Remembering 9/11: 8 Years Later

I cannot believe it has been 8 years since the events of 9/11/01. What a horrible day. I still remember it so vividly. It is seared into my memory. The way so many of our fellow Americans were murdered. The way the Twin Towers fell. The hole in the Pentagon, symbol of our military might, and that crater in the field in Pennsylvania.

Those terrorist attacks were an act of war, not a crime, and we should continue to treat them that way. I am so thankful for our military, who keep us safe by dealing with the bad guys (and they are the bad guys) in far off lands, away from their families. We haven't had a terrorist attack on our homeland in 8 years, thanks to President Bush and our military. I am so thankful for that. On 9/11/01, I thought we would be attacked and attacked and attacked. I woke every morning for ages after that wondering if we would be attacked again. I remember how all planes were grounded for at least 3 days and the skies were so silent. But, when planes started flying again, they all sounded SOOOO close and loud and I always looked up expecting to see one crashing. That's now how we live in the United States. We are blessed that way. And I want us to stay that way. And I want the world to be that way. But it doesn't become that way through talking, talking, talking. That's what got us to 9/11.

So today I remember all who were murdered, all who died saving lives, all who fought the good fight, all who mourn still, all who stand up and fight, and, especially Barbara Olson, who was one of my favorite political commentators and was on the flight that hit the Pentagon.

A couple of years ago I participated in the 2,996 Tribute, where bloggers were given someone who died on 9/11 to write about. I keep reposting my tribute, to Betty Ann Ong, Flight Attendant, Flight 11, every year.

This is my tribute to Betty Ann Ong. Please read it and remember Betty and the other victims/heroes of 9/11. God bless us all.

___________________________________________________

This is dedicated in Memory of Betty Ong and in Honor of the Ong Family. May God bless you all.


2,996 is a tribute to the victims of 9/11.

On September 11, 2006, 2,996 volunteer bloggers
will join together for a tribute to the victims of 9/11.
Today, September 11, 2006, I remember Betty Ong, Flight Attendant, American Airlines, Flight 11.


On September 11, 2001, Betty Ong was just doing her job . . . a job she loved. She was a flight attendant for American Airlines, on Flight 11, which was going from Boston, Massachusetts, to Los Angeles, California. Betty had been with American for 14 years and loved her job and

was a tireless worker. Whenever she worked a late night flight, she would never sit down and relax. Even when passengers were sleeping, she would walk down the aisles and softly talk to the passengers who were awake and provide blankets to those who were asleep. It would not be unusual to find Betty caring for a passenger's baby while their parent's rested. (Source)

She was a people person and it was safe to say people loved her too.

Betty didn't start out life as a flight attendant. She was born in San Francisco, California, on February 5, 1956 to a family with four children. Betty and her siblings grew up in Chinatown and she attended George Washington High School (Source).

She had a special place in her heart for children and senior citizens:

She paid special attention to them whenever they were aboard a flight she was working. On many occasions, Betty would drive a half hour from her home, into Boston, to have lunch and take walks with senior citizens. She shared stories about her far away travels with the neighboring children and often had trinkets to give them. (Source)

Betty's loving personality made her a perfect candidate to be a flight attendant:

She was feminine, very humorous, very caring, and she loved people," said Cathie Ong, [Betty's sister]. "She saw the humor and loved to bring out the humor. And she just loved to laugh. She had this habit, when she laughed, it was just very distinct. She would slap her knees when she would laugh, yet on the plane she was very professional."

Passengers and crew members loved Ms. Ong, 45. "She made everybody feel like they knew her right away," Cathie Ong said. "She had a knack for making people feel at ease. But if you were out of line with her, she wouldn't hesitate to put you in place. She was tough when she had to be." (Source)

On September 11, 2001, Betty showed just how tough she could be.

At about 8:20am on that day, Betty managed to get a call through to a woman named Nydia Gonzalez at the American Airlines Reservation center. It was one of, if not the first, calls with information about the hijackings. She stayed on the line for 23 minutes. (Michelle Malkin has a post up about Flight 11, here, which has a lot about Betty's role that day.)

Betty didn't panic. She calmly and professionally relayed information from the passengers and other members of the crew of Flight 11.

After Ong's description of the scene on board, Gonzalez and a second call-taker asked Ong what seat she was in.

Ong identified herself and her seat number, and said, "OK, our number one got stabbed, our purser is stabbed. Nobody knows who stabbed who, and we can't even get up to business class right now because nobody can breathe." (Source)

Betty's bravery and serenity under pressure helped alert the authorities to the terror that was about to unfold. Her call helped air controllers to decide to ground planes.

Ong calmly told ground staff there were possibly four hijackers of Middle Eastern extraction on board.

Ong also reported on the carnage taking place -- the First Class galley attendant, stabbed; the purser, stabbed. The terrorists also slashed the throat of a passenger, who was bleeding profusely. The hijackers locked themselves in the cockpit.

Amid the mid-air horror, Ong remained cool. She identified the seats the terrorists had occupied, enabling the FBI to learn the hijackers' passport details.

Fifteen minutes after Ong first alerted the world to what was happening, the big Boeing suddenly lurched, tilting wildly. She said the pilots were probably no longer flying the airplane. The 767 approached Manhattan, flying ever lower.

Still on the line, Ong said in a composed voice: "Pray for us. Pray for us."

Seconds later the line went dead.

Her ground contact asked: "What's going on, Betty? Betty, talk to me. Are you there? Betty?" (Source)

Betty Ann Ong was only 45 when her life was ended, much to young. She has so much left to do.

Only a portion of Betty's call was recorded. A small segment was played for the 9/11 Commission and Betty's family in January 2004.

"She was outstanding, under those circumstances," Cathie Ong said. "It's hard for us all to imagine ever being in those shoes. My family and I, we cried. She was just exemplary in her performance, her attitude and everything. "

"She was very take-charge, and we were very proud of her. She was very calm." (Source)

The audio from that four minute portion of Betty's call can be heard here (The transcript can be found there too).

Betty Ann Ong was a Hero on September 11, 2001. She made a choice not to passively accept her fate and did her best to save the Crew and Passengers of Flight 11.

Betty Ong will never be forgotten.

Of course, Betty was a lot more than a victim of 9/11:

She was the youngest of four siblings, a loving daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. She was warm, caring, thoughtful, and considerate, always thinking of others before herself. Gifted with a sense of humor, Betty had a knack for making people feel comfortable and putting them at ease. She had a smile about her that could light up a room and lift up a spirit. She could feed laughter to anyone's heart. (Source)

Betty's brother Harry paid tribute to her with this poem:

Dear Bee:

I don't know fully why you left us
I don't know fully when you left us
I don't know fully how you left us
But I do know that I miss you so very much

I do know that you left us doing the job you loved best
I do know you left us fighting to the very end
And I do know you did your job most heroically

Oh how I wish I could turn the clock back to make things whole again
This is so much like a dream
I never expected to write you this letter..
Let alone a letter like this for you before me

Each day I wake up waiting for you to call or I.M. me just to say "Hello"
I go over and over the moments we shared together and wish we could share even more
And now as I slowly wake up each day, I realize that I can only talk to you in my heart and know that you are here in spirit

I whisper a little "hello" when I walk by your picture each day
Bee, I will never really say goodbye to you
because you are forever in my heart and soul
Bee, I just want to say I'm so very proud of you
And I really miss you so

Your loving brother, Harry
Source

In honor of Betty, her family has established the Betty Ong Foundation:

a not for profit public charity, [it] was established to continue her legacy. The advocacy of the Betty Ann Ong Foundation serves to educate children to the positive benefits of lifelong physical activity and healthy eating habits and to provide opportunities for children to experience the great outdoors so that they can grow to become healthy, strong and productive individuals.

Betty's memory will live through the Foundation's work for the advocacy of children and to give recognition to heroic flight attendants who continue to work hard to keep the passengers safe in the aftermath of September 11, 2001.

You can pay further tribute to Betty Ong at one of the following sites:

September 11 Victims
Remember September 11
9-11 Heroes
Living Tribute

In Memory of Betty Ong and All Who Died on September 11, 2001.

May we NEVER Forget.

I know I will never.

Happy Independence Day!

I'm so thankful to live in the greatest country every to grace this earth. God has blessed us with so many things, chiefly, FREEDOM. I am thankful for all the men and women who have fought for, sacrificed for, lived & died for our Freedom, Faith, and Way of Life. We owe them more than we can give. And we mustn't let this country, of the people, by the people, and for the people, slip away into the ever-widening pit of socialism. I am not going to sit around while it is happening. Let's fight for our Freedom.



God Bless America.
Happy Independence Day!

Items of Interest

AP: UK survivor of WWI trenches given French honor---

LONDON – The last British survivor of World War I's grinding trench warfare was made an officer of the French Legion of Honor on Monday.

French Ambassador Maurice Gourdault-Montagne awarded 110-year-old Harry Patch the medal at a ceremony in Patch's nursing home in Wells, 120 miles (190 kilometers) west of London, Britain's Ministry of Defense said in a statement. Patch, who served as a machine-gunner in the 1917 Battle of Passchendaele, told Gourdault-Montagne he was proud of the honor.

"Ambassador, I greatly appreciate the way your people respect the memory of those who fell, irrespective of the uniform they wore," he said in a raspy, deliberate voice. "I will wear this medal with great pride and when I eventually rejoin my mates it will be displayed in my regimental museum as a permanent reminder of the kindness of the people of France."

Patch is one of only two surviving British veterans of World War I, according to the Ministry of Defense. The second, 112-year-old Henry Allingham, served as an airman.

AP: Did a Bard contemporary brush up on Shakespeare?---

LONDON – The Bard, or not the Bard? That is the question posed by Monday's unveiling of a centuries-old portrait of a dark-eyed, handsome man in Elizabethan finery.

Experts say it is the only portrait of William Shakespeare painted during his lifetime — in effect, the sole source of our knowledge of what the great man looked like.

But they can't be certain. In the shifting sands of Shakespeare scholarship, where even the authorship of the plays is sometimes disputed, nothing is written in stone.

And also of interest in that article:

In separate discoveries that are solving other Shakespeare-related mysteries, Museum of London archaeologists said they had uncovered the foundations of the long-buried theater where Shakespeare wrote and performed as an actor.

Museum officials said the rudimentary playhouse, simply called The Theatre, was built in 1576 by actor and theater promoter James Burbage. The site, where Shakespeare performed from 1594 to 1597, now houses an abandoned warehouse.

Experts believe "Romeo and Juliet" was performed there.

The playhouse remains were found on the site of an unused warehouse in Hackney on the eastern outskirts of London. Scholars say the theater there was dismantled and moved to the site of the more famous Globe Theater after a dispute between Burbage and the landlord in 1597.

Searchers even found pottery shards decorated with the image of a man who resembled Shakespeare, but experts said this was only a passing coincidence, not an indication that the show business merchandising craze had already begun.

And an addition from 10 March 2009:

AP: Collector: Lincoln photo uncovered in Grant album---

WASHINGTON – A collector believes a photograph from a private album of Civil War Gen. Ulysses S. Grant shows President Abraham Lincoln in front of the White House and could be the last image taken of him before he was assassinated in 1865.

If it is indeed Lincoln, it would be the only known photo of the 16th president in front of the executive mansion and a rare find, as only about 130 photos of him are known to exist. A copy of the image was provided to The Associated Press.

Grant's 38-year-old great-great-grandson, Ulysses S. Grant VI, had seen the picture before, but didn't examine it closely until late January. A tall figure in the distance caught his eye, although the man's facial features are obscured.

He called Keya Morgan, a New York-based photography collector and Lincoln aficionado, who helped identify it as Lincoln.

And more:

AP: Museum reveals engraving hidden in Lincoln watch

"I am doing my part in fighting a very real enemy of the United States"

Wow. I just read this over at Michelle Malkin's blog and it needs to be shared with absolutely everyone. So, pass it on.

From the Boston Globe:

The following is a blog entry written on Aug. 30, 2008, by Army Specialist Stephen Fortunato, who was killed Tuesday in Afghanistan when the vehicle he was riding in was blown up by an improvised explosive device. This entry was forwarded to the Globe by his mother, Elizabeth "Betty" Crawford.

If I may …

I'd like to say something....Just to get it out there so it is clear.
To all the pampered and protected Americans who feel it is their duty to inform me that I am not fighting for their freedom, and that i am a pawn in Bush's agenda of greed and oil acquisition: Noted, and [expletive deleted] You.

I am not a robot. i am not blind or ignorant to the state of the world or the implications of the "war on terrorism." i know that our leaders have made mistakes in the handling of a very sensitive situation, but do not for one second think that you can make me lose faith in what we, meaning America's sons, daughters, fathers, and mothers in uniform are doing.

I am doing my part in fighting a very real enemy of the United States, i.e. Taliban, Al Qaida, and various other radical sects of Islam that have declared war on our way of life. Unless you believe the events of 9/11 were the result of a government conspiracy, which by the way would make you a MORON, there is no reasonable argument you can make against there being a true and dangerous threat that needs to be dealt with. i don't care if there are corporations leaching off the war effort to make money, and i don't care if you don't think our freedom within America's borders is actually at stake. i just want to kill those who would harm my family and friends. it is that simple. Even if this is just a war for profit or to assert America's power, so what? Someone has to be on top and I want it to be us. There's nothing wrong with wishing prosperity for your side.

I am a proud American. i believe that my country allows me to live my life more or less however i want to, and believe me, i have seen what the alternative of that looks like. i also believe that our big scary government does way more than it has to to help complete [expletive deleted]-ups get back on their feet, a stark comparison to places where leaders just line their own pockets with gold while allowing the people who gave them their power and privilage to starve. I have chosen my corner. I back my country, and am proud to defend it against aggressors. Also, if you dare accuse us of being inhumane, or overly aggressive because we have rolled into someone else's country and blown some [expletive deleted] up and shot some people, let me remind you of just how inhumane we COULD be in defending ourselves. Let me remind you that we have a warhead that drops multiple bomblets from the stratosphere which upon impact, would turn all the sand in Iraq to glass, and reduce every living thing there to dust. Do we use it? No. Instead we use the most humane weapon ever devised: the American soldier. We send our bravest (and perhaps admitably craziest) men and women into enemy territory, into harms way, to root out those whom we are after and do our best to leave innocent lives unscathed.

...One last thing...a proposal. i know it has been stated time and time again but i just think it is worthy of reiteration. If you find yourself completely disgusted with the way America is being ran, and how we handle things on the global stage, you can leave. Isn't that amazing? No one will stop you! If you are an anarchist, there are places you can go where there is no government to tell you anything. That's right...you are left solely to your own devices and you can handle the men who show up at your door with AKs in any way that you see fit. Just don't try good old American debate tactics on them because you will most likely end up bound and blind-folded, to have your head chopped off on the internet so your parents can see it. However if you insist on staying here and taking advantage of privilages such as free speach and WIC, keep the counter-productive [expletive deleted] to a minimum while the grown ups figure out how to handle this god-awful mess in the middle east.

God bless you, Army Specialist Stephen Fortunato, and may He give rest to your soul. You've done your duty and we will be forever grateful for it. Thank you.

Happy Independence Day!

I am going out to the lake until Monday, but I could not leave without wishing our beloved nation a happy birthday. We are blessed to live in the most wonderful place in the history of the earth. Every day here is a precious gift from God.

We must remember to thank our most excellent military for their service and sacrifices. We would not be here without their blood, sweat, tears, and, sometimes, lives. Thank you to those who served in our military, those who serve in our military, and those who will serve in our military. God bless you all.

We must also remember to thank the families of those who serve in the military. Their dedication, sacrifices, and love allow our military men and women to fight on for freedom. Thank you to all the wives, husbands, parents, sisters, brothers, children, cousins, grandparents, and friends of our military. God bless you all.

Thank you to President Bush. Thank you to Vice-President Cheney. Thank you to the House of Representatives. Thank you to the U.S. Senate. Thank you to our Supreme Court and our other judges.

Thank you to all members of our government at the federal, state, and local levels. Thank you, as well, to our police and fire crews. They keep us safe and save lives every day.

Thank you to all who chose to exercise their rights by voting. We keep this country running, for better or for worse. Thank you to all who chose to exercise their freedom of religion---in a peaceful manner. Thank you to all who chose to exercise their right to bear arms---in a peaceful manner (until we must fight the good fight). Thank you to all who protect Life.

Thank you to our Founding Fathers, for creating this wonderful, beautiful nation. I hope it never vanishes from the face of the earth. Thank you for having the courage to sign a piece of paper that changed the world for good---for the best.

Thank you, my fellow Americans, for being here and making our economy run. For going to work every day. For raising families. For going to church. For loving this country. Let's keep America America.

Read the Declaration of Independence here.

Happy Birthday, America! Long may you live!


Happy Independence Day, my fellow Americans! May God bless us all!

In Memory

Today we honor those who have given their lives in service of our country and for Freedom.

Thank you for your courage, love of country and fellow man, and sacrifices. We can never repay you. May God bless you always.

"Guarding the streets of heaven"

This is a Man . . . an American . . . a Hero.

God rest his soul.

Happy Birthday!

Today would have been the Incomparable Ronald Reagan's 97th Birthday. Our country has much to thank him for. May God bless his soul.


Happy Birthday, President Reagan!



NRO has a great archive of articles about the President. Do peruse them.

710-Year-Old Magna Carta Copy for Sale

I would love to own this. Or, actually, even just see it.

Reuters: Rare Magna Carta to be sold at Sotheby's in NYC---

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A rare 710-year-old copy of the Magna Carta valued at up to $30 million is due to be sold by The Perot Foundation at Sotheby's in New York in December, the auction house said on Tuesday.

The Magna Carta established rights of the English people and curbed the power of the king. The U.S. Constitution includes ideas and phrases taken almost directly from the charter, which rebellious barons forced their oppressive King John to sign in 1215.

Sotheby's said the Magna Carta was ratified and reissued with each monarch who succeeded John. It was enacted as law in 1297 by the British parliament when it was reissued by King Edward I. The copy to be sold is from 1297.

According to the article, there are less than 20 copies of the Magna Carta and this copy is one of only 2 outside Britain.

Learn more about the Magna Carta:
British Library
National Archives
Avalon Project

Six Years

I cannot believe that today is the six year anniversary of September 11. Times goes so quickly and yet for many the pain is still fresh. We must continue to pray for the families of the victims, for our military, and for our nation, and the world.

I will hopefully be posting more later, as I like to observe this day with remembrances from around the world, etc. I have to have oral surgery in about 1/2 an hour, so I don't know how I will be feeling.

I wanted to post something, however, so I decided to repost my contribution to last year's 2,996 Tribute. This is my tribute to Betty Ann Ong. Please read it and remember Betty and the other victims/heroes of 9/11. God bless us all.

___________________________________________________

This is dedicated in Memory of Betty Ong and in Honor of the Ong Family. May God bless you all.



2,996 is a tribute to the victims of 9/11.

On September 11, 2006, 2,996 volunteer bloggers
will join together for a tribute to the victims of 9/11.
Today, September 11, 2006, I remember Betty Ong, Flight Attendant, American Airlines, Flight 11.


On September 11, 2001, Betty Ong was just doing her job . . . a job she loved. She was a flight attendant for American Airlines, on Flight 11, which was going from Boston, Massachusetts, to Los Angeles, California. Betty had been with American for 14 years and loved her job and

was a tireless worker. Whenever she worked a late night flight, she would never sit down and relax. Even when passengers were sleeping, she would walk down the aisles and softly talk to the passengers who were awake and provide blankets to those who were asleep. It would not be unusual to find Betty caring for a passenger's baby while their parent's rested. (Source)

She was a people person and it was safe to say people loved her too.

Betty didn't start out life as a flight attendant. She was born in San Francisco, California, on February 5, 1956 to a family with four children. Betty and her siblings grew up in Chinatown and she attended George Washington High School (Source).

She had a special place in her heart for children and senior citizens:

She paid special attention to them whenever they were aboard a flight she was working. On many occasions, Betty would drive a half hour from her home, into Boston, to have lunch and take walks with senior citizens. She shared stories about her far away travels with the neighboring children and often had trinkets to give them. (Source)

Betty's loving personality made her a perfect candidate to be a flight attendant:

She was feminine, very humorous, very caring, and she loved people," said Cathie Ong, [Betty's sister]. "She saw the humor and loved to bring out the humor. And she just loved to laugh. She had this habit, when she laughed, it was just very distinct. She would slap her knees when she would laugh, yet on the plane she was very professional."

Passengers and crew members loved Ms. Ong, 45. "She made everybody feel like they knew her right away," Cathie Ong said. "She had a knack for making people feel at ease. But if you were out of line with her, she wouldn't hesitate to put you in place. She was tough when she had to be." (Source)

On September 11, 2001, Betty showed just how tough she could be.

At about 8:20am on that day, Betty managed to get a call through to a woman named Nydia Gonzalez at the American Airlines Reservation center. It was one of, if not the first, calls with information about the hijackings. She stayed on the line for 23 minutes. (Michelle Malkin has a post up about Flight 11, here, which has a lot about Betty's role that day.)

Betty didn't panic. She calmly and professionally relayed information from the passengers and other members of the crew of Flight 11.

After Ong's description of the scene on board, Gonzalez and a second call-taker asked Ong what seat she was in.

Ong identified herself and her seat number, and said, "OK, our number one got stabbed, our purser is stabbed. Nobody knows who stabbed who, and we can't even get up to business class right now because nobody can breathe." (Source)

Betty's bravery and serenity under pressure helped alert the authorities to the terror that was about to unfold. Her call helped air controllers to decide to ground planes.

Ong calmly told ground staff there were possibly four hijackers of Middle Eastern extraction on board.

Ong also reported on the carnage taking place -- the First Class galley attendant, stabbed; the purser, stabbed. The terrorists also slashed the throat of a passenger, who was bleeding profusely. The hijackers locked themselves in the cockpit.

Amid the mid-air horror, Ong remained cool. She identified the seats the terrorists had occupied, enabling the FBI to learn the hijackers' passport details.

Fifteen minutes after Ong first alerted the world to what was happening, the big Boeing suddenly lurched, tilting wildly. She said the pilots were probably no longer flying the airplane. The 767 approached Manhattan, flying ever lower.

Still on the line, Ong said in a composed voice: "Pray for us. Pray for us."

Seconds later the line went dead.

Her ground contact asked: "What's going on, Betty? Betty, talk to me. Are you there? Betty?" (Source)

Betty Ann Ong was only 45 when her life was ended, much to young. She has so much left to do.

Only a portion of Betty's call was recorded. A small segment was played for the 9/11 Commission and Betty's family in January 2004.

"She was outstanding, under those circumstances," Cathie Ong said. "It's hard for us all to imagine ever being in those shoes. My family and I, we cried. She was just exemplary in her performance, her attitude and everything. "

"She was very take-charge, and we were very proud of her. She was very calm." (Source)

The audio from that four minute portion of Betty's call can be heard here (The transcript can be found there too).

Betty Ann Ong was a Hero on September 11, 2001. She made a choice not to passively accept her fate and did her best to save the Crew and Passengers of Flight 11.

Betty Ong will never be forgotten.

Of course, Betty was a lot more than a victim of 9/11:

She was the youngest of four siblings, a loving daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. She was warm, caring, thoughtful, and considerate, always thinking of others before herself. Gifted with a sense of humor, Betty had a knack for making people feel comfortable and putting them at ease. She had a smile about her that could light up a room and lift up a spirit. She could feed laughter to anyone's heart. (Source)

Betty's brother Harry paid tribute to her with this poem:

Dear Bee:

I don't know fully why you left us
I don't know fully when you left us
I don't know fully how you left us
But I do know that I miss you so very much

I do know that you left us doing the job you loved best
I do know you left us fighting to the very end
And I do know you did your job most heroically

Oh how I wish I could turn the clock back to make things whole again
This is so much like a dream
I never expected to write you this letter..
Let alone a letter like this for you before me

Each day I wake up waiting for you to call or I.M. me just to say "Hello"
I go over and over the moments we shared together and wish we could share even more
And now as I slowly wake up each day, I realize that I can only talk to you in my heart and know that you are here in spirit

I whisper a little "hello" when I walk by your picture each day
Bee, I will never really say goodbye to you
because you are forever in my heart and soul
Bee, I just want to say I'm so very proud of you
And I really miss you so

Your loving brother, Harry
Source

In honor of Betty, her family has established the Betty Ong Foundation:

a not for profit public charity, [it] was established to continue her legacy. The advocacy of the Betty Ann Ong Foundation serves to educate children to the positive benefits of lifelong physical activity and healthy eating habits and to provide opportunities for children to experience the great outdoors so that they can grow to become healthy, strong and productive individuals.

Betty's memory will live through the Foundation's work for the advocacy of children and to give recognition to heroic flight attendants who continue to work hard to keep the passengers safe in the aftermath of September 11, 2001.

You can pay further tribute to Betty Ong at one of the following sites:

September 11 Victims
Remember September 11
9-11 Heroes
Living Tribute

In Memory of Betty Ong and All Who Died on September 11, 2001.

May we NEVER Forget.

I know I will never.

Iron Man Working For State

Cal Ripken, Jr. has a new job! He's going to be working for the State Department.

AP: Baseball's Iron Man says 'magic of sport' will trump politics in new diplomatic role---

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sports, not politics, will be Baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, Jr.'s emphasis in his new role as a special envoy for the State Department.

"This isn't a political statement for me, necessarily," Ripken said Monday after Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice formally announced his appointment. "This is about the kids and planning baseball and using baseball for good reasons."

Ripken, who set the Major League record for consecutive games played -- 2,632 games in a row, earning him the nickname "Iron Man" -- said he was ready for the task, which will take him first to China at the end of October.

The first commissioner of President Bush's White House tee-ball league for youngsters, the former Baltimore Oriole said he would promote teamwork and cross-cultural communication.

Rice, a well-known sports fan, introduced Ripken as a wholesome symbol of America who represents "our aspirations to be a better nation and to help build a better world."

What a perfect ambassador for our country! I have nothing but respect for Cal. He is truly a man among men.

A "most important bilateral relationship"

I do hope this is a sign that we will continue on in our friendship with Great Britain.

AP: New British prime minister at Camp David---

WASHINGTON - Prime Minister Gordon Brown traveled to the United States on Sunday, saying he planned to use the official visit to strengthen what Britain already considers its "most important bilateral relationship."

"It is a relationship that is founded on our common values of liberty, opportunity and the dignity of the individual," Brown said in a statement. "And because of the values we share, the relationship with the United States is not only strong, but can become stronger in the years ahead."

Read the rest of the article here. It goes into the Bush-Blair relationship, what the Bush-Brown relationship might be like, and issues such as Iraq.

Happy Independence Day!

I am going out to the lake for a few days, but I could not leave without wishing our beloved nation a happy birthday. We are blessed to live in the most wonderful place in the history of the earth. Every day here is a precious gift from God.

We must remember to thank our most excellent military for their service and sacrifices. We would not be here without their blood, sweat, tears, and, sometimes, lives. Thank you to those who served in our military, those who serve in our military, and those who will serve in our military. God bless you all.

We must also remember to thank the families of those who serve in the military. Their dedication, sacrifices, and love allow our military men and women to fight on for freedom. Thank you to all the wives, husbands, parents, sisters, brothers, children, cousins, grandparents, and friends of our military. God bless you all.

Thank you to President Bush. Thank you to Vice-President Cheney. Thank you to the House of Representatives. Thank you to the U.S. Senate. Thank you to our Supreme Court and our other judges.

Thank you to all members of our government at the federal, state, and local levels. Thank you, as well, to our police and fire crews. They keep us safe and save lives every day.

Thank you to all who chose to exercise their rights by voting. We keep this country running, for better or for worse. Thank you to all who chose to exercise their freedom of religion---in a peaceful manner. Thank you to all who chose to exercise their right to bear arms---in a peaceful manner (until we must fight the good fight). Thank you to all who protect Life.

Thank you to our Founding Fathers, for creating this wonderful, beautiful nation. I hope it never vanishes from the face of the earth. Thank you for having the courage to sign a piece of paper that changed the world for good---for the best.

Thank you, my fellow Americans, for being here and making our economy run. For going to work every day. For raising families. For going to church. For loving this country. Let's keep America America.

Read the Declaration of Independence here.

Happy Birthday, America! Long may you live!


Happy Independence Day, my fellow Americans! May God bless us all!

Roots in British Thought

Via Hot Air and ABC Radio Networks:

The Fred Thompson Report: The Queen and Free Speech

Last week, I was fortunate enough to spend some time in London. Being there, I couldn't help but think how much America owes to British culture and traditions. Even our past disagreements, like that “taxation without representation” thing, had their roots in British thought. The American Revolution can, in fact, be traced directly back to ideas set forth by the great British thinkers such as John Locke and Adam Smith.

For our part, I think what happened in the 13 colonies actually helped the British rid themselves of the “divine right of kings.” Perhaps because of the fact that we fought a war to escape undemocratic monarchy, Americans are sometimes puzzled by Britain's maintenance of royal institutions and traditions.

I've got to admit, though, that I’ve seen things in a slightly different light recently. The efforts by the two princes, Harry and William, to fight in Iraq impressed me . . .

Do read the rest.

What Would Justice Scalia Do?

He wouldn't convict Jack Bauer. Seriously.

Globe and Mail: What would Jack Bauer do?---

OTTAWA -- Justice Antonin Scalia is one of the most powerful judges on the planet.

The job of the veteran U.S. Supreme Court judge is to ensure that the superpower lives up to its Constitution. But in his free time, he is a fan of 24, the popular TV drama where the maverick federal agent Jack Bauer routinely tortures terrorists to save American lives. This much was made clear at a legal conference in Ottawa this week.

Senior judges from North America and Europe were in the midst of a panel discussion about torture and terrorism law, when a Canadian judge's passing remark - "Thankfully, security agencies in all our countries do not subscribe to the mantra 'What would Jack Bauer do?' " - got the legal bulldog in Judge Scalia barking.

The conservative jurist stuck up for Agent Bauer, arguing that fictional or not, federal agents require latitude in times of great crisis. "Jack Bauer saved Los Angeles. ... He saved hundreds of thousands of lives," Judge Scalia said. Then, recalling Season 2, where the agent's rough interrogation tactics saved California from a terrorist nuke, the Supreme Court judge etched a line in the sand.

"Are you going to convict Jack Bauer?" Judge Scalia challenged his fellow judges. "Say that criminal law is against him? 'You have the right to a jury trial?' Is any jury going to convict Jack Bauer? I don't think so.

"So the question is really whether we believe in these absolutes. And ought we believe in these absolutes."

I love Justice Scalia!

Curtsy to Andrew McCarthy at the Corner

Fred! Gives a Speech in the UK

Fred Thompson was just in the UK and gave a speech for the Policy Exchange. You can read the text of his excellent speech here.

It focused mainly on the alliance between America and Britain (which, as an Anglophile, I am most interested in):

We are profoundly grateful for the friendship of the British people, and in America we’ll always remember Mr. Blair as a gallant friend, even when it did him no good politically.

When we in the States take the measure of your leaders, their party affiliation doesn’t really count for a whole lot. It’s been this way for a while now, at every moment when it mattered. It was true in the days of Churchill and Roosevelt … of Thatcher and Reagan … and Blair and Bush.

Differences of party and domestic policy are incidental, compared to the bigger considerations that define Britain and America as allies. On both sides of the Atlantic, what matters most are the commitments we share, and the work we are called to do in common. This work is based upon the principles we hold – primarily, the right of free people to govern themselves. We also believe that the rule of law, market economies, property rights, and trade with other nations are the underpinnings of a free society.

When historians of the modern era speak of the great democracies, of civilization and its defenders, that’s us they’re talking about – we and our democratic friends across Europe and beyond.

In the long progress of the world toward liberty, it was not by chance that this lowly province of the Roman Empire became a great teacher of democracy and the model of self-government. And it wasn’t just luck that turned a troublesome British colony into the inspiration for all those who seek freedom. There is a reason why Britain and America were thrown together as partners in this world. The things that unite the American and British peoples? They don’t change with the names of leaders or with the passing of years.

Good words, don't you think?

From there, Fred! talked about the threat the world faces, how many in Europe don't see the threat the same way we in America do or think it is only a threat to the US, and how even when this threat goes on the backburner, there will be others. But, he reminded the Policy Exchange, Britain and America will still stand together.

I think it is an excellent speech and, dare I say, rather presidential?

This part at the beginning was a sly bit of humor:

Of course we believe in long presidential campaigns in the U.S. Most American politicians are afraid they won’t be considered serious candidates until they’ve made a promise a hundred times and spent a hundred million dollars. Though every now and then you still get some slow-poke who takes his time before announcing.

I recommend reading the entire speech.

And, of course, there is excellent coverage (including video) over at BritainAndAmerica.com.

Fred's Website: I'mWithFred

My previous post: Fred! to see The Iron Lady

Fred! to see The Iron Lady

Lady Thatcher!

Via Drudge:

From Fred Thompson seeks Thatcher's blessing---

Fred Thompson, the actor and former Tennessee senator who is expected to announce next month he is running for president, flew to London on Monday to meet Margaret Thatcher and deliver a foreign policy speech, his advisers tell The Politico.

Thompson's advisers aim to use the London events to bolster his foreign policy credentials and elevate him above the increasingly contentious fray of the GOP race.

On Wednesday, he will pose for photos with Thatcher, which his advisers hope will enhance his support among devotees of former President Ronald Reagan.

Thompson will deliver the foreign policy speech, "Strengthening the Transatlantic Alliance," on Tuesday at the Policy Exchange, a conservative think tank based in London.

If Fred! had the Iron Lady's blessing, he would be my candidate of choice.

And What A Difference

I saw this over at The Corner and had to link to it too.

From BLACKFIVE: The Difference.

Made me get teary-eyed.

God bless them.

Happy Flag Day!

Today is Flag Day and the birthdate of the United States Army, 232 years ago.

Fly your flag proudly!

Iwo Jima




Ground Zero


After Hurricane Katrina







I Pledge Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Happy Birthday, US Army! Army Strong!



Support our troops!
Michelle Malkin has a great post.

And use DogPile.com as your search engine. DogPile is honoring Flag Day! (Google, of course, isn't.)

Amnesty Bill Dead?

Both Fox News and CNN are reporting that the Amnesty bill is dead, as a second vote this evening failed.

Good news, but will it stay dead?