The day the wind destroyed my town.

God showed himself to me twice this weekend. 

For the second week in a row, Tornados roared through Middle Tennessee, majorly through Rutherford County, and destroyed hundreds of homes and taking many lives, including those of Kori Bryant and her 9 week old daughter.  Many of my friends were close to Kori. 

No matter how many times I see it, the damage that Tornados create never ceases to amaze me. They jump from house to house ripping off roofs; uprooting trees without snapping a single branch; some will occasionally lift houses right off their foundations.  I saw it all today.

photo compliments of The Tennessean

No storms came near my house. This morning my father and I went to the Blackman area of Murfreesboro to check on a few friends and see if we could help clear some of the brush.

I was amazed at how many people were out. Not just Red Cross Volunteers delivering food, but honest, unplanned and unorganized volunteers who just drove by to see how they could help. They were clearing trees, repairing roofs, salvaging whatever valuables they could find. 

Here were people, some neighbors and some not, coming out and spending their Saturday selflessly. I was amazed. I had never seen so many people working to help people they had never met before. They brought chainsaws, tools, food, drinks, and the occassional Bobcat. 

I dont know. Maybe it doesnt seem like much. But what I saw today was a community working together to help out their neighbors. I didn’t see FEMA. I didn’t see the President walking around or making speeches. I saw a few cops and firefighters, but most of them were off duty and were repairing homes. I didn’t see the government helping. I saw people. 

Obviously, there is a lot of work to do that we were not able to accomplish today. People will have to have professional repairs made, in many cases build whole new houses. I’m sure that some of the people affected did not have insurance and will have to start over. But if this level of pure, unselfish kindness is always as common in Rutherford County as it was today I think those people are in good hands. 

 

photo compliments of The Tennessean

 

PLEASE HELP IF YOU CAN

HOW TO HELP



You can help people affected by this disaster, by donating to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. 

On those rare occasions when donations exceed Red Cross expenses for a specific disaster, contributions are used to prepare for and serve victims of other disasters. 

Gifts enable the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to victims of all disasters. 

Visit www.redcross.org or call 1-800-REDCROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish) or mail your donation, to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.

You can also donate to help the victims of the Murfreesboro tornadoes at any Middle Tennessee Kroger store at the register as you check out. 

Just tell the cashier you would like to make a donation to the Red Cross for the Central Tennessee tornadoes.

The Red Cross is NOT accepting any donations of clothing, furniture or any other material items.

If you would like to volunteer, the CITY OF MURFREESBORO is asking you to call (615) 890-1934.

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and counsels victims of disasters; provides nearly half of the nation’s blood supply; teaches lifesaving skills; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its humanitarian mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org or join our blog atwww.redcrosschat.org.

Militarizing the homeland

From the Washington Post:

The U.S. military expects to have 20,000 uniformed troops inside the United States by 2011 trained to help state and local officials respond to a nuclear terrorist attack or other domestic catastrophe, according to Pentagon officials…

The idea is that US Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen will train cops, firefirters and paramedics how to prepare and react to another September 11, or possibly worse. The result is a dangerous combination of military and homeland security. 

The reason that we do not traditionally have the US Military walking the streets and writing speeding tickets is because of a law passed after reconstruction, called the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878. 

Whoever, except in cases and under circumstances expressly authorized by the Constitution or Act of Congress, willfully uses any part of the Army or the Air Force… to execute the laws shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.

The law generally prohibits the military from interfering in public matters and was enacted as a result of military occupation of the South following the Civil War. Today, it prevents a KGB or Gestapo like force from emerging in this country. 

Good Luck with that.

Time to be Thankful.

I am Posting a blog I wrote for my dear friend Tabitha in honor of Thanksgiving today. you can find the original post here.  

 

As we celebrate the day when we do not feel guilty for overeating or loafing, we must also take time out to think about for what we are thankful. In recent years, Thanksgiving has been tarnished by those who spread lies about the first Thanksgiving (Indians cooked for all the white people, then the white people slaughtered them, etc.), people have become less and less apt to celebrate it. So today, I ask you all to take a break from the news. Take a break from your sweet potato pie and NFL football (how bout them Titans?). We live in the finest country on earth and there is no legitimate argument to not reflect on how lucky we are.

My list of thanks:

1) Lance Corporal James Daniel Hirlston, US Marine Corps, Rockvale, Tennessee.  Died August 23, 2006, Anbar Province, Iraq.

James (or JD as we called him growing up) was one of my best friends as a child. In 3rd grade we did a science project on Mars. That summer, he stayed at my house for 9 weeks as his parents were out of town on a second honeymoon. He was one of the kindest, gentlest person I ever knew. We lost touch after 8th grade when we went to different schools, but I learned that he had dropped out of High School only to start back to get his diploma. After graduation, He wanted nothing more than to serve his country through the US Marine Corps. The newspapers never said exactly what killed him; only that he died conducting combat operations in Iraq. JD is a great American who died serving his country that he loved so well. His sense of patriotism is greater than any I will ever know. I am thankful for him.

2. 1st Lt. Frank Walkup, United States Army, Woodbury, TN. Died June 16, 2007, Kirkuk, Iraq.

I met Frank when I joined the JROTC unit at Riverdale High School in Murfreesboro, TN as a Freshman. Frank was the Batalion XO and the CO of the Drill Team. He immediatly took me as a friend and gave me the knickname “Scrub.” Frank was a natural leader who loved all people and never had anything mean to say about a single person. One day during PT, I was falling behind. Frank fell back and talked to me. “Scrub,” he said. “You cant let these guys beat you.” I told him I was just tired and out of shape and that I couldnt do it. “Look man,” he told me. “I’m a fatass and I smoke. I can still beat these guys and I know you can too. You know why? Cause I hate losing. I will die before I let someone else beat me. Now I know you can do it. Just step it up. The pain is good.” Frank was a motivator. After he graduated he enterred ROTC at UT-Knoxville and then entered the Army upon graduation as a Leuitenant. he was killed by an IED while serving his country in Iraq.  I am thankful for Frank.

3. Sgt. Lee Krabel, US Army; Lt. Daniel Knick, US Army; Sgt. Eddie Bozeman, US Marine Corps; Sgt. Bradley O’brien, US Marine Corps; SPC. Shawn Napier, US Army; PFC. William Groce, US Army; Sgt. Josh Baker, US Marine Corps; Nickole Heater, US Air Force;

All of the above are people close friends of mine who have served their country in Uniform. Most of them are combat veterans of Iraq and/or Afghanistan. They have all risked their lives for our nation; for our freedom. I cannot begin to list all of the great things they have done and how they have effected my life. A simple thank you can in no way suffice.

4. All men and women listed here.

The Iraq War Heroes website is dedicated to the memory of all people who have fought and died for their nation during the War on Terror.

5. President George W. Bush.

President Bush has been criticized by most but has managed to stay on his feet. He has done everything in his power to protect our country and our liberty during the last 8 years. He is MY president and I am eternally grateful for all he has offered, even the many things on which I have disagreed with him.

6. President-elect Barack Obama

Mr. Obama, through many ways, renewed faith in the American government in many voters. I did not vote for him and I plan to fight many of his policies. However, he will be MY president and I am grateful for the personal sacrifice he is making to help serve his country. I pray for him every night, that he might do nothing but good for our Country and our World.

7. The Constitution of the United States.

The Constitution is the most brilliant work of political orgnaization ever composed. Our founders worked and compromised for years to contruct the document that today binds our country together. They studied history, sociology, and political philosophy to give us the greatest Country on earth. It is because of this constitution that we are the ONLY country in the entire world with nearly unlimited free speech. It is because of this constitution that we are free to practice our OWN religion anywhere we want without fear of prosecution. It is because of this constitution that we have minimal risk of being falsly convicted of a crime in comparison to other nations. It is because of this constitution that were our leaders to ever become Tyrants, we would have the capabilities to revolt and form a new government. It is because of this constitution that MY destiny is purely dependant on how hard I work and how I react to circumstances that come before me. I am eternally thankful for this document.

I hope that you will not only think today of all the things you are thankful. I hope that as you go about your Christmas shopping tomorrow, as you go to school or work in the coming weeks, as you eat your dinner, drive your car, buy your clothes, sleep safely at night, pay your taxes, go to church, tie your shoes, wash your hair, apply your deoderant, watch Football, go to a Hockey game, check your email, add an appointment to your calendar, frame your pictures, practice your guitar, tip your waiter, do your laundry, fail a test, go through a drivethrough, deposit your paycheck, AIM your best friend or jump off a tree into a river for fun, that you will remember that it is ONLY because of those who have served that you are able to do these things. Were it not for those who died, or those who were lucky enough to come home, you would have none of what you have today.

So today and in the future, be selfless when you see a man or woman in Uniform. Walk up to them and say “God Bless you, for you have blessed me.”

Mitt Romney on the Bailouts: Let Detroit go bankrupt

If this man had spoken like this during the primary, he would have gotten my vote.

Without that bailout, Detroit will need to drastically restructure itself. With it, the automakers will stay the course — the suicidal course of declining market shares, insurmountable labor and retiree burdens, technology atrophy, product inferiority and never-ending job losses. Detroit needs a turnaround, not a check.

Mr. Romney, who has a strong family background in the American Auto industry, points out all the problems in the auto industry and how they should be corrected.

The only problmen comes at the end of this op-ed, where he interjects his classic belief of effective government over small government.

I believe Washington should raise energy research spending to $20 billion a year, from the $4 billion that is spent today. The research could be done at universities, at research labs and even through public-private collaboration. The federal government should also rectify the imbedded tax penalties that favor foreign carmakers…The federal government should provide guarantees for post-bankruptcy financing and assure car buyers that their warranties are not at risk.

Eh, not so much Mitt. But everything else is good.