This is just getting to be such a joke…only it is not funny. Rather, it is amazing. It is time for term limits across the board for everyone who serves in public office.  Why? Simple. The people’s interests are rarely ever at hand.

I just finished an article about the detainee bill this morning and all I could do was sit there shaking my head in amazement. After all of the big talk by many Democrats and some Republicans, it looks like the President is going to get his way and the bill he asked for.  The reason, in my mind, is because it is time to get out on the campaign trail and Republicans (in this situation) are wanting to look unified and like they have done something.  As a Republican, I think the people in Congress should be ashamed at themselves for a lot of reasons, but mostly  for the uncontrollable spending they have been guilty of for the past 6 years.  Of course, the rhetoric hasn’t changed, “We (Republicans) are for lowering taxes and Democrats are for raising taxes” can be heard every night on just about every news channel by some Republican Senator or Congressperson.   Of course, the fact that they are responsible for spending more than any of their predecessors, using just about any measurement you can dream up, doesn’t seem to ever come up as a topic of conversation.

I guess I can’t really fault them, it really is the American way.  After all, capitalism is about getting what you can for yourself.  So, how can anyone blame them for doing just that?

I say we get rid of much of the incentive to not keep the public’s interests and the interests of their constituents at hand by implementing term limits across the board.  Yes, there are some career politicians and fixtures in the House and Senate that one might be able to make a case for, but the vast majority are puppets and we would all be better served by just about anyone else.

[tags]Republicans, Democrats, Politics, Detainees, Bill, Term Limits[/tags]

So, I was sitting in the PSP airport yesterday, waiting for our delayed Alaska Airlines flight to make it into port and there was a fellow sitting two seats (one open seat between them) from an older man and his 35 to 40 year old son.  I am not sure exactly how it started, but the guy sitting two seats away started talking to the old man.  The old man was clearly trying to be polite and supportive as the un-related fellow stated that he was in the military right out of the gates.

Now, let’s get a few things straight, I am 100% supportive of the men and women that serve in our country’s armed forces.  Unfortunately, I think that means different things to different people.  I am a firm believer that this country would be better off if EVERYONE served in the military for 2 years, like they do in many other countries around the world. I think that would give people a lot more respect for a lot of things and more perspective. Anyone who is willing to serve in our nation’s military is willing to sacrifice many things, including the possibility of losing their life.  If you don’t think that is a big deal, then you are a donkey.  However, I don’t think that supporting our troops means that one has to support everything someone who serves in the military says or does. Not does it mean you are a traitor if you do not agree with something someone like the President says or does.  It just means that you have an opinion and last time I checked that is what freedom is all about. Now, back to our regularly scheduled story.

So, this military chap starts to talk.  About 2 minutes into his talking, I don’t remember anyone asking him a question, he says, “Sand &igger” and then another term that I am not going to mention…that was even worse.  Then he proceeds to tell the old man that it is ok for him to say this because he is of Middle Eastern discent.  His mother is Armenian and something else, Christian Armenian he said.  WELL, that makes it ok.  Apparently this guy is a supply sargeant for the Army or the Marines, not sure which as he said he served in both.  I am not going to go into all of the detail of this guy’s rant, because it was about 40 minutes long.  I thought that it was really sad that this guy decided he needed to talk openly and loudly about all of his thoughts on everything from Iraq, the news media, arabs, muslims, and everyone who lives in San Francisco among other things.  He would have done himself and the people that serve in our military a big service by shutting his mouth.

After about 20 minutes an older woman got up from her chair and moved to a different area in the lounge. Then after another 20 minutes, the son of the old man, disgusted, asked the military guy, “And, when are we going to find the weapons of mass dustruction.” He went on to say, “I am against the war, I am against President Bush, and I am minding my own business trying to read but I can’t because you won’t stop talking.”  The military guy surprised me a bit and responded with, “I am sorry sir” and that was it.

It was a pretty bizarre encounter to be honest.  I think it sucks for so many reasons and I don’t have time to write them all down. But, I think that people in this country should to things like thank service men and women when they see them in public. Thank them for serving in our country’s armed forces.  However, people like this guy should not be serving in the military as I don’t think he serves our country well.  He reminds me of a guy I saw at one of my best friend’s graduation from the LAPD at the LAPD academy about 10 years ago.  I was sitting there with my then-girlfriend, his family and his future wife when I saw this guy come walking up the aisle in jeans and the tightest t-shirt I have seen any male wearing in my lifetime.  But, the t-shirt was not the funniest part, the revolver tucked into the front of his waistband was.  Now, the LAPD goes to great lengths, from what I have been told, to eliminate certain personality profiles from the academy pools as well as people that psychologically are not likely to be able to function well as a police officer.  I am not sure how this guy got through the screening.  What exactly was the reason to stuff a revolver into his pants so that everyone can see it other than looking like a cool-ass and a tough guy?  We were in the middle of the LAPD academy, where there are more cops per square foot than there probably is anywhere else in the world. The image of this guy is fresh in my head until this day…comedy.

My point is pretty simple.  This guy should just shut his trap or not identify himself as someone serving in the Army or the Marines.  If he wants to call people names and make it sound like the city of San Francisco is home to traitors, then do it as a civilian.  I am sure there are plenty of people serving in the military who share his views on arabs, muslims, San Franciscans and all of the other people this guy talked trash about and called names, but he loses any street cred he got from me the second he started talking smack.

Military, Armed Forces, Smack, Credibility, Iraq, Arabs