Blue Star Chronicles

Here’s a countdown from where ever you are!

The Local

An American woman has been refused treatment by a doctor in Blekinge in southern Sweden because of her nationality. The woman’s husband has now reported the incident to the Medical Responsibility Board.

Valery Johansson, who lives in a small town just outside Nashville, Tennessee, was in Sweden to celebrate Christmas with her husband’s family.

On Christmas Day, worried that she may have contracted strep throat, she sought medical help. Her husband and niece made an appointment for her at a clinic in the town of Karlshamn.

“We went up there and the nurses were really nice. They did some swab tests, which they then passed on to a doctor,” Johansson told The Local.

But when the American woman, accompanied by her husband and niece, went to meet the doctor in his treatment room, he declined to examine her.

Rather than introduce himself, the doctor waved the patient’s papers and shouted “she doesn’t have strep throat, she doesn’t have strep throat”. He then added that he would not treat her.

“He said he didn’t like Americans,” said Johansson.

He also disliked hearing English spoken in his treatment room and soon walked out.

“We just couldn’t believe it. We were left standing there with our mouths hanging open,” said Johansson.

According to Johansson, the doctor was a Palestinian who objected to American foreign policy in the Middle East.

Her niece followed the doctor into the office to confront him but was told: “I don’t deal with people like that”.

When Johansson returned to the clinic the following day she was met by a manager, who apologised and encouraged her to report the matter to the Medical Responsibility Board.

The nurses were also embarrassed by the doctor’s behaviour and repaid the 820 kronor that Johansson had handed over in advance for her treatment. They too advised her to report the doctor.

In the report Johansson has claimed that she was discriminated against on ethnic grounds.

Before returning to the United States at the beginning of January she also intends reporting the incident to the American Embassy in Stockholm.

Can you just imagine if an American doctor refused to treat a muslim woman because he doesn’t like palestinian attacks on Israel? There would be such an outcry we wouldn’t hear the end of it. Not to mention there would probably be riots and all sorts of fatwas issued for our heads. Britain even has a special gown to be cultually sensitive to muslims needing medical care. Remember how upset everyone got over a few cartoons??

Take a gander at the comments this article has gotten over on Digg. The self-hatred many Americans feel for our own country is nothing short of breath-taking!

tiara tip to Lindasog

Centcom: A Paratrooper from the 618th Engineer Support Company (Airborne) walks across the dusty, desert terrain pulling security on the outskirts of Siniyah, Iraq. The Paratroopers used bulldozers to construct a berm almost around the entire city to isolate terrorists who operate out of it. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Carden.

In looking over the past year I find myself thinking of numbers. The main stream media seems gleefully obsessed with counting bodies of American Soldiers. A lot of the leftists blogs are keeping track of the numbers of Iraqi dead in what they call ‘Bush’s war of revenge’ among other things.

I’ve read how many people Saddam Hussien killed during his reign as the Butcher of Baghdad. Saddam’s numbers are being compared to Hitler’s numbers. There are calculations of what kinds of numbers we can expect to be killed if Iran gets their nuke program up and running. There are numbers of people coming over our borders legally and illegally, most of the numbers are for those coming here illegally. There are numbers of muslims infilterating society in Europe … and in America. There are numbers identifying how many species are threatened by global warming. Numbers are everywhere.

All these numbers make me think of what Joseph Stalin said about these kinds of numbers …

One death is a tragedy; a million is a statistic.

The carnage of the Global War on Terrorism; the attack of September 11, 2001, the deaths in Spain, England, Somalia, Indonesia and throughout the world, has been turned into statistics. It’s easy to roll a statistic off our tongues without feeling our hearts sink.

Statistics are impersonal.

What is worth all this? Most of us think in terms of large ideals. Is America worth dying for? Yes! Is freedom worth dying for? Yes! Why are our sons and daughters fighting on the other side of the world? For freedom, America and justice! To protect us from jihadists who would be here if they weren’t fighting them there.

The concepts of freedom, democracy, justice and the American way are also impersonal. They are parts of our lives that we take for granted and rarely contemplate what has been done, and needs to be done, for us to continue to take them for granted.

At the end of one of the many movies about Wyatt Earp, he is being praised for having saved the life of a man years earlier. He asks the boy who is admiring him what happened to the man after that. The man had continued to cause trouble and was eventually killed in a gun battle. The boy says, ‘I guess he wasn’t worth saving after all.’

Which brings me to what has been boiling around in my mind. Am I worth dying for? Me. Little ol’ me.

While the politicians argue over theories, forms of government and play political games, our Soldiers fight the wars and we the people make whatever sacrifices are required and look on with a certain amount of powerlessness. So, for me, I have to bring it down to the bottom line. The only thing the I have control over. The only thing I can really do anything about. I have to ask myself, am I worth dying for?

I start the New Year with these thoughts weighing on my mind. The very least I can do is to strive to be worthy of the sacrifices Our Soldiers are making on my behalf.

A car bomb was detonated at the Madrid airport today.

Dec. 30 (Bloomberg) — Bomb disposal experts detonated a powerful truck bomb at Madrid airport today, damaging the arrivals lounge at the fourth terminal and destroying an entire floor of a parking lot. Two people are missing in the rubble.

“The information that we have leaves us with no shadow of a doubt that ETA is responsible,” said Spanish Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba at a Madrid press conference. The explosives were “extremely powerful,” he said.

Twenty-six people were treated for light injuries and five were later hospitalized, television station Antena 3 de Television reported. The blast was at about 9 a.m., some 55 minutes after security forces started evacuating the terminal.

That’s odd, I thought Spain had appeased the terrorists when they surrendered to al-Quaida after the train bombing in Madrid in March 2004.

Right after the 2004 attack the Spaniards elected a Socialist government who immediately threw up the white flag and withdrew their troops from Iraq. That was supposed to take care of everything for them. They’d be safe under the theory of appeasement.

Well. Not to worry. They were holding peace talks with the terrorists. Just yesterday Spanish Socialist President Zapatero said he was optimistic that Basque peace process was working.

“Are we better now with a permanent cease-fire or when we had bombs, car bombs and explosions?” Zapatero asked.

“This time next year we will be better off than we are today,” he said. “The government has worked and is working with the aim of seeing an end to the violence of horror and terror,” he added.

“Discretion is going to be the norm in everything related to a possible peace process with ETA,” Zapatero said. “It’s a sense of responsibility,” he added.

This example of how well appeasement and socialism work in the face of terrorism doesn’t bode well for the rest of us does it. Maybe ETA just didn’t get the memo about discretion and a sense of responsibililty.

hat tip and more at The Pirate’s Cove

As I expected, William at The Pirate’s Cove has the video of Saddam’s execution and an interview from the cameraman.

He also has some of the reactions from the nether regions of the blogsphere.

Also at Hot Air, with numerous updates and links.

Nothing poetic here - just well deserved justice.

The End.

Saddam has been turned over to Iraqi authorities and will be receiving his suspended sentence momentarily.

Again the animation is from Theodore’s World

The main stream media can’t get their fill of guessing and second guessing when the execution will happen. They are all a twitter about it.

Shockingly, the leftist blogs are blaming Bush! Apparently, Saddam will be hanged because Bush got mad that Saddam put out a fatwa on Bush Sr. I’m always amazed at how cleverly Bush manipulates international events for his own agenda.

The New York Times, with their usual flair for turning positives into negatives as long as it paints a negative picture of the United States, asks why WE are in a rush to hang Saddam. That’s a telling title for an article, isn’t it? I wonder why the New York Times doesn’t open an office in Tehran - but then - that might be a dangerous place for them to be, better they sit in New York and criticize the United States - that’s much safer.

I’m imagining that Saddam was much more comfortable in whatever accomodations the Americans provided him than what the Iraqis are providing him.

I also imagine that the Iraqis are very glad to finally get their hands on him. They will eek out the justice they feel that he deserves.

This will not be the end of the Global War on Terror. It will be the end of Saddam Hussein’s reign of terror.

Hysceince says it’s a fitting reward.

The Nose on your Face has the Top 9 Signs that Saddam is About to be Executed.

Beth at My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy wishes Saddam a Happy New Year in Hell!

The Median Sib: No humane, painless lethal injection for this cruel monster/dictator.

Cartoon by Cox & Forkum

The Butcher of Baghdad can’t escape his fate.

The animation above is from Conservative Insurgent. Check out more at Theodore’s World.

Toni at Bear Creek Ledger has a round-up of post about the Camp Pendleton 8 and the Haditha Marines. Remember the party the Marines spoiled in Haditha? Don’t let our Military men and women get run over by the MSM. Stay informed.

Jo of Jo’s Cafe has had a head explosion. I understand it completely, Jo - my head exploded too when I heard that!

William Teach at the Pirate’s Cove says Edwards is pandering for president. I thought Edwards trying to use a shovel in New Orleans for a photo op was kinda funny. You could tell he hadn’t had much practice with a shovel.

Be sure to check out the post below …..

Military Blogger SPC J.R. Salzman, 1/34 BCT, Lumberjack in the Desert, was injured by an IED earlier this month.

Apparently he is currently at Walter Reed. He reports on his blog that he has had several surgeries, including the amputation of one arm below the elbow. Soldiers’ Angels is working on getting him a laptop through Project Valour IT.

Blackfive has updates.

John at Argghhh! has more ….

Please go by SPC Salzman’s blog and leave him a note letting him know we care and that he is in our thoughts and prayers.

UPDATE: LindaSog is on a mission today to send Spc. Salzman some love. Get over there and find out where and how.

1. Every time I think I might know something I get a lesson in humility. (This is a lesson I have learned many times, but apparently need to re-learn on a regular basis).
2. Whenever I think I’m a good judge of character, I get taken in and find I have to re-learn that lesson repeatedly as well.
3. I’ve learned a little German - very little - but a little. That’s a language I never thought I would be able to speak considering I can hardly speak English - but with my son’s ‘home base’ in Germany, it has become simplier for me to learn snipets of the language and I’m working on more.
4. I’ve learned that going an entire year without taking a real vacation is not at all a good idea and a person gets tired and burned-out.
5. I’ve learned I can keep a blog up for an entire year. Most of my hobbies have not lasted that long. I think there are addictive qualities to blogging that keep me involved in it.
6. I’ve been surprised to see that anyone actually reads my blog.
7. I have gotten to know some wonderful people blogging and gotten to know some family members better than I had before.
8. I twisted my ankle for the first time in my life in the past year and learned that hurts like the dickens and takes forever to heal. I had no idea it hurt that badly and will forever have more sympathy for people who have ankle/foot problems.
9. I’ve begun to realize that I don’t have the career ambitions I once had. I’ve started realizing I would like to do other things.
10. I’ve learned that I really don’t like having my children live so far away. I really miss having them live within at least driving distance and dropping in periodically for swimming or dinner or something.
11. I’ve realized that even with the kids gone my house still gets messy and I still get behind in my laundry. I guess that means I can’t continue to blame them for the messes.
12. I’ve realized I don’t like having my daughter living on the other side of the country - although that is her choice and I wouldn’t want her to make a decision about that based on what I want.
13. I’ve learned that even though I thought I was prepared to be the parent of a son at war I really wasn’t. The reality of him being in Baghdad is much harder than I ever imagined it would be.

Wednesday Hero is a weekly special written by Indian Chris. To join the Wednesday Hero blogburst contact Indian Chris here.

Every once and awhile I’ll do a Wednesday Hero that doesn’t profile a single soldier. Sometimes it’s been two or three from the same unit, sometimes it’s been an entire group of soldiers like the Navajo Code Talkers. I even did an organization once, Operation Iraqi Children. This weeks Wednesday Hero is one of those sometimes. This weeks Wednesday Heroes are the parents of soldiers.

These people sacrifice just as much, if not more, than the soldiers themselves. They, in many cases, are having their babies leave home for the first time in their lives. While most parents only have to adjust to them moving a few miles away or going off to college, these Blue Star Parents have to watch their children go off to a very dangerous situation and can only hope and pray that everything will turn out okay. I don’t have children of my own, so I can’t even imagine what that is like. We have a few Blue Star Parents in the blogroll, so to them, and every parent of a Hero, I tell you we all stand with and support you and your family.

There’s a site that everyone should check out if they haven’t already. Blue Star Mothers Of America.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. If you would like to participate in honoring the brave men and women who serve this great country, you can find out how by clicking here.

The above post is written by Indian Chris

Gerald Ford, the 38th President of the United States has passed away at the age of 93 years.

Reuters

“My family joins me in sharing the difficult news that Gerald Ford, our beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, has passed away at 93 years of age,” Bette Ford said in a statement.

“His life was filled with love of God, his family and his country.”

Her statement was released by the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, California, where Ford has been treated.

Bloomberg provides some history of Ford’s presidency.

Newsday provides dates in President Gerald Ford’s life.

Michelle Malkin has coverage including information from the Ford Library and Museum website.

Ford survived two assassination attempts.

President Ford’s official White House biography can be found here.

Gerald and Betty Ford were a recipients of the Congressional Gold Medal.

When Gerald R. Ford took the oath of office on August 9, 1974, he declared, “I assume the Presidency under extraordinary circumstances…. This is an hour of history that troubles our minds and hurts our hearts.”

It was indeed an unprecedented time. He had been the first Vice President chosen under the terms of the Twenty-fifth Amendment and, in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal, was succeeding the first President ever to resign.

Ford was confronted with almost insuperable tasks. There were the challenges of mastering inflation, reviving a depressed economy, solving chronic energy shortages, and trying to ensure world peace.

President Bush has issued as statement regarding the death of President Gerald Ford.

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

Laura and I are greatly saddened by the passing of former President Gerald R. Ford.

President Ford was a great American who gave many years of dedicated service to our country. On August 9, 1974, after a long career in the House of Representatives and service as Vice President, he assumed the Presidency in an hour of national turmoil and division. With his quiet integrity, common sense, and kind instincts, President Ford helped heal our land and restore public confidence in the Presidency.

The American people will always admire Gerald Ford’s devotion to duty, his personal character, and the honorable conduct of his administration. We mourn the loss of such a leader, and our 38th President will always have a special place in our Nation’s memory. On behalf of all Americans, Laura and I offer our deepest sympathies to Betty Ford and all of President Ford’s family. Our thoughts and prayers will be with them in the hours and days ahead.

Webloggin has posted information from Betty Ford’s statement as to when we can expect to hear more on funeral arrangements.

The BBC has published an obituary.

The Political Pitbull has an excellent biography.

More: Captain’s Quarters, PunditGuy, Cop the Truth, Outside the Beltway, Blogs of War, Riehl World View, Blue Crab Blvd, GunToting Liberal, Flopping Aces, Wizbang, Leaning Straight Up, Darleen’s Place, CalTech Girl, Pettifog, The Median Sib