FYI -

My letter to the Libertarian Party.

-ADY "A Regular Guy On The Issues"

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning.  I hope this e-mail finds you all doing well.  I wanted to take the time to write concerning Vice Chairman Arvin Vohra's recent comments concerning the military.  A little about myself, I am a thirty-five year old husband and father.  I am a former U.S. Marine and four-tour Iraq War veteran.  Currently, I work as a patrol division deputy sheriff.  After being raised as a fiscally conservative, blue dog Democrat, I discovered libertarianism and the Libertarian Party in 2008 thanks to Ron Paul's presidential campaign.  While living in North Carolina, I served on their state LP executive committee.  I served as a libertarian minded Republican county commissioner in Bledsoe County, TN.  Currently, I am the Bledsoe County, TN LP county chairman, and I am contemplating running for Bledsoe County Sheriff, as a libertarian, in 2018.  With all of that being said, being a member of the Libertarian Party lately has been somewhat awkward and disheartening.  I'm a Christian, a combat veteran, and a cop.  I am proudly all of those things, but I am also proudly for the legalization of Marijuana, pro-LGBT, and I love guns.  I think Gary Johnson and Bill Weld were great candidate's, even though "pure" libertarians did not.  I am a supporter and fan of Mr. Wayne Allyn Root, and I think that he was forced out of the party, even though his relentlessness and mindset could have helped us win elections.  I found Mr. Vohra's comments uneducated and repugnant.  Since I read the news story, I've struggled with my political identity and wondered if I'm, once again, politically homeless.  I have teetered on the edge of resigning from the party, but after a lot of soul searching and an outstanding run this morning, I have concluded that, if I and others like me, leave the LP, Mr. Vohra wins.  Bluntly, if people like me were actually mindless murderers, Mr. Vohra would probably no longer be breathing after his comments.  The fact that he's still above ground, shows that the issue is a little more complicated than that.  I will continue my membership in the Libertarian Party in order to serve as a voice for a small, but growing section of the party, and I'll say this, if the Libertarian Party really wants to grow and win elections, we need to embrace the big tent theory, and we need to come to the table with those with the background like mine.

Very respectfully,

Aaron Yeargan

Ron Paul Breaks The Set with Abby Martin on the Illegal Syria War, Terror Blowback and the Tea Party H...

An outstanding interview and some GREAT food for thought from Dr. Paul and Abby Martin.


#LiveFree


#PushBack











-ADY"A Regular Guy On The Issues"

Is Erik Prince A Small "L" Libertarian?

This is an interesting piece concerning the future use of private security contractors in a free market.  I recommend anyone that's interested in Erik Prince, BlackWater, or their business model read his book, Civilian Warriors.





-ADY"A Regular Guy On The Issues"

Ron Paul On The ISIS Threat.

FYI - From Dr. Ron Paul and The Ron Paul Channel/Voices of Liberty.




#LibertyRepublican




#LiveFree




-ADY"A Regular Guy On The Issues"

Vote For Peace! Vote For Gov. Gary Johnson For President 2012!

Take it from a me (a former U.S. Marine, current Army Reserve medic, and four tour Iraq War veteran), a vote for Gary Johnson is a vote for peace!

-ADY "A Regular Guy On The Issues"

From GaryJohnson2012.com

RON PAUL IS THE CHOICE OF THE TROOPS!!!

Ron Paul is the choice of the troops!

-ADY "A Regular Guy On The Issues"

President Obama's Thanksgiving Message To The Troops.

FYI -

http://www.democrats.org/news/blog/1144

-ADY "A Regular Guy On The Issues"

Defending Defense: A Response to Recent Deficit Reduction Proposals | Foreign Policy Initiative

FYI -

Defending Defense: A Response to Recent Deficit Reduction Proposals | Foreign Policy Initiative

-ADY"A Regular Guy On The Issues"

Rep. Ron Paul: "Support the Troops by Ending the War."

Support the Troops by Ending the War

by Rep. Ron Paul

I have never met anyone who did not support our troops. Sometimes, however, we hear accusations that someone or some group does not support the men and women serving in our armed forces. This is pure demagoguery, and it's intellectually dishonest. The accusers play on emotions to gain support for controversial policies, implying that those who disagree are unpatriotic. But keeping our troops out of harm's way, especially when war is unnecessary, is never unpatriotic. There's no better way to support the troops. Since we now know that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction and was not threatening anyone, we must come to terms with 3,000 American deaths and 23,000 American casualties. It's disconcerting that those who never believed the justifications given for our invasion, and who now want the war ended, are still accused of not supporting the troops! This is strange indeed! Instead of questioning who has the best interests of our troops at heart, we should be debating which policy is best for our country. Defensive wars to preserve our liberties, fought only with proper congressional declarations, are legitimate. Casualties under such circumstances still are heartbreaking, but they are understandable. Casualties that occur in undeclared, unnecessary wars, however, are bewildering. Why must so many Americans be killed or hurt in Iraq when our security and our liberty were not threatened? Clichés about supporting the troops are designed to distract us from failed policies, policies promoted by powerful special interests that benefit from war. Anything to steer the discussion away from the real reasons the war in Iraq will not end anytime soon. Many now agree that we must change our policy and extricate ourselves from the mess in Iraq. They cite a mandate from the American people for a new direction. This opinion is now more popular, and thus now more widely held by politicians in Washington. But there's always a qualifier: We can't simply stop funding the war, because we must support the troops. I find this conclusion bizarre. It means one either believes the "support the troops" propaganda put out by the original promoters of the war, or that one actually is for the war after all, despite the public protestations. In reality, support for the status quo (and the president's troop surge) in Iraq means expanding the war to include Syria and Iran. The naval build up in the region, and the proxy war we just fought to take over Somalia, demonstrate the administration's intentions to escalate our current war into something larger. There's just no legitimacy to the argument that voting against funding the war somehow harms our troops. Perpetuating and escalating the war only serve those whose egos are attached to some claimed victory in Iraq, and those with a determination to engineer regime change in Iran. Don't believe for a minute that additional congressional funding is needed so our troops can defend themselves or extricate themselves from the war zone. That's nonsense. The DOD has hundreds of billions of dollars in the pipeline available to move troops anywhere on earth – including home. We shouldn't forget that the administration took $600 million from the war in Afghanistan and used it in Iraq, before any direct appropriations were made for the invasion of Iraq. Funds are always available to put our troops into harms way; they are always available for leaving a war zone. Those in Congress who claim they want the war ended, yet feel compelled to keep funding it, are badly misguided. They either are wrong in their assessment that cutting funds would hurt the troops, or they need to be more honest about supporting a policy destined to dramatically increase the size and scope of this misadventure in the Middle East. Rest assured one can be patriotic and truly support the troops by denying funds to perpetuate and spread this ill-advised war. The sooner we come to this realization, the better it will be for all of us.

Anti-war liberals can vote Libertarian

Some VERY good things to consider when deciding who to vote for in the upcoming elections -

Anti-war liberals can vote Libertarian

Charities for the Troops!!!

Hello All!

The below link will take you to IAVA's (Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America) website listing of numerous charities and other ways to help veterans, servicemembers, and their families. Please take a minute to check it out, and feel free to pass it on to your friends and family.

IAVA
http://iava.org/content/troops-charities

Help Troops and Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury
http://remind.org/

Thanks,
Aaron

Cal Cunningham on Veterans and Military Families.

Veterans and Military Families



Honoring our men and women in uniform
The military says, “Leave No One Behind,” and it is Washington’s duty to heed that same call when it comes to caring for veterans and military families. Cal would be the first OIF/OEF veteran elected to serve in the United States Senate – and knows he bears a special responsibility to stand up for the needs of a new generation of veterans.

To fulfill our commitment, we must:

1. Honor the sacrifices of those who have served in uniform with a Veterans Administration of the 21st Century, which fulfills its purpose of caring “for those who have borne the battle.” It is simply not enough to attempt to catch those who fall through the cracks – we must fix the cracks, not only within the Veterans Administration but also for those in transition from the Uniformed Services to the V.A.

2. Meet the health needs of the thousands of veterans who suffer not only physical but psychological wounds. Many service members suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and the signature injury of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, Traumatic Brain Injury. Due to advances in battlefield medicine and body armor, more service members survive serious injuries. Our nation’s obligations to them continue in perpetuity.

3. Fully implement the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill, which would provide every service member with a chance to advance his or her education, identify and extend support for housing to over 100,000 homeless veterans, and support military-to-work transition programs so that a new generation of veterans finds its place in the job market.

http://www.CalForNC.com

Cal Cunningham on National Security.

National Security


Protecting the homeland
As an Iraq War veteran and eleven-year member of the Reserves, Cal understands the importance of a robust national security program to the peace and security of our country. He recognizes that in order to meet the challenges of the 21st Century, we must adopt a new doctrine that brings to bear the full power of the United States– including the so-called “soft” powers of moral, legal, economic, diplomatic and cultural influence.

To ensure our national security, we must:

1. Clearly define and pursue our national security interests in Afghanistan and Pakistan, by fully implementing counterinsurgency strategy, seizing momentum, protecting the population, allowing no geographic safe-haven for Al Qaeda, building Afghani capacity to secure itself, and turning over the security mission as soon as possible.

2. Develop a specialized civilian corps to complement the uniformed services and provide logistics, civil governance, public works, information technology, and linguist services. This corps must operate under the blanket of U.S. law under a unified chain of command, in place of private contractors.

3. Fund, train, and equip the best fighting force, including following through on increases in end-strength, ending “stop-loss”, and retooling and re-setting our Reserves and National Guard, which have been strained by two concurrent wars in the Middle East.

4. Conclude the Mission in Iraq. With Honor. Period.

http://www.CalForNC.com

Cal Cunningham's Speech At The NC07 Leadership Dinner.

Senator Burr's True Colors.

Dear Friends,

Cal's campaign just received a fundraising letter Richard Burr sent to his supporters. It's a letter he probably hoped North Carolinians, veterans, military families, and the press would never see.

In it, he dishonors the men and women who wear our country's uniform by offering anyone the military ranks of "Private," "Sergeant," or even "Colonel" in the "Burr Brigade" in exchange for a campaign contribution.

And Richard Burr charges that President Obama is "decimat[ing] our military forces" -- even though it's Burr who has a long record of voting against funding for our service-members, veterans, and their families.

Remember, unlike Cal, Richard Burr hasn't served a day in the military. Maybe that's why he doesn't understand that you don't buy a military rank -- you earn it.

Send a letter-to-the-editor of your local paper today, and make sure all North Carolinians learn about Richard Burr's outrageous fundraising letter.

Perhaps Richard Burr thinks this is a game or makes him seem patriotic. He can thump his chest about supporting the military and fill his campaign mail with the usual fear-mongering we've come to expect from desperate, extreme right-wing campaigns.

But he crosses the line when he offers his financial supporters the opportunity to "enlist" and buy a military rank in exchange for a campaign contribution.

Cal earned his military rank through his years of distinguished service, including a year-long tour in Iraq and a year-long tour at Fort Bragg. Tens of thousands of our fellow North Carolinians have also earned their ranks serving our country -- at home and abroad, now and in the past.

Richard Burr's suggestion that his supporters can buy a military rank with a $25 contribution should offend every North Carolinian, and every American.

Send a letter-to-the-editor of your local paper today, and make sure all North Carolinians learn about Richard Burr's outrageous fundraising letter.

While Richard Burr tries to convince his donors he's a strong advocate for the military, his record shows that he is anything but. In his five years as Senator, Richard Burr has:

Twice voted against funding for armored vehicles for our service men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan,
Twice opposed funding to repair faulty military equipment, and
Voted against pay raises for our troops and their families, the same week that hundreds of Marines left Camp Lejeune for Afghanistan.
Maybe you can get away with saying one thing and doing another in Washington, D.C., but North Carolinians expect better from their U.S. Senator.

That's why I hope you'll join me in sending a letter-to-the-editor to make sure all North Carolinians know about Burr's outrageous fundraising letter -- and see his true colors.

Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,

Major General (Ret.) Hubert Leonard
Co-Chairman, Veterans for Cunningham
Cunningham for U.S. Senate

IAVA Director Discusses Impact of Afghan Plan on Vets.

IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff joined CNN to discuss President Obama’s recent decsion to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan. Rieckhoff continued the call for leaders in Washington, as well as the American people, to put more focus on the cost of the surge in Afghanistan as it relates to the long-term needs of veterans and their families">

The Forgotten Cost of War: Caring for Veterans

*The below article is from Mr. Paul Rieckhoff, Iraq War veteran, Co-founder and Executive Director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA). You can also view this article by going to IAVA's website, http://iava.org/blog/forgotten-cost-war-caring-veterans

The Forgotten Cost of War: Caring for Veterans

By Paul Rieckhoff
Created December 2


President Obama has finally laid out his strategy for Afghanistan. Unfortunately he did so without using the word "veteran" and without articulating any back-end support for our returning troops. In typical fashion, we've heard the media's talking heads ask: Is Afghanistan Obama's Vietnam? Why only 30,000 troops? Will the exit strategy embolden the Taliban?

And now, the politics and policy of the new strategy have been broken down into predictable soundbite-sized morsels by the partisans and pundits. But few have focused on how the Administration plans to support those 30,000 troops when they return home. Nor have we heard much talk of their families who won't be on planes to Afghanistan, but are still making sacrifices every day on the homefront. These are the brave Americans responsible for executing this new plan or waiting for a knock on the door that they pray will never come.

President Obama's plan will significantly increase the demands on our servicemembers, almost 800,000 of whom have already served multiple tours. The propeller-heads in Washington have crunched the numbers determining how much it will cost to send these new forces to the front. But I'm not at all convinced that they've done the back-end planning that's necessary for a complete war plan; one that cares for these troops when they come home. As we saw with the implementation of the new GI Bill, failing to plan is planning to fail. If the President doesn't plan adequately now, Walter Reed will only be the beginning of a decades-long national embarrassment of failing to care for our nation's veterans and their families.

The only way to avoid another round of heartache, disappointment and frustration is to guarantee that our returning troops will receive the full support of the President, Congress, the Department of Defense, the VA and the American people (a critical spoke on this wheel that has been neglected for far too long).

We can start by ensuring that every servicemember receives the resources they need when they come home. This doesn't mean a welcome home parade, although that's always a nice gesture. It means leaders in Washington that don't live at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue stepping up right now. Congress must send the VA health care budget to the President immediately. As of tonight's address, the VA budget is already 61 days late.

But Congress cannot stop there. The outdated and ineffective military and VA disability systems that leave hundreds of thousands of veterans waiting for claims to be processed must be reformed. And during these trying economic times, we must redouble our efforts to ensure that every veteran can find employment and a place to call home.

Finally, President Obama must find a way to fully engage all Americans in supporting and advocating for all those who've served--regardless of how they feel about the war. America's foreign policy cannot succeed without these heroes, and their return home won't succeed without us.

Paul Rieckhoff is the Executive Director and Founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and the author of Chasing Ghosts.

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.

Supporting Our Troops This Holiday Season!

Dear Friends,

If you have ever been separated from your loved ones during the holidays -- as my family and I were by the conflict in Iraq in December 2007 -- you understand that many things can come between us and the people and places we love. Thousands of miles. Oceans. Armies.

This year, thousands of North Carolina military families are separated because of the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq -- not only families in our military communities, but also families of our Reserve and National Guard; husbands and wives and children all across North Carolina cities and towns, large and small. These families serve us at a time of increased anxiety here at home -- during this season of peace -- for conflicts we pray will end in security for our nation and stability for the people of the countries where they serve.

Few organizations do more to protect the interests of our North Carolina military families than Blue Star Families.

Through a worldwide network of service spouses, parents and children, Blue Star Families seeks to support, connect and empower those whose sacrifices are often overlooked when our soldiers deploy.

I also frequently get asked: How can I send care packages to our troops? What do they need? Where do I send them? Started by a soldier in Iraq, www.anysoldier.com has the answers -- directly from those who are serving.

Elizabeth and I encourage you to visit www.bluestarfam.org to learn about the issues most important to our service families and www.anysoldier.com to directly support those who are separated today by our nation's commitments.

North Carolinians fight for progress and, through that struggle, an eventual homecoming. Join my family as we pray for the safety of our military men and women and the reunion of their families -- our neighbors. Then, join us as we push onward for progress in this coming New Year.

Happy Holidays and God Bless,


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