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Post by Yoda on Aug 12, 2021 11:11:51 GMT -8
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Post by linen on Sept 21, 2021 7:16:44 GMT -8
The Final Inspection
The Soldier stood and faced God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining,
Just as brightly as his brass.
'Step forward now, Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?'
The soldier squared his shoulders and said,
'no, Lord, I guess I ain't.
Because those of us who carry guns,
Can't always be a saint.
I've had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But I never took a penny,
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime,
When the bills just got too steep.
And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God, forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place,
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fears
If you've a place for me here, Lord,
It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand.
There was a silence all around the throne,
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
'Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell.'
~Author Unknown~
It's the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us the freedom of the press?
It's the Soldier, not the poet,
Who has given us the freedom of speech?
It's the Soldier, not the politicians that ensures
Our right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.
It's the Soldier who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag.
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Post by jojo on Sept 21, 2021 9:05:19 GMT -8
that was beautiful linen. Thanks for posting it
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Post by linen on Sept 21, 2021 14:06:50 GMT -8
Your welcome, jojo.
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Post by linen on Nov 14, 2021 6:55:31 GMT -8
National Guard general defies Pentagon’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate for soldiersBrigadier General Thomas Mancino has informed National Guard soldiers under his command in Oklahoma they can ignore the Defense Department’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate with no repercussions. Mancino released his anti-mandate memo this week shortly after being appointed to his position as Adjutant General of 10,000 National Guard troops by Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican who has previously blasted the vaccine mandate for military personnel. The memo from the newly-appointed commander of Oklahoma’s National Guard was first reported on by The Oklahoman on Friday. It states that “no negative administrative or legal action will be taken” against soldiers who refused to get inoculated. The vaccine mandate for US military personnel is part of larger mandates being pushed by Joe Biden’s administration. The president is currently facing legal obstacles in trying to implement a mandate for private employers with 100 employees or more, but most government employees are facing deadlines over the winter and could lose their jobs should they choose not to get jabbed. Lt. Col. Geoff Legler, a spokesman for the Oklahoma National Guard, explained that Mancino’s letter allows National Guard troops to continue serving their state without the “fear” of losing their positions. However, those troops could face consequences if they need to attend a required military school or are called up on federal orders. The “protection” the memo provides, Legler said, only works “while they are within the state’s borders.” Deadlines for military branches vary, but most must be vaccinated by the new year. National Guard troops must be fully vaccinated by June of next year. A “senior official” with the Guard in Oklahoma told The Washington Post that a recent survey taken showed 13% of troops were unwilling to get the vaccine. National Guard personnel fall more under state government control, but are still a component of the larger US Army force. Mancino’s decision could provide a blueprint for Republican governors currently looking for ways to sidestep mandates, though it remains to be seen what action the Defense Department could or would take against unvaccinated National Guard soldiers who presumably cannot be activated on federal orders. John Kirby, press secretary for the Pentagon, has said in a public statement that he is aware of the memo from Mancino and officials will “respond to the governor appropriately,” adding that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin remains steadfast in his position that a “vaccinated force is a more ready force.” link
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Post by linen on Nov 18, 2021 15:14:50 GMT -8
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Post by linen on Nov 18, 2021 17:17:00 GMT -8
Florida Governor DeSantis to offer $5,000 hiring bonus for police who lose jobs due to vaccine mandates in other statesRepublican-controlled states are increasingly trying to recruit law enforcement officers who lose their jobs because of Covid-19 jab mandates, and Florida may soon up the ante by offering displaced cops a $5,000 relocation bonus. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis told Fox News on Sunday that he hopes to sign legislation authorizing the hiring bonuses as part of an effort to fight “unconstitutional” vaccine orders and fill a need for more officers in his state. The Republican governor on Friday called a special legislative session to pass bills needed to protect residents from losing their jobs because of jab orders. “In Florida, not only are we going to want to protect the law enforcement and all the jobs, we’re actually actively working to recruit out-of-state law enforcement because we do have needs in our police and our sheriff’s departments,” DeSantis said in a Fox News interview, citing vaccine mandates in such states as Washington and New York. So NYPD, Minneapolis, Seattle, if you’re not being treated well, we’ll treat you better here, you can fill important needs for us, and we’ll compensate you as a result DeSantis, who has waged a war against vaccine mandates in his state, said that first responders and medical workers who were praised as heroes during the early days of the pandemic are now becoming outcasts because of the refusal to get a Covid-19 vaccine. “They couldn’t do their jobs on Zoom,” he told Fox host Maria Bartiromo. “They had to be there, and they did it with honor and integrity. Now, you have people who want to kick them out of their job over the shot, which is basically a personal decision?” DeSantis argued that those officers who had recovered from Covid-19 should be exempted from the mandate due to the fact that they developed “natural immunity” to the virus. “They’re making no accommodations for that. They’re still pretending like that doesn’t even exist.” Such states as Indiana, Arizona and Alaska have already been either openly courting officers forced out of their jobs because they won’t get vaccinated against Covid-19 or have timed their recruiting pitches with the introduction of vaccine mandates. Chicago’s police union has, meanwhile, estimated that more than 3,000 officers in the city face possible elimination of their jobs because of their refusal to get jabbed. Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva earlier this month said he won’t enforce a vaccine mandate on his employees because he would lose as much as 10% of a workforce that is already stretched thin by budget cuts. The vaccine mandate imposed by Washington Governor Jay Inslee is one of the strictest in the nation and has already cost nearly 1,900 state employees their jobs. The Washington State Patrol said on Tuesday that 127 of its workers had been forced out. One of those displaced was state trooper Robert LeMay, who ended his 22-year career last week by signing off to his dispatcher for the last time, saying, “This is the last time you’ll hear me in a state patrol car, and Jay Inslee can kiss my ass.” A social media video of his final words on the job went viral, drawing more than two million views. More than 20 states have imposed some form of vaccine mandate on their workers. Major cities have joined in, such as New York, where Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Wednesday that all municipal employees who haven’t received at least their first Covid-19 shot by November 1 will lose their paychecks. link
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Post by linen on Nov 18, 2021 17:17:27 GMT -8
Another governor courts unvaccinated cops with relocation offerTennessee’s Republican governor is calling on police officers across the US to join the state’s highway patrol to skirt vaccine mandates elsewhere in the country, even offering to assist with moving expenses. Governor Bill Lee made his pitch to out-of-state cops in a video message earlier this week, saying Tennessee’s highway patrol “won’t get between you and your doctor” with vaccination requirements, and offers a “full benefits package” along with free training, uniforms and gear. “I’ve got a message today for cops in New York all the way to sheriff deputies out in Los Angeles: We want you to join the Tennessee Highway Patrol,” the governor said on Wednesday, vowing to ensure officers’ “freedoms are protected.” There are many highly skilled law enforcement personnel who want to work in a state that doesn’t get in the middle of personal health decisions, yet also provides for a wonderful quality of life." While it remains unclear what funds will be used to cover officers’ moving costs, Lee’s offer mirrors similar proposals made in several other states, with Florida, Alaska, Arizona and Indiana each looking to poach officers fired over non-compliance with vaccine mandates, or at least timing recruitment drives with the introduction of jab requirements in other states. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis – among the most vocal critics of vaccine orders and other pandemic restrictions – floated a more ambitious plan late last month, saying he hopes to sign legislation that will offer a $5,000 relocation bonus to officers fleeing mandates. “So NYPD, Minneapolis, Seattle, if you’re not being treated well, we’ll treat you better here,” he said. While President Joe Biden issued a nationwide vaccine requirement for a number of groups – which has since been suspended under a court order – mandates at police departments are typically decided by local officials. The rules have had a significant impact on law enforcement around the country, however, with Chicago’s police union estimating that more than 3,000 of its officers risk losing their jobs over the mandates, while LA County’s sheriff’s department has declined to enforce them, saying it would reduce the force’s personnel by as much as 10%. link
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Post by linen on Nov 19, 2021 8:23:51 GMT -8
National Guard general defies Pentagon’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate for soldiersBrigadier General Thomas Mancino has informed National Guard soldiers under his command in Oklahoma they can ignore the Defense Department’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate with no repercussions. Mancino released his anti-mandate memo this week shortly after being appointed to his position as Adjutant General of 10,000 National Guard troops by Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican who has previously blasted the vaccine mandate for military personnel. The memo from the newly-appointed commander of Oklahoma’s National Guard was first reported on by The Oklahoman on Friday. It states that “no negative administrative or legal action will be taken” against soldiers who refused to get inoculated. The vaccine mandate for US military personnel is part of larger mandates being pushed by Joe Biden’s administration. The president is currently facing legal obstacles in trying to implement a mandate for private employers with 100 employees or more, but most government employees are facing deadlines over the winter and could lose their jobs should they choose not to get jabbed. Lt. Col. Geoff Legler, a spokesman for the Oklahoma National Guard, explained that Mancino’s letter allows National Guard troops to continue serving their state without the “fear” of losing their positions. However, those troops could face consequences if they need to attend a required military school or are called up on federal orders. The “protection” the memo provides, Legler said, only works “while they are within the state’s borders.” Deadlines for military branches vary, but most must be vaccinated by the new year. National Guard troops must be fully vaccinated by June of next year. A “senior official” with the Guard in Oklahoma told The Washington Post that a recent survey taken showed 13% of troops were unwilling to get the vaccine. National Guard personnel fall more under state government control, but are still a component of the larger US Army force. Mancino’s decision could provide a blueprint for Republican governors currently looking for ways to sidestep mandates, though it remains to be seen what action the Defense Department could or would take against unvaccinated National Guard soldiers who presumably cannot be activated on federal orders. John Kirby, press secretary for the Pentagon, has said in a public statement that he is aware of the memo from Mancino and officials will “respond to the governor appropriately,” adding that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin remains steadfast in his position that a “vaccinated force is a more ready force.” link
The Department of Defense is threatening the Oklahoma National Guard with drastic action over the state’s rejection of the Biden administration’s federal vaccine mandates. The Voice of America’s Pentagon correspondent reported that: “Defense official reportedly says, if the Oklahoma National Guard doesn’t comply with COVID vaccine requirements, they will no longer be ‘maintaining national recognition,’ thus, state will no longer have a Nat[ional] Guard, but rather a militia.” This represents a dangerous escalation for a federal government that is pressing confrontation with state governments. On Monday, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby insisted that the national guard units follow the Pentagon’s orders or face serious consequences. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin “has the authorities he needs to require this vaccine across the force, including the National Guard,” Kirby told reporters. “It is a lawful order for National Guardsmen to receive the COVID vaccine. It is a lawful order,” Kirby added. “Refusing to do that, absent an approved exemption, puts them in the same potential [for punishment] as active-duty members who refuse the vaccine.” The Pentagon responded to the Oklahoma National Guard unit that is refusing to enforce the Covid vaccine mandate. On late Saturday, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby cautiously addressed the explosive development. “We are aware of the memo issued by the Oklahoma Adjutant General regarding COVID vaccination for Guardsmen and the governor’s letter requesting exemption. We will respond to the governor appropriately,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said. Kirby stated that Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin “believes that a vaccinated force is a more ready force,” and that is “why he has ordered mandatory vaccines for the total force, and that includes our National Guard, who contribute significantly to national missions at home and abroad.” As reported earlier, the Oklahoma National Guard unit has made itself clear to the Department of Defense it has no intention of enforcing its Covid-19 vaccine mandate. The commanding officers are allowing the troops to opt out of the requirement, in accordance with the governor’s mandate. “The Oklahoma National Guard has rejected the Defense Department’s requirement for all service members to receive the coronavirus vaccine and will allow personnel to sidestep the policy with no repercussions, a potential blueprint for Republican governors who have challenged Biden administration mandates,” the Washington Post reported. “Brig. Gen. Thomas Mancino, appointed this week by Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) as adjutant of the state’s 10,000 National Guard soldiers and airmen, on Thursday notified those under his command that they are not required to receive the vaccine and won’t be punished if they decline it,” the report added. “It’s an extraordinary refusal of Pentagon policy and follows Stitt’s written request to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin seeking suspension of the requirement for Guard personnel in the state,” the report noted. link |
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Post by linen on Nov 20, 2021 6:47:25 GMT -8
Job boards for workplaces that specifically don't require COVID-19 vaccinations are popping up as more employers have started requiring the shotJob boards for sharing open roles at companies that do not require employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 have been popping up online as vaccine mandates are becoming more common. One board is hosted on Gab, the social media platform that has been embraced by some conservatives and members of the far-right. In an email sent to users on Wednesday, Gab CEO Andrew Torba announced the "No Vax Mandate Job Board." "This job board is for sharing job openings that do not require employees to inject themselves with an experimental substance or violate their bodily autonomy and religious beliefs in order to retain employment," he wrote, adding that job seekers are welcome to post their resumes in the group. The group, which had nearly 30,000 members after just two days, was filled with messages from people looking for work that won't require them to be vaccinated. link
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