Offended

One of the lead news stories this week has been the Monday Night Football promo. Its adult content offended many people and many have weighed in from individuals to institutions such as the NFL and the FCC.



In contrast, I have been writing about people this week who have run marathons with double lung transplants, run races without legs lost in a war, and the death of a local Marine in Iraq. So from my frame of reference, the MNF offense seems petty to say the least. It tells me people have a lot of passion to vent and nowhere to vent it.



I bet you have experienced this same feeling. Think of a time you were in shock or grief over loss of a job or a loved one. Television commercials and sitcoms seem almost irreverent. I am reminded of the song with the lines, "Why does the sun go on shining? Why does the sea rush to shore? Don't they know it's the end of the world, because you don't love me anymore." So part of it is me, I admit. Just because I have been more aware of death and struggle this week does not mean the rest of the world has to be serious. Even without the awareness of loss, however, the MNF "controversy" seems ridiculous. There are charges and counter-charges of everything from too explicit sex to racism. That is just what they were shooting for. It worked too, I did not know a thing about Desperate Housewives until this flap. Hats off to the marketing folks at ABC. And to everyone who was offended and made a stink about it, you were their chumps.



Just in case there are some still offended by the "controversy," I will apologize myself.

I want to express my most sincere apology for anyone offended by the Monday Night Promo. It was in poor taste and (insert your complaint here). I hope this has not caused too much damage to your psyche. I further hope your children and pets were not traumatized beyond the ability to have a meaningful life in the face of these difficult circumstances. -John Strain

In life we need balance. We need to have passion, but for crying out loud, direct it at something that matters. Stop whining like babies every time you see something you do not like. Change the channel or better yet ignore it.



Until the next time

John Strain

More About: Where Do We Find Such Men?

All week I have been thinking about our soldiers. The death of our local hero, Justin McLeese, started it all. It is easy to put the war on the back burner of our minds until something like the death of someone you know happens. The high school has lowered its flag to half-staff and Friday the town will honor Justin by attending his funeral.



He is but one of some 1200 who have died in this war. Each death is like a pebble thrown into a pond. The circles flow outward and affect many people. Then there are hundreds more soldiers who have been wounded and changed for life. Some have lost limbs, eyes, or have been disfigured.



I want to share a few stories I found while searching the Internet today. I was looking for stories about Iraqi war veteran amputees who run. I found several items and they are encouraging. Reading the stories again caused my gratitude to well up. These men inspire me and make me proud to be from the same country as they. Their sacrifice was to protect me and to ensure my freedoms. The same spirit that called them to the battlefield is now at work in them to overcome a missing leg. They have shown us that that spirit is enough and they are overcoming daily. Where do we find such men?

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Running With the President

The first story is about a man who lives only 40 miles from my home. His name is Mike McNaughton a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army who lost his right leg after stepping on a land mine in Afghanistan. He was visited by The President and Laura Bush at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington DC, January 2003. President Bush promised Mike that when he got better he would run with him. 15 months later in April 2004, President Bush made good on his promise.



Full story in the New Orleans Times Picayune

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True Grit Keeps Amputees on the Run in Army Ten-Miler

This group of Army amputees call themselves, "Missing (Parts) In Action Team - Some Assembly Required." They all finished the 10 mile race.

It’s important for people to see amputees recovered and back in action,’’ Rozelle said prior to the race start, adding he had no doubts that each would make it across the finish line. The same steely mettle that helped steer them off the battlefield after suffering horrific injuries will carry them through the 10-mile route, Rozelle said.

Read the full story at the Army News Service

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Amputee Soldier Fights to Stay Part of Army Elite

21-year-old George Perez lost his leg as a result of an exploding roadside bomb in Iraq. He wants to stay in the Army's 82nd Airborne.

I’m not ready to get out yet," he said. "I’m not going to let this little injury stop me from what I want to do.

Read the full story at the Columbia Daily Tribune

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These stories inspire me. These are ordinary people doing extraordinary things. We all have it in us if we ever choose to tap into the power. It is belief and faith followed by consistent effort and action.



God bless these soldiers who have given life and limb. Their sacrifice is not in vain. Their example can rally and inspire us if we only let it do so. Where do we find such men?



Until the next time

John Strain

A Death in November

Sunday, we learned that Lance Cpl. Justin McLeese, 19 died in an explosion in Fallujah, Iraq early Saturday. In an instant, the war in Iraq became very personal and real. Justin is the age of my son and both boys graduated in 2003 at Covington High School. They were friends though not best friends and were on the same baseball and football teams growing up.



His death has certainly affected our family. Our heart goes out to Justin and his family and it is impossible to comprehend the measure of the grief they feel.



Justin McLeese was the typical all American boy. He was moved by the 9/11 attacks and, according to his mother, they played a role in his decision to join the Marines.



It is tragic someone so young and so full of life has it cut short. It is an awesome thing these young men are willing to risk and give their lives for their country. I am sure Justin had images in his mind of his Louisiana town, friends, and family. He was fighting for these precious things and on Saturday, November 13, 2004 he gave his life for them.

In James Michener’s book, The Bridges of Toko-Ri, he writes of an officer waiting through the night for the return of planes to a carrier as dawn is coming on, and he asks, ‘Where do we find such men?’ Well, we find them where we’ve always found them. They are the product of the freest society man has ever known. They make a commitment to the military, and they make it freely, because the birthright we share as Americans is worth defending. Ronald Reagan

Where do we find such men? I am here to tell you one was found in Covington Louisiana.



Thank you Justin and all those who put themselves in harm's way to ensure our freedom.



Until the next time

John Strain



Times Picayune Newspaper Article about Justin McLeese



Where do we find such men? A Veterans Day Column by Mackubin Thomas Owens

Writer's Block

I have been working harder than usual for blog posts lately. Fortunately, I have silly chimp photos and music to pull me through my creative drought. I have things to write about, but I just don't have the ambition right now.

Enjoy your Tuesday and don't monkey around too much.



Until the next time

John Strain

Triumph From Tragedy

Saturday, I wrote about Len Geiger who received a double lung transplant two years ago. His new lungs came from a 14-year-old girl who had taken her own life by overdosing on Paxil. Eventually, Len and the girl’s father met and became friends. On Saturday, they ran a marathon together. This article gives all the details up to the completion of the race in Richmond, VA last Saturday.



Some give up and some press on. Something in the human spirit allows us to turn tragedy into triumph, but we have to keep on keeping on. We have to keep going when everything in us says stop or quit. Stories like this one confirm what I know to be true.



If you are up against it, I hope this story encourages you. Len had help from people he did not know and from those he knew and loved. As you read the story, you will also notice, Len helped himself.



Approaching the holiday season many focus on the trappings of the times and miss the meaning altogether. There is reason to hope and there is reason to love and there is reason to reach out to our neighbors, because the same God who fashioned the spirit that triumphed in Len Geiger has placed it in us. We are alive and that is good.



Until the next time

John Strain