Free Republic

I have been a lifelong Republican. I proudly served as a senior political appointee in the Reagan and elder Bush administrations. But today I am supporting John Kerry for president because I personally witnessed his courage, tenacity and leadership when he waged war against a dangerous international criminal enterprise. Because of that experience, I believe that he is best qualified to lead our country in an era of fundamental threats to our national security. In 1988, Kerry began an investigation of international drug connections as chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Terrorism, Narcotics, and International Operations. He discovered that the...

Left-liberal BBC poll

I am going to break from one of my rules today. Normally, I only describe things I have heard or seen. Many people have asked me, though, about what happened in an Najaf, so I think it is important to dwell on that today. To begin with, I would like to tell you what my Iraqi colleagues thought about the situation. One, a devout Shi’a, felt that Muqtada al Sadr was really not such a bad guy, but that his movement had been co-opted by radicals and criminals. He was an exception. Another Shi’a co-worker begged I not put a...

Across the United States, thousands of conservatives and curious but undecided voters are trying to buy copies of Unfit for Command. Some of us have already had the good fortune to buy a copy. Now that we've read these books, let's not hoard them. Give or loan your copy to anyone who might benefit, preferably someone who is on the fence about John Kerry. I'm handing my copy around to veterans who haven't been aggressive enough to track down copies themselves. If we all do this, more people will read the book than just those who are already so filled...

Friends, This letter was written by a young friend of mine, a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. He began his service several years ago, long before our present war started, and has been in a pleasant, secure position; nothing prevented him from pursuing a successful career in some of the most comfortable duty stations in the world. Now his circumstances have changed, and he has given permission for me to present this letter on FR to explain matters. He was once stationed in Hawaii and is fascinated with its culture, which explains some of his references. If you can read...

I belong to a small organization that has about $1500 in its coffers. One of our number is a young man who volunteered for the USMC last year and recently got sent to Iraq. As I posted on this forum a few days ago, he got shot at by the bad guys last week but was saved from injury when some of his radio gear deflected the shot. It made us all think: is there some extra gear--a fancy kevlar vest or a special type of helmet--that would be a cut above standard issue, and that we could buy for...

Friend is a formerly successful fifty-year-old man, divorced two years, now in his second year at a good law school. Lost his previous career in the great California dot-com crash and subsequent recession. There have been constant battles with the ex over her obstruction of his visitation with their only child. He is financially denuded--impoverished--by their settlement and legal expenses; he no longer has any assets but a bed and a desk.He was ordered to pay her legal fees which amount to about $40000 and cannot do so, as he has already used up all his resources and lines of...

Today's issue of the Washington Times carried a paid tabloid-style advertising supplement by the ADCRI, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (adcri@adc.org). Among the "famous Arab-Americans" it lists is one Helen Thomas. Yes, that Helen Thomas.

Please suggest some ways I can help a young black woman, a borderline conservative, embrace the Republican Party.

As usual I was running late. So, you can imagine my frustration level as I approached the main gate of Ramstein Air Base only to find traffic backed up. Nearing the checkpoint I realized that not only was there a long line of cars, but traffic had come to a complete stop as a result of all entrance gates being closed. Over the past 18 months, there have been many opportunities to practice our patience as we have had to "hurry up and wait" as a result of heightened security. While we realize the necessity, it's still frustrating at times...

I am a divorced mom. I have a stalker, a man who can't take no for an answer. He's been rather worrisome, and his mental health is deteriorating. The police say that his threats have not yet been specific enough for them to arrest him and keep him locked up. The problem is made somewhat worse by the fact that he lives in another state, 40 minutes away, and it's difficult to prosecute across state lines, especially since he hasn't actually hurt me (yet). What makes the situation a little more tolerable is that I have (among other things) a...

What happened to Daniel Pipes's website, if anything?

Look, first of all, please forgive me. I know I haven't done this right, but I can't figure out quite how to post this, my first vanity post. So please be kind and bear with me. I'm seeking the opinions of Freepers because you are collectively the most broadly experienced, tough-minded, and knowledgeable group of people I've ever encountered.I learned a few days ago that my ex-husband, the father of my eight-year-old son and fourteen-year-old daughter, has been arrested for sexually abusing his stepdaughter, who was 12 1/2 to 13 at the time. He is 61, formerly a distinguished, internationally...