Monday, December 28, 2015

OBOF TYMHM & MORE Vol. 15 - No. 25

 

OPINIONS  BASED  ON FACTS (OBOF)
THINGS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED (TYMHM)
YEAR ONE
YEAR TWO
YEAR THREE
YEAR FOUR
YEAR FIVE
 
OBOF YEAR FIVE INDEX

OBOF TYMHM
Jan. 07, 2015
OBOF TYMHM Vol 15 - No 1
Jan. 19, 2015
OBOF TYMHM Vol 15 - No 2
Feb.  03, 2015
OBOF TYMHM Vol 15 - No 3
Feb.  23, 2015
OBOF TYMHM Vol 15 - No 4
Mar.  02, 2015
OBOF TYMHM Vol 15 - No 5
Mar.  06, 2015
OBOF TYMHM Vol 15 - No 6
Mar.  13, 2015
OBOF TYMHM Vol 15 - No 7
Mar.   23, 2015
OBOF TYMHM Vol 15 - No 8
Mar.  28,  2015
OBOF TYMHM Vol 15 - No 9
Apr.  13,  2015
OBOF TYMHM Vol 15 - No 10
May  02,  2015
OBOF TYMHM Vol 15 - No 11
May  09,  2015
OBOF TYMHM Vol 15 - No 12
May  19, 2015
OBOF TYMHM Vol 15 - No 13
May  26, 2015
OBOF TYMHM Vol 15 - No 14
May  29, 2015
OBOF TYMHM Vol 15 - No 15
July   28, 2015
OBOF TYMHM Vol 15 - No 16
Sept.  15, 2015
OBOF TYMHM Vol 15 - No 17
Sept.  20, 2015
OBOF TYMHM Vol 15 - No 18
Sept.  27, 2015
OBOF TYMHM Vol 15 - No 19
Oct.   07, 2015
OBOF TYMHM Vol 15 - No 20
Oct.  13, 2015
OBOF TYMHM Vol 15 - No 21
Nov. 01, 2015
OBOF TYMHM Vol 15 - No 22
Nov. 08, 2015
OBOF TYMHM Vol 15 - No 23
Nov. 14, 2015
OBOF TYMHM Vol 15 - No 24
Dec.  07, 2015
OBOF TYMHM Vol 15 - No 25
Dec.  28, 2015

Agenda


1.  FROM  FLOYD

2.  Afghan Veteran Spreads Message To Send Christmas Cards To WWII Vet.

 

3.  Oklahoma WWII Veteran Receives Christmas Cards From Hundreds.


4.  Dear fellow MoveOn member.

5.  We Have Nothing to Sell but Fear Itself




     
FROM FLOYD

So much has been happening to me that I simply haven't been able to get this posting out to you.  The happening is unbelievably good.  Even though this is a very belated Merry Christmas, it is so good to be able to report something good.

 

Actually, there are two parts to this posting.  One part good the other part is serious.

 

ABOUT THE FIRST PART.

 

There are two articles in this first part.  It is quite self explanatory, but I do want to clear up one thing at the end of the first article.

~~~

Afghan Veteran Spreads Message To Send Christmas Cards To WWII Vet


By: Allison Harris, News On 6
Dec 15, 2015 10:30 PM CST

 

OWASSO, Oklahoma -
Many of us see a veteran and stop to say thanks, but one man is going well beyond that.

War In Afghanistan veteran, Anthony Marquez doesn't want new generations to forget about the greatest generation - those who lived during a time of great deprivation, then, went off to war.

Some, like World War II veteran Floyd Bowman, live in our communities and have a lot to offer.

The two Marines now share a strong bond that all began over pancakes.

"I used to eat at the IHOP every day, and one day, about a year ago, Anthony was in there, sitting in a booth, and saw me," Floyd recalled.

Anthony said, "He's sitting by himself and he had a hat on that said, ‘USMC,’ so I just got up and went over there and shook his hand."

Floyd mentioned he was a World War II photographer; Marquez was a bomb dog handler in Afghanistan.

"I said, 'I want to meet up again and go eat, or whatever, take you out sometime and go talk again,’" Anthony said.

The two planned a second pancake date, and a third, and a forth...It's been going on, once a week, for more than a year now.

"I feel like, I don't know, I need to include him," Anthony said.

They mostly just eat at the Owasso IHOP or go to one of Floyd's doctor appointments.  Anthony even planned a party for the Marine Corps' 240th Birthday; Floyd got an invite.

“I have talked to lots and lots of Marines. Never, never have I seen or talked with or been with a Marine like this man," said Floyd.

Days can get long and lonely for a 91-year-old, especially during the holidays.

Floyd said when a Marine meets another Marine, they're immediately brothers, but there's something more to their relationship.

"He has filled a tremendous void for me and my loneliness, yes he has," said Floyd. "He is a true American patriot...everything he does, he cares about people."

Anthony works to stop veteran suicide. He does so by promoting camaraderie, and what better way than to practice what you preach?

Floyd said, "I'd do anything on Earth I could for him because he's done everything for me, so much.  I truly love the guy…I truly love him."

Anthony said he wants to spread some holiday cheer to Floyd and is asking everyone to send him Christmas cards this year.

You can send them to Floyd Bowman at P.O. Box 709, Owasso, OK 74055.


From Floyd:


As you now know, this was on Channel 6 CBS television and it makes it rather clear that I am lonely.  That is true, except you need to know one reason for the loneliness.  Some of the cards I have received have thought that I am completely alone and they say such things as "I am sorry you have lost your family."  

I want everyone to know that I have a rather large family and I am fortunate to be living next door to my Son.  Speaking of my Son, he is the reason I am more lonely than usual.  He fell and broke both bones in his leg just above the ankle.  He can't get over here to see me and it is a bit of struggle for me to go see him.  Also, he always took me where I had to go and, of course, he can't do that.  He will be laid up for 4 months, I believe,  three have past.
 

In addition to my Son, I have a daughter in Illinois and one in the state of Washington.  Also, a Sister, one year younger than me, in Florida.  So, you see I do have a wonderful family and you see the reason for more loneliness than usual.  Any of you out there, that are 91 or even younger than that, know that there is just a natural loneliness in old age.  The important thing is how you handle it and I want to tell you that Anthony has done wonders for me as I handle it.

~~~

Oklahoma WWII Veteran Receives Christmas Cards From Hundreds

     
By: Allison Harris, News On 6  BioEmail
Posted: Dec 24, 2015 11:26 PM CST

FROM FLOYD:

As of this writing, Dec. 28, 15, I have received 1,201 cards.  I will have a follow up statement at the end of this article.  This whole thing is beyond belief. 


OWASSO, Oklahoma -
This Christmas Eve, it wasn’t a bag full of toys delivered to a 91-year-old World War II veteran, but a bag full of cards.

It all started when Afghanistan veteran, Anthony Marquez, put out a message for people from all over to send Christmas cards to his friend, Floyd Bowman. Thursday, those cards were delivered.

This week it took Marquez four trips to the Owasso post office to collect the 1,201 cards that flew in for Bowman.


"Oh my goodness! Ooooh, I'm going to spend hours and hours and hours looking at all this.  See, cards mean so much to me.  Always have," he said.

The cards have come from those young and old, from coast to coast.

"In my eyes, you are a courageous hero," he read.

The Oklahoma City Police Department sent 57 cards, and 150 cards were hand-delivered by an active-duty member of the U.S. Navy, home on leave.

"Merry Christmas, Floyd.  Thank you so much for your service.  You truly are from the greatest generation. God bless," Bowman read.

They were more than just cards.  He also received coins and even a calendar.

Marquez and Bowman’s friendship began over pancakes at IHOP, and when the president of IHOP got word of that, he sent in reinforcement.

The representative met Bowman and said, "I just wanted to come over and say, hey, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas to you.  There's also a gift card in there for both of you."

Bowman said there are few words to describe his gratitude, other than he's humbled by the love and caring.

"I just thank you so much and I will be reading these day in and day out for a long time, and I will read every single one of them by my birthday on June 10th," he said.

Bowman said he won't need any birthday cards.

FROM FLOYD:

I just want to tell you that the TV crew came to my house and shot this last segment.  They were two real fine people and I thank them so much.  While they were making this last bit, I wound up with 9 people in this little place I have.  There was a Captain Tulsa County Deputy Sheriff here.  His Son was in the Corps.  Another Marine and his wife and daughter came.  I have left out some, but it was a wonderful get together along with 1,201 cards.

~~~

 

PART TWO

 

Dear fellow MoveOn member.

Donald Trump could really win this election.

And, even if he doesn't, the whole Republican field just keeps getting crazier.

Threatening to commit war crimes by intentionally bombing women and children.1 "Closing" sections of the Internet.2 Keeping Sharia law out of a city near you.3

These are the policies Republicans support.  And in poll after poll, the candidates who take the most extreme, racist, right-wing positions go up.

If any of these candidates end up in the White House in 2016, America is in deep, deep trouble.  Just by commanding the national stage, Republicans are already pushing dangerous ideas into public discourse and fueling a climate of violence and vitriol.

That's why I'm asking you to make a year-end gift to one of the most powerful—and effective—progressive groups in the nation: MoveOn.

Your gift won't just help defeat Republicans in 2016—you'll also help fight against the pernicious ideas that their campaigns are propagating and help elect progressives who will stand up for our values.
Maybe you’re one of the people out there who thinks that the 2016 election will be an easy win for Democrats.  You might think that because Republicans are so crazy, they can't possibly win the general election.  If so, think again.
In 2014, Republicans won their biggest House majority in Congress in almost 100 years—most of them every bit as conservative as the current candidates for president.4 Republicans control 32 governorships, including in deep-blue states like Maryland, Illinois, and Massachusetts.5 And, under President Obama, Democrats have lost more than 900 state legislative seats.6

That’s why anyone who thinks the next election is going to be easy is kidding themselves. Even if Donald Trump wins the nomination.

Will you chip in $3 and make sure MoveOn goes into 2016 prepared for a presidential election year?


Maybe you think the stakes aren't that high if Democrats lose.  If so, I hope you'll reconsider. Here are some reasons why:

There’s been a terrifying spike in hate crimes largely targeting Muslims. Given the fear mongering of leading Republican presidential candidates, a Republican president will double down on xenophobic, anti-immigrant policies.

The GOP's war on women continues in full force. (And you better believe that a Republican president will defund Planned Parenthood.)

Speaker Paul Ryan’s ultra-conservative House of Representatives is gearing up to make deep cuts to social programs, to slash Social Security, and to cut taxes for the wealthiest Americans and corporations.  A Republican president will join with Ryan in a big push to make these extreme policies the law of the land.

We've avoided going to war—for now.  But if Republicans in Congress had their way, we'd be on a road to war with Iran already.

We have Obamacare—for now.  And we're making progress on the environment—for now. But a Republican president will work every day to undo all of that.
Your year-end donation to MoveOn is a small price to pay to fight against right-wing policies that would put us on a path to economic and social misery. 
If you want to put your money to good use in 2016, now's the time.  Laying the groundwork requires early planning.  So every donation that comes in now will go a long way.

And MoveOn's past get-out-the-vote operations have been as effective—and as innovative—as any I've seen out there.

Not only that, but MoveOn backs strong progressives who will fight for the little guy.  That means you can put your money to use—and help win—without giving to Democrats who act like Republicans.

The other guys are funded by billionaires.  MoveOn Political Action is funded with an average donation of $25.  This is truly a people-powered movement.

Ready to help make sure MoveOn hits the ground running in 2016?


Thanks for all you do.

–Robert Reich

Sources:
1. "GOP Candidates Actually Spend Time Debating Whether to Kill Terrorists' Innocent Family Members," The Huffington Post, December 15, 2015
http://act.moveon.org/go/313?t=6&akid=160628.31692658.eTHNhY

2. "Why Donald Trump Can’t Actually Close 'Parts of the Internet,'" Time, December 16, 2015
http://act.moveon.org/go/368?t=8&akid=160628.31692658.eTHNhY

3. "Ben Carson Invokes Anti-Islam Myth Even Fox News Admits Is False," ThinkProgress, December 16, 2015
http://act.moveon.org/go/309?t=10&akid=160628.31692658.eTHNhY

4. "McSally Recount Win Gives GOP Biggest Majority Since 1929," ABC News, December 17, 2014
http://act.moveon.org/go/310?t=12&akid=160628.31692658.eTHNhY

5. "Republicans to hold 32 gubernatorial seats after wins in Kentucky, Mississippi," ABC Action News, November 3, 2015
http://act.moveon.org/go/312?t=14&akid=160628.31692658.eTHNhY

6. "Have Democrats lost 900 seats in state legislatures since Obama has been president?" PolitiFact, January 25, 2015
http://act.moveon.org/go/311?t=16&akid=160628.31692658.eTHNhY

Want to support our work? MoveOn member contributions have powered our work together for more than 17 years. Hundreds of thousands of people chip in each year—which is why we're able to be fiercely independent, answering to no individual, corporation, politician, or political party.  You can become a monthly donor by clicking here, or chip in a one-time gift here.
~~~

We Have Nothing to Sell but Fear Itself.

December 13, 2015
News Analysis

Fear is the sales pitch for many products: from war on the Euphrates to billion-dollar submarines.  Better than toothpaste that makes your teeth whiter than white, this stuff will make us safer than safe. It’s political junk food, the cheap filling in the flashy tube.

True security for life’s dangers—from a real national health insurance program to protecting teachers’ jobs, would take a slice of the profits of the owning classes, the Lockheeds, the JP Morgans.  The War on Terror has become class war by other means.

And who will get us next?  Don’t assume they’ll be clutching Korans.  Until September 11, 2001, the deadliest terror attack in American history was carried out by an all-American Gulf War veteran.

Outside the war zones we create, organized terror’s power is diminishing, and for politicians, especially The Donald and Ted Cruz, that is a political problem. That’s why this latest mayhem by a sick-o ISIS wannabe couple was such a boon to the panic salesmen in Washington.  They needed a new terror fix. Even if it wasn’t the real ISIS, it was enough for candidates to mainline into the body politic a big, fat dose of fear.

Once they have the media all jumped up on a new fear high, some presidential candidates, and sadly too, our President, The Drone Ranger, can resume their sales pitch for their two-barrel cure: less liberty, more weaponry.

Our leaders are counting on cowardice in the hearts of the Heart-land.  The Republicans’ unstated election campaign slogan is, “They are coming to get us.” Americans, scared for their lives, soil their underpants and waddle to the polls crying, “Donald, save us!”

It began with the September 11 attacks.  From his bunker, Dick Cheney created a government that is little more than a Wal-Mart of Fear: midnight snatchings of citizens for uncharged crimes, wars to hunt for imaginary weapons aimed at Los Angeles, DNA data banks of kids and grandmas.

In 1933, Franklin Roosevelt calmed a nation when he said, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.”

Today, our would-be presidents all but admit, “We have nothing to sell but fear itself.”


Greg Palast is the author of the New York Times bestsellers, Billionaires & Ballot Bandits, The Best Democracy Money Can Buy and Armed Madhouse and Vultures' Picnic.

~~~
Have a Happy New Year and let us all pull together in 2016.  From these last two articles, which I believe are factual, we MUST elect Democrats and in my book that spells BERNIE Sanders.

If the good Lord is willing and the creek don't rise, I'll be back with you in January 2016 as I begin my sixth year.

God Bless You All
&
God Bless the United States of America

Floyd

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