forces who have been the saviors in Iraq’s most recent conflict. Once the target of Saddam Hussein’s chemical weapons attacks during the Iraq – Iran War; the Kurdish people, now possibly being armed by the CIA, have stood their ground to protect these minority groups and themselves. This most recent conflict may provide the Kurds with the very ammunition they need to once and for all get their own country of Kurdistan.

As refugees flee into war-torn Syria the US government has finally begun to take action against ISIS and its rampage. We’ve known about ISIS’ rise to power for weeks, a group so vicious even Al Qaeda wants nothing to do with them, and what happens in Iraq over the next few weeks could have devastating consequences on the future stability of the extremely unstable Middle East.