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Author: TriSec    Date: 06/01/2010 10:25:15

Good Morning.

Today is our 2,631st day in Iraq and our 3,159th day in Afghanistan.

We'll start as we alwas do; with the latest casualty figures from our ongoing wars, courtesy of Antiwar.com:

American Deaths
Since war began (3/19/03): 4400
Since "Mission Accomplished" (5/1/03): 4261
Since Capture of Saddam (12/13/03): 3938
Since Handover (6/29/04): 3541
Since Obama Inauguration (1/20/09): 172

Other Coalition Troops - Iraq: 318
US Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 1,086
Other Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 703
Contractor Employee Deaths - Iraq: 1,457
Journalists - Iraq: 338
Academics Killed - Iraq: 437


This morning....the day after Memorial Day...we find this morning's cost of war passing through a new milestone. It's been a long time coming, but nevertheless it's a tough number to take.

$1, 000, 686, 400, 000 .00


On March 11, 2008 the counter stood at just half that total. It's been 812 days since then, for an increase of about $612, 763, 546.00 per day.

Small wonder the economy is in the shitter.



Did you happen to catch the right's latest false flag operation? I only saw it in passing myself, but I have no idea how much print and airtime was devoted to President Obama's "snub" of veterans, by way of his making a speech at a national cemetery in Illinois instead of at Arlington. Of course the administration was represented by Vice President Joe Biden.

http://cache.boston.com/resize/bonzai-fba/Globe_Photo/2010/05/31/1275363978_7671/539w.jpg


The ceremonies at Arlington are a mid 20th century innovation; this is not a centuries-old cherished tradition. The Right of course had no problem whatsoever when Bush the younger was out of the country (once), Bush senior sent his Vice President (all four years) or hell, when the sainted Reagan laid a wreath at a Nazi SS Cemetery. But, I digress.


Ah, but there is a battle worth fighting over Memorial Day. Something we all take for granted...do you have a US Flag flying outside your house right now? Do you just assume that you can just hang one up anywhere, anytime and be done with it? A veteran in Wisconsin has been told that he has to take his flag down. (warning: Fox Link.) He doesn't own his own home, and his apartment association has rules banning the display of any flags or banners.


An Army veteran in Wisconsin will be allowed to display an American flag until Memorial Day, but the symbol honoring his service in Iraq and Kosovo must come down next Tuesday, his wife told FoxNews.com.

Dawn Price, 27, of Oshkosh, Wis., said she received a call from officials at Midwest Realty Management early Wednesday indicating that she and her husband, Charlie, would be allowed to continue flying the American flag they've had in their window for months through the holiday weekend. The couple had previously been told they had to remove the flag by Saturday or face eviction due to a company policy that bans the display of flags, banners and political or religious materials.

"It's basically an extension so we can fly the flag on Memorial Day," Price told FoxNews.com. "It does need to come down after that."

Charlie Price, 28, served tours of duty as a combat engineer in Iraq and Kosovo, his wife said. To honor his eight years of service, she began decorating their apartment during Veterans Day in November. An American flag topped off the display, she said.

"I knew it made Charlie really proud to see that," she said. "And this isn't something new. This has been up for quite some time now."

Veterans' groups were furious at the realtors' refusal to allow the flag to fly.

"As a veteran, it sickens me that the Dawn and Charlie Price's building management company would imply that the American flag could be construed as offensive by their residents," said Ryan Gallucci, a spokesman for AmVets.

"We're talking about our most revered national symbol. This is insulting to anyone who has defended our flag honorably, like Charlie Price."

Dawn Price said she now works to amend the federal Freedom to Display the American Flag Act of 2005, which states no "condominium association, cooperative association, or residential real estate management association" may stop someone from flying the American flag. The law, however, does not apply to renters.

"This has been eating at us since Friday," she said. 'The best way to fight this isn't getting an eviction and going after these people in court. That's just going to cost us a lot of time, energy and money."

Instead, Dawn Price said she either intends to place a curtain between the flag and the apartment window to block it from onlookers or will move it to a rear balcony come next week.

"We don't want to fight the eviction," she said. "We know we'd lose."

Officials at Midwest Realty Management, which manages Brookside Apartments, where the Prices live, did not return several messages seeking comment. In a statement to the Oshkosh Northwestern, company officials said the policy was established to provide a consistent living environment for all residents.

"This policy was developed to insure that we are fair to everyone as we have many residents from diverse backgrounds," the statement read. "By having a blanket policy of neutrality we have found that we are less likely to offend anyone and the aesthetic qualities of our apartment communities are maintained."

Despite the brief reprieve, Dawn Price said her husband is disappointed by the flag flap.

"He actually sees it as a slap in the face to his service," she said. "He's pretty upset about it, especially right around Memorial Day."

A Facebook group created by Dawn Price, "Freedom to Display the American Flag," had roughly 2,000 members as of Wednesday.


So it appears that some of those freedoms that our troops are 'fighting to defend' still need some work.


 

37 comments (Latest Comment: 06/01/2010 22:56:17 by livingonli)
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Comment by Raine on 06/01/2010 12:42:11
Good morning... Tri -- thanks for the Quick blog yesterday. It was well afternoon when I remembered it was a Monday.



Had a wonderful weekened with family. We were able to spend time at the WW2 Memorial and the FDR Memorial.







Comment by wickedpam on 06/01/2010 12:59:49
MOrning



Okay so I'm probably going to take shit for this but these days the flag seems to becoming the new golden calf, at least to me.



I have to say part of me sides with the apartment complex on this. The renters do not own the property. If they want to hang it on a wall in their apartment that's their business but outside, I really don't see the how its an issue since, like I said a renter does not own the property. This is an problem between renter and complex, if someone has a complex that's a little more open then hey that's great but if not they have to work within the rules of the community they live in.



I've lived in apartments for a good chunk of my life and I know they like to keep everything thing uniform. In addtion every complex I've lived at had a US and state flag displayed at their front offices to represent everyone.



I don't know maybe I've just grown flag weary. Yes its a symbol of our nation, one that should be treated with respect but I've been constantly towel snapped with it for the about 8-10 years, plus it doesn't help that we stick it on everything and demand politicans wear it to show their partiotism. I don't think it makes me any less American cause I don't want to see a flag patch on someone's butt, stuck to someone's lapel or if its not in everyone window.



let the tomato throwing commence

Comment by Raine on 06/01/2010 13:20:37
I can see what you are saying Mala, regarding the Flag. I'm kinda mixed about it -- the whole flag thing.



I think it lies mostly in the fact that it was hijacked in that it represented patriotism to those that feel it means you support the war above everything else.

Comment by Raine on 06/01/2010 13:38:25
Comment by BobR on 06/01/2010 13:40:29
Listening to Chris on the show - The problem with drilling the relief well isn't that they just have to drill a new hole into the oil pocket - they have to drill a hole that intersects with the existing hole, which is not particularly easy.

Comment by TriSec on 06/01/2010 13:46:02
That's the same argument that the Boy Scouts use to discriminate against gays and atheists.



It's a private organization, so therefore they don't need to grant those rights.



But the Scouts are granted permission to operate by the Congress; and like it or not, it is the "minor league" for the US military.



A private entity discriminating against the citizens of these United States in their daily business should still be illegal, IMHO.



But I agree with Pam in one area...I am so freakin' tired of the flag being required wearing for any and all events. As if I am somehow less patriotic on those days I chose not to wear or display it. (For the record, I never once put on a lapel pin during my recent run for office.)



Nothing irks me more than seeing brown, grey, and black tatters hanging in an alleged "place of honor"....that's more disrespectful than anything else.



Comment by Raine on 06/01/2010 13:49:20
Oh you know, As far as this ridiculous controversy about the president not being at Arlington --



Did Boy Blunder ever go to Dover at 2 am in the morning to honor the fallen on the final journey home????



You all are aware that Boy Blunder sent Dick Cheney to Arlington while he himself was at CRAWFORD -- right? Why weren't they outraged then?





Comment by BobR on 06/01/2010 13:50:21


ok - that is funny as hell.

Comment by Raine on 06/01/2010 13:56:00
Comment by Raine on 06/01/2010 13:59:32
Comment by wickedpam on 06/01/2010 14:02:16
not sure if one could equate the boy scout issue with an apartment complex set of standards. The scouts are a group that has set out the help boys as they grow become good men while a complex is a set of buildings owned by a person or company in which they intend to rent for money.



Don't get me wrong I love my country as does American of all types. I get goosebumps and teary if I see it raised at the Olympic, I take pride in it when I see it flying but, it is now the be all end all of patriotism. Maybe its an east coast thing. Those of us up live here get to stand in the places where our country was born and feel the history. I've had the thrill of being inside Independance Hall and even got to touch the Liberty Bell (at one time guards would let a kid do that), I've gone to Mount Vernon, done the White HOuse tour, spent the day at Williamsburg, and so many more things.



Does it feel like the places that so much value into the flag don't have that connective feeling to our history?

Comment by Raine on 06/01/2010 14:11:59
OH speaking of Beck -- Mike Malloy called him out BIG time...



Watch:



Comment by TriSec on 06/01/2010 14:17:17
Hmm...you might be onto something with that 'sense of place'.



I did notice that in Arizona, in particular. There is no connection to the origins of the United States...maybe they're trying to compensate?



Javi was learning a bit about US history over this past winter....we promptly got in the car and drove to the Battle Road and saw where Paul Revere was captured and stood at the Old North Bridge.



That's not a history book to us that live amongst it; these are real places where real things happened. Maybe I don't need to fly my flag all the time; my home state is patriotic enough.





Comment by Raine on 06/01/2010 14:30:37
That's a great point Mala and Tri. States like Arizona don't have that like so many on the east coast.

Comment by Raine on 06/01/2010 14:40:23
I am bumping this:
While at Cheney's side, Kolton defended the secrecy of the Vice President's Energy task force, a group which held secretive meetings with energy company executives. When the General Accounting Office -- the research arm of Congress -- sued the Administraton for records relating to Cheney's meetings, Kolton (then Womack) was at his side.



"We are ready to defend our principles in court," she said. "This goes to the heart of the presidency and to the ability of the president and vice president to receive candid, discreet advice."



A blogger at the liberal web site Daily Kos notes that BP was reportedly among one of the companies that Cheney met with.




Comment by wickedpam on 06/01/2010 14:40:50
It could also explain hositility of places only touched by the civil war. When I lived in Wilmington, NC that city was touched by both wars, I could walk in downtown and up to the door of homes that Cromwell seized plus know that Fort Fisher was the last fort to fall in the Civil war which made Wilmington and the Cape Fear river so very important. There a little nutty there but not like say Alabama.

Comment by wickedpam on 06/01/2010 14:41:38
Boston is still on my places to see US History list! I must get there one of these days.

Comment by TriSec on 06/01/2010 14:44:05
heh. That's why we stopped at Yorktown on our last trip down the coast...since we live so close to where it all started, it made sense to me to see where the Brits surrendered.





Comment by TriSec on 06/01/2010 14:56:05
Idle question....when the white government beat up blacks in South Africa, it was "Apartheid" and we fought against it.



But when the Israeli government does it to the Arabs....they're our ally, so we look the other way?





Comment by Raine on 06/01/2010 15:32:57
Joan Rivers on the show tomorrow!



:::TMRS::: Nice!

Comment by Raine on 06/01/2010 15:34:04
Quote by wickedpam:

It could also explain hositility of places only touched by the civil war. When I lived in Wilmington, NC that city was touched by both wars, I could walk in downtown and up to the door of homes that Cromwell seized plus know that Fort Fisher was the last fort to fall in the Civil war which made Wilmington and the Cape Fear river so very important. There a little nutty there but not like say Alabama.


or Georgia.

Comment by livingonli on 06/01/2010 15:39:07
Good morning everyone. This is the start of my weekend and I am exhausted from my work this weekend. At least it will be nice in my next check.

Comment by Raine on 06/01/2010 15:54:40
Good Morning Liv.



Enjoy your weekend!

Comment by livingonli on 06/01/2010 15:58:35
It's supposed to rain today but it will be nice tomorrow. At least I broke out the shorts.

Comment by Raine on 06/01/2010 16:18:39
Comment by livingonli on 06/01/2010 16:19:30
Thom has on one of the "Christian" clowns from AFA who said that Hitler had an all-gay army.

Comment by TriSec on 06/01/2010 16:20:41
All venerate this day and praise the name of John Cor.





John Cor is the name of the friar who recorded the first known written reference to a batch of Scotch Whisky on June 1, 1494.



“To Friar John Cor, by order of the King, to make aqua vitae VIII bolls of malt.” — Exchequer Rolls 1494–95, Vol x, p. 487.







Comment by wickedpam on 06/01/2010 16:22:30






what a shame

Comment by Raine on 06/01/2010 16:27:45
Quote by livingonli:

Thom has on one of the "Christian" clowns from AFA who said that Hitler had an all-gay army.


What the HELL is it with these revisionist history folks getting airtime?



I like tom but these people are so far out on the fringe that they do not deserve the air.

Comment by livingonli on 06/01/2010 16:37:13
Quote by Raine:

Quote by livingonli:

Thom has on one of the "Christian" clowns from AFA who said that Hitler had an all-gay army.


What the HELL is it with these revisionist history folks getting airtime?



I like tom but these people are so far out on the fringe that they do not deserve the air.


He challenged the AFA's tax-exempt status and its cozying up to the rich's policies but didn't refute his argument since it is so historically inaccurate which I wanted to hear him do.

Comment by wickedpam on 06/01/2010 16:43:39
It's hard to have an arguement with someone who sounded as smug as the guy from AFA

Comment by BobR on 06/01/2010 17:34:01
Quote by livingonli:

Quote by Raine:

Quote by livingonli:

Thom has on one of the "Christian" clowns from AFA who said that Hitler had an all-gay army.


What the HELL is it with these revisionist history folks getting airtime?



I like tom but these people are so far out on the fringe that they do not deserve the air.


He challenged the AFA's tax-exempt status and its cozying up to the rich's policies but didn't refute his argument since it is so historically inaccurate which I wanted to hear him do.


He was being deliberately obtuse about non-profit's tax status. He definitely knew what Thom was talking about.

Comment by TriSec on 06/01/2010 19:34:18
Say, is it OK to use "Epic Fail" in an email?





Comment by Scoopster on 06/01/2010 19:50:38
Scotty doesn't know.. his constituents!



And now a tribute to Scotty..





Comment by Scoopster on 06/01/2010 19:52:06
Screw you Youtube and your disabled embedding!





Comment by TriSec on 06/01/2010 20:01:31
I am without raingear today.



I have failed the "Be Prepared" exam today.



ScoutFail.





Comment by livingonli on 06/01/2010 22:56:17
I got home before the thunderstorm hit here.