News Media Madness

Jake Tapper at ABC recently tweeted “I would legitimately like to know if any tweeps who live near the Colorado supermax worry about terrorist attacks.”

Are you kidding? Sounds like he couldn’t find some “Expert” to say the Supermax Prison in Colorado would become a legitimate terrorist target, so he is looking for citizens to create a fear so we will watch his “special report.”

This is what the legitimate news media is coming to. It’s really sad. Just watch news reports with a skeptic eye and look for the source of what is said.

I no longer watch any news, because what takes them 10 minutes to report on, you can read the facts on their own web site in two paragraphs.

Stay Safe,

Ben

White House Party Crashers!

This entire situation is almost laughable, if it wasn’t so serious.

After doing high-level security for over a year in Iraq, I have a pretty good idea how this happened. It went something like this:

• These two weren't on the guest list
• A Secret Service Agent tried to stop them
• They made a scene arguing
• A member of the White House Staff said let them in
• The Agent decided it would be better at the moment (normally because the person taht said let them in is threatening their job)
• Unfortunately these people will yell, scream, throw a fit, and threaten (and try) to take your job. It does happen, everyone from Sgts. to Generals have yelled at me for enforcing security regulations.

Unfortunately the Agent has been put on leave, even-though the person on the President’s staff that ordered the Agent to violate security should be fired.

It’s hard to explain unless you have done it. When you work for a good company and client, they will defer to you because you are the expert. But other companies and clients will micro manage you and then violate security not even knowing that they are doing something wrong, and not caring because they think it it’s their job or responsibility.

Now, congress needs to stay out of this situation. Secret Service knows what they are doing; they are the best of the best. It probably took Secret Service 15 minutes to figure out what happened and to correct it. They have been protecting the President for over 100 years. It will take a Congressional Committee months to figure out what happened.

Congress, IT’S NOT YOUR JOB, maybe you should be reading the Health Care bill instead of investigating something you have no knowledge of, legal authority in, or time to do.

Stay Safe,

Ben

PS Maybe it’s time we vote these clowns in congress out and get some new ones.

A New Greatest Generation

No Way!

This is not the next "Greatest Generation." People are talking about it, but we are not. I'm part of this generation of soldiers who fights terrorism, and will continue to do so. We are better trained, equipped, and experienced then the soldiers in WWII. The war they waged was more fearsome then what is happening now.

I was told by a WWII Marine that I was part of the greatest Marines ever, and I told him no. We argued about who would buy who a drink that night and shared "war stories." I fought in Iraq during the invasion; he fought on Iwo Jima, Saipan, and Okinawa. The tenacity and resolve those Marines had were 1,000 times more then what I needed to survive and win in Iraq. They are still (and probably always will be) the Greatest Generation.

I know they are the greatest, because I read their books and reports to learn how to fight. About what equipment needed to do, and about leadership, marksmanship, and teamwork. They paved the way for what I was able to create. In fact the last book I read before going to battle was "Guns Up!" It was about a Marine Machine Gunner in WWII.

So I defer to the WWII Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors, and Marines as the Greatest Generation, and would like others to stop branding me as the greatest generation, I don't even come close.

Ben

Duty and Oath

I just finished reading "Why terrorism works" by Alan Dershowitz. In the book he says it's the duty of the military to follow their leaders and the President without question, ever. Dershowitz is a law professor and, I imagine, teaches his law students this. Law students become politicians and want to command the military and law enforcement officers. I'm starting to see this attitude from our President, Congress, and Senate more and more.

I was in the United States Marine Corps for 10 years and my duty was to defend the Constitution against all enemies.

I would like our military, police, and civil servants to remember that your duty is to the Constitution of the United States, not a person, leader, or government official.

Check out this website oathkeepers.org and sign up to reaffirm your duty to the Constitution. Check out the video on the home page. It's a little long, but is worth the 10 minutes, and it will remind you of what our government may do under extreme circumstances.

Ben

Thank God It’s Monday

Ever said that before? I was saying it yesterday. I had a long week last week, and this week will be better. Last week everything seemed to need attention now, and nothing seemed to get done. It was overwhelming. This week is already going better. Saturday and Sunday I took an instructor class with great people, yesterday I actually got things checked off my list, and today I’m going to a seminar on business with two great friends.

This week will be better! I’m setting that goal for at least the rest of the year. I’m going to make every week better then the last!

Have a good week, and make next week better.

Ben

Media at Ft. Hood Shooting?

I listened to reports last night and spent the morning reading the major news media's pieces on the shooting. I was appalled by the tragic attack and was almost as sick with the media coverage. What is known at the point I write this could be summed up in less then a paragraph, yet the mainstream media goes on for hours. They make up things like ABC local guy saying, "Sniper M16 rifle was used." I couldn't figure out where this stuff was coming from.

Reading the reports this morning I see that a lot of the background noise is coming from Twitter and Face Book. Major news media sources are literally doing a search on network media sites to have something to report. They just use things like “sources say...” That source was someone's tweet that they don’t even bother to verify.

Other things are just made up on the spot. When reports came out about the shooter using 2 handguns the talking heads said "Two presumably 9mm handguns where used in the attack." The have no evidence or indication that it was two 9mm’s. They just said it without any background on why.

How does any of this qualify as news? I have to admit, because of personal experience in Iraq and first hand accounts from fellow service members, I have a bias towards the media. As time goes on, I'm not sure which is worst, Politicians or the General Media.

Any one in the News Media, I challenge you not to except this crap and stand up for what's right and the truth. That’s news I’d watch. Everyone else, I challenge you to confirm what the people are saying by listening for the source to be given. Unfortunately you cannot accept everything the media says as true because sometimes they make up the news as they go along.

Prey for those involved in this tragedy.

Ben

Be Over Prepared

The Boy Scout Motto is “Be Prepared.” I think a better idea is to be over prepared.

In Marine Boot Camp we studied for the final written exam so much that I had the book memorized (yes there is a written exam to graduate boot camp). When the exam came, it was easy and most of us scored 100%. Not because it was easy, but because we were so prepared that you could have asked us anything out of the basic book and we new it.

A simple example is that when you get a flat tire, if you have the know how, parts, equipment, and AAA, it becomes just an inconvenience. If you don’t have the knowledge, parts, or AAA (or AAA won’t come), then you are in big trouble.

If you make yourself prepared for the worst that could happen, then little things become an inconvenience.

Work to be over prepared for life and things that derail other people will become and inconvenience to you.

Stay Safe,

Ben