So... I'm very opinionated

Again, it has been a little while since I have updated my blog. The Internet isn't the best just yet, and it is hard to get on here long enough to make a thorough posting. Once I get better Internet, better believe there will be a ton of pictures and probably a significant increase in how much I write. It should hopefully be set up here soon. They are just waiting on the contract to be approved from command.

My patrols are going well. Nothing bad has happened, except a lot of sand in the air. Also, today's temperature.... 133; and, for some reason, it still feels better than St. Louis at 90 with 100% humidity. It's weird. One day it went from like 110 degrees to the next being above 120, without much relief in between. When the wind blows, it feels like a hair dryer blowing heat at you. It's okay though, it is a dry heat, actually makes it bearable. We will see what it is like in August.

I still miss all of my friends and family, but at least the time is going by fairly quick. Some days go by slow, but its hard to think that I have already been here for over a month already. Hopefully it goes this fast all the way through.

I am not sure about my leave yet. I might be getting it, I might not. We are trying to work out some kinks in the system... Hopefully that happens soon.

We have been pretty busy - mainly just gathering information, reporting and doing patrols. For a little fun, and to stray away from the normal involvement, we are thinking about putting together soccer teams with all of the IPs to participate in. There is already a Coalition Forces team here that challenge with local Iraqi teams throughout Iraq. LOL, we lose. But its a break from the normal operation tempo here. We will see how it goes. I am trying to collect soccer balls to assist us in that process.

So, there have been a few things I have read in the news recently that has really portrayed the nonsensical ignorance of human. It is amazing what a few select people do and say. For instance, this is what I like to call a twofer. Yep... two dumb people in one story.


Oregon Woman plans to parade topless - Who the hell does she think she is. Believe me, I could care less, except, she is trying to get the ACLU involved. Who is she to think that she can parade nude around kids and family during a family parade. What does she have to prove? Does she understand, that if allowed to do this, it would probably incite a lot of anger in families, and cause people not to go who otherwise would have, which is counterproductive to the community. So she moves from California because the police were "hassling" her. Maybe she should obey the law. And so what if there is no specific statute in this town about being topless, she should understand that not everyone wants to see her naked, and more so, no kid should be subjected to that. This woman needs to be exiled to some island somewhere so she can do what she wants. Perhaps the same island we do nuclear testing on.

Now, for the good part. There is a quote from a certain city council member, City Council member Eric Navickas. Apparently, he is on her side. "If she can't be in the parade, Navickas said, it would be "an interesting commentary on our society that we're willing to tolerate dead bodies through our aggressive foreign policy from the war, but not healthy, naked bodies."" How about this, it's an interesting commentary on society that they would allow someone who was so ignorant to make a comment as insulting and completely nonsensical as that. Perfectly healthy naked bodies? How about children. To compare a woman who wants to run around naked to an aggressive foreign policy is to compare apples and clowns. That's right.. apples and oranges are both fruit, therefore comparable. I'm not saying that he needs to be a puritan, I'm saying he needs to understand that young children shouldn't be seeing it. I don't know.. maybe this is an overreaction.

Anyway... Now that I'm done venting about that... I really do miss all of you, and can't wait to get home.

Phil

What a week.

I know its been a couple of days since I have written. I'm sorry about that. Before I go any further though, I would like to take a moment to honor a couple of soldiers who were killed last week. These soldiers are not in my unit, but they are brothers nonetheless:

SGT Shane Duffy

SGT Cody Legg

SPC Johnathan Emard

Please don't be afraid or worry more about me after reading that, Everyone in my unit is fine.

Now, on a lighter note, these past 10 days or so since I have written I mainly have been out with the Iraqi Police like usual. We have been really working to develop good relationships within the community, as it is essential to gain the trust of the people whom we are working around. I hate Iraq - I'm not going to lie; however, I don't think there is any other job that could give me the type of experience I am getting. Not only are we learning the whole combat role, we are working and relating with Iraqi civilians all the time.

Since being here, I have learned that there are mainly two types of people here. Those who want us here and those who don't. The kids want us here (probably bc they want anything American, and we give it to them). I've noticed that many of the kids love us. As the saying goes, "Ignorance is bliss." The other day I saw a young boy doing the robot as we passed by him and he started jumping up and down waving and smiling. Not to far away are a group of males about 20 years old or so, and not a single of them will wave back. They look at us like they honestly would rather see us gone, instead of improving their economy and way of life. Note: I don't mean by "giving them democracy," I mean by investing so much money into their economy, building wells, doing street repairs, building schools and mosques, all of that good jazz that they should like us for. I have seen kids beaten by their parents for waving at us. At what age does that kid go from not getting enough of us to wanting to kill us. It's strange to me, because there is no gray area that I have seen; it's either they like us or they don't.

I want to let everyone know at home that I am going to try and update this thing more. I am actually in the process of trying to make some comics to add in every week or so. There will be some more Infinite Wisdom eventually to.

I love you all and miss you all

SGT Watson واتسون