There's really nothing honourable about dead American soldiers in an unjust war...

[hankhavelock]

The reason I write this is because of an insane editorial on CNN with the speed-talking John King, who freaked totally out in orgasmic pleasure over a tacky Google-stunt, where they have mapped all dead Americans in the Afghan and Iraqi wars.

He REALLY got excited and said: "Just look up your own home town and see if there's any one there..." (meaning killed Americans...)

Talking about distastefulness... I actually respected CNN... this should have been on FOX...

I found it absolutely ridiculous and utterly respectless. I believed CNN was somewhat above this kind of socalled journalism. It made me feel sick.

H

[CreativeMind]

Hank, first of all, I couldn't possibly DISAGREE with your first post MORE. In my opinion, it's totally off-base. But I'll come back later and post a reply when I have more time. All in all, this seems to be less about Memorial Day, when we should be respectfully honoring those who gave their lives, and more about your continual anti-Bush hatred.

As to your second post here, before I run out for the day, you have the entire purpose for this web site wrong. Memorial Day is SUPPOSED to be about remembering those who served their country and who gave their lives for a greater good. And sadly, often too many people forget the stories that go along with those sacrifices. As a result, when something comes along that allows people to put faces and names together with incidents or stories...and it likewise gives them a chance to reflect or it allows them to gather information that they might not have known before...that's actually a GOOD thing. Again, because the whole POINT to something like Memorial Day is to REMEMBER those sacrifices. And to even learn from them.

That said, below is a link to a CNN article talking about this web site that you seem to find so distasteful Hank. While I didn't see the CNN report, I'm sure that John King wasn't "orgasmic" over dead soldiers -- what he was most likely happy about was the fact that there was now a hi-tech way for people to gather information if they were interested in finding out more about someone they know or lost track of...those that made sacrifices from their home town, etc. Here are select quotes from the article to show you what I'm talking about, Hank...

(CNN) -- Each year on Memorial Day, tens of thousands of Americans visit Arlington National Cemetery just outside Washington to pay tribute to the men and women who died serving the United States. For people who are unable to make the trip, a new online memorial provides a unique way to honor those service members who have fallen in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The new Google Earth layer, called Map the Fallen, enables the user to pinpoint where, when, and how each service member died since the beginning of the war in Afghanistan. A line connects the service member's approximate location of death to his or her hometown.

As the article notes (and in defense of John King against your odd interpretation of his attitude, Hank)...

"To honor is to remember and to pay tribute," says CNN's John King, who debuted the layer Sunday on State of the Union with John King. "Some of us probably don't know that someone we knew long ago went off to Iraq or Afghanistan and didn't come home. A click on a hometown might bring a sad surprise. Or maybe we do know, but aren't sure how to put this loss into context, or find a fitting way to pay tribute. With this new layer, help is just a few clicks away," says King.

WHY someone created it...

Sean Askay, a Google engineer with no military affiliation who developed the layer in his free time, explains the project on his blog. "I have created a map for Google Earth that will connect you with each of their stories -- you can see photos, learn about how they died, visit memorial Web sites with comments from friends and families, and explore the places they called home and where they died," he writes. Askay started working on this project about four years ago while in graduate school. He came across the Web site icasualties.org, and was drawn to the stories of the fallen troops. He chose to focus on the U.S. and coalition forces' deaths.

And lastly, note that others obviously don't share your feelings about this site, Hank...

For Karen Meredith, who found out about the death of her son, Lt. Ken Ballard, on Memorial Day five years ago, it is an emotional tribute that she is thrilled to see up and running. "It's so important to me for people to know about my son. I found out that Ken was the second person killed in Najaf [Iraq], and I didn't know that. That's what this demonstrated. It's a powerful amount of information," she told CNN. "I want people to know how Ken lived, not just how he died. And this program allows people to know about him," she said.

Kris Stonesifer is the third soldier on the map. He and fellow ranger John Edmunds were killed in a helicopter accident in Pakistan on October 19, 2001 -- part of the U.S. military effort in the Afghanistan war. Stonesifer's mother, Ruth, told CNN that this project is a reminder of the true meaning of Memorial Day, which she feels is often overlooked.


Here's the longer CNN article if anyone is interested in finding out more...

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/05/24/m...fallen.troops/


And here is the web site created to honor those who gave their lives...

http://www.mapthefallen.org/


And on this Memorial Day, I'd just like to send out my prayers and thanks, as an American, to anyone else here who has a family member or friend who gave their lives in the service of their country. Today, my Dad will be marching with my Uncles to remember the time they served together lo those many years ago. And to be sure, I'm sure their thoughts and hearts will be on two of my other Uncles -- their own brothers -- who did give their lives in service. So, God rest their souls and God bless anyone else today who is likewise remembering the sacrifices of people from their lives.

[violet lightning]

I couldn't disagree more either, and actually take strong offense about what you posted.
Memorial Day to me, is when we as Americans honor our fallen soldiers who have died serving their country. It is not the same as Veteran's Day, where we honor and thank our men and women who haved served their country in wartime and in Peace.

Memorial Day is strictly for those who have died serving their country.
This includes soldiers from the Revolutionary War, where we won our independence as a nation, to the Civil War, where we fought to stay together as a nation, to World Wars I and II where we fought for our very existence as a nation, to Vietnam, Korea, The Gulf War and now the Wars on Terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan.

When we honor our fallen comrads, we honor their courage, duty and sacrifice, not their political views or those of their commanders.
Read any commendation for any Medal of Honor Winner, (most given posthumously), read one of those, and then tell me we shouldn't honor their memories and their sacrifice.
Tell a surviving member of a family who lost someone in Iraq or Afghanistan that their service or their death is dishonorable.
My grandfather served in World War I, my father and two Uncles served in World War II. All saw combat, and thank God all came back. My cousin wasn't so lucky in Vietnam. Say what you want about that war, and the men who conducted it, but I know many men and women, including my cousin, who served with honor and courage and paid the ultimate sacrifice.In my cousins case, he died trying to evacuate wounded on his second (voluntary) trip back. I know men and women who serve in the Middle East too. Some on 2nd and 3rd tours because they believe in what they are doing, and believe they are having a positive impact. They are all good people, with good hearts, and a strong sense of duty and sevice. But of course, those stories don't get told that much on CNN.
I can't and won't argue the merits of the Iraq War, or the war in Afghanistan. (though in both cases they were murdurous, repressive, tortuous regimes that set back women's rights a couple of centuries and in the case of Afghanistan destroyed priceless world archaeological treasures as well)

What I can argue is the motivations of the men and women who serve this country in our armed forces. They have VOLUNTEERED to put their lives on the line to protect all of us. Part of that duty is obeying your Commander-In- Chief, whether its George W. Bush or Barack Obama.
The men and women we honor today have done that and more. They have made the ultimate sacrifice that anyone can make. They died protecting their country, their families, their brothers and sisters in arms, and over 250,000 died protecting not just our freedom , but most of the worlds as well.
I think thats something worth remembering

PS: Map of the Fallen is an amazing project.
Hank, I appreciate that you love Americans, I just felt strongly about this one.

[tslust]

I had one grandfather serve in World War I. He and my other grandfather made bombers during World War II. Another man whom kinda adopted me as a grandkid served in World War II. He spent about two and a half years in a German POW camp. My dad served (stateside) during Veitnam. If he would've been sent over, he probably would've been killed. One of his brothers served in the Air Force. Many of my mom's uncles served in World War II as well. Some good friends of mine are in The Service now. I take it personally when someone tries to slander our soldiers' sacrifice.

Take this however you want: This is our[America's] day, if you don't like it tough shit!!

[transjen]

Looks like the goose stepping hail Bush bozos still love his BS war Jennifer

[The Conquistador]

Have any of you been to Iraq or Afghanistan? Have you seen firsthand what actually goes on over there? (And no, the TV, newspaper, internet etc. doesn't count) There is alot more than the media outlets will ever show, and alot of the troops that are/were over there are actually rebuilding the Iraqi infrastructure. I've seen the troops actually going to the schools to teach Iraqi children, helping the nationals get water purification stations and electrical systems up and running and rebuilding hospitals. We are also training the Iraqi and Afghani military to be more efficient in what they do and helping the police force to help maintain order. As much as you don't like it, there are people over there that are doing good and to disgrace our
soldiers who have paid the ultimate price is not cool at all. They are doing a job that I can guarantee that not alot of people would ever step up to the plate to do.

Hank, I am deeply saddened by your post. Please use a bit more discretion when posting.

[The Conquistador]

Hank, I'm sure Obama would tend to disagree with you. Take a gander at this article.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090525/...a_memorial_day

[violet lightning]

Originally Posted by transjen

Looks like the goose stepping hail Bush bozos still love his BS war Jennifer

I'm a peace loving hippie at heart, but I have served and I do respect the military and those who serve.
Goose stepping? Do you realize how insulting a remark that really is?

I hate war! Most intelligent, sane people do. I hate what it does to people, to the spirit, to the planet, to the innocent.
Most, if not all Veterans hate war.
I personally don't think we should be in Iraq, but that wasn't the point of discussion was it?
Why is it, if I (or we) disagree with you on some points, that you feel its ok or funny to call me (us) a war-loving Nazi?
I thought this was a forum where we try to be tolerant, understanding, friendly and learn through sharing and open discussion.

I'm the one who's confused.

[transjen]

I have nothing agianst the troops as they are doing there duty the comment was not torward them, I was refering to the bozos who stood and cheered when a AWOL AIR NATIONAL GURAD president started this BS war with lies and turned and said how dare anyone question or dout our presdient and rember 9/11 and if you don't get in line then you are a pinko commie lover, Bush took a tragdy 9/11 and used it to get what ever he wanted while wraping themselves in the American flag while his follewers shouted hail Bush Jennifer

[violet lightning]

Hank, I totally respect your right to your opinion, and I probably agree with you more than you might think.
You have every right to debate the war; the reasons, the causes, the effects, the culprits, etc.
But I think you could do it openly, without having to connect that argument which is valid, to one obviously meant to be offensive. (At least to us "good patriots")
I think we can probably agree that the problem is the people and conditions that lead to war, not necessarily those that have to fight it.

Peace.