Comments by Bobby Tony | Eastern North Carolina Now

These letters are as much a part of history as the memoirs of the Generals and Politicians. I note that the individual soldier was more concerned with the day to day challenges than they were with the broader issues. Nothing has changed in the intervening years.

While all of my letters to and from were discarded during the inevitable dissolution of my first marriage, I suspect that the tenor of the tone was almost exactly the same. My experience was that we were well supplied but often looked forward to the gift packages which often came full of popcorn as filler and other canned goods. It would be interesting to see current deployment letters from the average Grunt back home.

I do note that the pay seems to be somewhat elevated based on an Inflation Calculation. I am sure that the $22.00 figure is for more than one month's back pay. I seem to remember that my SGT E5 pay was somewhere in the neighborhood of $240 per month. It was sufficient since there was no where to spend it at the time.

Search copy and paste: : "this-is-how-much-troops-were-paid-in-every-major-American-war" for soldier pay in various wars.

Commented: Friday, December 21st, 2018 @ 8:04 am By: Bobby Tony

I don't know about the Navy Seal thing but my E7 Sgt told us as we got on the chopper for the field.

"Check up and Saddle up boys, if you don't take it with you, you want find it out there!"
He was a WWII and Korean combat veteran and I swear he carried a full Supply Room in his Pack.

A perfect example of the 5 or 6 "P's" principles.

"Does anybody remember where I put my Ammo?"

www.military.com

Commented: Saturday, December 8th, 2018 @ 9:55 am By: Bobby Tony

Perhaps just a simple Plaque on the Front of PETA HQ:

“Give me your tired, your poor dogs and cats, who are aggressive and unadoptable
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free and, feral cats dying of contagious diseases; animals who are wracked with cancer; elderly animals who have no quality of life
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, and we will dispose of them in an ethical manner.
Euthanasia is a kindness for animals who are suffering beyond hope and have nowhere else to turn"

Commented: Thursday, December 6th, 2018 @ 12:25 pm By: Bobby Tony

I guess what I am really looking for is a JOURNALIST. I don't really care what they report, but I used to have some expectation that it was honest and truthful. With the complete disregard for naming sources now, the media is nothing more than a social media site like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. As such you can’t trust anything posted or reported in either venue.

In my memory it all started going off the rails when the White House allowed Sam Donaldson to become a celebrity for being an obnoxious Ahole. Of course back then we had a President who knew how to handle the our of line questions.

"One of his most widely remembered questions during Sam Donaldson's tenure at the White House came during the Reagan administration: "Mr. President, in talking about the continuing recession tonight, you have blamed mistakes of the past, and you have blamed the congress. Does any of the blame belong to you?"

To which Reagan retorted: "Yes, because for many years I was a Democrat!"

Somehow, I preferred Ronaldo Maximus' approach with humor rather than such a combative persona, but I also remember how the media tried to savage him like they are currently doing with the current POTUS. I guess it is just a different time.

youtu.be

Commented: Monday, November 26th, 2018 @ 8:54 am By: Bobby Tony

I once had a problem back in my single days when I needed an alibi, but she would have gotten me in more trouble that the original offense.

Sometimes it’s better just to shut up and take your punishment. I admit I have a problem with the first half of that previous sentence.

Commented: Wednesday, November 21st, 2018 @ 2:16 pm By: Bobby Tony

There were several more current videos available with a somewhat aging Dave Mason but I always prefer the original if possible instead of the Annuity tour version.

Commented: Tuesday, November 20th, 2018 @ 10:54 am By: Bobby Tony

At the risk of over beating this horse, I “DID” once play myself in chess. I lost because I kept chasing the Queen instead of the King no matter what side I was playing.

I later found out I did not know if I was on foot (pawn) or horseback (knight)! The game ended when the Bishop said. “GO TO JAIL: Go directly to Jail. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200."

Commented: Sunday, November 18th, 2018 @ 4:49 pm By: Bobby Tony

I grant that I am way outside my boundary of understanding, however after reading your article several times, I reduced it to at least one fundamental dilemma in my mind.

Below is excerpt from the article.

----"So, while the Court seemed to recognize that there were problems with the 14th Amendment's ratification, it decided that Article V questions are non-justiciable political questions. It seems that whenever the Congress and the Secretary of State proclaim an amendment to be ratified, that proclamation is binding on the Court and "would not be subject to review by the courts."----

Without going through the thorough analysis that you have made in the excellent article, I have always assumed that the Southern States that Succeeded were outside the Union and required reunification (reconstruction) to be readmitted. I guess I would fall into the Scenario B: Constitutional Secession.
I also have operated under the belief that to the victor go the spoils. In your article the concept of "the grasp of war," may describe my feelings. The penance of losing is unleashed by victors on the defeated. The shame of this entire endeavor is the fundamental flaw that existed within states could not be alleviated without the blood shed of people who operated under the banner of Blind Patriotism to either the State or the Union or perhaps even just their way of life.

In any event, you have shaken my cocoon of smugness with your offering various points and counter points on our system of government.
Another extract:
----"The ratification story of the 14th Amendment, which shows the irregular and likely unconstitutional process by which it has been declared part of our Constitution, demonstrates that a major cornerstone of constitutional law is placed on a shaky and uneasy foundation. Un- fortunately, although one may wish to remedy the constitutional wrongs committed during its ratification, it is apparent that this cornerstone amendment should be left in place, lest the entire house of higher law as we know it should come toppling down. It is not too late, however, to shore up the foundation of constitutional jurisprudence. Congress and the states should re-propose and ratify the 14th Amendment, and thereby ensure the principles of equal protection and due process which the Amendment guarantees. "----

It seem that the whole issue of self-governing falls on the basic principle of "acceptance of the application of the rule of law!" Our current arguments rest on this "uneasy foundation" that we can accept something that we do not agree with and attempt to make changes through the PRESCRIBED REMEDY, even if we don't always agree on what the "PRESCRIBED REMEDY IS!"

Thank you for your analysis and explanation. I will continue to digest this since my aging mind is hampered by a certain lack of concentration and reinforced by a "Hardening of the Attitudes" that comes with age and biases.

Commented: Sunday, November 18th, 2018 @ 11:31 am By: Bobby Tony

I am not sure what county this involves.

Commented: Friday, November 16th, 2018 @ 8:12 am By: Bobby Tony

My views on Veteran's day have evolved a bit over the years. There was a time when it was a source of ridicule, then it became a source of pride. As I aged, I wore it like a sword in defiance of those who did not serve. Like all good wines, the view has mellowed over the years. Today I use it as a historical memoir being written for my still too young grand kids.

For the last few years, I see the coupons and offers for a free meal for veterans (with proper identification of course). I have always deferred accepting the offer because nothing is free and to paraphrase Rooster Cogburn "I have lived ten lustrums since my certificate of completion."

What started out as a duty, became an anchor, then an affliction, morphed into a trauma and finally made the transition into a PRIVILEGE.
I don't need a free meal;
I don't need any thanks;
I don't want a pedestal to stand on.

What I do wish, is that SOMEWHERE, that future Veteran will stay safe and return home to his loved ones like it has been my PRIVILEGE to do for the last 10 lustrums. (50 years for the non websters)

That is reward enough!

Commented: Monday, November 12th, 2018 @ 9:04 am By: Bobby Tony

Don't you find it odd that the two people who wrote the Forewords to this book are:

Dennis Hastert, Ex-House Speaker Who Admitted Sex Abuse
Tom Daschle. Who failed to pay $128,000 in taxes

I am pretty sure the Authors of this book did not understand the IRONY of the forewords at the time of publication. And that is what makes the Dummies Series so popular.

Commented: Friday, November 9th, 2018 @ 6:41 am By: Bobby Tony

Since I mentioned the Veterans Clothing Drive in this article, I felt it only appropriate to provide the update received today in the Daily Email from the Neighborhood Website. Maybe as the colder weather approaches you can find some old stuff in your closet. You may even find a memory or two.

Commented: Friday, October 26th, 2018 @ 5:16 pm By: Bobby Tony

Southern Politics was a rough and tumble battle in the 1960s. Carter apologist often forget the 1970 election.
"When Sanders was termed out as governor in 1966, then-state Sen. Carter placed third in the all-important Democratic primary. The nomination was eventually won by arch-segregationist Lester Maddox, who went on to be elected governor.
Four years later, with Maddox unable to succeed himself, all signs pointed to Sanders' returning to the governorship with ease
But somewhat surprisingly, next to nothing is being said about Sanders' final campaign, in 1970, in which he was defeated after a mean-spirited, racially charged campaign run by the man who would become Georgia's best-known politician of all: Jimmy Carter.
"Carter had been a moderate state senator, but ran in 1970 as a very conservative segregationist," Bill Shipp, longtime political editor of the Atlanta Constitution, recalled to Newsmax. "It was a nasty, rough race."

www.newsmax.com

Commented: Tuesday, October 23rd, 2018 @ 9:41 am By: Bobby Tony

Irony for the day. There are those who would say that is exactly where Trump should be.

IN A CAGE!!

Commented: Tuesday, October 9th, 2018 @ 8:16 am By: Bobby Tony

Good point: Every two years, the election of all House of Representatives is an indication on how the voters think things are going. Of course that presupposes that the voters are informed and alive.

Commented: Sunday, October 7th, 2018 @ 7:57 am By: Bobby Tony

It's interesting that you picked a Sulky picture to illustrate the danger in predicting Presidential Elections. Harness or Sulky racing depends on the horses to maintain their gait and not break stride. Since the driver (rider/voter) is virtually unprotected from the horse's rear legs if he breaks into a run he has put his faith in the horse's training. He is also in danger in case of a pile up. My dad traded for a sulky once but we were never able to train our quarter horse to maintain its gait. We learned the hard way that Sulky racing is not for the poor man. Harness racing horses are a special breed with special training and cost a pretty penny. My advice from experience, wear a cup and add a 'nutbar' to the sulky.
Presidential elections also involve crashes and an occasional kick in the xxxs before the winner is declared.

Commented: Monday, September 24th, 2018 @ 4:52 pm By: Bobby Tony

More overnight blasphemy-

Thanks again Diane, obviously my simple naive layman approach would not be sufficient for law making, but I have always thought it would be much better if the laws were written in simple declarative statements with less ambiguity. Perhaps like they put on a sign on the highway.



However I note that every legal action I have ever been involved in as either witness, juror, defendant, plaintiff or observer had two lawyers, each of which had a differing opinion on the meaning (Opinion) of the law.
It seems to me that each law should have this foot note attached as an addendum.

“I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.” ―Robert McCloskey

Trying to write a law presupposing numerous exceptions and mitigating circumstances that can be interpreted in to any number of twisted pretzel logic defeats the purpose of the law. I think it would be much better to allow the courts a wide latitude in the punishment levied for breaking laws since often the circumstances may mitigate the details of each case. Determining guilt should be somewhat black and white. The nuance should exist in the punishment stage of the case. Granted judges would be able to go lightly on punishment for laws they do not agree with but the conviction would still stand as a matter of fact. I guess no system is completely fool proof but legislatures that write vague laws and judges that expand or contract the original intent both makes the whole purpose of the legal system a farce.
Nevertheless, when one is in need of a lawyer it good for the law to have some ambiguity, I offer this final quote:
"The power of the lawyer is in the uncertainty of the law." Jeremy Bentham

Commented: Monday, September 24th, 2018 @ 6:41 am By: Bobby Tony