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<p>Miami-Dade police officials plan to include in their 2009 handbook a note about how to respond to calls about ritual animal sacrifices.</p> <p>The decision comes a year after Coral Gables officers raided a home where practitioners of Santeria were slaughtering goats, chickens and pigeons. Several worshippers were held at gunpoint and detained for hours.</p>

Ancient "Human Sacrifices" Found in Peru, Expert SaysKelly Hearn for National Geographic NewsJune 4, 2008 Three possible human sacrifice victims have been found at a 4,000-year-old archaeological site in Peru, an archaeologist says. The apparently mutilated, partial skeletons (see photos) could overturn the peaceful reputation of the Pre-Ceramic period (3000 B.C. to 1800 B.C.) in the Andes mountains—a time generally seen as free of ritualized killing and warfare. Alejandro Chu Barrera, who led the dig, said: "We found two pairs of legs—probably young females around their 20s—and the decapitated body of a young male in his 20s." "They appear to...

Today is Memorial Day, May 30, 2008 and this video in my heart of hearts had to be “REDONE”, to express the moment of that day and the memory of sacrifices made aboard the Naval carrier USS Farrestal - CVA-59 on July 29, 1967 in North Vietnam – Gulf of Tonkin, South China Sea, at or about 10:50 AM. The results of the disaster were, fatalities 134 and as many as 70 or more men wounded. The song in this video is sung by the Five Blind Boys of Alabama, “I’m on the Battle Field’ and color pictures are contributed...

This video is in memory of sacrifices made aboard the Naval carrier USS Farrestal, CVA-59 on July 29, 1967 in North Vietnam – Gulf of Tonkin, South China Sea, at or about 10:50 AM. The results of the disaster were, fatalities 134 and as many as 70 or more men wounded. The song in this video is sung by the Five Blind Boys of Alabama, “Down by the Riverside’ and color pictures are contributed by Bill Mason, PH2-US Navy. In the video is the actual voice of Captain John Beling, recorded during the beginning of the fires and disaster.

WASHINGTON, May 11, 2008 – President Bush praised America’s mothers, especially those who’ve lost sons or daughters during the war on terror and those who gave their lives in service to their country, during his weekly radio address yesterday. An excerpt from the president’s remarks follows: “On this Mother’s Day weekend, we think of the many mothers who raised the brave men and women serving our country in uniform. And to those mothers, I offer the thanks of a grateful nation. “Your sons and daughters are defending our freedom with dignity and honor, and America appreciates the sacrifices that...

4/15/2008 - OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea (AFPN) -- Staff Sgt. Travis L Griffin was killed by an improvised explosive device in one of Baghdad's most violent neighborhoods April 3. He was a security forces Airman from the 377th Security Forces Squadron from Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. Sergeant Griffin was serving a one-year deployment training the Iraqi police. His goals were to make Iraq a safer place, to ensure the sacrifices made by thousands of military members in Iraq were not made in vain, and to help create a free and democratic nation in the aftermath of Saddam Hussein's...

CAMP TAJI, Iraq, Nov. 29, 2007 – Army Staff Sgt. Rosie Threatt could have been lost in the group of her large family. She’s the fifth of six children, and her siblings have distinguished themselves by working in the medical, criminal justice and teaching fields. Staff Sgt. Rosie Threatt, senior human resources noncommissioned officer for 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, discusses personnel actions with New Orleans native Spc. Troy Halley, human resources information specialist, at Camp Taji, Iraq. Threatt, a Port Gibson, Miss., native, joined the Army in 1999 to get a college education and make a...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 25, 2007 – First lady Laura Bush visited troops in Kuwait today to thank them for their service, calling them a force for good in the Middle East. (Video) First lady Laura Bush greets U.S. Air Force Col. Brian O'Connor, vice commander of the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, in Kuwait, Oct. 24, 2007. The visit highlighted the accomplishments of the Middle East Partnership Initiative programs of the State Department. Defense Dept. photo by Staff Sgt. Tia Schroeder, U.S. Air Force   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “At the heart of your mission to protect America's freedom...

This past month, the Bush Administration opened the U.S. border to trucks from Mexico. Trying to soften the blow, they called it a "pilot program" but it clearly sacrifices the economic security of American workers and the safety and health of the U.S. public on George Bush's altar of free trade. There is no better example of how big money has corrupted government decision making than cross border trucking. This scheme is opposed by the Teamsters and the entire labor movement, opposed by environmental groups and the Sierra Club, opposed by Public Citizen and a host of other non-governmental organizations,...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2007 – The success that Marine Gen. Peter Pace has had in a 40-year military career has been based “on my listening to the incredible enlisted leaders who have been my partners,” the soon-to-retire chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today at the Pentagon. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace thanks enlisted troops for their service and bids them farewell at the Pentagon, Sept. 20, 2007. Photo by Cherie A. Thurlby  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Pace thanked the enlisted force for their service. The Pentagon Channel broadcast...

FAIRBANKS, Alaska, Dec. 13, 2006 – Some 4,000 members of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team gathered here yesterday to celebrate their accomplishments during 16 months in Iraq and mourn their losses as they uncased the unit’s colors during a stirring redeployment ceremony. Servicemembers of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team salute the colors during a redeployment ceremony near Fort Wainwright, Alaska, Dec. 12. Photo by William D. Moss  '(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The soldiers assembled at the Carlson Community Center, just down the road from Fort Wainwright here, to reflect on their deployment and receive a...

This short poem , written by a US Navy officer serving in Iraq, came in "over the transom" via email. I wanted to pass it along. Please do likewise !

HOLMDEL, N.J., July 11, 2006 – U.S. military men and women have given the Iraqi people hope, Iraq's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations said during a July 9 ceremony here at the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans' Memorial. Molly Morel, an American Gold Star Mother from Tennessee, talks with Ambassador Feisal Amin al-Istrabadi, Iraq's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations. Photo by Samantha L. Quigley  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Feisal Amin al-Istrabadi spoke to a group of American Gold Star Mothers, mothers who have lost a child in the service of the United States. The...

6/8/2006 - MILFORD, Mass. (AFPN) -- When servicemembers deploy, they aren't the only ones who serve. Their families serve also, and usually the separation is hardest on the children. Homecomings are joyous moments for military families, but until recently, the service and sacrifice made by the children of deployed troops went largely unrecognized. That has all changed here, thanks to the Massachusetts State Family Program Office and their new Youth Service Medal. “At each reunion briefing, we are all amazed at how strong these children are and the degree of resiliency they demonstrate” said Jennifer Cesaitis, youth program coordinator for...

WASHINGTON, June 4, 2006 – While Americans are supporting troops serving overseas in a variety of ways, Cameron Schilling has found a way to memorialize the sacrifices of Illinois servicemembers who don't return home safely. Cameron Schilling spent his free time for the better part of three months doing pencil sketches of 122 of Illinois' fallen servicemembers. This display appeared at the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago. Courtesy photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Working with Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn's office, Schilling has created pencil sketches of nearly all of Illinois' fallen servicemembers. The 122 sketches and...

WASHINGTON, May 26, 2006 – Every U.S. servicemember lost in the global war on terror is a tragedy, but as the United States honors them this Memorial Day, it's important to recognize that some things are worth fighting for, and even dying for, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said last night on CNN's "Larry King Live." "War is the last choice of anyone with any sense at all," Rumsfeld said. "It is a terrible, terrible thing." But sometimes it represents the only real choice, he said. "If we tossed in the towel every time we had a problem in this...

WASHINGTON, May 20, 2006 – President Bush singled out the efforts of U.S. servicemembers in his salute to the new unity government that formed in Iraq today. "The sacrifices of many of our country's noblest and bravest have helped make this day possible," he said. "We will not forget their contribution to our security and Iraq's democracy." Thirty-nine ministers and state secretaries received the Iraqi Parliament's approval today, culminating the move to form a democracy that started with the U.S. and coalition's toppling of former dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003. "Iraqis now have a fully constitutional government, marking the end...

Making sacrifices in Stone Age societies Bruce Bower From San Juan, Puerto Rico, at the Paleoanthropology Society and Society for American Archaeology meeting Double and triple burials at 23,000-to-27,000-year-old sites in Europe and western Asia suggest prehistoric human sacrifices, says Vincenzo Formicola of the University of Pisa in Italy. Of 30 known burials from that time period and area, 6 held more than one person. These graves contain two or three children, adolescents, or young adults apparently buried at the same time, positioned in curious ways, and accompanied by unusually valuable objects, Formicola says. Most of the multiple burials include...

WASHINGTON, April 18, 2006 – Children in military families make sacrifices and serve their country as much as anyone in uniform does, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here today. "In so many loving ways, our children quietly shoulder part of the burden, making their mom or dad understand that what they are doing is important," Marine Gen. Peter Pace said in an interview with the Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press Service. Military parents often have to miss holidays and special occasions, and children are left home to worry while parents go on difficult missions, Pace...

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. (March 30, 2006) -- When 24-year-old Emily Dieruf learned that her husband of three months, Cpl. Nich Dieruf, had been killed in an ambush in Al Anbar Provence, Iraq in April 2004, the blissful newlywed was devastated. Initially after the tragic news, Dieruf and other family members decided to establish the Cpl. Nich Dieruf Memorial Fund in an effort to keep Nich’s name alive. The fund was to provide financial assistance to Marine families living in the Dieruf’s hometown of Lexington, Ky. Through a family friend, Dieruf learned that another Kentucky based non-profit organization, USA...

ARLINGTON, Va., Feb. 26, 2006 – In a biting cold wind, families and dignitaries gathered at Arlington National Cemetery here today to remember American servicemembers who gave their lives in operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm and Provide Comfort. Officials conducted the ceremony at section 60 of the cemetery, where most of those killed in the Persian Gulf War are buried. The Persian Gulf War ended with the liberation of Kuwait on Feb. 28, 1991. Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, remembered the hundreds of U.S. servicemembers killed in the conflict. He said American servicemembers remember...

U.S. MARINE CORPS FORCES, PACIFIC, CAMP H. M. SMITH, Hawaii (Feb. 01, 2006) -- Surrounded by friends, coworkers and with his wife on the cell phone from North Carolina, Todd D. Nicodemus was promoted from gunnery sergeant to warrant officer during a ceremony at the USS Arizona Marine Corps Remembrance at Pearl Harbor, Feb. 1. Nicodemus chose the location of the ceremony in honor of the 73 Marines that gave their lives and the 15 who fought and survived the attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941. “It is truly an honor to be promoted at the USS Arizona Marine...

AL ASAD, Iraq (Dec. 11, 2005) -- “Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would have met the people I have, traveled to the places I’ve been and shared all the experiences that have enriched my life.” Navy Capt. Stephen Epperson, the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing Chaplain, serves U.S. service members at Al Asad, Iraq. With vivid detail, he can recount story after story from his 38 years of service. His career began making coffee for an admiral during the Vietnam era. During 1983, he was off the coast of Lebanon for 43 straight days, including Christmas, where...

  For Immediate ReleaseOffice of the Press SecretaryOctober 29, 2005 President's Radio Address      Audio      THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This week marked another important milestone in carrying out our strategy in Iraq. On Tuesday, the Iraqi election commission formerly certified the passage of the new Iraqi constitution, after nearly 10 million Iraqis turned out to vote on it two weeks ago. This is a moment of tremendous significance for Iraq, the region, and the world. Three years ago, when Saddam Hussein ruled with an iron grip, the prospect of Iraqis voting on a democratic constitution would have been unthinkable. Now,...

RUSH: Mary in Jacksonville, Florida, nice to have you on the program. Welcome. CALLER: Thank you. Hello? Hello? RUSH: Yes, ma'am. CALLER: Is this Rush? RUSH: It is. CALLER: Hi, Rush. I just wanted to voice my opinion. I had three sons and my husband over in Iraq last year, and it was worrisome but at the same time I couldn't have been more prouder, and I had a number of people ask me, "If anything happens to your sons now that you have all of them over there will you feel the same about this war?" and I said,...

It is at this time of the year that some sentimental Americans reflect on the greatness of the Founding Fathers. Albeit, in the face of “political Correctness,” the “pop culture” mindset, and a government school system that has abandoned American history, the numbers who ponder such topics is shrinking. Nevertheless, several profound essays have been written on the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and their fates in the wake of that momentous occasion. It is worthwhile to consider just a few from among those perhaps greatest of Americans, how their examples spoke to the nation at its inception, and...

Most Americans have not been paying attention to the bureaucratic wrangling and political jockeying that has plagued the construction of the World Trade Center Memorial at Ground Zero in lower Manhattan. But it's not just New Yorkers and developers and 9/11 families who should care. A good portion of the project is federally subsidized. All of us have not only a financial stake, but also a moral stake, in protecting the honor of the victims -- and the dignity of our country. A Blame America Monument is not what we need or deserve. But it looks like one is already...

Last month over 1,500 family members who have lost a loved one in Iraq or Afghanistan gathered at Arlington National Cemetery at the behest of an organization called Faces of the Fallen, which has assembled dozens of artists to paint portraits of those killed in Afghanistan and Iraq. General Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was the keynote speaker. While his speech managed to strike a few emotional chords, it was what he did after speaking that was remarkable. Hours after his speech concluded General Myers was still standing out in a cold drizzle talking at...

A Tribute to the French: Eleven thousand soldiers lay beneath the dirt and stone, all buried on a distant land so far away from home. For just a strip of dismal beach they paid a hero's price, to save a foreign nation they all made the sacrifice. And now the shores of Normandy are lined with blocks of white: Americans who didn't turn from someone else's plight. Eleven thousand reasons for the French to take our side, but in the moment of our need, they chose to run and hide. Chirac said every war means loss, perhaps for France that's...

We live in a time when what is left is right, what is good is bad, what is up is down, and what is true is false. This is a period of our history unmatched in its preponderance of mind-control mechanisms meant to manipulate public opinion and fool people into believing what is black is white, what is white is black, and gray is all that matters. Every day I hear people parrot what they ingest from the mainstream media, foolishly believing they are informed and are paying attention. I learned some time ago that lies and deception are not...

Jacques Chirac speaks and those who love freedom can only cringe. Recent statements by the French President make you wonder if the man is not disappointed that the Vichy government no longer exists. If his comments truly reflect French public opinion, then France is an ally we are better off without. In statements made to the BBC, Chirac claimed that Britain has gotten nothing from its participation in the war in Iraq. If we take that statement seriously, then we should be questioning our own involvement in World War I and World War II. What did we get for helping...

<p>LOMA LINDA, Calif. — When Maj. Hal Sellers learned his infant son was living on borrowed time awaiting a heart transplant, the Marine and his wife had to choose between duty to family and to nation.</p> <p>Sellers "did a lot of soul-searching" when the time came to decide, said his wife, Betsy Sellers. Unable to help the youngest of the couple's three sons, he chose to help his unit.</p>