Christmas and the Troops

In the spirit of the season of giving this Christmas post is dedicated to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces around the world in places like Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. Also in the spirit of the season it should be made clear that goodwill toward men is a phrase that requires setting aside other matters if only for a moment as dictated by circumstance. With that in mind you may still find it a little peculiar that there would be a kind word for an outfit like MoveOn.org. But hey, it's Christmas and regardless of anything else and that things may change shortly, one should give credit where credit is due. Assuming this is not a hoax and ignoring the natural tendency to comment on items outside the scope of the story, Stanford Matthews from the Blog @ MoreWhat.com would like to go on record thanking those at MoveOn.org for raising a serious six figures for the troops at Christmas. Even The Grinch Would Like This: MoveOn Raising Money For Troops By Martin Kady II Dec 21, 2007 (The Politico) Remember that whole "General Betray Us" advertisement back in September that criticized Army Gen. David Petraeus? Well MoveOn.org, that scourge of the right wing, is raising money like crazy for a Christmas gift for the troops. In the past 24 hours, MoveOn, perhaps the most powerful liberal advocacy group in the country, has raised $275,000 for the United Services Organizations (USO) for calling cards for U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. The USO may be most associated with Bob Hope-type visits to troops overseas, but the non-partisan organization is clearly comfortable partnering with MoveOn if the cause helps soldiers stationed overseas during the holidays. It is not a surprise that President Bush would again remind the country of our troops and their families for the incredible sacrifice and commitment being contributed daily. At the very least we can remember them in our prayers and spread the word so they know we are thinking of them and exceedingly grateful for their service. The President's weekly radio address included an often repeated sentiment for the troops as reported by VOA. Try to ignore the remainder of the report about someone else's take which is not so pleasant. President Bush Praises US Troops, Their Families By Sean Maroney Washington 22 December 2007 In his weekly radio address, President Bush thanked U.S. troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and their families for their sacrifices. "This Christmas, many will sit down for dinner thinking of their loved ones half a world away. These families deserve the thanks and the prayers of our whole nation," he said. There are news reports of generous efforts being provided by the public and various organizations to help the troops have some kind of Christmas away from home. If you want to help there are nearly countless ways to pitch in. If you have no idea where to start, simply use google and type the words troops and Christmas. Plenty of results will point you in the right direction. Or of course you can check with the DOD, any of the armed services, the USO or your elected representatives or the VA or someone. And finally, let's make that annual effort to extend the good we think of during the holidays so the New Year can bring the kind of solutions needed to solve some of the world's problems. If we all try again and keep repeating these sentiments to each other long enough, we might finally succeed with some major improvements. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year or whatever sentiment does it for you. Cheers. Stanford Matthews Blog @ MoreWhat.com (the link just above takes you to a good Christmas story)