1,000 Veterans to March on the White House

Adam Kokesh is a controversial figure - probably because he isn't a sheep, bleeting and following along behind those who would try to make him fit into a role that does not fit.  He challenges authority and reveals the reality of a government based not on protecting the freedoms of the American people. He believes his experience as a former Republican Congressional candidate and member of the USMC qualifies him to encourage everyone to live as free, dignified humans and he urges everyone to live as if government does not exist. He is Adam of Adam VS the Man.

Adam versus the Man is more than a cable or Internet show, it's his way of life. His Facebook page states:

Who is “the man?” The man is anyone who thinks they can tell you how to live your life and impose their will on others by force of government. But maybe the man behind the curtain is the would-be man in all of us. Because really, the message of freedom that this show is based on, is about conquering that desire to rule over others and that willingness to accept rule by force. They are temptations all are subject too, but in order to establish true liberty for humanity, we must condemn all forms of freedom-violating initiation of force against others and embrace the love and respect for our shared humanity of which we are all capable.

His current press release follows:

1,000 Veterans to March on the White House for Ron Paul, Organizers Overwhelmed
Thousands expected to turn their backs on Obama for "RON PAUL IS THE CHOICE OF THE TROOPS"

    It's only been up for a couple weeks, but according to the Facebook event page, which just passed 1,250 "going" this past Friday, Veterans for Ron Paul 2012 are going to be an undeniable presence in Washington, DC on President's Day. The organizers have been overwhelmed by the positive response, much of which is from veterans and active duty troops who are hearing Ron Paul's message for the first time because of this event. Many passionate veterans are even coming from as far away as the west coast, and almost every other post on the wall for the event page is a request or offer for long-distance transportation. Emails to organizers have also indicated that there will be a large contingent of active duty troops in the formation who have declined to RSVP publicly on Facebook. However, organizers are realistic about the numbers, as former US Marine and Fallujah combat veteran Adam Kokesh said, "We know 1,250 on Facebook includes some supporters who won't be there, but we think it's a reasonable goal now to have 1,000 veterans in the formation."

    On President's Day, February 20th, 2012, the founders of Veterans for Ron Paul 2012, Nathan Cox and Adam Kokesh, will lead a formation of veterans and active duty troops who support Ron Paul's candidacy for President of the United States from the Washington Monument to the White House. Upon arrival at the White House, they will do an about face and render a hand salute to a folded American flag. They will hold the salute for as many seconds as troops have died under the Presidency of Barrack Obama, including suicides.

    The purpose of this event is to make it clear to the American people that Ron Paul is the choice of the troops and the candidate who will have the greatest support from those he would lead as commander-in-chief. This is already evidence(d) by the fact that Ron Paul has received more campaign contributions from active duty service members than all other presidential candidates combined, INCLUDING Barrack Obama. The troops want a President who is going to be decisive, put America's security first, and only send them into harm's way with a clear moral imperative. Ron Paul is the ONLY candidate who even comes close to meeting those criteria.

    Any active duty service members who join will be invited to march at the front of the formation. Proof of service will be required to march in the formation for all current or former military personnel. Family members are invite(d) to march behind the formation and supporters are encouraged to line the route of the march and be present for the ceremony at the White House.

For more information about this event, please contact Veterans for Ron Paul 2012 at VFRP2012@gmail.com or see the facebook event at:

http://www.facebook.com/events/create/?eid=192677970828185

To see the first official announcement of this event:
http://youtu.be/v0LxI7_v9vA

I don't typically involve myself in politics because I believe our system if flawed and based on an antiquated electoral college. There comes a time, however, when everyone must ask the question:" if not me, then who; if not now, then when?"

I have to do my part or my freedoms mean nothing.

Sailors Deserve Better!

People join the military for many reasons. Some join for a sense of family; others, for a sense of belonging to something larger than themselves. They have said they wanted experience, while some hoped to travel. Expectant young fathers have wrestled for years over which is most important: marriage vows or military oaths. Years ago, the military was an option for troubled young men told by families or authorities they needed discipline. For generations, people have run to the service to get away from something, searching for something.

My father was drafted into service at the height of World War II and served a single four-year term. He had no interest in making the Army Air Corps his career. Fortunate that he never had to serve in the trenches, he felt he could provide for his family better as a civilian.

A little more than twenty years later, the United States Marine Corps drafted my oldest brother, who went from Parris Island to Vietnam. He finished his second term in North Carolina, then decided he didn't want to reenlist.

My youngest brother, who was born nineteen years after the Marine * yes, my parents populated the entire boomer generation* enlisted into the National Guard before deciding to make the military his way of life. He joined the Navy full time and retired after twenty years. My sister's husband also retired from the Navy. Numerous cousins also retired from military careers.

The next generation in my family has its share of military personnel, covering nearly every branch. Enlisting into service, they swore oaths and signed documents promising and expecting certain things from the contract. Sailors, as all military personnel, make many sacrifices and their families sacrifice much, to support their sailors. In November, more than 15,000 sailors and their families are outraged when they learned from the Enlisted Retention Board that they are being "involuntarily separated from the United States Navy."

Emily Anelli, a Proud Navy Wife insists It's not over for her sailor. She asks,

Why is it 2,947 sailors serving more than 7 and less than 15 years are suddenly being pushed out?

She's not the first Navy Wife to complain that her husband, halfway to retirement, is being denied that for which he has dutifully and faithfully sacrificed and proudly served.

I agree with Mrs. Anelli when she pleads:

It is only fair to let the 2,947 sailors finish their contracts. Honor the benefits they have worked so hard for, respect the work they have done and uphold the contract between the government and these sailors.

Mrs. Anelli states that her husband was approved for reenlistment December 2010 with a ceremony in January 2011. A year later, he learned that his service is no longer required. What changed? Why is it that the government suddenly finds him redundant? Why not allow him to complete his contract? If he had decided to opt out of his end of the contract he might be considered AWOL.

Can't we hold the government to the same standards to which it expects its personnel?  If the military chooses to dismiss members in the same way a corporation might dismiss employees during a downsize, what recourse do those members have when a contract is broken?

Our sailors deserve better. Let those who want to retire, do so. Give them their benefits, not a severance slip.

2011 West Virginia University Marching Band Armed Forces Salute

This is a brilliant display of talent and patriotism.

Whistleblower protection laws

A Federal employee with authority to take, direct others to take, recommend or approve any personnel action must not use that authority to take or fail to take, or threaten to take or fail to take, a personnel action against an employee or applicant because of disclosure of information by that individual that is reasonably believed to evidence violations of law, rule or regulation; gross mismanagement; gross waste of funds; an abuse of authority; or a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety, unless disclosure of such information is specifically prohibited by law and such information is specifically required by Executive order to be kept secret in the interest of national defense or the conduct of foreign affairs.

Retaliation against an employee or applicant for making a protected disclosure is prohibited by 5 U.S.C. 2302(b)(8). If you believe that you have been the victim of whistleblower retaliation, you may file a written complaint (Form OSC-11) with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel at 1730 M Street NW., Suite 218, Washington, DC 20036-4505 or online through the OSC Web site.

Enough said!

Veteran's Day 2011

As noble as it can be to honor our fallen veterans, it's also honorable to protect and speak out for those who are actively serving our country today. The men and women of our armed forces sacrifice much so that we can enjoy the American Way of Life.

As children, we learn to follow the leader, become links the family chain of command and to do as we are told. We grow up and find jobs where we must do as requested by our supervisors, colleagues and associates. The orders trickle down from the boss and the boss receives instructions from shareholders or partners. In the military, the chain of command is a bit more literal. Officers and enlisted personnel all must adhere to the chain of command. There are certain ways to do things and protocol to follow. This chain of command is instilled in the service men and women early in their training. Their A schools, where they learn to do their military jobs ensures they understand completely what the chain of command is. Career soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen (and women) know more than anyone, the value of this chain.

As a Navy Mom, I know what civilians must give up when a loved one is deployed. We miss our sons, daughters, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, mothers, fathers and friends. We feel a void in our day-to-day lives when the one we counted on is no longer there. We write letters, mail cards, send emails, find jokes to lighten the day and we send care packages - because we do care. We miss our military men and women when they are not home.

They miss us more. We are still sleeping in our beds while they must deal with cots or the hard ground. We have the luxury of air conditioning and heat while our military are exposed to the elements. We eat fast food; they deal with MREs or cold food and don't mind crumbly cookies in our poorly packed boxes.

Every day, while we are complaining about our jobs or school, our deployed loved ones work without complaint in hostile environments - some are dealing with munitions and others are dealing with the indignity of having to search for a working toilet on a ship where the doors to toilets that do work are  -  -  - locked!

The USS George H.W. Bush is on its maiden deployment and many things can go wrong the first time ships cruise. No one could have expected the technological marvels of the Vacuum Collection, Holding and Transfer system to have failed as miserably as it has. Toilets are clogged, overflowing, simply not working. Cipher locks have been installed on the ones that do work and sailors dare not relieve themselves into the ocean, for fear of serious repercussions. Sailors are afraid to eat or drink in an effort not to feel the urge to void - then have to search for up to an hour to find a useable toilet.

Unlike the family sedan, aircraft carriers cannot just pull off the road when mechanical failure sets in. There is no "seaside service" that can fix this problem. The only solution I see is to airlift to the ship, experts from the company that manufactured and installed the system. The sailors still have a long time at sea. Depending on the world political climate, the deployment can be extended, but even if they come home as scheduled, they will be there much too long without working toilets. The months they have already endured with this failed system is far too long. 


Treat our military men and women like the heroes they are!