It is. I provide funeral honors as a real mission as a reservist. My next one is scheduled for Saturday, so reading this pains me.
How the dead are treated, that is a fundamental concern. Especially those in combat. This episode strikes me as the kind of bureaucratic midwittery the should cause the law to change and jobs lost.
It's sad to say the dead are only the beginning. The living wounded get very little real help from the military and the VA hospitals are mostly relics from the 50's. From what I've heard, the insurance is shit, and they are restricted from seeing local physicians.
With all the stupidity running the country, why would anyone join up to serve?
We see the recruiting numbers plummet, the retention numbers dropping as well. And yet, the 3 and 4 start officers, who, I am certain, are WAY smarter than I, just cannot fathom why in the world this is so! Even after Stu Scheller's book, after blogs like this have, for 20 yrs, warned of the pushback to the racist/sexist policies of Diversity, they are stumped. To that I ask, stupid or liars? The loss in Afghanistan was painful to watch, I still have a few partners there running around trying to avoid the Talibs. Tough message to send to young people to get them to join when you treat your troops, and their loss, with such disdain.
Embrace the power of "and"; they are stupid AND liars which is only the start. Many of the current diversity hires are coopted by the political price for those third-and/or fourth stars. That they have sold themselves out is up to them and their final judge; but they have sold us and the country out as well
Yes, but it is hard to see them so successful at making money, empowering themselves, destroying the military and tearing at the fabric of American culture to think they are all stupid. I think they are morally devoid but not stupid. They just don't care as long as they can promote and make money, and then get a follow on job with Ray McLockMart.
I've never had the honor of serving, but I have deep abiding respect for those that do. I appreciate what the rank and file do and why they do it.
I have friends who served in intel positions, and some in interrogation positions.
I have studied history and watched the JCoS, the ones with stars on their lapels, and the congressmen screw everyone. I had pointed out that the military can not be a social club and that soldiers may or will not want to share a foxhole with a member of the rainbow brigade.
I see us repeating the lessons that we should have learned in Vietnam and I watched Biden surrender to an enemy that was in hiding.
As a 25 year bullet-stopper I can most definitely say that if the SHTF there will be a problem with tranny ossifers. Especially if TPTB conscript those illegals they love so well. The French mutinies will be nothing compared to what will happen the first time a Rainbeaux Warrior tries to lead from someone's rear in a combat situation. Mercenaries will switch sides in a heartbeat to save themselves from kamikazi orders. All we have to do is study the AARs from the Afghan withdrawl. Let's just hope it happens OCONUS
The VA facilities that I've been to aren't bad. The main thing was getting all the old pharts out. The 'Fuck you, you're still walking' style of physician seems to have finally been put out to pasture. Thank Trump for that. The major issue is that the VA can't advise vets about getting their rightful benefits. Especially the reservists who regularly get screwed, blued and tattooed. SVOs are inconsistent at best. Smartest move is to get a shyster ASAP, but you know that's not what is being pushed.
Well, since the civvy world doesn't allow me to jump out of planes, blast the fuck out of hajis and and fly the world for free, there is that. The military has always been a hack and always will be, unless you're a ring knocker, and even then sh*t can and does go wrong. After all, every air base is a toxic waste dump, and most of the stuff we do in the combat arms is insane at best. At least I get paid to be shot at, am drilled into boredom before I jump, and know enough about places you don't want to go to have a chance of survival. It's a calling, to put it mildly. We just have to accept what we are and do our best to skew the odds in our favor. Just remember that no matter how bad life gets, at least we aren't some ph**king POS office plankton. There are things worse than death
Uncle Sam never gave a damn. What else is new? Only a damn fool enlists because of "Feelings". You are there because it improves your life, or keeps you out of jail. I counsel my younger family members to be realistic, but getting upset over an Arlington burial is stupid. I have relatives that should have been there, but never thought to beg their congress-critters for dispensations. If nothing else, it's best to be somewhere that one is remembered. People don't want to spend a fortune to see a stone. Without a Blue Max, Bob Lee's backyard has been closed for decades. Someone getting blown up by hajis? Who doesn't know someone that get an IED or Afghan 'Ally' marksmanship medal? It's the price we pay for the joys of combat. Sometimes the best we can hope for is a coup de grace. Nothing wrong with getting job training from the military, get the f***k out if that's ones decision. But staying out of the game because of the libs is surrendering to them. No thanks
Dude, you don't need the shysters to get you care; that's automatic. You might need them to get you the maximum rating in the minimum time. That's a whole different consideration. Guys discharged with a rating off AD won't have that issue. It's the reservists and guardsmen that will get fucked by the VA in their ratings. Apples and oranges. Get a f**king 10% rating and care is free w/o co-pay. Any grunt will have MORE than that.
I've definitely run into that kind of doctor in the Navy. It was a big reason I didn't reenlist and have never had anything to do with the VA after separating 30 years ago. I once went to sick call with the flu, including a fever over 100 degrees, and the quack told me that I'm fine because my fever is less than 104. He refused to write me any kind of chit and told me that I need to get my ass back to work. I punched a trashcan outside of his office and visualized it being him. Luckily my E-6 cut me loose and I went home.
I came to work the two days after that and laid down all day in my rack on the boat (with supervisory permission). I took to calling that doctor Ivan Drago" (Dolph Lundgren in Rocky IV, "If he dies, he dies.").
As a country Veterans, and, especially wounded Veterans are just another interest group among many. I am cynical as hell right now. We have a government that treats Veterans as the enemy. They are against what the military stands for and makes it plain every damn day.
When you see a bunch of far left and or anarchist "protesters" waving the hammer and sickle or Chinese star, breaking windows and burning cities, our government assures us the protests are "mostly peaceful" and most assuredly protected speech. However, when they see a few hundred thousand people waving the American Flag instead, and said people are overwhelmingly peaceful, they are declared "domestic terrorists" and hunted down years later for being on public property.
I would like to see all of the details on this before rendering judgement. $60,000 to ship a body seems very, very, very high. I have had to do it and my recollection was it was less than the cost of a first class ticket. Maybe that is the the entire costs of shipping the body and all of the travel expenses for the extended family? But it does not seem right for the government not to get the body to Arlington along with an escort.
Maybe I'm not understanding this story correctly, but it appears that DoD flew her body to California (at her family's request?) but then would not pay to fly the body from California to Arlington. If the family had chosen to fly the body to Arlington without going to California first, then there would be no extra charge?
My inclination is to want to see Admirals, Generals and bean counters dragged from their offices into the street for a public horsewhipping. But I don't have all the information I'd need to follow through either. But just on the face of it, it is shameful. I'll share this far and wide, though.
Scroll down to "EC. 573. AUTHORITY OF THE SECRETARY CONCERNED TO TRANSPORT
REMAINS OF A COVERED DECEDENT TO NO MORE
THAN TWO PLACES SELECTED BY THE PERSON
DESIGNATED TO DIRECT DISPOSITION OF THE
REMAINS."
***
(B) The person designated to direct disposition of the remains may select two places under subparagraph (A) if the second place is a national cemetery. If that person selects two places, *the Secretary concerned may pay for transportation to the second place only by means of reimbursement under subsection (b).*
***
Looks like SECDEF's hands were tied by Congress. Would be interesting to see who added this language, and why. Agree that 60k sounds like a lot, but you're probably paying for proper (and probably heavily regulated) handlers on either end and during transport.
I agree with this. Would it have been different if the burial had been at the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery (about an hour down I-80 from Roseville) or Golden Gate National Cemetery (another two hours or so, south of SF), those being the two nearest national cemeteries?
Costs $123 for a one way from Sacto to Dulles. Since the DoD is popping for everything but transportation.... The rule of thumb for shipping in country for civilians is $5k. That includes all the costs that the military has already covered; casket, embalming, tray, etc. $60k is just clickbait and/or a scam by those involved.
My uninformed supposition is the family lacked the funds (Or got a nasty surprise from DoD.), reached to out Honoring Our Fallen who then utilized their resources to move Sergeant Gee in the least traumatizing way to either her body or her family.
IIRC, this was treated as with past casualties and place of burial. But, given the loss of 13 in a single attack and "the last victim of AFG" turned it into a special big deal and they decided to make room in Arlington, which means the family was not given an Arlington option at the time they made their initial choice. I may be wrong about this, but think may have caused unusual circumstances.
How do you sell the military as a career when stupidity like this happens?
How can a veteran encourage his own sons or daughters to join with stupidity like this going on?
Add to it their recruiting marketing campaign (except for the USMC) is making the same mistake as Bud Light , forgetting or insulting what use to be their core market.
Since the Marines, the Sailor, and the Soldier died as a direct result of gross incompetence on the part of Biden; Austin; Milley, and Blinken, done spur of the moment on a whim of Biden's, I consider them all guilty of the murder of those Warriors. There was no military need for the actions that caused their deaths.
I would advocate that those mentioned commit seppuku, but seppuku restores honor, which none of them ever had.
Shame on the DOD, Congress and the President for this shameful failure in taking care of your people and their families. And they wonder why they have an armed forces recruiting crisis?
Dead or alive, the servicemember is returned to HOR. That's what you sign up for. Trying to scam the government for a 60000 chartered plane ride across the country with the service member's remains is not part of the deal. Tempest in a teapot
Rightly or wrongly, I expect some GOP news hound Congressperson(I say that as somebody who is not a FJB fan), to try and make a juxtaposition between this story and DoD paying expenses for members and dependents to travel for abortions. ugh...
DOD absolutely should have provided the transportation waiver. All stories today must be viewed in the broader lens of social media including GoFundMe. What happened to the $203,000 raised by her best friend? So while not ok with this, my other lens tells me there is much more to the story of her journey to ANC where my own parents and sister are. I am more than sympathetic to this overall cause, but I am concerned when a family or an individual builds a prominent social media presence; it adds to screwing things up. I just finished driving 8400 miles carrying my wife to Washington Crossing National Cemetery because I chose to not put her remains int he belly of a plane. Electing to secure a private charter was a choice, one of many.
Think about the value our nation places on those we send to carry out missions ordered by politicians for nebulous purposes, driven by noble or venal motives. Foreign entanglements come with a price, written in blood, as well as treasure, the final amount unknown when the mission is ordered.
SGT Gee is the face of a single casualty of that one event which killed thirteen Americans in the final hours of a seemingly endless and pointless mission with uncertain purpose, no clear definition of victory and no viable plan to achieve it. More importantly, there was only a very tenuous pretext that the entire mission was a vital U.S. national interest.
Borders on maps shift and change over history as cultures and nations rise and ebb in power and their ability to dominate their neighbors. We must pick our wars wisely, not declare our children and borrowed money to be guarantors of every national border and enforcer of "civilization" upon barbarians.
Think about that as politicians and diplomats bluster about the necessity for American kids to be sacrificed on the altar of preserving borders of foreign nations, especially Taiwan/China, or Ukraine/Russia.
Meanwhile, our politicians so eager to meddle in the affairs of other countries have decided that our own borders are meaningless and refuse to stop the invasion by millions of foreigners. Some of the invaders are almost certainly malevolent actors sent by foreign interests with hostile intent. Some are acting only in their personal economic interest, willing to work hard at "jobs Americans won't do." Others are opportunistic criminals or in cahoots with drug distributing cartels poisoning our citizens.
Our kids deserve better than to die needlessly, and even more they and their families must be treated with dignity, respect and appreciation.
"Our detached and distant situation invites and enables us to pursue a different course. If we remain one people under an efficient government; the period is not far off when we may defy material injury from external annoyance; when we may take such an attitude as will cause the neutrality we may at any time resolve upon to be scrupulously respected; when belligerent nations, under the impossibility of making acquisitions upon us, will not lightly hazard the giving us provocation; when we may choose peace or war, as our interest, guided by justice, shall counsel.
Why forego the advantages of so peculiar a situation? Why quit our own to stand upon foreign ground?"
It is. I provide funeral honors as a real mission as a reservist. My next one is scheduled for Saturday, so reading this pains me.
How the dead are treated, that is a fundamental concern. Especially those in combat. This episode strikes me as the kind of bureaucratic midwittery the should cause the law to change and jobs lost.
It's sad to say the dead are only the beginning. The living wounded get very little real help from the military and the VA hospitals are mostly relics from the 50's. From what I've heard, the insurance is shit, and they are restricted from seeing local physicians.
With all the stupidity running the country, why would anyone join up to serve?
We see the recruiting numbers plummet, the retention numbers dropping as well. And yet, the 3 and 4 start officers, who, I am certain, are WAY smarter than I, just cannot fathom why in the world this is so! Even after Stu Scheller's book, after blogs like this have, for 20 yrs, warned of the pushback to the racist/sexist policies of Diversity, they are stumped. To that I ask, stupid or liars? The loss in Afghanistan was painful to watch, I still have a few partners there running around trying to avoid the Talibs. Tough message to send to young people to get them to join when you treat your troops, and their loss, with such disdain.
Embrace the power of "and"; they are stupid AND liars which is only the start. Many of the current diversity hires are coopted by the political price for those third-and/or fourth stars. That they have sold themselves out is up to them and their final judge; but they have sold us and the country out as well
Yes, but it is hard to see them so successful at making money, empowering themselves, destroying the military and tearing at the fabric of American culture to think they are all stupid. I think they are morally devoid but not stupid. They just don't care as long as they can promote and make money, and then get a follow on job with Ray McLockMart.
"I think they are morally devoid but not stupid"
was going to say this
I've never had the honor of serving, but I have deep abiding respect for those that do. I appreciate what the rank and file do and why they do it.
I have friends who served in intel positions, and some in interrogation positions.
I have studied history and watched the JCoS, the ones with stars on their lapels, and the congressmen screw everyone. I had pointed out that the military can not be a social club and that soldiers may or will not want to share a foxhole with a member of the rainbow brigade.
I see us repeating the lessons that we should have learned in Vietnam and I watched Biden surrender to an enemy that was in hiding.
As a 25 year bullet-stopper I can most definitely say that if the SHTF there will be a problem with tranny ossifers. Especially if TPTB conscript those illegals they love so well. The French mutinies will be nothing compared to what will happen the first time a Rainbeaux Warrior tries to lead from someone's rear in a combat situation. Mercenaries will switch sides in a heartbeat to save themselves from kamikazi orders. All we have to do is study the AARs from the Afghan withdrawl. Let's just hope it happens OCONUS
The VA facilities that I've been to aren't bad. The main thing was getting all the old pharts out. The 'Fuck you, you're still walking' style of physician seems to have finally been put out to pasture. Thank Trump for that. The major issue is that the VA can't advise vets about getting their rightful benefits. Especially the reservists who regularly get screwed, blued and tattooed. SVOs are inconsistent at best. Smartest move is to get a shyster ASAP, but you know that's not what is being pushed.
It shouldn't be that hard to fix what got broken because you sent them off to fight.
In the civilian world, it's "You break it, you buy it."
Maybe for the idiots in Congress, it should be, "You send a person off to war. You should do all you can to take care of that person."
Wounded warriors shouldn't have to get the "Gorilla Law Firm" to fight for them.
And this is the reason why I am telling younger people not to join the military because Uncle Sam doesn't give a shit about you.
Well, since the civvy world doesn't allow me to jump out of planes, blast the fuck out of hajis and and fly the world for free, there is that. The military has always been a hack and always will be, unless you're a ring knocker, and even then sh*t can and does go wrong. After all, every air base is a toxic waste dump, and most of the stuff we do in the combat arms is insane at best. At least I get paid to be shot at, am drilled into boredom before I jump, and know enough about places you don't want to go to have a chance of survival. It's a calling, to put it mildly. We just have to accept what we are and do our best to skew the odds in our favor. Just remember that no matter how bad life gets, at least we aren't some ph**king POS office plankton. There are things worse than death
Uncle Sam never gave a damn. What else is new? Only a damn fool enlists because of "Feelings". You are there because it improves your life, or keeps you out of jail. I counsel my younger family members to be realistic, but getting upset over an Arlington burial is stupid. I have relatives that should have been there, but never thought to beg their congress-critters for dispensations. If nothing else, it's best to be somewhere that one is remembered. People don't want to spend a fortune to see a stone. Without a Blue Max, Bob Lee's backyard has been closed for decades. Someone getting blown up by hajis? Who doesn't know someone that get an IED or Afghan 'Ally' marksmanship medal? It's the price we pay for the joys of combat. Sometimes the best we can hope for is a coup de grace. Nothing wrong with getting job training from the military, get the f***k out if that's ones decision. But staying out of the game because of the libs is surrendering to them. No thanks
Dude, you don't need the shysters to get you care; that's automatic. You might need them to get you the maximum rating in the minimum time. That's a whole different consideration. Guys discharged with a rating off AD won't have that issue. It's the reservists and guardsmen that will get fucked by the VA in their ratings. Apples and oranges. Get a f**king 10% rating and care is free w/o co-pay. Any grunt will have MORE than that.
I've definitely run into that kind of doctor in the Navy. It was a big reason I didn't reenlist and have never had anything to do with the VA after separating 30 years ago. I once went to sick call with the flu, including a fever over 100 degrees, and the quack told me that I'm fine because my fever is less than 104. He refused to write me any kind of chit and told me that I need to get my ass back to work. I punched a trashcan outside of his office and visualized it being him. Luckily my E-6 cut me loose and I went home.
I came to work the two days after that and laid down all day in my rack on the boat (with supervisory permission). I took to calling that doctor Ivan Drago" (Dolph Lundgren in Rocky IV, "If he dies, he dies.").
As a country Veterans, and, especially wounded Veterans are just another interest group among many. I am cynical as hell right now. We have a government that treats Veterans as the enemy. They are against what the military stands for and makes it plain every damn day.
The Manchurian Candidate won the election.
When you see a bunch of far left and or anarchist "protesters" waving the hammer and sickle or Chinese star, breaking windows and burning cities, our government assures us the protests are "mostly peaceful" and most assuredly protected speech. However, when they see a few hundred thousand people waving the American Flag instead, and said people are overwhelmingly peaceful, they are declared "domestic terrorists" and hunted down years later for being on public property.
Our government hates us.
I would like to see all of the details on this before rendering judgement. $60,000 to ship a body seems very, very, very high. I have had to do it and my recollection was it was less than the cost of a first class ticket. Maybe that is the the entire costs of shipping the body and all of the travel expenses for the extended family? But it does not seem right for the government not to get the body to Arlington along with an escort.
Maybe I'm not understanding this story correctly, but it appears that DoD flew her body to California (at her family's request?) but then would not pay to fly the body from California to Arlington. If the family had chosen to fly the body to Arlington without going to California first, then there would be no extra charge?
sounds like the case. Like paying your travel back 'home of record' . I think the optics suck, but I guess I understand the policy
" If the family had chosen to fly the body to Arlington without going to California first,"
was there a grave site available at Arlington? i've read where veteran graves have been disinterred years later and shipped to Arlington for reburial
My inclination is to want to see Admirals, Generals and bean counters dragged from their offices into the street for a public horsewhipping. But I don't have all the information I'd need to follow through either. But just on the face of it, it is shameful. I'll share this far and wide, though.
A bit of input on a heartbreaking topic, here's the 2022 NDAA language at
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-116publ92/html/PLAW-116publ92.htm
Scroll down to "EC. 573. AUTHORITY OF THE SECRETARY CONCERNED TO TRANSPORT
REMAINS OF A COVERED DECEDENT TO NO MORE
THAN TWO PLACES SELECTED BY THE PERSON
DESIGNATED TO DIRECT DISPOSITION OF THE
REMAINS."
***
(B) The person designated to direct disposition of the remains may select two places under subparagraph (A) if the second place is a national cemetery. If that person selects two places, *the Secretary concerned may pay for transportation to the second place only by means of reimbursement under subsection (b).*
***
Looks like SECDEF's hands were tied by Congress. Would be interesting to see who added this language, and why. Agree that 60k sounds like a lot, but you're probably paying for proper (and probably heavily regulated) handlers on either end and during transport.
It appears the Government will only provide and Honor Guard/Escort to the first location.
(b) <<NOTE: 10 USC 1482 note.>> Military Escort and Honor Guard
Only to First Location.--Section 562(b) of the John Warner National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007 (Public Law 109-364; 10
U.S.C. 1482 note) is amended by adding at the end the following: ``If
the person designated to direct disposition of the remains selects two
places under such section, the term means only the first of those two.
I agree with this. Would it have been different if the burial had been at the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery (about an hour down I-80 from Roseville) or Golden Gate National Cemetery (another two hours or so, south of SF), those being the two nearest national cemeteries?
agree. sounds like this was the rental of a private jet, rather than what I have been used to. Shipping the casket in the belly of a passenger flight.
Though I have some ugly flashbacks of seeing caskets and forklifts in the early 70s at SFO and LAX
Costs $123 for a one way from Sacto to Dulles. Since the DoD is popping for everything but transportation.... The rule of thumb for shipping in country for civilians is $5k. That includes all the costs that the military has already covered; casket, embalming, tray, etc. $60k is just clickbait and/or a scam by those involved.
My uninformed supposition is the family lacked the funds (Or got a nasty surprise from DoD.), reached to out Honoring Our Fallen who then utilized their resources to move Sergeant Gee in the least traumatizing way to either her body or her family.
IIRC, this was treated as with past casualties and place of burial. But, given the loss of 13 in a single attack and "the last victim of AFG" turned it into a special big deal and they decided to make room in Arlington, which means the family was not given an Arlington option at the time they made their initial choice. I may be wrong about this, but think may have caused unusual circumstances.
Was anyone ever held responsible for the fiasco in Afghanistan to make sure we don't have more arguments about paying for funeral costs?
Of course not.
Worse, we are sending or considering sending forces to Eastern Europe to do exactly what? Make the world safe for democracy yet again?
SecArmy, SecNavy, SecAF….and you wonder why recruiting has been tanking?
How do you sell the military as a career when stupidity like this happens?
How can a veteran encourage his own sons or daughters to join with stupidity like this going on?
Add to it their recruiting marketing campaign (except for the USMC) is making the same mistake as Bud Light , forgetting or insulting what use to be their core market.
beyond sad and infuriating. this sits at Biden's doorstep.
Since the Marines, the Sailor, and the Soldier died as a direct result of gross incompetence on the part of Biden; Austin; Milley, and Blinken, done spur of the moment on a whim of Biden's, I consider them all guilty of the murder of those Warriors. There was no military need for the actions that caused their deaths.
I would advocate that those mentioned commit seppuku, but seppuku restores honor, which none of them ever had.
Egregious.
This interpretation of policy was, I suspect, made by some civilian twerp who has never served much less been in harm's way.
It seems our current government will do whatever it can to discredit, and disrespect, the people who defend them.
Tommy Atkins shakes his head.
Shame on the DOD, Congress and the President for this shameful failure in taking care of your people and their families. And they wonder why they have an armed forces recruiting crisis?
Dead or alive, the servicemember is returned to HOR. That's what you sign up for. Trying to scam the government for a 60000 chartered plane ride across the country with the service member's remains is not part of the deal. Tempest in a teapot
Rightly or wrongly, I expect some GOP news hound Congressperson(I say that as somebody who is not a FJB fan), to try and make a juxtaposition between this story and DoD paying expenses for members and dependents to travel for abortions. ugh...
It certainly is an interesting contrast, showing the values of today's political-military complex.
I am definitely a fan of "FJB" if it means what I think it means, but I can't stand our current resident in the White Hose.
agree. I was accidentally ambiguous
Yet another reason Biden & Co. will find the afterlife unpleasantly warm.
DOD absolutely should have provided the transportation waiver. All stories today must be viewed in the broader lens of social media including GoFundMe. What happened to the $203,000 raised by her best friend? So while not ok with this, my other lens tells me there is much more to the story of her journey to ANC where my own parents and sister are. I am more than sympathetic to this overall cause, but I am concerned when a family or an individual builds a prominent social media presence; it adds to screwing things up. I just finished driving 8400 miles carrying my wife to Washington Crossing National Cemetery because I chose to not put her remains int he belly of a plane. Electing to secure a private charter was a choice, one of many.
If there weren’t any better reason (and there are zillions) Austin and Miley should be sharing the same cell for this.
Think about the value our nation places on those we send to carry out missions ordered by politicians for nebulous purposes, driven by noble or venal motives. Foreign entanglements come with a price, written in blood, as well as treasure, the final amount unknown when the mission is ordered.
SGT Gee is the face of a single casualty of that one event which killed thirteen Americans in the final hours of a seemingly endless and pointless mission with uncertain purpose, no clear definition of victory and no viable plan to achieve it. More importantly, there was only a very tenuous pretext that the entire mission was a vital U.S. national interest.
Borders on maps shift and change over history as cultures and nations rise and ebb in power and their ability to dominate their neighbors. We must pick our wars wisely, not declare our children and borrowed money to be guarantors of every national border and enforcer of "civilization" upon barbarians.
Think about that as politicians and diplomats bluster about the necessity for American kids to be sacrificed on the altar of preserving borders of foreign nations, especially Taiwan/China, or Ukraine/Russia.
Meanwhile, our politicians so eager to meddle in the affairs of other countries have decided that our own borders are meaningless and refuse to stop the invasion by millions of foreigners. Some of the invaders are almost certainly malevolent actors sent by foreign interests with hostile intent. Some are acting only in their personal economic interest, willing to work hard at "jobs Americans won't do." Others are opportunistic criminals or in cahoots with drug distributing cartels poisoning our citizens.
Our kids deserve better than to die needlessly, and even more they and their families must be treated with dignity, respect and appreciation.
"Our detached and distant situation invites and enables us to pursue a different course. If we remain one people under an efficient government; the period is not far off when we may defy material injury from external annoyance; when we may take such an attitude as will cause the neutrality we may at any time resolve upon to be scrupulously respected; when belligerent nations, under the impossibility of making acquisitions upon us, will not lightly hazard the giving us provocation; when we may choose peace or war, as our interest, guided by justice, shall counsel.
Why forego the advantages of so peculiar a situation? Why quit our own to stand upon foreign ground?"