Arkansas Blog

Sounds really good, Max. I'll bet an icy vodka tonic or two will help the labor go down easier.

I was wondering what beer you wash down that gumbo with? If you give me some, I'll make the potato salad my own damn self.

ARK. BLOG: Jax. In my dreams.

You should never forget that the chef should always be well-oiled. My Weight Watchers Gestapo says that Roux is No-No. But what does she know?

I played 18 today. I can say without hesitation or fear of contradiction that summer is upon us. I should have stayed in and cooked.

Hell, Max! Jax was long gone by the time even I was in New Orleans. I have some cold Dixie in the fridge. I am sufficiently hydrated now that I think I will go pop one.

Happy Memorial Day everybody!

That gumbo does sound good. We tossed a couple of pork tenderloins on the grill and had cole slaw and smashed taters on the side. Finished at 5:00, so now I might have to scare up a cocktail of some kind. Happy Memorial Day everybody, too.

For the record, Max was seen leaving Kroger at about 4:30 today with a couple of last-minute items, one of which was a six-pack of my own brew of choice, Busch.

ARK. BLOG: Come to the mountains, Busch Beer. I've been enthralled with the Bavarian label since I was a lad. And at 63 cents a can, who can complain?

But, man, is this an indication that there is no privacy any longer? For the record: I also bought a bag of cole slaw mix and some mint-flavored Mars bars.

Pinto beans (seasoned with chili powder, cumin and onions) cooked in the slow-cooker, crispy cornbread, and a brand new bottle of ketchup is the supper for the day. It's my version of an all-American kind of meal.

I'll raise my glass of iced tea and say a toast to all those we remember today. A big "thanks" to those who served and those who died so that I could enjoy my pinto beans.

"But, man, is this an indication that there is no privacy any longer?"

Not for high profile celebrities like you, son.

What would a Labor Day celebration be without our Dos Equis, an all-American favorite around here. There there were Hebrew National franks on a small grill and topped off with fresh India mango salad.

Gawd, wish it had been Labor Day, Lwood!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm ready for Halloween...................

Our youngest was in Chicago since Thursday and our oldest flits in and out like a bird, so my wifey and I took this long weekend to do next to nothing. I think she finally drug herself to the shower, I declared it a no shower, no shaving 3 day weekend. I about look like a Darling from the old Andy Griffith show.

With the kids moving ever so quickly out the door....wifey and I need to remember how to relax again. We've become such multi-taskers that we can't stop to watch a movie or sit and talk without doing some kind of work all the while blogging and keeping up with the newest Cheney-Bush indignity forced upon the world. I really don't know how we'll ever stop long enough to get sick and die. So we better start now! I realized we were alone today and lifted up her blouse and couldn't find her boobies.....fortunately she turned around and .....well.....whew!

Speaking of bo....uh....movies, we did go see Indiana Jones on Saturday night. We both liked it a lot, but by the next day my wife decided it wasn't all that. I told her she was being too hard....it's been 27 years since the first one came out, 18 or 19 years since the last one came out. What on earth does she expect from elderly actors? Harrison Ford is like 65 and pretty much looks it in the movie. Of course his character jumps off cliffs, swings thru the air, is chased and shot at by a cast of thousands and even at SS age....he manages to pull it off. I told her one good punch in the gut would kill every other 65 year old in the world......ahhhh...that Hollywood magic!

So now the child is home from Yankee Land and everything is back to normal. I've had enough of this relaxing stuff...I'm ready to charge into the real week. I got lots of stuff to do and we got an election to keep from being stolen. Bring it!

Praying for our military

Lowell Grisham lgrisham@arkansasusa.com

On Sept. 11, 2001, Naval officer Joan Darrah had to leave early from her meeting in the Pentagon. Seven minutes later the room she had left was destroyed, and many of the colleagues she had been meeting with were killed. Not long afterward, it hit her. Had Joan died that day, Lynne, her partner of 12 years, would have been the last to know. Joan had not dared list Lynne's name in her military records.

In the next few days, Joan attended a dozen memorial services. She went alone. Married officers had the solace of a spouse's arm or shoulder at the emotional funerals. But, when Joan needed the support of her closest companion, it was impossible.

Gay and lesbian persons may serve legally in the military, as long as they do not acknowledge being gay or engaging in homosexual acts. Any such acknowledgment elicits an immediate discharge.

Joan Darrah was a highly competent, hard-charging career military officer. She was the first woman to serve as the deputy commander and chief of staff of the Naval Intelligence Headquarters in Maryland, overseeing 1, 500 personnel. In 1993, when she was selected for promotion to Navy captain (comparable to colonel in the other branches ), the admiral on her selection board sought her out prior to the ceremony to give her glowing praise. He said that she was the kind of officer the Navy needs and that he was proud to support her promotion. Five minutes later while addressing the whole group, the same admiral told the gathering that there was absolutely no place for gays in the military.

During her 30-year career, Joan lived with the daily anxiety: Will this be the day when I'm discovered ? She says it took great energy.

"Imagine going two weeks without speaking of your wife, knowing the mere mention of her would cause you to be fired on the spot without regard to your performance," she challenged me. "Now multiply that into 30 years."

Joan says that having to hide a part of yourself from your comrades compromises the critical bonds of honesty essential to military teamwork. Now retired, even today she finds it hard to share fully, having hid a part of herself for 30 years. Joan says that the military policy of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell "is simply job discrimination based on homophobic fear and that it is bad for the military and our country.

Rear Adm. Jamie Barnett is convinced that it is time for a change in the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT ) policy. Speaking as an active flag officer and out of his "duty to tell"whenever he encounters something that compromises military preparedness, he contends that the policy is bad for recruiting and bad for military preparedness.

Adm. Barnett knows something about preparedness. He was the director of Naval Education and Training and led the Navy's Center for Personal Development. (Disclosure: Adm. Barnett is married to my sister and is a dear friend. )

The military has spent more than $ 360 million since 1993 to discharge service members under DADT. We've lost at least 58 Arabic linguists as well as more than 12, 000 people, including highly trained engineers, medics, pilots and sergeant majors who take more than 20 years to grow.

An estimated 65, 000 gay and lesbian persons serve legally in today's U. S. Armed Forces. It would be devastating to lose these patriotic people who want to serve their nation. Each year 3, 000 gay service members leave. Many cite the pressures that Joan speaks of, pressures that make them feel unwelcomed or even unsafe within their units.

There have been no studies that show that the presence of gay or lesbians in the military is bad for discipline. In fact, just the opposite. A significant RAND Co. study in 1993 recommended full incorporation of gay and lesbian personnel and suggested that the experience of integrating blacks and other minorities into the military offers a strong precedent. Twenty-four other countries, including Israel, welcome gay and lesbians into their military to good effect. (And the Israeli Army is not into making social statements. )

When Harry Truman proposed that blacks be admitted to full service in the military, opponents voiced their fears: "What if a boy from Alabama finds himself in a foxhole with a Negro ? "Those fears were baseless. The military has become one of the most successful race-neutral organizations in the nation. White soldiers returning from serving with black colleagues helped promote the civil rights movement. When you've risked your lives together, how can you stand for inequality when you return to civilian life ?

Adm. Barnett believes things are changing. He finds in his conversation among other senior officers, many think reversing the ban would be no big deal. Last Thursday the 9 th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the discharge of a decorated Air Force nurse under the DADT policy. The court sent the case back, requiring officials to prove that Maj. Margaret Witt's presence in her unit actually hurt morale and that the only way to improve morale would be her discharge. That proof is unlikely, since 10 members of her unit praised her performance regardless of her sexual orientation and asked for her reinstatement.

"I want to serve my country... I am proud of my career and want to continue doing my job," Witt said. "Wounded people never asked me about my sexual orientation. They were just glad to see me there."

On this Memorial Day when we remember and give thanks for all of our veterans, especially those who have given their last full measure of devotion, please include in your prayers those gay and lesbian warriors who have died for their country, and pray for those who serve today despite the shadow over them. Pray that for the sake of our military and for those who serve, that we can overcome our fear and prejudice and promote a more effective and proficient Armed Force that allows our gay members to serve openly and honestly.

Lowell Grisham is an Episcopal priest from Fayetteville.
http://www.nwarktimes.com/nwat/Editorial/65604/

I guess we should congratulate Jake "the snake" Tidwell for getting another letter to the editor published in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette.