Dear Gang,
The reactions from folks who find out I was in Iraq are varied but there are a couple of questions that they all ask me. Number one is “Are we winning the war?” I think that depends on what front. Are we beating the snot out of these Holy Jihad terrorist? Yes!! For every American wounded, we are killing about ten of them. Now I can’t show you that number on paper, but it’s more like what we call a SWAG (Scientific wild ass guess). I would say that we are doing much better then the Russian’s did in Afghanistan in the 80’s, but there will be a time when we will have to hope Iraq is stable enough to survive on it’s own.
There is so much going on around the world that I wouldn’t wish my worst enemy in President Bush’s spot. Just think, you are trying to deal with finishing a project in Iraq to make a beacon of freedom there in an area where the others don’t want that to happen. Iran is next door saying that the world must accept them into the Nuclear club, (oh by the way, we want to wipe Israel off the map). You have to figure out a way to appease the leaders there so they can call off all their insurgents in Iraq, to allow for the U.S. to make a peaceful honorable withdraw.
Then, spin the globe around and you have the morons in N. Korea saying they can lob a Nuke over to the shores of the U.S., so now you must appease China by making them a favored nation status so they will keep their thumbs pressed on Korea from doing something they would regret. All the while, trying to stop Taiwan from pissing off the mother land next door causing the invasion of 2 billion Chinaman. See this would be a problem for us as well since we have pledged our military to help the fledging democracy that was formed so many years ago.
Now on top of that, our country has been invaded by an army of over 12 million Mexicans and the only shot fired was that of all the gangs roaming around the border cities. My buddy just went back over to Iraq for his third tour and he is going to be on the border of Syria and Iraq trying to plug the holes there as future fodder filter across the desert plains to wage war on innocent Muslims and the “infidel” Americans. Tom actually trained with our border guys down in Arizona and was just amazed at how messed up our country truly is. They have caught gangs smuggling explosives across the desert for future operations by terrorists. We have problems here guys when that happens.
Now, I pose a question to you…what would it take to change us back to a country where we were a melting pot again? Here are some ideas for a better America, most aren’t mine and most are too radical to ever happen but I think it would make life better in the long run.
1. All 18 year olds must do some form of service, either a two year stint in the one of the branches of the Armed Forces, or a new C.C.C. (conservation corps like in the 30’s) building new bridges, roads, planting trees etc., or the U.S. Peace Corps going into the inner cities of our own country teaching folks to read, write etc to get them above the need to join a gang or be on welfare. Then finally, your other choice is to join the U.S. border Patrol plugging the gaps on our nation’s porous states.
2. Rescind the right to be a U.S. Citizen if you are born here from illegal parents. Just because they broke the law shouldn’t mean we give you our freedoms and rights. This is unpopular but if you come here, you should be learning English, speaking it and using it. It gets old to hear “For Spanish press 1, for English, press 2”.
3. Make prison hard again. I mean if you are there, make it so bad that you don’t want to come back…ever again. West of the Mississippi, you go to Roswell NM and break big rocks into little rocks, fill sand bags all day, chain gangs, fill sand bags and live in tents. Just make that Sheriff out there “Joe” something, the national prison warden. If you are east of the river, you will clear brush out from under the swamps of South Carolina. It’s too easy now.
4. If you really want to make things interesting, offer prisoner’s the chance to work off their sentence by going to Iraq and clearing the IED’s and trash on the side of the road!!!
5. Make a flat tax on everything. That way if you aren’t going to get rid of all the illegals, at least they are paying taxes to support the hospitals, schools and roads that they all enjoy.
I know that I’m preaching to the choir, but in a perfect world, this is the path I would like to see happen. Now back to Iraq since you got me off on my tangent, the cause will be won and we will leave when Muslims across the globe say enough is enough with all this senseless killing. Are we in a Holy War again? Like the Crusades so many years ago? Well, I didn’t see any insurgents wearing a uniform from a nation, but they were fighting because of their religious beliefs. So you make your own opinion on what is happening in that department. I think our guys and gals are doing a great job over there, better then what is reported in the main stream news.
Change 2
I’m heading up to DC this weekend for the Mil Blog conference with my Folks and Capt B IS ABLE TO MAKE IT. Sorry Regina, I’m not sure it would be the best weather to wear my Kilt. I am looking forward to meeting everyone there and if you have the chance to come and you are local, come on out. Friday night, we are going to the open bar followed by bashing some Pinko’s at Walter Reed hospital. I regret that my company won’t give me the time off to attend the Anysoldier.com cruise in NY harbor at the end of the month. If you get a chance, that would be a blast to attend!!
Well, you all take care and I’ll talk to you soon.
Semper Fi,
Taco
The SandGram 
April 19, 2006 at 1:40 am
Amen, Taco! I agree with your ideas 110%.
My son is a junior in high school. I would very much like to see him go into some branch of the service. People think I’m nuts when I say that.
Does Iran scare me? Hell, yes. But I think the US needs to get stronger, stay stronger, and always try to stay one step ahead of everybody else.
Yepper, I’m pro-military. Always have been. Always will be.
As for the illegals, well, no comment on that. There’s not enough room in the comment section!
April 19, 2006 at 1:47 am
OUTSTANDING!!!
April 19, 2006 at 1:56 am
Well said Taco!
April 19, 2006 at 2:41 am
Taco,
Wow! You have very eloquently expressed the feelings of mainstream America. Now if we can only do something to put some of these awesome ideas into action. You, Capt. B and the other great American men and women in the military should be thanked, praised and congatulated. The world is precariously balanced with muslim extremists and hard-line kooks with nukes running countries. I can’t understand why more people aren’t scared to death of what these people are capable of instead of sympathizing with them.
Well enough said. God Bless you Taco….and thanks.
April 19, 2006 at 4:32 am
Taco, I agree with all your ideas but there’s a dilemma with one class of illegals that defies a solution unless there’s one I don’t know about-relatives of deployed troops. As I go through the list of troop contacts on anysoldier.com, I can’t help notice the numbers of troops with Hispanic surnames.I presume most of them are legal or will be soon (my first penpal was a Mexican national who was SPC in the U.S. army working with explosives and as patriotic to our country as anyone could possibly be).They are fighting and dying for our freedom like the other American troops in harm’s way.To require them to turn in or have them arrested because their old aunt they support is living with them is an illegal is a sticky situation. I’d sure hate to be the one to tell Marine Major Hispanic Surname to turn in his old abuelita (granny).
Sorry you won’t be going on the cruise. Those of us who can’t make it are of course are envious but happy for those who can. But, have fun at the conference.
April 19, 2006 at 11:39 am
Hola, Taco —
Great thoughts, as usual.
I think kids need discipline these days. Mommy and daddy pay for everything. The Corps would do them a world of good.
Secondly, amen to making prison hard again. Prisoners should work, not lounge around and lift weights all day.
And I’m all for flat taxes. Our road could use a good paving.
I hope all is well. Stay funky.
— Natzo
PS: Great picture, too. Morbid, but interesting nonetheless.
April 19, 2006 at 12:24 pm
Taco very well said. I definitely agree with #4. I have been saying that all along. Stay safe!
April 19, 2006 at 1:19 pm
Well said, as usual. In my case, yup you’re preaching to the quoir:) Looking forward to seeing you in DC this weekend!
April 19, 2006 at 1:25 pm
Taco, You are right on target! I’ve been argueing item #1 for years.
Mrs455, if your son’s High School has an ROTC class, he should get involved. My Marine did four years of MCJROTC and it was the best thing he could have done. I honestly think that the SMIC (a retired Warrant Officer) is the reason that JC graduated.
Semper Fi all. Have a great time at the conference.
April 19, 2006 at 2:36 pm
Great post Taco…..
Glad to hear Capt B will make the conference—have fun—-and bash some Pinkos for me….
April 19, 2006 at 2:48 pm
Very Well Said, Taco!
I totally agree with all points, and feel most of main-stream America does too…maybe the voices will have to be raised as votes this next election time!
Have fun in DC at the Milblog gathering! Tip one for me!
Bridget
April 19, 2006 at 4:14 pm
You’re comments are always “right on”. I agree – esp. with the when in the USA, speak English. This whole immigration thing bothers me in that (1) I know many Mexicans are good, hard working people BUT if we were illegal in Mexico where would we be…..in jail or tossed out! Also, I’ve traveled quite a bit and have ALWAYS had to speak THEIR language or communicate in such a way that they would understand, not the other way around.
Enjoy DC – wish I could be there.
April 19, 2006 at 5:36 pm
Big Amen here! *applause* When did you say you were running for office? =) Wish I could be there for the Pinko bashing. Take care.
April 19, 2006 at 7:50 pm
hey taco…
where do ya’ll meet for the walter reed/pinko thing? would love to come out and support the soldiers AND say hey to you and Capt B! :}
if you can, or someone can who reads this… email me at:
ladybugkip AT yahoo DOT com
thanks!
connie
April 19, 2006 at 10:11 pm
Taco, you’ve said it better than anyone I’ve heard so far. Would you like to run for Pres. next election? I’d sure vote for you. I’m glad your home safely.Hugs, Phyllis
April 20, 2006 at 1:37 am
Great post Taco. Wish I could join you in D.C. Hope you have a great time.
April 20, 2006 at 6:09 am
You are definitely preaching to this choir, Taco – I love it! When are you running for office?
Hope you all have a great time in DC – we will all want to hear the details 🙂
April 20, 2006 at 2:48 pm
Hate to be the only one not to kiss your butt on this post. I agree that something must be done to get immigration under control, but revoking citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants? Dumbest idea I have ever heard. Why stop at their children? Why not make it so that any descendants of illegals get their citizenship revoked no matter how far back? Oh wait, because most people in America have ancestors that broke the law first, so since they did it first they shouldn’t be punished, just the ones who break it now. While we are at it why not just bomb the crap out of the statue of liberty? “Send us your hungry, tired…” no sir, send us your tourists and their money, keep your hard workers and those that want to stay here where they belong, in your crappy country, after all this is a private club, we got here first. Study history a bit and you will relaize that until WWII no one asked to come here, they just showed up and their names were written down and let in. After a while a bunch of rich white protestant men in congress were sick of catholics, jews, and italians coming over so they made people ask permission first. Then if you had money and friends in your own country you could come, otherwise, suffer and die on someone else’s front lawn. What about you Taco? Are you Native American? No? Then go home, and find your own country! Be the example, be the first on your block to admit you don’t belong here any more than the rest of the Europeans and go home.
April 20, 2006 at 3:49 pm
ok …that last argument by an “anon” poster is so flawed it doesn’t really deserve a response. But if you care…the history of US Immigration laws can be found in a very short synopsis at the following location:
http://www.rapidimmigration.com/usa/1_eng_immigration_history.html
A reminder before spouting the “party line” check the facts…
Off my soapbox now…going to go kick the wall…this riles me sumpin fearce!
April 20, 2006 at 3:51 pm
the link is
http://www.rapidimmigration.com/
usa/1_eng_immigration_history.
html
It didn’t all print in last post, sorry…fading away now.
April 20, 2006 at 4:36 pm
Gotta love the photo, Taco. That’s exactly what my head feels like today!!
So, um, when are you running for President? (hehe)
Don’t look for too many assents in the broadstream; anything logical and reasonable is often tossed aside…..
Enjoy your conference, Major. I hope you have a good time!
April 20, 2006 at 5:08 pm
I don’t even know what to say about the picture…gads! Going to have nightmares! Thanks for all you do.
Donna
April 20, 2006 at 5:14 pm
Please tell us more about the photo you posted.
April 20, 2006 at 6:26 pm
Boy, when I grow up I want to be JUST like that brave soul “anonymous”! For your info, Pinko, most Euros came here legally for religious & economic FREEDOM from totalitarian monarchies in Europe. Other Euros were sent here as political & “criminal” prisoners who offended the monarchies. By the way, genetic info shows some Cro-magnion cavemen came over to N. America Via the icepack during the last Ice Age, at the same time “Native Americans” arrived. Get over it & get on with your current life!
Sorry, Taco- just had to respond to that dog barf…
Anyway, OohRah for your manifesto! One more Item for you to consider: what the Minutemen said they & supporters will do if the borders aren’t secured NOW. They will build a fence themselves. It’s in the news today 4/20. Need that plank & I think a lot of people would help build it.
If I can work up the nerve to fight Fri. Balto.-DC traffic w/out an M1A1 (a local idiot killed my Taurus on Rt.1 in Beltsville in heavy traffic last yr.) to come down from The City That Breeds/Bleeds would be nice to meet you & Capt.B after helping support you at TQ.
Give the Pinkos & Commie Running Dogs H*** for me & my 81 yr. old Tarawa vet Dad.
Semper Fi & Semper Invictus
April 20, 2006 at 7:23 pm
Dear anonymous, please go visit Ellis Island and watch the movie reels available. They are not all reenactments. Study the history. As someone who has studied and researched genealogy for 15 years, your info is so wrong it’s laughable.
April 20, 2006 at 8:00 pm
I totally agree with the mandatory civil service. Combat or non-combat, SOMETHING would be good to whip up some of our lazy youth (that would include me as I was at 18)
April 20, 2006 at 9:07 pm
Thank you, Mrs. Diva, for your comments to the poor, uninformed “anonymous!” As a fellow genealogist, I agree wholeheartedly with your comments.
We sure wish all of you could be at the Milblogging Conference and Walter Reed Friday night! For those who can come–the group has signs on all four corners of Georgia Ave in front of the main entrance to the hospital campus! There is a small parking lot across the street from the hospital and parking on the side streets also.
April 20, 2006 at 11:16 pm
Dear Anonymous,
You seem so angry that your point was very confusing to me. I don’t get it at all.Though the Major has most of us agreeing with him much of the time, he hasn’t deleted your comment so I would say he’s open to cricism even if I can’t figure out just what it is. But, I know he was greatly endangered in Iraq fighting for all of our freedoms. Somehow, I feel your anger is misdirected. If you are a Native American, maybe you will feel better going to http://www.anysoldier.com and typing in Native American in the search engine and send our Native American troops a care package or two. I know it has helped me feel less helpless and frustrated to do something for our troops. Best Wishes in this endeaver.
April 21, 2006 at 12:26 am
Hey everyone has the right to spew madness, thank God we live in a country where we have that freedom to express yourself. Now nuts and bolts, I’m all for immigration as long as it’s LEGAL. I don’t care if you come from Mars, it just blows me away that people don’t understand there are things called LAWS. I’ll tell you what, let’s all go to Mexico and demand that all of our children get free schooling, medical etc and oh by the way, we’re going to send our money back the U.S. and not support your roads/police/schools/libraries etc with taxes. See how far that would go. Any country for that matter.
As for me going back to my country, since my lineage goes back to the mid 1600’s in Virginia, we came over as a servant to the King of England. My family is about American as one can be; also our German ancestors had to sign an oath of allegiance to the U.S. and didn’t even ask for it to be in German…
The legal non resident members of our Armed forces deserve first right at the chance to become citizens, which is happening as I write, they have earned it!!!
I also took the picture in TQ. It’s a rubber mask with all the nails driven in it. Spooky…
As to kissing my butt, don’t worry about that, I had French onion soup last night while on a layover in Mexico City and I don’t think it would smell that good for you. For more discussions over my views, why don’t you write me at thesandgram@yahoo.com
S/F
Taco
April 21, 2006 at 2:01 am
I like the ‘pin-head’ photo. He’d brighten up any office!
I also like the idea of mandatory service but if it ever came to pass there would be way too many people who’d cry like whiny babies about it being ‘too hard’ and you’d end up with some kind of panty-waist corp that sat around drinking soy lattes and bitching.
As for snarky ‘anon’, Oh wait, because most people in America have ancestors that broke the law first, so since they did it first they shouldn’t be punished, just the ones who break it now. Yup.
Like Taco’s ancestors, some of mine didn’t have a choice about coming here. They were conscripts in the British military or indentured servants who had to work their way out of bondage. Unfortunately, this new “guest worker” program will result in the same type of servitude by those who are conscripted into being second class citizens here. There’s no substitute for entering this country legally and following the rules to become a fully American citizen.
April 21, 2006 at 3:17 am
What is TQ?
April 21, 2006 at 3:53 pm
Major Taco very excellent post filled with great food for thought. Great to hear from you again…….
April 22, 2006 at 7:18 pm
Taco – Just watched you on the Milblog conference — AWESOME, Sir! You have good reason to be pi$$sed.
Oorah!
April 24, 2006 at 11:08 am
Great Post! I like your pic but prefer the up close one I just saw with Capt B et al!
I cetainly concur with what you have said about the plate in front of the President of the United States. I would add, however, that he is faced with a front in this country that is trying to sink all to sink him. One half of the talking heads on the Sunday talk shows met the new Osama tape with a condemnation of George for not having caught him yet. Which would seem to me to encourage Osama to put out tapes since his choir in the USA is giving him a helpful echo. He wants to bring down George too. Bedfellows!!
Thanks for the great ideas. And glad to have been introduced via Capt B.
April 25, 2006 at 12:48 am
Taco, you Rocked at the conference Saturday! Watched it all & thoroughly enjoyed it. Hope y’all realize how much help you are to us folks who try to find the good stuff to pass along. I’ve been reading about your kilt all evening. I think I must’ve really missed some fun. Thanks again!
April 26, 2006 at 1:17 pm
Hey Taco, your most recent post isn’t accepting comments so I’ll leave it here. It was an honor to meet all of the fine people of the milblogging world over the weekend, but a few of you do stand out:) Naturally, that would include you and the Capt. But for all those who wonder where we find such fine men, I also had the pleasure of meeting your mother. What a sweetheart!! You ‘boys’ surely did good representing the Marines and I’m thinking people like her deserve alot of the credit. So, Thank You all for what you’ve given to our country!