Promotion, NOT graduation.

Today Boychik had a “promotion ceremony.”  If they had called it a graduation, I would’ve punched someone in the throat.  Why?

Well, I’ve always had it explained to me that to graduate is to FINISH a course of study or receive a diploma.  Kindergarten isn’t finishing a course of study.  Neither is fifth grade or eighth grade.  The “diplomas” that these graduates receive and 3 bucks will get you a Café-Mocha-Vodka-Valium Latte.  In other words, they’re less useful than a high school or Associate’s degree, particularly in our present economy.

In other news, yesterday was his birthday.  He got a gold power ranger from me, and a bear in fatigues from his teachers.  He picked out pizza and cupcakes for his supper.  And he told me “I miss my daddy.”  During his melt-down today he told me the same thing at least twice.  But I held on, I didn’t cry; even though I really wanted to.

 

The hubs has stated that he will have orders and be in the states in two weeks.  Again, I will believe it when I see it.  He’s also told me not to get my hopes up about joining him before he is discharged.  Um…  DUH?  Why would the military do something so kind and compassionate for a family that’s been forcibly separated as long as ours has?  Silly D, why on earth would the military allow you to be a part of your children’s lives again when they can just send you back to a state half-way across the country from your wife and children?  I mean really, how will the airlines survive without us having to pay for a plane ticket every time you want to see your kids?  Sure, it’s not going to be the $1500 we’ve paid every year for the past 3, but it’s still SOMETHING for those poor broke airline owners to take from us.

 

Yeah, I’m still angry.  Angry that D’s got no guarantee that we can be with him.  Angry that the command he’s under pretty much stole him from his children for three years.  I’m angry that I cannot fix this situation without breaking the lease and paying for a moving service that I can’t afford.  Mostly, I’m angry at the apathy of his NCO’s and the fact that the solution they gave him was to drink and try to socialize at a bar since he was in Europe alone.  Missile, I am so thankful to you and your family for taking in D and keeping him from drinking himself to death.  And I’m mad as hell at D’s branch.  Mad enough that I wouldn’t piss on them if they were on fire.

"We the P... meh, why are we so angry?"

Today I got into an internet argument about the importance of “gate-rape.”  For him, it’s a “meh” issue, that there are plenty of OTHER things to get pissed about.

Excuse me?  Really?  So a government agency having the authority to make me pay to be treated like a criminal before allowing me to travel is nothing to get angry about?  In Corfield v. Coryell, 6 Fed. Cas. 546 (1823), the Supreme Court recognized freedom of movement as a fundamental Constitutional right. In effect travel is a RIGHT; this, to my mind, negates the whole “if you don’t like it, don’t fly – it is optional, you know.”  Business class fliers are able to BUY their way out of TSA screening.  Air crews are exempt; so are other TSA workers, who have proven again and again that they are thieves, perverts, and predators .

The TSA tells parents to make screening a “game.”  Got news for ya; those that prey on children make it a “game,” too.  And kids that go through screening and being touched by strangers end up in tears and with nightmares.  Not something that I’m real willing to subject my kids to, thanks.

Everything that Homeland Security tells us about the TSA and its gadgets ends up proven false.  Why is this agency still allowed to assault travelers?  Seriously think on this – the TSA has a right to pull miscarrying women, young girls, mothers of young children, and our elderly out of line and “screen” them for as long as they wish, away from that person’s travel companions or children.  Why are we allowing this?

They don’t keep us safe.

They’ve never caught a terrorist or stopped a terrorist action.

Every new procedure is a result of an incidence somewhere else or that another agency stopped.

They are little better than bullies and have even harassed returning troops.

The international community laughs at us.  Our economy’s in the toilet.  Our young people are joining the military and are sent to their deaths because there are no jobs.  Our country is in shambles, but we’re spending 300 million per day “liberating” the Middle East.  The TSA’s budget is 8.1 billion a year.  The costs of the wars in the Middle East are over 17 billion.

Why can’t our government just drop the pork, the ineffective agencies, the programs that have proven to be ineffective, bring the troops home and try to let our country recover?  We’ve already lost our credit rating, what’s next?

Honestly, we’d be better off becoming isolationists again.  Get our own house in order before running to the rescue of the world.