But as for me, give me liberty or give me death!

They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot? Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. The millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable ­and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come.

It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace ­ but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!

*additional emphasis, mine!
The speaker of these famous words, was

Patrick Henry

• Born May 29, 1736 in Hanover County, Virginia
• Protested British tyranny
• Symbol of American struggle for liberty
• Served in the Virginia House of Burgesses and the Continental Congress
• Five-term governor of Virginia
• Delivered the famous “Give me liberty or give me death!” speech.
• Died June 6, 1799 at Red Hill Plantation, Virginia

Henry’s call to arms was carried over the protests of more conservative patriots and was one of the causes of the order for Lord Dunmore, the royal governor, to remove some gunpowder from the Magazine. Henry, “a Quaker in religion, but the very devil in politics,” mobilized the militia to force restitution of the powder. Since Henry’s action followed the British march on Concord by only a few hours, it is said to mark the beginning of the American Revolution in Virginia.

Again I ask …

Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death! ~ Patrick Henry

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Thomas Paine & GOOOH

If you don’t like the way things are, CHANGE THEM!
If you don’t like the people running for office, YOU RUN!
If you don’t get up off your couch, you have no room to squawk!

November 8, 2011

Combat Stress Intervention Program – VETS Crisis Hotline!

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Veterans Crisis Hotline

In combat, service members develop unique skills and habits that allow them to function effectively in this stressful environment. Each service member needs time to transition back to his/her family and community since those combat habits and skills can create challenges in civilian life. Just as it took time to develop the combat habits, it takes time to stop using them.

The service member may not be aware of having these habits or using these skills. Some people make this readjustment on their own while others find assistance helpful.

Combat Stress Intervention Program

The Combat Stress Intervention Program is a three-year, Department of Defense funded research grant to examine the mental health needs of Reserve and National Guard veterans from rural Southwestern Pennsylvania returning from deployments supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). CSIP and its research partners at Conemaugh Health Systems, Highlands Hospital, and Clemson University will investigate ways to reduce barriers to mental health care. Additionally, the program will engage mental health care providers, family members, and the general community to help them to understand how they can better serve the veteran population.

Talking to A Service Member you are Concerned About

If a veteran you know is experiencing mental health difficulties, remind the service member that:

• There is nothing to be ashamed of, and many service members have the same experiences.
• Getting help takes strength and maturity, and it may be the only way to solve the problem.
• There are trained professional and effective treatments
• There are people who understand and who can help.

You were brave enough to go,
now be brave enough to get help!

THANKS, VETS!!!

A Tribute to Ashley – 1LT Ashley White, that is!

A Tribute to Ashley

WASHINGTON – Army 1st Lt. Ashley White died on the front lines in southern Afghanistan last weekend, the first casualty in what the Army says is a new and vital wartime attempt to gain the trust of Afghan women.

White, like other female soldiers working with special operations teams, was brought in to do things that would be awkward or impossible for her male teammates. Frisking burqa-clad women, for example.

Her death, in a bomb explosion in the Taliban heartland of Kandahar, underscores the risks of placing women with elite U.S. special operations teams working in remote villages.

PLEASE READ MORE

First Lieutenant Ashley White died in Afghanistan last weekend along with Sgt. 1st Class Kristoffer B. Domeij, of San Diego, Calif., and Pfc. Christopher A. Horns, of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Like so many of our troops, they were killed by an IED.

Ashley was a true warrior. A member of a Cultural Support Team, she worked in support of Special Operations units and exposed herself to danger on a regular basis. She was a member of only the second class of this elite female team and you can bet that in the decades to come she will go down in history as a trailblazer for women warriors everywhere.

Ashley, by her family’s account, loved being in the military. What struck me most about the obituary in the Fayetteville Observer was the pride her family felt in her service. It made me think that perhaps we have reached, or are in reach of that point where service is service and the value of sacrifice is not measured by what chromosomes you possess.

Please Read more

“It’s not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or when the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worth cause; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at the worst if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat”.– Theodore Roosevelt