A Truth Journal: Veterans Day Kudos Watch: Done The Right Way, DNI Clapper Brings Home North Korean U.S. Hostages

Kenneth Bae (L) reunites with his family at U.S. Air Force Joint Base Lewis-McChord 

in Fort Lewis, Washington November 8, 2014.  CREDIT: REUTERS/DAVID RYDER

A Truth Journal: Veterans Day Kudos Watch: Done The Right Way, DNI Clapper Brings Home North Korean U.S. Hostages: From Denny:  Finally, President Obama decided to be more discreet in his negotiations for and retrieval of U. S. hostages without the need to dance a celebration on his enemy's head.  It's important to refrain from those celebration dances as all it does is enrage and encourage yet another hostage situation.

As both a Marine and Air Force veteran with 50 years experience in the intelligence community (IC) DNI James Clapper was the perfect choice for the job.  Why?  Because a White House official or a State Department official would have been perceived as talking heads for President Obama.

Besides, it's been tradition for decades that the more talented - and those possessing integrity engendering trust - have worked international negotiations in an unofficial diplomatic role that then easily paves the way for the State Department to gain the glory.  It's when the IC is at its best instead of relentless needless spying.  Developing relationships with people on a global scale is the way to create Peace, not endless spying that doesn't yield much useful information to help resolve issues...

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A Truth Journal: Kudos Watch: First Step Iran Nuke Deal A Win For ALL

A Truth Journal: Kudos Watch: First Step Iran Nuke Deal A Win For ALL: From Denny:  Israel is not in charge of America.  So, zip it, Israeli PM Netanyahu.  Entitled to his opinion?  Sure.  Not entitled to lobby Congress and bully this President to get the legislation Israel wants instead of what the American people expect.

It's bad enough Israel has its long reach tentacles into our poorly managed NSA and a stranglehold on our intelligence community, now it's Congress.  Enough.  Stay out of interfering in our national politics, Israel, before we all give you the bum's rush out of the room permanently.  Or, to quote cheeky Stephen Colbert, "You aren't the boss of me!"

Sec. of State Kerry has done a marvelous job of steering the negotiations between the United States and Iran just to get the two countries to engage in this first step toward thawing a deep freezer cold relationship.

Are there a number of problems wooing this new relationship with a vicious regime after 34 years of throwing feces at each other like a room full of gregarious chattering monkeys?  Oh, yeah...

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A Truth Journal: Syrian Massacre: What Would Dr. Martin Luther King Do?

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From Denny:  What would Dr. Martin Luther King, the famous advocate of non-violence, do about this critical moment in America's history?  Who is manipulating President Obama to remove Assad by violence so someone hidden out of sight can take power?  These are the type of questions no one seems to be asking themselves in the American government.

What if the chemical attacks were done by terrorist groups like the Taliban, al-Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood that have infiltrated the Syrian rebels - or infiltrated the Assad regime?  What if those terrorist groups were using the photos of dead children to so enrage the West that America would easily be manipulated into attacking the Assad regime, disabling its most potent weaponry and military might?

The way of a terrorist mind is to figure out how to leverage a position of inferior numbers and an inferior strategic position.  What could be better than to leverage two large powers to go at each other's throats to destroy their credibility in the world - America - and remove a weak Islamic secular government from power - Assad?

Then the terrorists, who have successfully infiltrated most if not all of the rebel groups - rise in the power vacuum when Assad is killed or set aside.  Worst case scenario the terrorists/rebels cannot hold power immediately but manage to abscond with all manner of dangerous weapons for resale on the black market or for use in terrorist operations...

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A Truth Journal: Syrian Massacre: Will Russia Step Up To Stop Obama, End The Suffering, Offer Assad Asylum?

Map of the territory and area covered by present-day
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A Truth Journal: Syrian Massacre: Will Russia Step Up To Stop Obama, End The Suffering, Offer Assad Asylum?: From Denny:  While the American public is polling as against military intervention in Syria, the Pentagon and President Obama are busy planning to do it anyway.  They never listen to the will of the people.  A good 60 percent of Americans want nothing to do with war in Syria.  Only a mere nine percent support going into Syria. Who are these people? Must be the Lobbyist Caucus.

Military intervention should be the business of the Arab League with Saudi Arabia perfectly capable of the necessary missile strikes (with over 300 combat aircraft) and other Middle East countries as this is their region of the world.  Even non-member Turkey which is nearby has over 1500 aircraft capable of intervening.  Why not send Israel who would relish the job?  They are the leading military might in the Middle East. That certainly would prove nothing if not interesting...

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A Truth Journal: Heckled First Lady Michelle Obama: Accused As Angry Black Woman? Come On; Really?: From Denny:  Now First Lady Michelle Obama is accused of being the archetypal "angry black woman" for daring to stare down and get in the face of an inept protester who just thought the First Lady would tolerate her rudeness. Where do people get these ideas about how this was a racist heckling incident with white entitlement overtones?

Well, never to be a shrinking violet from controversy on my blog, let's start with the "angry black woman" stereotype...

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The Understanding

We build Peace in our lives a moment at a time - and this is a poem story of how it can start early in childhood as it did for me.







The Understanding


My thoughts flew back to primary school
When I heard the news today about a woman in Iran
Who was condemned as a scapegoat for evil men.
Women in her culture are considered subhuman and
Deserving of whatever is heaped upon them.
They just have to bear the injustice and cruelty.








I remember another female who was blamed
Through no fault of her own. It was accepted.
The kids at school thought it fine to harm her.
The kids at school treated her as subhuman.
What was so horrible about her that everyone
Thought it acceptable to treat her shamefully?

She was French-Canadian.








My father was stationed in Maine during that time.
Eleanor’s father moved her often as he followed one
Engineering project to the next engineering project.
Her mother had died the year before and Eleanor,
Well, Eleanor felt lost and alone. She forgot how to smile.
Then one day Eleanor came to our school to join us.







I could tell Eleanor needed a friend so I walked up to visit.
Eleanor was surprised at the offer of kindness and friendship.
I asked why and she replied, “Because I’m French-Canadian.”
To which I answered, “So? What has that got to do with anything?”
“Do you want to play with us on the swing set or not?” She followed
And we enjoyed laughing while we pushed our swings higher.







Soon the kids began to gravitate away from our area.
It was as if we were contagious. Then a boy called to me.
He whispered in my ear, “She’s French-Canadian, you know.”
He scampered off to join the growing group away from us.
“I tried to warn you,” Eleanor said sadly. “It’s always like this.”
“Do you want me to go?” Her eyes pleaded not to send her away.







“Keep swinging,” I said. “They aren’t going to spoil our fun.”
Eleanor slowed her swing, wondering what was going to happen next.
Soon, a group of big boys bunched up together to approach us.
Eleanor wanted to run away from them. I stopped my swing and stood up.
The boys told me not to friend “the French-Canadian.” I shook my head “No.”
The boys moved closer, trying to intimidate me. I asked what was the problem.
“Because she’s a French-Canadian,” they accused like it was a dirty word.
“Let me see if I understand you correctly. You hate her because she is French and from Canada. Correct?” They nodded a “Yes.”
“Now has she ever said anything cruel to you?”
“Well, no,” said the lead boy.
“Has she ever insulted or harmed your parents or any of your friends?”
The lead boy scratched his head while his sidekicks nervously shifted their stance, “Come to think of it, no, she hasn’t harmed any of us.”







“So, what’s the problem?” I asked.
“Well, she is French-Canadian,” stated the lead boy.
“So, what you are saying is that she is of French heritage and was born in Canada. Yet she speaks English just like us. She acts like us. What’s the problem?
“Do you and your parents live at Camp Stupid or something?”
I was losing patience with them.







The big boy started to grow angry at me for calling him “stupid,” raising his fist.
Fighting ready, I was the strongest football kicker, well placed on mean boys.
Both Eleanor and the group standing behind the lead boy were growing scared.
I might have been the size of a gnat compared to the lead bully but he did not hit me.
The crowd knew I wasn’t scared of him and would stand my ground no matter what.
The crowd drew away from the boy when they realized he could not break me.







Suddenly, the boy slowly lowered his fist and a strange look came over his face.
I recognized that look and was thankful for it. It was the look of awareness.
He looked at me then at her, shook his head, mumbling about French-Canadians.
The boy turned to leave and then looked back at us, gesturing us to follow.
“Well, come on, do you two want to play with us or what?”
He saw me give him a suspicious look, not trusting his next move.
“Camp Stupid is a bad place. None of it makes any sense of why not to like her.”







Eleanor glowed with acceptance – at last. Such was my first foray into civil rights.
It was one of many firsts of negotiating with bullies, some dangerous, some not.
I stood my ground before that day and stood my ground for decades since then.
But I never forgot how good Eleanor felt that day when she learned that being
French-Canadian no longer carried a stigma for her. That day all the power was
Taken out of those two words, and now, well, they were just words.








Denny Lyon
Copyright 6 Sept 2010
All Rights Reserved


* * * Check out the Complete Poem List for more selections.



Dennys Photo Gallery: Swinging Good Fun! - Check out some wonderful photos from around the world validating how much we all have in common as children: we love to swing! (These photos are just a few of the gallery.)



Photo Credits

Blonde girl and boy swinging high photo by wsilver @ flickr

Single boy on long swing black and white photo by Divine in the Daily @ flickr

Empty swing at Navajo nation in Arizona photo by shulamit0903 @ flickr

Brunette girl posing on still swing photo by Brittany ((Halo)) @ flickr

Great fun swinging high "Weeee!" photo by annnna_ @ flickr

Balance of power of boy and girl facing off photo by Ken Wilcox @ flickr

Fighting boys photo by Aislinn Ritchie @ flickr

Mean boy with a gun photo by comenKlein, J. Scott 2 @ flickr

Child's shadow as he swings photo by miamism @ flickr

Girl in red dress swinging photo by anthrovik @ flickr

Empty swing by the tree of battle photo by Robb North (a Canadian photographer) @ flickr


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