Mika Brzezinski on Talking About Gun Control Immediately After the Florida School Shooting

Less than a day after the Parkland Florida School Massacre, in which at least 17 people were killed, MSNBC Anchor Mika Brezinski was insistent about having constructive talk about solutions.  Considering the midtown Manhattan mores of the mainstream media, this mean venting about gun control. Brzezinski threatened to unbook any guests on the Morning Joe who wanted to defer this constructive talk to either wait for confirmed details or out of respect for the victims' families. 

It is natural as members of the media cover this travesty live, they will opine supposed "answers" to make sense of the mire.On Fox News, conservative Sean Hannity got on his hobby horse for his entire hour in prime time to push for all schools to hire armed veterans for school security. For cash strapped districts, a guest suggested having federalized security, like the TSA.  The morning after the Parkland School Shooting, Salem Radio's centrist Republican Hugh Hewitt wondered why there was not a "No Buy List" for mentally troubled individuals. While that touches on the mental health aspect, it raises issues about an over expansive no-buy list, as Obamacare barred many Veterans diagnosed with PTSD from exercising their Second Amendment rights.

Although there are many indications that the shooter had a troubled teen with many mental illness markers, inevitably the knee jerk reaction for this so called "constructive talk"  will be a gun grab or advocating measures like a better background check (which have already been instituted).

Just as reality shows are somewhat scripted, Morning Joe is positioned to proffer reliable perspectives. Mika's booking benchmark shows how progressive will not let a good crisis to go to waste to grab guns.

Trump Shoots Mouth Off at "Not Strong" Soldiers with PTSD

Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump (R-NY) has been trying to make a great play to win the military and veterans vote, as so many of them are against Democrat Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton (D-NY).  Trump has emphasized rebuilding our military and solving Veterans Administration hospitals continued patient care problem for veterans.

With this in mind, Trump spoke before the Retired American Warriors PAC gathering in Herndon, Virginia, Mr. Trump was tossed a verbal softball by a questioner about a prospective Trump Administration's attention to Tramatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which afflicts many veterans returning from today's battlefield. Trump's answer to this puff ball question was such a foul ball that it evokes the military acronym FUBAR.




Suggesting that soldiers suffering from PTSD due to combat experiences  are not strong is pain ignorant and insulting, despite the dulcet tones and fleeting promises contained his Mr. Trump's response.

Perhaps such boorish buffoonery should not be surprsing from Mr. Trump, as he made great hay about insulting Senator John McCain (R-AZ) being a "loser" because he was interred in the Hanoi Hilton as a POW for five years. And this ignorance may arise from the Donald because the closest to combat Trump came was surviving his "personal Vietnam" by avoiding STDs in the 1980s.

After shooting his mouth off about PTSD soldiers, it is a question of whether Mr. Trump politically shot himself in the foot with his insulting answer.   If veterans and their families want a President who will actively rebuild America's military capability as well as support the interests of veterans, it is dubious that they would vote for Mrs Clinton, Mr "What is Aleppo" Libertarian Governor Gary Johnson (L-NM) or Green Party candidate Jill Stein (Green-MA). There is Independent Presidential candidate Evan McMullin (I-UT), who  advocates more conservative political perspectives,  has made the ballot (or qualified for write in status) in 34 states, but has not made much of an impact in national polls.

It is a good bet if active military men and women could publicly participate in politics, they might well affix this on their bumpers.

David Brooks on PTSD

Should PTSD Signify "Plagiarists' Thesis Shucking Disorder?"

When President Obama chose six term Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) to be the Administration's new Ambassador to the Peoples's Republic of China in February 2014, there was a short term appointment into what had been the world's greatest deliberative body, as that seat needed to face the voters in November 2014. Montana Governor Steve Bullock (D-MT) appointed his Lieutenant Governor John Walsh (D-MT) to the position, as he was already running for the seat and incumbency might help Walsh's chances in a uphill year for Senate Democrats, especially in "purple" states.  

The people were not able to fully vet now Senator John Walsh (D-MT) until the campaign was in full throes.  Unfortunately for Senator Walsh, this increased scrutiny exposed an embarrassing chink in his political armor.

Part of an elective appeal for John Walsh is that he spent 33 years in the Montana National Guard, rising to the level of Adjunct General.  Walsh led the 1st Battalion 163rd Infantry Regiment into combat in Iraq and is the first Iraq War veteran to serve in the US Senate.. The 53 year old freshman Senator made his military service a major Walsh had made it major selling point of his candidacy. 

But the New York Times recently reported that in 2007 when Walsh wrote his "strategic research project" (akin to a Masters thesis)  at the United States Army War College,  he seemingly plagiarized substantial portions  of the 14 page project on American Mid East Policy.  The New York Times analysis indicates that a quarter of the quotes from “The Case for Democracy as a Long Term National Strategy" were borrowed from other authors without attribution.  The Washington Post points out that Walsh "borrowed" from a paper written by a Harvard scholar in 1998.  

This was more than sloppy scholarship on the part of Walsh.  Walsh concluded his thesis by offering six recommendations that were lifted nearly word-for-word from  2003 Foreign Affairs piece by Thomas Carothers from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.  

Some scholarship.  Some honor. At West Point, the cadet honor code is "A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do." Cheating includes plagiarism defined as presenting someone else's ideas, words, data, or work as one's own without documentation.

When this plagiarism problem popped up in the press, Senator Walsh's campaign spokeswoman  Lauren Passalacqua tried to quickly shoot down the scandal by saying:  “This was unintentional and it was a mistake.”  When that quick quip did not fly, Senator John Walsh told AP:  "I don't want to blame my mistake on PTSD, but I do want to say that it may have been a factor.  My head was not in a place very conducive to classwork and an academic environment."  Walsh maintains when he wrote the thesis, he had PTSD, was stressed at a fellow veteran's suicide and was on medication. Anonymous Walsh campaign staffers  pointed to drugs to treat PTSD to give a context for Walsh's circumstances.  

Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome is a serious consequence of modern warfare, in which may not take as many lives or limbs but leaves mental scars.  PTSD is often manifested by recurring flashbacks, hyperarousal, and avoidance or numbing of memories of the event. Plaigiarizing a master's thesis does not really seem to fit PTSD. 

Other politicians have plagiarized and survived.  Then Senator Joe Biden (D-DE) plagiarized British Labor Leader Neil Kinnock rise from humble roots (and later Robert Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey), which forced him out of the race for the 1988 Democrat Presidential nomination, but he bounced back and is now the Vice President of the United States.  What is more memorable than sloppy scholarship is a propensity to blame others and play for sympathy. 

Citing PTSD as an excuse for academic dishonesty demeans PTSD, dishonors Walsh's military valor, and smacks as a play for sympathy votes.  The Walsh Senate campaign's tactic of employing underhanded excuses to invoke pathos makes one wonder if PTSD should signify "Plagiarist Thesis Shucking Disorder" in the District of Calamity. 

A Bit About the Military Veteran Excluded from Macy's Sales Job for Supposed Combat Mindset

Kayla Danielle Reyes-Abina , a 21 year old military veteran who had deployed in Afghanistan, recently had a remarkable rejection for a sales position at Macy's in Fresno, California. The former army specialist who served in the National Guard posted her frustration on Instagram after her February 20th interview. Ms. Reyes-Abina believes that the Fresno hiring manager had a dramatic attitude change after learning that she had been deployed in overseas combat zones.

 

 Although Ms. Reyes-Abina had prior retail experience working at Target, but the Macy’s hiring manager targeted her military experience. The interviewer is said to have implied that since Reyes-Abina has been to war, she had a “different mindset” which would be unwelcomed on the sales floor. The interviewer intimated: “Once a customer’s in your face, you wouldn’t know how to do it. You wouldn’t know how to react.

 Ms. Reyes-Abina recalled the hiring manager saying: 'Well I've been here 15 years, I know you wouldn't be able to do good here” The 15 year Macy’s veteran suggested that Reyes-Abina would be a better fit in “loss prevention” (i.e. security guard). Reyes-Abina left the interview wondering if her military experience did her a disservice when applying for civilian jobs.

 [***]

The 1% of our population who have served in America’s armed forces are highly motivated and disciplined.  Most joined knowing that they would likely deploy in two active combat zones.  Veterans are  45% more likely to be entrepreneurs but all are trained to be dependable and follow instructions.  In addition, those who have served in Afgahanistan and Iraq are accustomed with interacting with “customers” who are not always friendly and have different directed interests.

While there is an online petition on behalf of Ms. Reyes-Abina, it hinges on “discrimination”, which may not be illegal, unless it pertains to race, sex, creed (and sexual orientation in some jurisdictions).  But if the facts in this case are true, Macy’s should be ashamed for their bias and reconsider their practices.  

 SEE MORE at DCBarroco.com 

Namath's Unorthodox Super Bowl Coin Toss Draws Fire as well as Salutes

Former New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath was selected to perform the ceremonial coin toss for Super Bowl XLVIII in New Jersey.

Some animal rights activists chortled at a perceived fashion fumble as Broadway Joe's dared to wear a fur jacket.

A more pressing issue, however, was the rapidity that "Joe Willie" performed his ceremonial toss. Namath threw the coin before the Seattle Seahawks called their preference as the visiting team.

  

The presiding referee intercepted the toss and things ran smoothly the second time.  Thus it can be said that Joe Namath threw the first interception of Super Bowl 48.

While the kerfluffle over Namath's sartorial styling and his pre-mature tossing were unfortunate distractions from the Super Bowl pageantry, at least it gave a second look to Namath.  Prior to the big game, Joe Namath posted a Twitter picture of a remembrance bracelet he was wearing.  Namath sported a Chris Kyle bracelet in honor of the American Sniper, the Navy SEAL who was America's deadliest sniper who was killed a year ago while helping a fellow former soldier with PTSD. 

Homeless Vets?

For those suffering from PTSD, a little help is on the way. The Brothers of Charity, a Catholic Religious Order originating in Belgium but serving worldwide, is opening Redeemer House, a facility which will take a dozen homeless vets off the streets and give them a structured environment to revive and thrive.

 Alas for the millions of other veterans returning to America, tough times are ahead, with Obamanomic's Taxmaggedon and Sequestration threatening to take the US economy into a serious recession. The looming economic chasm makes the trench tactics of class warfare seem like folly while it endangers deployed servicemen and returning veterans.

 In just over 100 days, Americans have the opportunity to change the Commander-in-Chief. May we choose wisely.

 h/t: Gary Varvel