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Do you remember when Puerto Rico was raising hell about the U. S. Navy using
that nothing little island just off the coast of Puerto Rico for bombing
practices, which they had used for the past 75 years?
Demonstrations were held; Hollywood left wingers, Al Sharpton and his fellow
demagogues went down there to demonstrate to get the Navy out.
I am sure it infuriated you just as it did me at the time. Well, here is
our revenge. Always be careful what you ask for, you just may get it!
One of the many headaches that the U. S. has had was the Puerto Rican island
of Vieques . In the waning years of the Clinton Administration, protesters
demanded that the U. S. Navy abandon bombing and naval gunfire exercises
that had taken place on the largely uninhabited island for nearly 70 years.
In 2002, the bombing exercises were transferred to an Air Force bombing
range in central Florida not far from Jacksonville and Pensacola Naval Air
Stations.
In January, many of the protesters were back in Puerto Rico, celebrating the
final bombing exercise on Vieques and waved Puerto Rican flags and placards
that read 'U. S. Navy, get out of Puerto Rico.'
The following February, Rumsfeld announced that the U. S. Navy would close
the Roosevelt Roads Naval Air Station in Puerto Rico in 2004, eliminating
1,200 civilian jobs as well as 700 military positions. This naval facility
is estimated to have put nearly $300 million annually into the local
economy.
The next day, a stunned Governor Sila Calderon held a news conference in San
Juan protesting the base closure as a serious blow to the Commonwealth's
fragile economy. The governor stated that 'the people of Puerto Rico don't
now or never did have an interest in closing the Vieques bombing range or
the Roosevelt Roads naval base. We are interested in both staying in
Puerto Rico .'
When asked, the Commander-in-Chief, Western Atlantic Command, said, 'Without
Vieques, I see no further need for the facility at Roosevelt Roads. None.'
So, Yankee go home? Fine. But we'll take our dollars with us. Hasta la
vista, baby!
On February 21, 2008 the Secretary of Defense also announced that starting
this year, the U.S. European Command would begin moving most, if not all, of
its active combat and support units from bases in Germany to others being
established in Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Turkey to 'better
position them for rapid deployment to likely hot spots in those parts of the
world.'
Immediately the business and government leaders in the German states of
Hesse, Rhineland and Wurttemburg protested the loss of nearly $6 billion in
US revenue each year from the bases and manpower to be displaced. A
spokesman for the Foreign Ministry speculated that the move may be 'what the
Americans call 'payback' for the actions of this government in opposing
military action in Iraq .'
'Does anyone know the German translation for: 'Hasta la vista, baby?' I
think 'Aufwiedersehen' is a good translation.
Oh, isn't it nice to see a government with guts and a good memory???
Also, here are some statistics and conclusions about a different subject.
If you consider that there has been an average of 160,000 troops in the Iraq
theater of operations during the last 22 months, and a total of 2,112
deaths, (when this was written) that gives a firearm death rate of 60 per
100,000 soldiers.
The firearm death rate in Washington D. C. is 80.6 per 100,000 for the same
period. (...and that was while handguns were outlawed!!)
That means that you are about 25% more likely to be shot and killed in the
U. S. Capitol, which has some of the strictest gun control laws in the
nation, than you are in Iraq.
PASS THIS ON 'cuz you can be sure that CNN, NBC, ABC and CBS won't!
Conclusion: Just maybe the U.S. Should pull out of Washington , D.C. !!!!
that nothing little island just off the coast of Puerto Rico for bombing
practices, which they had used for the past 75 years?
Demonstrations were held; Hollywood left wingers, Al Sharpton and his fellow
demagogues went down there to demonstrate to get the Navy out.
I am sure it infuriated you just as it did me at the time. Well, here is
our revenge. Always be careful what you ask for, you just may get it!
One of the many headaches that the U. S. has had was the Puerto Rican island
of Vieques . In the waning years of the Clinton Administration, protesters
demanded that the U. S. Navy abandon bombing and naval gunfire exercises
that had taken place on the largely uninhabited island for nearly 70 years.
In 2002, the bombing exercises were transferred to an Air Force bombing
range in central Florida not far from Jacksonville and Pensacola Naval Air
Stations.
In January, many of the protesters were back in Puerto Rico, celebrating the
final bombing exercise on Vieques and waved Puerto Rican flags and placards
that read 'U. S. Navy, get out of Puerto Rico.'
The following February, Rumsfeld announced that the U. S. Navy would close
the Roosevelt Roads Naval Air Station in Puerto Rico in 2004, eliminating
1,200 civilian jobs as well as 700 military positions. This naval facility
is estimated to have put nearly $300 million annually into the local
economy.
The next day, a stunned Governor Sila Calderon held a news conference in San
Juan protesting the base closure as a serious blow to the Commonwealth's
fragile economy. The governor stated that 'the people of Puerto Rico don't
now or never did have an interest in closing the Vieques bombing range or
the Roosevelt Roads naval base. We are interested in both staying in
Puerto Rico .'
When asked, the Commander-in-Chief, Western Atlantic Command, said, 'Without
Vieques, I see no further need for the facility at Roosevelt Roads. None.'
So, Yankee go home? Fine. But we'll take our dollars with us. Hasta la
vista, baby!
On February 21, 2008 the Secretary of Defense also announced that starting
this year, the U.S. European Command would begin moving most, if not all, of
its active combat and support units from bases in Germany to others being
established in Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Turkey to 'better
position them for rapid deployment to likely hot spots in those parts of the
world.'
Immediately the business and government leaders in the German states of
Hesse, Rhineland and Wurttemburg protested the loss of nearly $6 billion in
US revenue each year from the bases and manpower to be displaced. A
spokesman for the Foreign Ministry speculated that the move may be 'what the
Americans call 'payback' for the actions of this government in opposing
military action in Iraq .'
'Does anyone know the German translation for: 'Hasta la vista, baby?' I
think 'Aufwiedersehen' is a good translation.
Oh, isn't it nice to see a government with guts and a good memory???
Also, here are some statistics and conclusions about a different subject.
If you consider that there has been an average of 160,000 troops in the Iraq
theater of operations during the last 22 months, and a total of 2,112
deaths, (when this was written) that gives a firearm death rate of 60 per
100,000 soldiers.
The firearm death rate in Washington D. C. is 80.6 per 100,000 for the same
period. (...and that was while handguns were outlawed!!)
That means that you are about 25% more likely to be shot and killed in the
U. S. Capitol, which has some of the strictest gun control laws in the
nation, than you are in Iraq.
PASS THIS ON 'cuz you can be sure that CNN, NBC, ABC and CBS won't!
Conclusion: Just maybe the U.S. Should pull out of Washington , D.C. !!!!
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