OT: Pray for our troops
Well, today is the last day for OT posts. Thank goodness.
However, today I have a personal request, which actually extends out beyond me personally. If something happens to bring it to your mind, pray for those who serve in the military. (If you don't pray, well, think happy thoughts? Wish them well? Dunno.) Right now, there are 1.4 million active military, or about a half percent of our population. It is personal to me because my daughter is in the Navy, deployed on a Destroyer with the Eisenhower Carrier Group to the Persian Gulf and surrounding seas. This is how she will eventually pay to get an engineering degree. (She is an Aegis Computer Network Tech, already prepping her for some future course work).
Normally, when we communicate, it is just to talk about missing home, and some of the things they've been doing in the 120 degree weather. For instance, last month, they came on a ship full of 320 Yemeni refugees that was dead in the water, headed across the strait to Djibouti. Her destroyer provided desperately needed water and food, and in the span of 24 hours, machined new gaskets and fittings to make the diesel engine on the stranded ship operational again. They saw the dhow safely on its way, providing another dhow for escort. Things I never thought of the Navy doing.
A couple days ago, my daughter's ship was one of 2 involved when 4 Iranian Revolutionary Guard Patrol boats approached the Destroyer Nitze at a high rate of speed. Needless to say, things were tense on the ship. Two more incidents occurred yesterday with other ships. These incidents are out of the ordinary.
It reminded me that many serving in the military make significant sacrifices, and are often in danger. As regards the strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint giving access to the Persian Gulf, the actions of the patrol boats are a high stakes game of chicken. Knowing that the destroyer Cole had a huge hold blown in its side by suicide bombers in 2000 gives you pause. And those with boots on the ground nearby war zones are in much more dangerous and difficult environments.
As we end OT posts for the season, and focus on the important business of football, remember those who serve and protect our nation, giving us the freedom to enjoy things like Fall afternoons full of football.
LINK: https://news.usni.org/2016/08/24/video-destroyer-uss-nitze-harassed-iranian-patrol-boats
August 26th, 2016 at 12:31 PM ^
I am atheist, but I'll keep them in my thoughts. I am glad your daughter is ok. We are losing too many of our young people in the middle east.
August 26th, 2016 at 12:34 PM ^
August 26th, 2016 at 12:41 PM ^
remain nearly 20,000 US Troops in Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq combined. No, it is not 2004 but that deal is not a wrap by any stretch of the imagination.
August 26th, 2016 at 1:18 PM ^
And the region is still utter chaos, seemingly by design. We install a Shiite leader in Iraq who immeditely sets about imprisoning and torturing political opponents, while knowing our best-friend ally Saudi Arabia will be funneling extremists into Iraq to go directly against what we've done. And we've played both sides in Syria.
August 26th, 2016 at 1:18 PM ^
Well said. +1
August 26th, 2016 at 2:03 PM ^
Foreign policy there is a huge mess. The US has made many, many missteps and mistakes for many years. There are no easy answers or solutions. The most I'll say is think of the soldiers and airmen and sailors who are deployed and serving in that arena. They are very far away from making any kind of policy decisions, but are the ones in harms way.
August 26th, 2016 at 3:59 PM ^
Our foreign policy consists of overly restricive rules of engagement, and...I think that's about it.
August 26th, 2016 at 2:05 PM ^
There are at least a dozen and counting.
August 26th, 2016 at 2:36 PM ^
Okay, that's true up to a point and seen a certain way, but from what I've read this idea, for example, of a strong "moderate" faction of Syrian rebels was something of a myth. No one wants to say it, but US arms undoubtedly went directly to ISIS in many cases. So now we want to put out a fire we arguably helped along. What was for some time a pure proxy war of two sides--US/Saudi anti-gov vs. Russia/Iran pro-gov--has become much knottier.
August 26th, 2016 at 4:38 PM ^
If you're interested in the topic, you should check out reddit/syriancivilwar (that's not the exact extension, but you can find it). There are sooo many different "factions" now, it's just chaos.
August 26th, 2016 at 5:49 PM ^
Thanks I very well may. My limited understanding of the conflict is pretty basic and more geared towards the state military powers operating behind the confilct.
August 26th, 2016 at 2:04 PM ^
1johnb, you are correct (about the 20k on the ground). And as I made clear, I consider them in much more danger than my daughter. But I think of and support all of them.
August 26th, 2016 at 1:20 PM ^
there are almost 90,000 in japan and germany combined...
August 26th, 2016 at 12:40 PM ^
May God bless your daughter, all of her shipmates and every member of the military serving this great country. And God Bless the USA. and GO BLUE!!!!
August 26th, 2016 at 12:47 PM ^
August 26th, 2016 at 12:49 PM ^
If you really believed in Jesus shouldn't it be "pray for everyone?"
August 26th, 2016 at 12:59 PM ^
"God bless America!" Once again, respectfully, I say to myself: "What the fuck does that mean?" God bless America? Is that a request? Is that a demand? Is that a suggestion? Politicians say it at the end of every speech as if it were some sort of verbal tick that they can't get rid of. "God bless you and God bless America! God bless you and God bless America!" I guess they figure that if they leave it out someone's gonna think they're bad Americans! Let me tell you a little secret about God, folks: God does not give a flyin' fuck about America. OK? He doesn't care! He never cared about this country! He never has, he never will. He doesn't care about this country anymore than he cares about Mongolia Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, the Suez Canal or the North Pole! He simply doesn't care, OK? He doesn't care! Listen! There are 200 countries in the world now! Do these people honestly think that God is sitting around picking out his favorites? Why would he do that? Why would God have a favorite country? And why would it be America out of all the countries? Because you have the most money? Because he likes our National Anthem? Maybe it's because he heard we have 18 delicious flavors of Classic Rice-A-Roni? It's delusional thinking! And America is not alone with this sort of delusions. Military cemeteries around the world are packed with brainwashed dead soldiers who were convinced God was on their side. America prays for God to destroy our enemies. Our enemies pray for God to destroy us. Somebody's gonna be disappointed! Somebody's wasting their fucking time! Could it be... everyone? Now... now... If people wanna say "God Bless America", that's their business, I don't care, but here's what I don't understand: If they say "God Bless America", presumably, they believe in God and if they do, they must have heard, God loved everyone! That's what he said, he loved everyone and loved them equally! So why would these people ask God to do something that went against his own teachings? You know what these "God Bless America" people oughta do? They oughta check with that Jesus fellow they're so crazy about. They're always talking about "What would Jesus do?" They don't wanna know so they can do it - they just wanna know so they can tell other people to do it! Well, I'll tell you what Jesus would have done. I'll tell you what Jesus would have done! He would have gone up on the top of the Empire State Building and said: "God bless everyone around the world forever and ever 'till the end of time!" That's what Jesus would have done, and that's what these people should do, or else they should admit that "God Bless America" is really just some sort of an empty slogan, with no real meaning except for something vague like "good luck!" Good luck, America! You're on your own!... which is a little bit closer to the truth!
August 26th, 2016 at 1:03 PM ^
understand what you are getting at Dudeness but could this not have been just a little pat on the back from MGoBlog to US troops away from home? There are other blogs for that kind of discussion.
August 26th, 2016 at 1:05 PM ^
Exactly, there are other blogs for this kind of discussion, such as foreign policy blogs.
August 26th, 2016 at 1:40 PM ^
more than most of the OT threads that have been posted here all summer.
August 26th, 2016 at 1:45 PM ^
method of presentation. He raises a valid point of view but did not need to resort to Shock Jock Mike Valenti tactics to do it.
August 26th, 2016 at 6:08 PM ^
so entertaining for me.
August 26th, 2016 at 1:05 PM ^
August 26th, 2016 at 1:09 PM ^
Look at that wall of text. Maybe god should bless your formatting, bruh.
August 26th, 2016 at 1:14 PM ^
Probably my favorite Carlin album.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgFX8h6b2Wo
August 26th, 2016 at 1:30 PM ^
August 26th, 2016 at 1:43 PM ^
Devout Christian here and I want it to be made clear to you that God DOES care. You strike me as a person angry about Christianity without knowing much about its beliefs. I highly recommend you go investigate the answers to the questions you raise. There are churches everywhere you look across this great country of ours. Please don't be afraid to stop by one and talk with a pastor.
August 26th, 2016 at 2:19 PM ^
That was an epic Carlin rant to be fair. Not my original thought, although I do believe every word of it.
That'll be a hard pass on the pastor chat. I've thought about it and it's a no.
I'm not angry about it. I just find the cycle of religious people substituting prayers for action a bit comical. Also the foregone conclusion in some parts of our society that a christian man equals a good man. It really takes zero effort to go sit in a church and hang your head and think about things. It takes a lot to be good and do good.
August 26th, 2016 at 1:49 PM ^
Well, I struck a nerve. I was pretty explicit in requesting prayer (or happy thoughts, or well wishes) on behalf of troops serving. I intentionally wasn't asking anything regarding America, or American foreign policy. I think debate on foreign policy is a good thing. And I don't think it is nearly as simple or black and white as it is often made out to be.
I will say that I was pretty happy to hear of my daughter's ship rescuing another ship overcrowded with refugees, who quite possibly would have died without their intervention. My daughter and I never talk about foreign policy, or whether or not her ship or the entire Carrier Group should be in the Persian Gulf. That is a policy decision way, way beyond her paygrade, and any wisdom I have.
The most I'll say is that the situation throughout the Middle East is horribly complicated and I really think there aren't any simple answers. I have spoken at length with a former Palestinian terrorist, and with another immigrant last year from Syria who is a recent convert from Islam. In the last couple years, he lost most of his personal property. When I asked both of them about some of the issues in the Middle East, and asked a particular question on Syria, the answer was, "all the choices are bad. The question is, what is the least bad choice?"
August 26th, 2016 at 2:58 PM ^
Very committed Christian here.
I normally do not discuss this kinda stuff online with strangers, but I found your authenticity refreshing.
I do not believe in the same God you do not believe in.
August 26th, 2016 at 3:06 PM ^
So you actually do think god thinks America is better than everywhere else?
That's hilarious.
August 26th, 2016 at 1:20 PM ^
I'd largely agree with you. It is simply that personally, I think of my daughter. But God's perspective is infinitely more global and vast than mine (in terms of praying for all people).
August 26th, 2016 at 1:35 PM ^
August 26th, 2016 at 6:59 PM ^
This whole thread makes me weep for humanity.
August 26th, 2016 at 12:51 PM ^
This shouldn't need to be said...
I understand that the board is often used a personal support network, and I don't mean to sound callous (which I'm sure I do), but I think asking for prayer can at times make people feel alienated. I appreciate that people form relationships here that are very important, but I also feel strongly that if we can't have discussison of a topic, that restriction / limitation should be respected both when presenting it in a positive light and in a negative light.
August 26th, 2016 at 12:56 PM ^
really shouldn't be doing any praying of any kind until.......
Or maybe prayer is the answer.
August 26th, 2016 at 12:56 PM ^
Steve, I pray for all our servicemen and women and especially for your daughter.
August 26th, 2016 at 12:59 PM ^
August 26th, 2016 at 1:05 PM ^
will be deleted or locked by 1:15 PM Eastern Standard Time. At the latest.
August 26th, 2016 at 1:18 PM ^
WRONG! SAD! IJOHNB IS A LOW ENERGY LOSER!
(am I doing this right?)
August 26th, 2016 at 1:25 PM ^
on all charges. Totally guilty. BELIEVE ME.
August 26th, 2016 at 1:55 PM ^
Yes, many people - MANY PEOPLE - have been telling me this.
August 26th, 2016 at 2:02 PM ^
they "incredible people?"
August 26th, 2016 at 1:06 PM ^
A request for thoughts and/or prayers for servicemen and women serving our country is now out of bounds? Yeesh....
August 26th, 2016 at 1:09 PM ^
I agree- I very much respect SRK as a poster, but a thread asking for prayers is out of bounds. Of course everyone wants your daughter to be safe- I want everyone who serves in the military to come home safely. It goes without saying that people want nothing but good things for those in the military (unless you're a member of the Westboro Baptist Church.)
The thing is not everyone agrees with the US military operations going on in the Middle East, and too often these days not agreeing with our foreign policy is conflated with not respecting the men and women who serve our country. The two aren't mutually exclusive.
Simply, this thread crosses both the religion and politics guidlines of the blog.
August 26th, 2016 at 1:27 PM ^
I don't think that this thread should be deleted. The subsequent posts are what have gone out of bounds. Delete them and let the thread stay.
August 26th, 2016 at 1:44 PM ^
thread here about someone asking for our thoughts and prayers. So, this one is no more out of line than all of the others.
August 26th, 2016 at 2:09 PM ^
Yes, and they all cross the line. Posting something with an overtly relgious title telling me that I should pray crosses the line.
As I said above, of course everyone supports the people who serve in the military. It doesn't need to be said- especially on a sports blog, even in OT season. I would have much rather SRK just tell us about his daughter and her story, rather than urge us to pray for her.
I have no problem with people letting us in on their personal lives, it is what makes this blog such a close community. Just keep it seperate from your religious and political beliefs.
August 26th, 2016 at 6:19 PM ^