Marathon Pundit

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Canadian PM calls killing of soldier "a terrorist act," not workplace violence

This morning a convert to radical Islam, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, murdered Canadian soldier Nathan Cirillo in front of the National War Memorial in front of the parliament building. The nutjob later fired shots inside that structure.

Stephen Harper, Canada's prime minister said the murder was "a terrorist act."

Five years ago, evil psychiatrist Nidal Hasan, murdered 13 soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas. He wounded 19 others. The Obama administration, bowing to political correctness because Hasan is a Muslim, deemed the bloodbath "workplace violence." But today President Obama also called the murder of Cirillo a terror attack.

We have a hopeless president.

I&M Canal NHC at 30: Middle East Conflicts Wall Memorial

The Illinois & Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor was created thirty years ago and the canal was completed in 1848. But the newest site of renown along the corridor is also celebrating an anniversary. In 2004 the first granite panel honoring the fallen soldiers and sailors from the Middle East wars since 1979 was placed at Riverfront Plaza in Marseilles, the Middle East Conflicts Wall Memorial.

The memorial is a difficult photographic subject--particularly on a cloudless day with the sun at the south.
The ray of light is an accidental optical effect, but one that is appropriate for this hallowed place.

Some lighting trickery is in this photograph too.

The Middle East Conflicts Wall Memorial is unique in at least two ways. It's the first memorial in American history to honor those men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice to our nation by name while the conflict was still ongoing. And it's America's only monument to all of the fallen in our wars in the Middle East.

No government funds go to the memorial. Donations and volunteer labor keep it going. If government was involved, I'm certain such a monument would still be in the planning phase.

The idea for the memorial developed from the annual Illinois Motorcycle Freedom Run. When the biker rally occurs, the population of Marseilles swells from 5,000 to 50,000.

To the south of the memorial are rapids of the Illinois River. On the opposite bank of the river lies Illini State Park.

The names of over 5,000 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for America are carved into the several granite plaques at the memorial. A complete listing of those brave warriors can be found here.

The center granite marker reads, "A tribute to the heroic servicemen and servicewomen who sacrificed their lives in the Middle East conflicts keeping America free. In recognition to all who served and lost their lives for the freedom of our country whose names are not listed on this wall. We owe you a debt of gratitude. You will never be forgotten. Thank you."

As with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, etching paper is available for those who want to preserve a copy of a name on the wall.

There were a few individual memorials at the base of the plaques, such as this one to Captain Joshua Steele, who perished on June 17, 2007.

The Middle East Conflicts Wall Memorial is only five miles south of Interstate 80. If driving down this major cross-country thoroughfare, I urge you to visit and pay your respects to these brave men and women.

To donate to the Middle East Conflicts Wall Memorial, click here.

Next: Ottawa

Earlier I&M Canal NHC at 30: posts:

Canadian soldier dead in Ottawa

In what I suspect was a terror attack, a Canadian soldier is dead after being shot in front of the National War Memorial in Ottawa. A security guard has been wounded and there are reports of other shootings.

Maniac fires shots at Canadian parliament

In a developing story, a man shot a soldier at the Canadian National War Memorial in Ottawa. And the same gunman has fired shots inside the Parliament building.

The terror level in Canada had been upgraded from low to medium yesterday. Also yesterday, a jihadist ran over two Canadian soldiers in Quebec City, killing one of them.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Chicago: 2 sick Liberian passengers who arrived at airport won't be tested for Ebola

O'Hare Airport, Chicago

On the base of the statue of liberty is this passage from a poem, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." There's nothing there about allowing people with potentially fatal diseases into this country.

From Fox 32 Chicago:

Two ill travelers from Liberia who arrived at O'Hare Tuesday underwent medical evaluations at both Lurie Children's Hospital and Rush University Medical Center, according to a statement from the Chicago Ebola Resource Network.

A child passenger originating from Liberia became ill while on his way to O'Hare, reportedly vommitting one time. After landing, the child was screened and found to have no fever, no symptoms – other than vomiting once – and no known risk of exposure.

The child was sent to Lurie's and went through further screening. Following the evaluation, the CDC determined not to test the patient for Ebola at this time. As a precaution, the child will be transferred to the University of Chicago Medical Center following stringent infection control protocols. The child's family was put in quarantine as a precaution.

The second passenger, apparently an adult, is suffering from nausea and diahhrea. He was diagnosed with typhoid, a disease that has been rare in America for decades, two months ago.

President Obama refuses to consider an outright travel ban for west Africans wishing to come here.

(Video) 25 Years Later: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of the Berlin Wall

Next month lovers of freedom worldwide will celebrate the 25th anniversary of fall the Berlin Wall, "the wall of shame" as Winston Churchill called it.

One of the key individuals responsible for the fall of the wall was Ronald Reagan, the greatest president of the 20th century.

Watch and enjoy this Reagan Foundation video about the ultimate victory of freedom.

Related posts:

Rauner video: Endorsements

Bruce Rauner is collecting endorsement after endorsement from newspapers across the Land of Lincoln.

The incumbent governor, Chicago Democrat Pat Quinn, has received no newspaper endorsements as of this writing.

None. After six years as governor, they've seen enough.

To follow the Republican businessman on Facebook, click here. To follow him on Twitter, click here.

To contribute to the Rauner campaign, click here.

(KFVS-TV video) Quinn dodges tax hike question

In last night's final gubernatorial debate, Republican businessman Bruce Rauner asked Democrat Pat Quinn if he would commit to not seeking a tax increase in the lame duck session of the General Assembly this fall if he fails to be reelected next month.

Quinn dodged the question.

But the Chicago Democrat has already said he will go for a tax increase later this year. Four years ago on the last day of the lame duck session--with no Republican votes--Quinn's 67 percent "temporary" personal income tax hike passed through the General Assembly without a single vote to spare.

Related posts:

Monday, October 20, 2014

Brilliant fall colors at Lake Avenue East Woods

It was cloudy most of this afternoon in the Chicago area. When the sun briefly came out in Mount Prospect's Lake Avenue Woods I had a ten-second window to grab this shot.

I&M Canal NHC at 30: Marseilles

Continuing west on the Illinois & Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor we reach Marseilles. The LaSalle County town was named for France's second largest city. Our Marseilles was founded in 1835, the locals pronounce it "Mar-sales."

This is one of the two Marseilles murals I found. This one includes the canal path and the I&M Canal, which was dry when I was there two weeks ago. I also saw the Marseilles Montage, a much more detailed wall painting, but when the sun was at a bad angle for me when I tried to take a photograph of it.

The Doc Sutton Clock on Main Street. Sutton, although he was never a Major League Baseball player, seems to have been the Moonlight Graham of Marseilles.

That's a canal, but not the I&M, it's the North Mill Race, a semi-circle canal constructed to supply power for a hydroelectric plant that closed in 1989.

That's the old Marseilles Hydro-Plant, which is listed on the National Register of Historical Places.

A cyclist rides west on the old towpath trail.

In the distance you can see the old power plant. This photograph was taken from the south bank of the Illinois River at Illini State Park. I don't know what those cylindrical objects in the river are, although there is a lock just upriver from them.

Illini is pretty much just a big campground and picnic area, albeit a first-rate one. It consists of a onetime golf course and a former youth correctional facility.

There are some structures at Illini State Park built by Civilian Conservation Corps workers, including this one.

As well as this concession stand.

Back to town--the old Marseilles Rock Island Line train station/

The little red caboose is the home of the Illinois River Area Chamber of Commerce.

Next: The Middle East Conflict Wall Memorial

Earlier I&M Canal NHC at 30: posts: