I'm not sure what happened to Smash (www.indepundit.com). I used to stop by his blog now and then -- liked what he had to say. Stopped by tonight and his blog seems to be out of commisson. Looked his site up via Wayback Machine (url: http://web.archive.org/web/20070822004135/http://www.indepundit.com/) and came across this post of his that I really liked a while back. Since he doesn't seem to be around anymore, I figured I'd post it for posterity.
I wrote the following, on February 22, 2003, as a sort of pep-talk for myself.
Courage
I'm not a hero.That is to say, I don't think of myself that way. I don't seek out danger. I'm not the type of guy who is always looking for the next adrenaline rush, or the latest thrill sport. I generally avoid dangerous activities.
I'm not a coward, either.
I'm not fearless. I realize, every day that I am here, that my life is in danger.
There is no way to avoid this conclusion. I'm told to wear body armor and a helmet. I carry a weapon. We build fortifications. I lug a pack full of chemical protection gear everywhere I go. I've received so many shots, I feel like a pincushion. Sometimes, when I have a moment or two to think about it, I feel a little bit scared. Frankly, only an idiot would not be afraid under these circumstances.
But I do have courage.
Courage is not the absence of fear. To the contrary, courage involves recognizing danger, but acting on the realization that danger must be confronted -- or it will find you when you are least prepared.
I didn't come here looking for a thrill.
I'm here because there is a hole in the ground in New York, where a couple of the world's tallest buildings used to be.
I'm here because I knew some of those people in the Pentagon.
I'm here because my seven-year-old nephew has nightmares about terrorists.
I'm here because whether Saddam is responsible or not for those terrorist attacks, he has the will and is developing the means to do much, much worse.
I'm here because if History teaches us anything, it is that evil men cannot be deterred by sanctions, containment strategies, diplomacy, resolutions, or weapons inspections.
I'm here because I don't believe in appeasement.
I'm here because someone has to be.
I'm here because I was called.
I'm here because I have a job to do.
Good Lt at Jawa on "Eco-anxiety":
We now have the cult of Gaia and Algore to thank for "ecoanxiety."Eco-messiahs are everywhere.[...] There's a new game in town, my friends.
Hyper-emotive, hopeless, fact-free, nameless free-floating hostility against imaginary villains, imaginary crises and imaginary "issues" that you've convinced yourself you were selected to save the world from = "political and social consciousness."
Gaia, save us!
"It is ignorance that produces abominable situations. It is not knowledge," he said in a speech. "Let us make our children, children with open eyes who are not complacent."- "French President Nicolas Sarkozy, facing a tide of criticism over his call for schoolchildren to 'adopt" Jewish child victims of the Holocaust'".
Sarkozy defends Holocaust proposal amid uproar
His political and secular opposition don't know what to make of this guy.
He's really something else, that's all I can say. My long-standing opposition to all-things-French has been turned upside down ever since this guy got into office.
For all of you Romney Haters out there --- if you didn't vote for him (or rather, voted for the Huckster just to spite him) because he is a Mormon (you know who you are), you need to get a grip.
We are electing a president, not a Messiah.
We've already got one of those.
***Newsflash kids: The Man ain't coming to hang out at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave when He returns so STOP VOTING FOR HOPE ***
The Democrats just don't realize that quite yet.
But then again, they already have their Obamassiah...
This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.1 Timothy 4:9-10 (NIV)
As P-Diddy would say, "Vote or Die!"
and as Homer would say, "No beer no tv make Homer go sometin sometin"
"Anyone who supports Sen. McCain should understand that one-third of the Republican party are conservatives," Bond said. "One-third of them will hold their nose and vote for him, one-third will sit it out, and one-third -- myself included -- are going to vote for Hillary Clinton if that's what it comes down to. I think if we're going to have Democratic policies in the White House, that person needs to have a 'D' after their name." -- Tim Bond
When confronted with any of his misdeeds, Senator McCain tends to fall back on his record as a war hero in Vietnam.My sentiments, exactly.Let’s talk sense. Benedict Arnold was a war hero but that did not exempt him from condemnation for his later betrayal.
Being a war hero is not a lifetime get-out-of-jail-free card. And becoming president of the United States is not a matter of rewarding an individual for past services.
