Sad to say, but true, the Army still persists in its stupidity by creating ridiculous AR’s. The most recent egregious example is an AR which MISINTERPRETS the Privacy Act. The Army refuses to reveal to the public the noteworthy accounts of personal heroism and outstanding Civic Action (rebuilding schools, churches, infrastructure and public utilities) by soldiers who risk life and limb on a daily basis performing assigned duties in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mistakenly, the Army contends that it is “protecting the privacy of soldiers from malcontents who would harass and endanger them, and their families”. What a hollow and untenable argument at a time when outstanding performance MUST be highly publicized in order to gain public support and thereby raise troop morale. The Dept. of Defense contends that it has NO restrictions in the release of this type of information. The case is now in the hands of the courts with the “Baltimore Sun” as the principal supporter of “sunshine” and free reporting of noteworthy actions.

         Search the internet for more information. The Army’s intransigence and stupidity MUST end. It’s a battle that we MUST win! Contact your elected officials.  

By the time you read this article, you will have received a letter asking for a donation over and above the annual dues for American Legion Post 134. As Commander, it is my hope that you will give this appeal serious consideration, so that we can get the Post back on the right track, financially. I know that Post 134 has a great tradition and that each member will do everything in his power to insure that this tradition continues.  

During the past several years, with a decline in membership, the amount of money in the treasury has also declined due to the fact that, with the exception of Booster Club Dues, annual dues are the only source of income for the Post. A portion of the annual membership dues goes to the National American Legion Headquarters, which means that only a part of the annual dues goes to Post 134. Also, although Booster Club dues are a substantial help for the revenue of the Post, Booster Club dues and Annual Dues do not provide the necessary income to support Post programs. Therefore, the treasury must make up the difference each month.  

Last year, the Post treasury had a shortfall of $1295. Currently, the Post has $1491.14 in the checking account and $8174.60 in the money market account. Usually, the checking account is used for operating capital and the money market account is used a reserve fund. Although the reserve fund is adequate for an emergency, the checking account should have at least $3000 on average.  

At the Executive Committee Meeting last month, it was decided to implement 3 programs to augment Post revenue: 1) Charge an extra dollar for each meal to offset the cost of “no shows”, 2) Conduct a raffle at each monthly luncheon meeting, 3) Conduct a general solicitation from the Post Membership. The first two initiatives have been put into place at the March general membership meeting, and they have been a resounding success. The final part of this program is the general membership solicitation, which, I expect, will be equally successful.  

The current programs, which Post 134 is supporting financially, are as follows: the Bugle Call Rag, Post 134 Website, Boys' State, High School Oratorical Competition, and the Annual Post Christmas Party at the Druid Hills Country Club. I am positive that each and every member wants these activities to continue. Again, please give this appeal for donation your most serious consideration. Every Post Officer has pledged his support for this financial request, and it my belief that the Post membership will meet this challenge and will do the same.  

It was just a normal day in the life of the venerable RALPH MOOR.  An early breakfast, a limousine sent by Georgia State University arrives to take him to his interview with the reporter from the Atlanta Journal Constitution, then the address to a class of students at Georgia State, followed by lunch with the Georgia State dean at the Capital City Club and then the limo ride back home.   

The delivery of the AJC the next morning came as a major surprise, however, as our 96 year old former Past Commander found his photo and digest of his speech splashed across the front page.

Just in case you missed it, teaching young people to “poverty proof” themselves thru the “immutable laws of economics” has become a mission for GENERAL MOOR.  He tells them to live within their means, spend less than they make, take responsibility for their lives and do not depend on others-especially the government- to take care of them. 

Common sense ideas you say.  You bet, but these are ideas that many of our young folks have not been taught.  Recognizing that a large number of their students are unprepared for the real world credit experience, the university with Ralph Moors help (he designed the syllabus) now teaches several well received classes based on his ideas, hence the publicity from the newspaper. 

Lead on general-lead on.  

NEXT MEETING
Now is the time to make your plans for the April 10th meeting at the Petite Auberge.  SAM STEGER, our program director has done it again.  This month he brings to our stage BRIGADIER GENERAL JOE FRAZER, U.S. ARMY, RETIRED.  General Frazer is a 1965 graduate of the U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY.  Attendance at the meeting is required to find out how this naval graduate jumped ship for the Army. 

SICK CALL
BILL MARTIN has a shiny new pace maker.  We understand he is recovering nicely.  

SPECIAL ANNIVERSARIES

*** JOANNE and GEORGE HOOTEN celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on February 27th.   Surely there is a special award somewhere for Joanne. 
*** ANNE and CHARLIE SHEPHERD will celebrate their 60th in June.
*** Not to be outdone KITTY and JOHN LUKE celebrated their 65th anniversary on March 15th in a special wedding ceremony at their church in Conyers. 
*** RALPH MOOR and his EX. Celebrated their Golden Anniversary DIVORCE.  Partners no more, but friends forever.

BEST FRIENDS TEST
How do you know who your real friends are?  How do you know who your best friend is?  Leave it to CHARLIE SHEPHERD to devise a best friends test.  CHARLIE says to put your wife and dog in the trunk of your car for one hour.  When you open the trunk, see who is really happy to see you.

Quite often, TV news and Talk Show programs feature experts who tell us what our country should be doing in various parts of the world.  These experts have had experience as Foreign Service operators or State Department personnel or high-ranking military retirees. I listen.  Sometimes I’m impressed.  Most of the time I’m disappointed by the absence of attention to the nitty-gritty.  At such moments, I grumble out my ideas to an absent audience.

          I began my foreign policy lectures when our then President Reagan was unwelcomed by Irish activists and told to go home.  I thought that such conduct merited sanctions of some sort on the Land of Saints and Scholars.  I immediately let it be known that from that point on the number of Irish emigrants headed for the New York City police force and political precincts would be reduced considerably.  This was a painful decision on my part.  After all, my parents were born in Ireland.  Too bad.  Poor treatment of American Presidents is a privilege belonging only to Americans. 

         Emboldened by my success with the invisible audience, I spent considerable time pointing out that  many of our Arabic/Islamic friends had voting records in the UN that were consistently anti-American.  Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia – these and others voted against the U.S. far above 70% of the time.  These countries receive bundles of our money:  Egypt--$2billion; Jordan--$193 million; Pakistan-- $700 million; India--$144 million.  I decided that foreign aid to such countries should cease.  Unfortunately, I found out that we’re up to our eyebrows in debt to some of them.  Oil, you know.  Out sourcing jobs to them is also involved. 

           China is my favorite target these days.  The finding of lead in big amounts in  painted toys and not so good stuff in some pharmaceuticals has me considering curtailing all that free trade business.  Convincing our big business leaders to support me, however, is presenting difficulties.  They don’t seem to want to get the lead out. 

         Poland tried playing games with us over the placement of missile stations on their grounds.  Originally, they were for it.  Putin must have talked tough to them.  I threatened the Poles with an embargo on Polish ham, pointing out that we have lots of ham in places like Hollywood.  That did it.  They agreed to go along with us.  I’ve won one! 

         Generally, I get along with the Germans, but I met a stunted Aryan at an outdoor bar in Bernkassel a few years back.  Over a beer he asked if I were British.  I told him I’m American.  He glared at me and growled, “That’s too bad.”  He walked away as I silently yelled an expletive at his back.  It was then that I put a halt on delivery of Spaten Beer:  no more deliveries until a month before and during the Oktoberfest.  I can be very vindictive. 

         Now, I admit that these examples of my foreign policy thinking emphasize my prolonged adolescence.  Nonetheless, I feel vindicated.  My audience remains silent.  I’m at least considering the nitty-gritty.   

        What have we become? The founding fathers never envisioned that we would ever become a nation catering to the whims of 3rd world émigrés and never in their wildest dreams did it ever occur to them that we would be using Spanish on an extensive basis. Why has truth become so meaningless and why have we become so apathetic about the future of our nation which is under constant criticism and imperiled by socialist and 3rd world ideologies? Have we had our 200 years of glory? Why do we send troops, money, and technical assistance to the UN and all over the world to aid ungrateful recipients who respond by denigrating us? Why do we permit the existence of a professional corps of politicians (many of whom could NEVER make it in fair competition in the civilian world) to tax us to kingdom come and then willfully and wastefully squander our hard-earned dollars on projects or studies which are patently unnecessary and useless? (Aren’t 2 terms in office sufficient?) Why do we endow Congress with one of the world’s sweetest retirement plans? Why do we tolerate the presence of arrogantly dictatorial judges who are unduly soft on felons and who actually legislate from the bench? Why does the vote of the most recently naturalized and uneducated citizen who took the oath of allegiance in ANOTHER language carry the same weight as the vote of the most erudite and highly knowledgeable person?  Why, when border agents in Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe, South America and the Middle East shoot to kill do we permit the rampant and large scale invasions of our borders on a daily basis by illegal immigrants?  Why do we not react with immediate force when such illegals assault and even murder our Border Patrol agents who are trying to stem the tide of illegal entry and drug traffic?  Why do certain organizations and even local governments extend sanctuary to illegals?  Why do we provide grants and tax breaks to those entities which aid and abet illegals?   Why do so many public officials refuse to enforce illegal immigration laws? Are not the Constitution and legislation enacted by the Congress still the SUPREME law of the land?   Why are public demonstrations allowed where foreign flags are flown, where the U.S. flag is desecrated, and where agitators are allowed to protest against ENFORCEMENT of our OWN laws? Why do we continue to give Social Security payments to foreigners and new citizens who NEVER worked a day in the USA and NEVER contributed a CENT to the program? Why do we extend medical, educational, and social services (including FOOD STAMPS) to non-citizens? Why has the price of milk and eggs DOUBLED recently without any oversight by the Congress? (Has your income doubled in the same time period?) Why do so many teachers and school administrators openly advocate indiscriminate sex, drug use, gay life styles, and the shut-down of ROTC programs? Why have so many schools ceased reciting the pledge of allegiance on a daily basis and why have they abandoned the time-honored tradition of espousing patriotism, Americanism, and the display of our flag? Why do we not exercise to the fullest extent possible the precious RIGHT to VOTE? Just think about people in the former USSR and other totalitarian states who have spent years in prison or even forfeited their lives because they dared to obtain the right to vote their conscience. And the list of WHY’S goes on and on.

         Am I making any sense? Am I piquing your curiosity, and hopefully, am I stimulating you to take a MORE ACTIVE role in the process of government? Surely you can see that “The World Has Turned Upside Down”. What have we become? But, worst of all we have no one to blame but ourselves. Our predecessors have bequeathed a wonderful nation to us and it is our moral duty to preserve that heritage and pass it on to our progeny. Failing to do so only confirms Pogo’s thesis----“We have met the enemy and he is us”.

         Let’s react responsibly! It is NEVER too late to correct the situation. One person CAN make a difference! Spread the word.