Posted on 01/01/2003 5:54:07 PM PST by SJackson
The part about Alas Babylon I loved the best was the old black preacher who would rant to his congegration about the great Babylon's destruction, meaning this mordern world, or even this country. I still get chills when I read Revelation chapter 18, especially in reference to this country. "10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come." Everything seems to fit, to me. Also, I was stationed at Cheyenne Mountain (NORAD underground command center), Colorado when I first read the book, and the stuff we did there certainly made the whole story realistic. I love the end of the world genre: the Stand, The Earth Abides, The Omega Man, and Alas Babylon.
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. As pilot of an F-105 aircraft, Lt. Col. Thorsness was on a surface-to-air missile suppression mission over North Vietnam. Lt. Col. Thorsness and his wingman attacked and silenced a surface-to-air missile site with air-to-ground missiles, and then destroyed a second surface-to-air missile site with bombs. In the attack on the second missile site, Lt. Col. Thorsness' wingman was shot down by intensive antiaircraft fire, and the 2 crewmembers abandoned their aircraft. Lt. Col. Thorsness circled the descending parachutes to keep the crewmembers in sight and relay their position to the Search and Rescue Center. During this maneuver, a MIG-17 was sighted in the area. Lt. Col. Thorsness immediately initiated an attack and destroyed the MIG. Because his aircraft was low on fuel, he was forced to depart the area in search of a tanker. Upon being advised that 2 helicopters were orbiting over the downed crew's position and that there were hostile MlGs in the area posing a serious threat to the helicopters, Lt. Col. Thorsness, despite his low fuel condition, decided to return alone through a hostile environment of surface-to-air missile and antiaircraft defenses to the downed crew's position. As he approached the area, he spotted 4 MIG-17 aircraft and immediately initiated an attack on the MlGs, damaging 1 and driving the others away from the rescue scene. When it became apparent that an aircraft in the area was critically low on fuel and the crew would have to abandon the aircraft unless they could reach a tanker, Lt. Col. Thorsness, although critically short on fuel himself, helped to avert further possible loss of life and a friendly aircraft by recovering at a forward operating base, thus allowing the aircraft in emergency fuel condition to refuel safely. Lt. Col. Thorsness' extraordinary heroism, self_sacrifice, and personal bravery involving conspicuous risk of life were in the highest traditions of the military service, and have reflected great credit upon himself and the U.S. Air Force.
... and an excellent read it was, thank you.
Alas, the words of the great majority of the fence-sitters, let alone the active antis. The ignorance of the general population regarding the nature of our government and the meaning of "rights" is truly astounding. It will be the death of our country.
“Take it a step further. If the government passed a law tomorrow that said we didn’t have the right to free speech, or the right to free worship, or freedom of the press, would those rights no longer exist, or would they be simply denied? If the Constitution is amended depriving us of our rights, do those rights cease to exist?”
This is the only kind of reasoning that seems to shake the ignorant out of their self-induced slumber. Not pro-gun statements by the Founders, not statistics about how guns reduce crime, not certified historical (and present-day) examples of registration leading to confiscation leading (in all too many cases) to genocide - no, you have to show these morons what a simple shift of the target puts their "favorite right" on the chopping block. Tell someone that identical logic to that of the gun-grabbers will result in their books or right to worship being taken away, and they suddenly wake up. At least those with a few neurons functioning - the rest are truly hopeless.
Thanks for the re-post. I wasn't on FR in '99, so now I've seen a real classic. I've bookmarked it, and will send copies to every anti or fence-sitter on my email list.
You're right, it's worth bumping again.
If by feinswine you mean the fine Senator from California, she knows all about the benefits of being armed. Like most dems, she's an elitist, her rights are more right than everyone elses rights.
"Because less than twenty years ago I was the target of a terrorist group...I know the sense of helplessness that people feel. I know the urge to arm yourself because that's what I did. I was trained in firearms...I carried a concealed weapon. I made the determination that if somebody was going to try to take me out, I was going to take them with me."
Senator Dianne Feinstein
2nd Amendment designed for the citizen militia BUMP.
Of all things that I see on FR today, ignorance of our government is certainly the most popular.
Gee, she sounds an awful lot like a pro-gunner...now "all" that we need to do is overcome whatever deep-rooted psychological problem she has that prevents her from empathizing with other people who many feel the same way. She is a-social, obviously having no concern at all for others if she can so callously dismiss everyone else's right to defense of self, family and liberty. I, for one, am not holding my breath that she will ever overcome this problem - she's too old and her head is too f'd up.
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