Almost There: Indulge Me - I'm a Grandmom#links#links#links

Almost There: Indulge Me - I'm a Grandmom#links#links#links

Guardians

click on photos to enlarge

"If you love peace, be prepared for war."
Leonardo da Vinci

"When you appeal to force, there's one thing you must never do - lose."
Dwight D. Eisenhower

“O God, thy sea is so great, and my boat is so small"
Traditional

" The right things to do are those that keep our violence in abeyance; the wrong things are those that bring it to the fore."
Robert J. Sawyer


Last week a contingent of US Marines approached a tropical Oahu beach in their armored Amphibious Assault Vehicle. Around 6:30 pm the troop carrier was hit by a rogue swell about a half mile from the shore and forced against a reef. Suddenly, they were taking on water. As it headed for land, the vehicle lost power and sank about 500 feet off of Bellow's Beach a popular recreation & camping area. An assault exercise morphed into a rescue operation as all hands were ferried to safety. Then the rescue operation became an environmental protection mission as Navy divers monitored the submerged vehicle for leaking fuel. So far there has been no damage to the sea or land. Once the AAV is removed, the State will ascertain if reef damage was caused. Though I am a devout advocate for Peace, I refuse to demonize those who choose to serve in the military. During my childhood our family made the acquaintance of some Holocaust survivors. They never spoke of it, but I saw the numbers tattooed on their wrists. As an adult now, I realize that they kept those tattoos for a reason. While I deplore any war "of choice" and mourn the power that has no doubt been exercised in my name, I know that sometimes the right thing, the only human thing to do, is to fight back against the powers of tyranny. May this world outgrow war, and soon.
A L O H A! Cloudia