A DOUBLE post... ON MY SOAPBOX

For a moment I need to step on the soapbox and give a piece of my mind. (I know you are all thinking “oh watch out”)
When Jeff and I were in Hawaii we went to a bookstore to find some good reads while we basked in the sun by the pool. We went in looking for the book The last lecture written by Randy Pausch. (We did find this and buy it. Jeff has read it already and I have still yet to read it). We also found a book called The Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell. Jeff read this book while we were in Hawaii and kept commenting on how good it was. I picked it up while he was not reading it and began browsing it and was excited to get my turn to pour into it. It was one of the best books I have ever read. It is in no way a romance novel or good in that what happened to this brave American was something to be happy about, but good in that it was a big eye opener for me.
This is going to be a big year for all of Americans. We will soon be watching television that has nonstop campaign ads for the future President of the United States. I am in NO way a big political person. I know that they say there are two things never to talk to people about one being religion and the other being politics. I can talk about anything. So I want to bring up a few points and then get off my soap box. I am not telling anyone here who to vote for. I want every person who reads that to understand that!
The past few weeks when I have been on my computer I look at my MSN homepage. This is how I keep up with what is going on in the world. We no longer watch the news in our home. Jeff and I find it to depressing. Either someone new just got shot or another child has been killed for unimaginable reasons. We do watch FOX at times when something big is going on and want more information for example, hurricane Katrina. I watched and I cried as these people were waving on bridges and roof tops waiting to be rescued. I also cheered when the smart boy who was maybe 16 stole the bus and loaded it with people and drove them to a place where they were out of harm’s way. I also sneak a peek at the sports section looking for any headlines on my favorite baseball players or teams. My point to all this is that in the news section last week was many stories about Obama visiting the Middle East. Wow I thought good for him. I was so happy that he did this. I was hoping that he saw firsthand what was going on over there. Later in the week I got a People magazine. People had a nice story about the Obama family. I thought about how real they all seemed and that how he is raising young children also. I think it said that if he became the next President that his kids would be the youngest in the White House ever.
Back to the book about the Lone Survivor. I ask all Americans to read this book. I think people need to know what is going on over in the Middle East. I think people need to remember that there is still a war going on as I type this. Americans are fighting for all of us and our freedom. My brother in law is in the Marines. I am to the point now that when I watch the news and see how every story is about how we should no longer be in the Middle East and how the war needs to end we should ask our military how they feel. We are not getting the whole story. War scares me. I am not happy that we are still at war. I would LOVE for all our military men and women to be home with their family and friends, but at the same time I do not think that we are at the point where we can just return from Iraq and feel like another 9-11 may not occur soon.
Marcus does a great job in his book describing all the misconceptions for you. The biggest being the media and how they spin things. This book is now being passed around to members of my family.
I receive a lot of forwarded messages. I came across one that my mother in law sent to me just yesterday. I want to share it all with you. Maybe we have all been fooled by Senator Obama and his trip to the Middle East. I know that I feel like a fool. I will be watching as we get closer to picking the next President. I have personally come to the conclusion that I will vote for who our military wants to be President. Why? Because they are the ones fighting and dying for me. They are the ones that need the backing of the President when they are on these missions. They are the ones that I worry about and they are the ones that I want to repay. Some of the issues that are discussed in detail so much that make my ears want to fall off bore me. The issue that is MOST important to me as a mom is my family’s safety. That includes your family too. I worry about another 9-11. I worry about my kid’s future and I don’t want to be scared anymore every time my husband goes on a business trip. I want to feel like our borders are safe and that the people who made 9-11 happen and the ones that want to copy their acts don’t enter our country.
Feel free to agree or disagree. Feel free to add comments that may give another point of view. No comments will be deleted unless they are completely inappropriate. I am all for freedom of speech so comment away and tell me what you think. Is there an issue that is really important to you? Please read the following from my mother in law and please check a copy out of the library, buy, or borrow the book THE LONE SURVIVOR by Marcus Luttrell.
May God bless America!


Hello everyone,
As you know I am not a very political person. I just wanted to pass along that Senator Obama came to Bagram Afghanistan for about an hour on his visit to 'The War Zone'. I wanted to share with you what happened.
He got off the plane and got into a bullet proof vehicle, got to the area to meet with the Major General (2 Star) who is the commander here at Bagram. As the Soldiers where lined up to shake his hand he blew them off and didn't say a word as he went into the conference room to meet the General. As he finished, the vehicles took him to the ClamShell (pretty much a big top tent that military personnel can play basketball or work out in with weights) so he could take his publicity pictures playing basketball. He again shunned the opportunity to talk to Soldiers to thank them for their service. So really he was just here to make a showing for the American's back home that he is their candidate for President. I think that if you are going to make an effort to come all the way over here you would thank those that are providing the freedom that they are providing for you.I swear we got more thanks from the NBA Basketball Players or the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders than from one of the Senators, who wants to be the President of the United States. I just don't understand how anyone would want him to be our Commander-in-Chief. It was almost that he was scared to be around those that provide the freedom for him and our great country. If this is blunt and to the point I am sorry but I wanted you all to know what kind of caliber of person he really is. What you see in the news is all fake.

In service,
CPT Jeffrey S. Porter
Battle Captain
TF Wasatch
American Soldier