Side note: Ga-Ka-Quadaffi’s escape was thwarted by bombs from a FRENCH plane. Of all the Causes of Death possible in this world, “Killed by the French” has got to rank as one of the most shameful ones, right below “Accidental Auto-Erotic Asphyxiation” and only slightly above “Death By Infection From That Tiny African Worm That Swims Up Your Wing-Wang”.
— Marko, The Munchkin Wrangler, writing about the death of Qaddafi
Posted by daddybear71 on October 21, 2011
https://daddybearsden.com/2011/10/21/quote-of-the-day-42/
Yesterday, I commented on a young lady of Muslim faith who has been told that she cannot wear the hijab with her JROTC uniform. I took the position that AR 670-1, which governs the appearance of soldiers and how they wear their uniforms, needed to be upheld. I also felt that if the Army said there would be no exceptions for wearing religious articles that could be seen in uniform, then she should either hang up her ACU’s or conform.
But after I wrote that, a little voice in the back of my head kept bugging me. I half-remembered that other religious groups had, on a case by case basis, been given exceptions to the uniform standards.
So I did a little digging, and I found something.
The Army has given at least three Sikhs who wanted to serve an exception to AR 670-1. They have been allowed to go without the normal haircut or shaving, and have been allowed to wear a black turban in place of a beret and a camouflage turban under their helmet. Reports are that the soldiers have done well, and are not looking for exceptions to other standards or special treatment.
So it is possible for members of our society who have religious beliefs that require them to have overt, visible manifestations of those beliefs to serve.
Now that I realize this, my opinion on the case of this young woman changes. If other people can have an exception made, so long as they conform in every other way, why can’t an exception be made for practicing Muslim women to wear a hijab?
Above and beyond the fairness issue here, there’s a more practical issue at stake. The military is fighting wars in the mid-East, and will be in one way or another for the foreseeable future. By encouraging loyal Americans who happen to be Muslim into our armed forces, we become better prepared to fight those wars. Muslims would probably know more about the culture and language of the countries we will be fighting in, and their knowledge can be leveraged to improve the training of other soldiers. This is similar to the thousands of Eastern European immigrants who served during the Cold War, or descendents of German immigrants who served in the World Wars.
So my point is that if the Army can make an exception for Sikhs, why not Muslims? The armed forces could gain by making inroads into a community with unique skills and knowledge that could be used to improve their effectiveness in wars, and it only seems fair. That being said, the young lady in question, and other Muslims who want to serve but still wear a hijab, should consider following the example of the Sikh soldier I linked to, and wear headgear that blends in with the rest of her uniform.
What do y’all think?
Posted by daddybear71 on October 21, 2011
https://daddybearsden.com/2011/10/21/rethinking/
Guys, remember, if today truly is the rapture, do something good for yourself after noticing that some of your neighbors are missing. Something like arming yourself well for Ragnarok, then visiting your local spirits vendor. What’s the point of having to fight your way through Armageddon if you can’t do it carrying your grail gun and having a bottle of your favorite booze in your ruck?
Posted by daddybear71 on October 21, 2011
https://daddybearsden.com/2011/10/21/thought-for-the-day-doomsday-edition/
Mohmar “Senor Psychopath” Qaddafi was killed today. Thus ends 42 years of despotic rule over Libya. In my lifetime, he’s picked and lost fights with the U.S. Navy, bombed a bar in Berlin and killed Americans, supported terrorists throughout the Middle East and Europe, gotten bombed, arranged the bombing of an airliner that also killed Americans, and become everyone’s favorite oil-rich pariah. I expect to see reports of Chinese arms manufacturers, Italian hair dye producers, and female bodyguards weeping in the streets.
His friends in Italy and France turned on him this spring when he crossed some otherwise invisible line in putting down mass uprisings in Libya. Apparently using helicopter gunships against demonstrators is just too much for them to ignore. Their reaction probably had more to do with Al Jazeera and CNN broadcasting the video than it did with the act itself. For some reason, we went along with their plan to support a rabble with 21st century airpower. My gut tells me it’s because the Europeans told President Obama it was important that NATO do something, and NATO couldn’t use a urinal unless we were there to help them aim and flush.
So now the “kinetic action” is pretty much over. Time to pack up our close air support/ interdiction aircraft….. Wait, I’m sorry, time to bring home our aircraft that were only used to protect Libyan civilians from direct action by forces loyal to the dictator. No matter how you spin it, it’s time for us to stop helping out the new despotic regime. This is going to be a case of “Meet the new bastard, same as the old bastard”.
One thing I’d like to see, and I will be pleasantly surprised if it happens, is for President Obama to present NATO and the new Libyan regime with a bill for the pay of the pilots, crew, and staffs, the cost of fuel and munitions, and wear and tear on our aircraft. Yeah, I know, I’m ever the starry eyed optimist. But we’re not going to see one thin dime of anything from this war when it comes to improvement in American interests, and we spent a lot of money we didn’t have so that Italians could get cheaper petrol for their Deathrace 2000 reenactments along the Via Appia. It’d be nice if after two World Wars, the Marshall Plan, the Cold War, Bosnia, Kosovo, and now Libya if someone else would kick in for the pizza and beer at the after party.
So, here’s hoping that Qaddafi is roasted slowly over a fire fueled with demon poop in his new digs in the pit, along with his fellow bastards Hussein and bin Laden. Here’s hoping that we haven’t made the same mistake we made in Iraq and all the really neat military hardware that he was sitting on doesn’t get added to the armories of people who want to see Walmarts burning. Also, here’s hoping that the rest of the world figures out how to police itself for a while. After almost 70 years of making the world safe for other people, I think it’s time we took a couple of years off. I’ve heard that it’s quite nice to not have to worry about which European/Asian/African/Whatever tribe is going to whack its neighbor next. At least that’s what George Washington said.
Posted by daddybear71 on October 21, 2011
https://daddybearsden.com/2011/10/21/alrighty-then/
Posted by daddybear71 on October 20, 2011
https://daddybearsden.com/2011/10/20/news-roundup-76/
If you ever really want to contest the Declaration of Independence, bring a lunch, so we’ll have something to eat.
A group of British barristers debated a group of American lawyers about the legality of the Declaration recently in Philadelphia. Their point was that the actions taken by the Continental Congress were treasonous, and they have a point. If any of the signers of the Declaration and other leaders of the Revolution had been captured, they would have been hanged for their trouble.
No-one has ever claimed that the decision by the American colonists in 1776 was legal under British law. That was kind of the point of the 7 years of war we fought to convince the British that continued efforts to bring us back into the fold weren’t worth the effort. We’re not saying that in this instance might makes right, but if George III was so convinced in his own divine right to rule, then he should have found a way to win the war.
Yeah, I know the debate was mostly just tongue in cheek navel gazing and an opportunity for two nations that have grown very close over the past 235 years to get together and go over an old historical point of law. But there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t thank the Lord for those cantankerous landowners and smugglers in the 18th century who decided they didn’t want their descendants to grow up in Southern Canada and started a war over it.
Posted by daddybear71 on October 20, 2011
https://daddybearsden.com/2011/10/20/to-my-beloved-british-cousins/
Co-Worker – We’re not doing that because that’s stupid.
Someone needs to promote that young man into management before he loses that wisdom.
Posted by daddybear71 on October 20, 2011
https://daddybearsden.com/2011/10/20/overheard-in-the-office/
I love my Mosin Nagant 91/30. I shoot it as much as I do my 10/22. It’s reasonably accurate (minute of Nazi at 200 yards), cheap to shoot, and comfortable on the shoulder. Yeah, I get a humungous bruise after shooting 40 rounds through it in an afternoon, but it’s a good bruise. Ammunition, even though it’s come up significantly since I started shooting it, is dirt cheap, and there has started to be more brass cased ammunition on the market, so reloading is definitely possible.
But I’ve always wanted to take it and the 7.62x54r round it fires to another level. I’ve put Mojo Microclick sights on the rifle, and I’m considering a Timney trigger too. I bought a scope mount for it that replaces the rear sight and put a Long Eye Relief scope on it for a while, but eventually took it off. I could just never get comfortable with that setup.
But none of the major American rifle manufacturers make guns in this caliber. A search for aftermarket barrels hints that someone used to make them, but no-one appears to be selling them at the moment.
So what’s a 54r junkie with a jones for a modern hunting rifle to do?
Thanks to a FB friend, I have hope:
It’s a single shot break action, but that also intrigues me. I’ve seen some Baikals in a few gun shops. I’ll have to keep my eyes open for one in God’s Own Caliber (Eastern Orthodox).
Also, Izmash appears to be making a true hunting rifle in 7.62x54r. Never seen one of these in the wild, but it’s definitely something to watch out for.
Until either the U.S. manufacturers wake up to the merits of 7.62x54r and the large market of people who already have Mosins or the Russian imports start to become more prevelant, I’ll just keep plugging away with my little 91/30.
Posted by daddybear71 on October 20, 2011
https://daddybearsden.com/2011/10/20/gun-lust-i-has-it/
You can blame this one on Michael Bane. He used a later version of this little ditty to start his latest podcast, and I’ve had it rattling around in my brain pan ever since.
Posted by daddybear71 on October 20, 2011
https://daddybearsden.com/2011/10/20/todays-earworm-99/
Attention Media!
I have heard enough about the following subjects and wish to never be bothered by them again, unless you are told otherwise:
There will be more as time goes on, so check back occasionally to find the latest list of stuff to filter out.
Posted by daddybear71 on October 20, 2011
https://daddybearsden.com/2011/10/20/topico-overexposo/
