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The Snead Reader

MilitaryTimes Army secretary orders Arlington Cemetery probe
NYT Book Review Malcolm Gladwell, Eclectic Detective
Joe Galloway, McClatchy Mr. President, take your time on Afghanistan
Henry Rollins, Vanity Fair The Boys Who Cried "Fort Hood Terrorist"
Paul Krugman, NYT Free to Lose
NYT Medicines to Deter Some Cancers Are Not Taken
National History Center Marilyn Young’s Lecture on “Limited War, Unlimited”
NYT Mag The Self-Manufacture of Megan Fox
Wash Indy Anti-Tax Movement Ponders Two Big Defeats
AFP Study: Lack of health care killed 2,266 US veterans last year
Wash Indy Lawyers Allege Ongoing ‘Dragnet’ Surveillance

Just A Thought

There was plenty of noise over the weekend about the Obama Administration's decision to send 5 assholes to New York City for a trial that is all but guaranteed to end in death sentences. People who have no idea what they are talking about (see: Rudy "We generally don't bring people back to the scene of the crime for justice" Giuliani) aired out their thoughts so the rest of us who don't know what they are talking about can turn an academic debate into an ideological and political game of Blue vs. Red.

My thoughts are this are pretty simple: People who commit crimes should be punished in a just manner. Since these clowns aren't denying their role in 9/11 it won't be difficult to ensure justice is done, but it should be done on our terms, not theirs. The reason we don't have martyrs in this country is because we have transparency in our legal system. We have checks and balances. The accused have the right to defend themselves. Incidentally, all these attributes are parts of the reason America is a target of radicals. People with hate in their hearts can't accept the principles of freedom and democracy. I haven't heard a good reason yet why these murderers should received any special treatment and not be brought to justice in NYC. I'm sure there are plenty of issues that could be debated by legal experts over this but all I hear from politicians is noise.

And trying to think about the issues created by having a dual-trial system, one in the Federal courts system and the other by military commission, just makes my head hurt. Will the smartest people in the room please stand up and explain this to the rest of us?
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The Snead Reader

When I picked out the format and design of this blog, I really liked the empty box at the top of the page, something I could fill in with permanent text of my own or change on a whim. When I first moved things over here from the old blog I labelled it the "Homework" section and tried to keep it updated daily with news items of note. From all indications, it was pointless except as an exercise in copying and pasting. It was also time-consuming and bugged me when I didn't get it updated in the mornings, which I usually didn't. So I've put the daily Homework updates aside and devoted the space to The Snead Reader. The reader was a quasi-regular feature on the old blog, just a post where I'd link to some of the more interesting articles/blog posts/whatever I run across on the world wide webs. Now it holds a permanent place, until I get bored with it, right up top and I'll update it whenever I collect enough articles or whatever. I've updated it today but it's obviously not full so I add a link or two here and there before I wipe the slate clean and put up a new crop. Hopefully I'll keep it regularly updated and maybe, just maybe, you'll find something worth your time. If you'd like to pass something along to me, there are a half dozen ways to contact me under the "Get At Me" section on the right side of the page. Happy reading.
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Game Day


I don't know what to say about this game. It's great that we get to play one of the best teams in the country. It's an incredible opportunity to put our university and program on display with the national television coverage. Playing for the Wounded Warriors Project should be an honor for these kids. Yes, the odds are stacked against them. No, statistics and history aren't on our side. But the outcome hasn't been written yet. For better or worse, anything can happen. That's why they play and it's why we watch. I love it.

Just win, baby.
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Friday Afternoon Cinema

Despite what my girlfriend thinks, the college football season is short. Enjoy it while you can.



Great call by the Houston Cougar radio team of Tom Franklin and Ted Pardee of walk-on freshman kicker Matt Hogan's 51-yard field goal to beat Tulsa, 46-45, on the final play of Saturday night's game.

The Cougars scored a touchdown to pull within 45-43 with 21 seconds remaining, but misfired on a two-point conversion. Houston then recovered the onside kick and Case Keenum completed two passes for 27 yards to set up the final play.

The Wiz of Odds 'Stick It in Your Pipe and Smoke It, Baby!'
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And Now For Something Completely Different

Mostly because I'm doing everything I can to avoid working on a research project.



Regina Spektor performing "Human of the Year" in Seattle last week. We saw her Saturday night at the Fillmore but I couldn't find a high quality video from that to share. If you're unfamiliar you should check her out, especially the live stuff.
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Honoring All Who Served

Back in March I had the opportunity to ask President Obama how we can help our warriors make an easy transition into civilian life. You can see his answer here or read it here. I've been very excited to see the President and his administration make good on his promise to do more in the last two weeks. Last Tuesday the VA announced a five-year plan to end homelessness for veterans. You can see the highlights here and read a WaPo write-up here. Monday, the President signed an executive order to create the Veterans Employment Initiative, aimed at increasing Federal employment of veterans. Joe Davidson explains why this order will finally give teeth to a 65-year-old law requiring preferential hiring for vets. The VA also launched their new look website today at www.va.gov and their Director of New Media says this is just the first step in transforming how the VA communicates online. I hope these are just a few signs of the changes coming to our VA. The Federal government should absolutely be leading from the front when it comes to honoring all those who served.

I'm knee deep in school work today so please forgive the Tribute Lite on Veteran's Day but here are some good reads and ways you can contribute.

Denver Post New fund designed to get homeless veterans into housing quickly

The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless estimates there are nearly 3,000 vets homeless in the state on any given day, including Veterans Day today.

This means that in the metro area, there are nearly 1,800 veterans roaming the streets, trying to get their lives back together. On any given night, at least 80 of them sleep under bridges, in cars or on concrete.

Even the Veterans Affairs Department admits things could be better for returning soldiers. The VA estimates as many as 131,000 veterans will be homeless on any given day and twice that number may be homeless at some point this year, according to coalition president John Parvensky.

In hopes of stemming some of those numbers in Colorado, the coalition this morning will announce the establishment of a new Homeless Veterans Housing Fund. The money will be used to help get homeless vets into housing quickly and help them access support services, including treatment for war-related trauma.

"A lot of vets come back with trauma issues," said Heather Beck, who runs the coalition's outreach teams that seek the homeless who refuse to come in from the cold. "The trauma doesn't go away if it's not addressed early."


Change.org Remembering Veterans by Working to Repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

Despite the fact that gay marriage advocates lost a heartbreaking vote in Maine last week, there was one individual whose story emerged from the election that has managed to not only go viral throughout the Internet, but has captured the hearts and minds of equality advocates. That man is Philip Spooner, and he's a World War II vet who talked publicly about what the idea of gay marriage and equal rights meant to him.

"A woman at my polling place asked me, 'Do you believe in equality for gay and lesbian people?'" Spooner said. "I asked her, 'What do you think our boys fought for at Omaha Beach?' I haven't seen so much blood and guts, so much suffering, much sacrifice. For what? For freedom and equality. These are the values that give America a great nation, one worth dying for."

Spooner's comments get at the heart of what Veterans Day -- being celebrated today -- is all about. Yes, it's certainly about remembering fallen soldiers and those that served this country. But it's also about the promise of equality and freedom, values that are supposed to apply to everyone in this country, regardless of sexual orientation.

It's on that note that yesterday, the American Medical Association passed a resolution to become the latest professional organization calling for a repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," the discriminatory military policy that has to this date thrown out 13,000 soldiers from the U.S. military simply for being gay or lesbian.

Dr. Paul Wertsch, a Wisconsin doctor who wrote the resolution calling for a repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," said he did so because the currently policy forces doctors to lie.

"When a gay or lesbian soldier comes and talks to their doctor, psychiatrist, anyone...if it's recorded in the record that the person is gay or lesbian, that's basis for discharge," Dr. Wertsch said. It forces a doctor to choose between being honest in the medical record, or hurting our country's national security by aiding the dismissal of well-qualified soldiers from the military.

This Veterans Day, more people support a repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" than ever before. The wheels of overturning the policy through Congressional action, however, remain slow.


Servicemembers Legal Defense Network

Letters to the editor are a great way to engage local media and raise awareness about our efforts to get rid of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” A particularly effective letter to the editor can get thousands of people talking about the issue and have effects well beyond the pages of the paper. The letters to the editor section is one of the most read parts of a newspaper!


Iraq veteran: Was it worth it? by My American-Iraq Life Author Kate Hoit

On Dec. 26, I will officially be out of the Army. It has been eight years since I enlisted and I’m torn: Was it worth it?

The simple answer is yes. The more I dissect the question, the more I have no idea how to answer it. The Army has taught me more about myself than any job, schooling, or relationship that I’ve ever had.

So, what’s my problem then?

I knew nothing at the age of seventeen besides I wanted to join the Army Reserves. I thought of the Army as a starting point for the rest of my life. I wanted an adventure and the Army promised that. I wanted a career in the FBI.

My father and both my grandfathers had served and I wanted to be the first woman in the family to follow in their footsteps.

I was a virgin. I’d been drunk twice in my life. I grew up in Bethlehem, a suburb outside of Albany. I was a cheerleader and a shitty math student. I was supposed to go to a four-year college like my friends, work some bullshit job the rest of my life, have a few kids, grow old and die.

Sometimes I wish I chose the suburban version of The American Dream.

Welcome Back Veterans

Welcome Back Veterans (WBV) was created to inspire Americans to give back to our returning veterans and their families. These heroes were there when we needed them--they served us all and kept us safe--and it's our turn to be there for them. WBV is committed to transforming the lives of our returning veterans by changing the way people think and talk about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) while providing ongoing treatment for veterans and their families in addition to funding research. Donate to Welcome Back Veterans here
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A Corps of Marines

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That in addition to the present military establishment, there shall be raised and organized a corps of marines, which shall consist of one major, four captains, sixteen first lieutenants, twelve second lieutenants, forty-eight sergeants, forty-eight corporals, thirty-two drums and fifes, and seven hundred and twenty privates, including the marines who have been enlisted, or are authorized to be raised, for the naval armament, and the said corps may be formed into as many companies, or detachments, as the President of the United States shall direct, with a proper distribution of the commissioned and non-commissioned officers and musicians to each company or detachment.

An Act for Establishing and Organizing a Marine Corps 11 July 1798

And just like that, the United States of America created a corps of Marines. However, a congressional act by the Continental Congress on 10 November, 1775 that raised "two Battalions of marines" to serve "for and during the present war between Great Britain and the colonies" as "the first and second battalions of American Marines" is universally accepted as the origin of the United States Marine Corps. Today, the Corps celebrates it's 234th birthday.

It's a bittersweet day for me. While I enjoy the recognition Marines have earned and appreciate the opportunity to celebrate with warriors from all generations past, present and future, it's also a painful reminder of November 10, 2005. I was attached to 3rd Platoon, Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines for a ground offensive, Operation Steel Curtain, near the Iraq-Syria border. Long story short, a 19-year-old Marine from Yadkinville, North Carolina, Daniel Swaim, stepped on the trigger for an IED that I had stepped around just moments before and was killed. Daniel's death marked a moment of personal and professional failure that will stay with me forever. Four years later, thinking about Daniel's death still bothers me but I've learned from it and live with it in an uneasy truce between my sense of guilt and respect. It would be shameful to disgrace Daniel's life by making it about me, so when I think of him I focus on what I have to be grateful for, every moment of life since that day and every moment to come. I only want to honor his life, his sacrifice and I hope those who knew and loved him have found some solace in the days since he was taken. I can't say I'm glad it wasn't me, because I'm not. I just wish it wasn't him.

But Lance Corporal Swaim wasn't the first Marine to die in combat and he won't be the last. By honoring his life and sacrifice, I hope I can honor all those who have come before and all those who will lay down their lives in the future. This Corps of Marines isn't just the finest fighting force the world has ever known, it's also the closest knit family, composed of teamwork in action and esprit de corps in soul. As America celebrates it's Marine Corps on November 10th, I celebrate America's Marines. Semper Fi

For more historical documents, visit the USMC History Division. Watch the 2009 Birthday Message here.


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