Showing Thanks To Our Troops This Holiday Season!

Hello All!

While most of us are spending Christmas and New Year with family, friends, and other loved ones, I hope you will take a moment to think of those who are not...our deployed U.S. Service Members. They'll be standing post all over the world tonight - in jungles, deserts, and mountains. They're there putting their lives on the line defending your freedoms. At the very least, we could keep them all in our thoughts and prayers. If you would like to do more, I suggest the mailing a care package or making a small donations to the following organizations:

1. Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA)
http://www.iava.org

2. The United Service Organization (USO)
http://www.uso.org

3. Operation Gratitude
http://www.opgratitude.com/

4. AnySoldier.com (or other service member)
http://www.anysoldier.com/
http://anymarine.com/
http://anysailor.com/
http://anycoastguard.com/
http://anyairman.com



The Night Before Christmas (Military)

'Twas The Night Before Christmas,
He Lived All Alone,
In A One Bedroom House
Made Of Plaster And Stone.

I Had Come Down The Chimney
With Presents To Give,
And To See Just Who
In This Home Did Live.

I Looked All About,
A Strange Sight I Did See,
No Tinsel, No Presents,
Not Even A Tree.

No Stocking By Mantle,
Just Boots Filled With Sand,
On The Wall Hung Pictures
Of Far Distant Lands.

With Medals And Badges,
Awards Of All Kinds,
A Sober Thought
Came Through My Mind.

For This House Was Different,
It Was Dark And Dreary,
I Found The Home Of A Marine,
Once I Could See Clearly.

The Marine Lay Sleeping,
Silent, Alone,
Curled Up On The Floor
In This One Bedroom Home.

The Face Was So Gentle,
The Room In Such Disorder,
Not How I Pictured
A United States Marine.

Was This The Hero
Of Whom I'd Just Read?
Curled Up On A Poncho,
The Floor For A Bed?

I Realized The Families
That I Saw This Night,
Owed Their Lives To These Marines
Who Were Willing To Fight.

Soon Round The World,
The Children Would Play,
And Grownups Would Celebrate
A Bright Christmas Day.

They All Enjoyed Freedom
Each Month Of The Year,
Because Of The Marines,
Like The One Lying Here.

I Couldn't Help Wonder
How Many Lay Alone,
On A Cold Christmas Eve
In A Land Far From Home.

The Very Thought
Brought A Tear To My Eye,
I Dropped To My Knees
And Started To Cry.

The Marine Awakened
And I Heard A Rough Voice,
"Santa Don't Cry,
This Life Is My Choice;

I Fight For Freedom,
I Don't Ask For More,
My Life Is My God,
My Country, My Corps."

The Marine Rolled Over
And Drifted To Sleep,
I Couldn't Control It,
I Continued To Weep.

I Kept Watch For Hours,
So Silent And Still
And We Both Shivered
From The Cold Night's Chill.

I Didn't Want To Leave
On That Cold, Dark, Night,
This Guardian Of Honor
So Willing To Fight.

Then The Marine Rolled Over,
With A Voice Soft And Pure,
Whispered, "Carry On Santa,
It's Christmas Day, All Is Secure."

One Look At My Watch,
And I Knew He Was Right.
"Merry Christmas My Friend,
And To All A Good Night."

*Written by Lance Corporal James M. Schmidt, USMC in 1986. Printed in Leatherneck (The Magazines for the Marines) in December 1991.

Senator Burr's Vote This Morning Was Wrong!!!

Dear Friends,

I can't believe it. This morning Senator Richard Burr voted against funding for our troops, both at home and abroad.

This, in the same week that hundreds of Marines at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina held tearful, hurried holidays with their families as they prepared to ship out to Afghanistan.

Crystal Cavalier's husband is in Baghdad, Iraq right now. She also works for the military -- helping families stay connected with their loved ones overseas. This is how she described her reaction to Burr's vote:

This isn't right. My husband is over there protecting us. With three kids here at home and him gone, we look forward to that little bit of pay each year. Richard Burr needs to go.

Email Richard Burr today. Tell him that voting against our military families for partisan politics is unacceptable.

North Carolina is home to tens of thousands of Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines and their families. In a show of bipartisanship, the Senate voted 88-10 to fund body armor, supply armored vehicles to keep our troops safe, and provide our military men and women a well-deserved pay increase.

In the past Richard Burr has voted FOR several of his own pay raises for his work in Washington. But this morning he wouldn't put political games aside and voted AGAINST a pay raise for Crystal's husband for his work on the battlefield.

While Richard Burr is in Washington playing politics with our troops and national security, Amy Castleberry is caring for four children at home at Fort Bragg while her husband is in Ramadi, Iraq.

Amy sent me this note after Burr's vote against her family this morning:

This pay increase means a lot, with all the bills we have to pay. This just upsets me, with my husband over there, fighting for Richard Burr's freedoms to run for office and take these votes. This is a slap in the face.

Send Richard Burr a message today. Tell him his "no" vote is wrong for North Carolina's military families.

After the sacrifices we've asked of our military families in recent years, Richard Burr's vote this morning is wrong. Join me in putting this Senate seat back to work for the people of North Carolina.

Sincerely,

Cal Cunningham
Candidate for U.S. Senate

Happy Bill of Rights Day!...and more!

Happy Bill of Rights Day Everyone! I hope we all will remember those Rights as well as the people that gave their lives so that we can enjoy them!

And...on that note...

Since 2003, more than 4300 men and women have given their lives supposedly liberating the Iraqi people from oppression and tyranny. How do they repay us? They give huge, lucrative oil contracts to Russia and China!

This really comes as no surprise to me though...without "REAL" Change in Washington, the United States with be nothing more than a Chinese province by proxy in the next 10 years anyway!

http://4oil.blogspot.com/2009/12/russia-china-big-winners-in-iraq-oil.html