From Mother Jones via FreeRepublic

Exclusive: Loughner Friend Explains Alleged Gunman's Grudge Against Giffords

Mon Jan. 10, 2011 12:01 AM PST

At 2:00 a.m. on Saturday—about eight hours before he allegedly killed six people and wounded 14, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), in Tucson—Jared Lee Loughner phoned an old and close friend with whom he had gone to high school and college. The friend, Bryce Tierney, was up late watching TV, but he didn't answer the call. When he later checked his voice mail, he heard a simple message from Loughner: "Hey man, it's Jared. Me and you had good times. Peace out. Later."

More after the jump

OMG..They Showed a Picture of Jesus in School

"Oh, the humanity"
The minds of these high school students have been irreparably scarred. They must be seperated from the general population and given immediate re-education lest they infect others with a message of hope and salvation.

Tigard High Veterans Day Assembly stirs controversy
Anonymous complainant takes offense at image of Jesus during assembly
What started as a day commemorating veterans has led to a complaint against Tigard High School Principal Mark Neffendorf.

The Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission received an anonymous complaint via fax Nov. 13, against Neffendorf after a Veterans Day assembly included videos depicting an image of Jesus and a speech which referenced soldiers’ faith.

The complaint cites Neffendorf for violating separation of church and state in two videos shown during the assembly held Nov. 5.

The Veterans Day assembly at Tigard High School is an annual event, bringing students and faculty together with local veterans from Beaverton, Tigard and King City. The videos shown at the assembly were from the popular video website Youtube.

The first video featured a speech by Fox News political commentator and Marine Oliver North. In the video, North references faith being a driving force for why soldiers go out onto the battlefield, saying, in part, “When (soldiers) gather in prayer circles and huddle up before a mission th­ey’re not going out to play football, they’re going into mortal combat and they know that some of them are liable not to come back and they do it because they have faith.”

The portion about faith lasts 33 seconds of the more than 5-minute-long video.

In the second video – a photo slide show of soldiers and families to the tune “Heaven was needing a hero” by country singer Jo Dee Messina – Jesus is seen hugging a fallen soldier in the final frames of the video

Read the rest of this disturbing story here. Its just so awful. I don't think I can make it through the rest of the day without some therapy.

More PC Crap

Stupid is as stupid does.

Student faces expulsion for fake drill team guns

AURORA Colorado - A local school district has suspended a member of the Young Marines youth leadership group after students saw drill props in her vehicle.

Marie Morrow, a 17-year-old senior at Cherokee Trail High School in Aurora, is serving a 10-day suspension. Her punishment could be extended at an expulsion hearing later this month.

Morrow is a student leader in the Douglas County Young Marines, a group dedicated to teaching leadership and life skills. Cherry Creek Schools suspended Morrow after other students reported seeing guns inside her SUV, which was parked outside school while she was in class. The school also called police, who seized the three drill team guns made of wood, plastic and duct tape. Police told Morrow to claim them in time for her after-school drill practice off-campus.

School administrators, however, were less understanding. The guns were declared "authentic representations of genuine weapons," triggering a mandatory expulsion statute in state law.
"I have never been in trouble at all," said Morrow, who is planning to attend the United States Merchant Marine Academy. "I hadn't imagined in a million years that anything like this would have happened."

Chris Proctor, commanding officer of the Douglas County Young Marines, was rebuffed in his attempt to explain the props to school leaders. "There's no mistaking that these are not real rifles," said Proctor. "I think somewhere along the line, logic has to take over and they have to be able to make exceptions to the rules." "Marie is one of the best kids that you could ever imagine," he said. "I could see where the school could be freaked out about it," said Morrow. "But I think there should be some leeway with the law based on situations and realize this is just an honest mistake."

"The law doesn't make any distinction between a genuine weapon and a facsimile," said Cherry Creek Schools spokeswoman Tustin Amole. Amole says federal and state laws mandate expulsion, and that school districts only have discretion to determine the length of that expulsion. Asked who had the discretion to deem the props "dangerous weapons," Amole said school administrators and police made the decision based on state law that defines a "dangerous weapon" as "a firearm, whether loaded or unloaded, or a firearm facsimile that could reasonably be mistaken for an actual firearm."

Amole said the props in Morrow's vehicle caused concern among students and administrators who made an "assumption" that the weapons appeared "genuine." Morrow's mother grew emotional while saying she hoped her daughter would continue her volunteer and service work despite the incident. "I just don't want it to affect her view on the world, (make her believe) that people who do the right thing don't come out on top," said her mother, Jennifer McGrew. "I've always kind of really looked up to my daughter for having a mind of her own and going places that I never even dreamed."

A hearing officer could recommend Morrow be allowed back in school after her 10-day suspension or could expel her for as much as the rest of her senior year. The final decision belongs to the Cherry Creek Schools superintendent.

If you'd like to voice an opinion on this topic, please call 720-554-4213.

Couple of Things

First, Headquarters Marine Corps has issued a statement regarding the HBO mini-series Generation Kill. It states:

From: Acting Director, Division of Public Affairs, Headquarters Marine Corps
The recent airing of the first episode of HBO's "Generation Kill" has generated numerous inquiries regarding Marine Corps support of the series. The Marine Corps did not provide any official support to the filmmakers. The series is based on the book by the same title by Evan Wright, a former Rolling Stone magazine reporter who was embedded with 1st Reconnaissance Battalion at the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom. While there are certainly aspects of the film that are accurate, it is at its
heart a commercial production. It's raw and has elements that are very much out of synch with the core values our nation rightly expects of its Marines. Viewed as a whole, in my estimation, it does not accurately portray the honor and professionalism of our Corps of Marines.

Semper Fidelis,
Major David Romley
Director, Community Relations Headquarters,
U.S. Marine Corps

There are some comments at my vox site from someone who has seen the first two episodes.

Second, my friend Matt over at Wolking's World sent me a video today. It was shot in Santa Barbara California back in March, while we were in DC holding the IVAW to a higher standard in their Winter Soldier II hearings. You will not like it. You can view it here or here. Moonbats being stupid.

Third, I got a phone call today from one of my favorite columnists. I was surprised to say the least. She only calls to taunt me with her intelligence and incredible good looks. She refuses to leave her husband and run away with me. Go figure. Anyway, she has a column coming out Tuesday at Human Events regarding the naming of the high school in Texas for EllTee Vandegrift. I know it will be great.

I know I said a couple of things, but this will most likely, probably, in all likelyhood, I hope be the last one:
Kos lied and a rabbit died. See the post for the context. Someone was upset.
Obamamessiah's birth certificate has been proven to be a forgery thanks to some hard work by some dedicated people. Pam Geller at Atlas Shrugs has a post up. It's long, technical and full of graphics, but the bottom line is, the birth certificate posted by the krazies at Kos is a forgery or a fake. In either case, it's not genuine. Now we just need to figure out why. Hmm why would a lunatic left wing extremist website post a birth certificate of a candidate for President knowing it was a forgery?

Honor A Fallen Marine

Friends,

A school district near Austin, TX wants to name a new high school there Vandegrift High School after a fallen Marine who graduated in 1999. He was killed in Iraq serving his country, and the local school board voted to name the new high school after him. This is a great gesture of appreciation. But unfortunately some lunatic leftists are protesting this decision. Please read the background below and contact the Leander ISD to let them know you support their decision, despite what a vocal, anti-American minority has to say.Call the school district at 512-434-5000. Fax a letter to them at 512-434-5398. Email them at governance.team@leanderisd.org





The Leander ISD Board of Trustees voted unanimously at their June 19,2008 meeting to name LISD High School #5 "Lt. Matthew Vandegrift High School.

Unfortunately, a vocal minority is pressing to change the name away fromVandergrift to something else.

Lt. Matthew Ryan Vandegrift (USMC) - a Leander High School honorsgraduate(Class of 1999) and athlete - was killed in Iraq in April 2008. 1st Lt.Vandegrift grew up in the Steiner Ranch community, and graduated from TexasA&M with honors and a degree in international business, before enlisting in the United States Marine Corps in August 2005. He was killed four days shortof his 28th birthday.

During the school naming process public comment was accepted and theVandergrift name was the top vote getter. Since the June 18th meetingmembers of the LISD Board of Trustees have been pelted with emails assailing their choice.

One such email reads in part, "Naming the school after someone who signed upto serve in an illegal war promotes the board's political pro-war message.If you are set on honoring a service person, honor a fallen fireman or policeman. For many of us who are, and have been from the beginning, against this war, this is not the message that we want to send to our kids. Both my sons will attend this school. Both of them will know that it was named after someone who willingly signed up to take part in an illegal war defending, mainly, business interests. While I feel terribly sorry for bothLt. Matthew Vandegrift and his family for their loss, I cannot agree with their actions".

Those of us who are veterans know that civilians set policy and our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines follow their orders and serve where they are told. To denigrate the memory of such honorable service and a life well led is shockingly sad. That is why I am calling on you to do three things.

1. Email the LISD at the address below and thank them for naming the new high School after Lieutenant Vandergrift governance.team@leanderisd.org

2. Contact your friends and associates and ask them to do the same.

3. Attend, and encourage attendance at the next LISD Board meeting and give public comment in favor of the Vandergrift honor. The meeting will start at 6:15 on Thursday July 17 at the Cedar Park High School Auditorium.

Citizen's comments are normally around 7PM. I am sure that those opposed to supporting our soldiers will be there en masse. There is a strong chance that the naming of the school will come up for reconsideration by the board. It is up to Americans like you to stand up and recognize the honor, courage and sacrifice of service members like Lieutenant Vandergrift. Lieutenant Vandergrift stood up for you.will you stand up for him?


To the members of the LISD Board:
I am writing to let you know that I whole-heartedly support your June 19th decision to name the new high school in the Leander ISD after fallen Marine Lieutenant Vandergrift. As a non-military but patriotic citizen, I appreciate your desire to dedicate a new high school to the memory of such an outstanding American serviceman. I have heard that you have received some criticism from some members of the community over this decision. Let this letter represent my vote of support for your decision and a confirmation that you have made the correct choice. Please do not back down from your decision based on the complaints of a few vocal people who would link Vandegriftʼs faithful service to his country to the political ideologues in Washington. Vandegriftʼs service and ultimate sacrifice transcends the current political debate and deserves this recognition.
God Bless America.

From Blackfive

The Wolf at Blackfive caught this.

From the Denver Post:
Eighth-grade patriot receives flag from Iraq. Go read it.

At the beginning of the school year, Jeff asked the principal if he could have the responsibility of putting the U.S. flag up and taking it down every day at school.