Steve Centanni and Olaf Wiig are free; Gilad Shalit isn't

Journalists Steve Centanni and Olaf Wiig have been freed from their Palestinian captors. They were taken captive while in Gaza, and remained captives for thirteen days.

What were they doing in Gaza? Reporting for Fox News! They weren't trying to blow themselves up in a marketplace, or plant a bomb.

Gilad Shalit wasn't doing any of that either. He was peacefully going about his duty as an IDF soldier, on Israeli soil, when Palestinian terrorists tunneled through Israeli soil, killed two IDF Soldiers, wounded one, and kidnapped Cpl. Shalit.

Now the release of the two Fox News reporters places the Palestinian Terrorist government with a positive public facade. But what about Cpl. Shalit?

Well, of course, the Cpl. Shalit situation is different. He is after all, a Jew. And the Palestinian leadership has started to implement their desire to eliminate Jews.

Of course, the UN is as effective as usual, with Annan sitting back and saying "stop that, don't do that, you're not a nice person" like the powerless wimp he is.

So what's the answer? Well, first, Israel needs a government with a spine, one that can commit itself to use it's military to do the job they are capable of. Then, turn that fine IDF loose. Forget what the world thinks, go get your kidnapped people.

Israel - God's promised land!

Hamdaniyah trial - a USMC fastrack CYA?

Same action, different name.

I've experienced this form of reactionary response while an active duty Marine at Camp Pendleton (1978-1980).

While still proud of my service in the Corps, I remember the dark moment in my tour when the Corps unceremoniously accused me of drug abuse, sent me to drug counseling, and laughed when I employed my Request Mast right for this false accusation. The evidence was obviously against the Corps, and in my favor, but it was never allowed to progress.

I suspect this is the same thing that's going on with the Hamdaniyah/Marine issue. The Marine Corps is trying to save face, instead of standing behind these Marines, and the Corpsman, they are willingly going to sacrifice them for the "good of the Corps."

But, it appears this is going to backfire. At the moment, the Corps is reactivating reservists due to low enlistment. The lack of the Corps to show support for it's people can only hurt it. It's willingness to rush into public condemnation of it's personnel can only be demoralizing - it was for me. I was considering re-enlistment prior to the false accusation, but following the dissapointment of the Request Mass debacle, I decided this was not the Marine Corps I thought it was.

My Marine Corps pride was tarnished. In Boot Camp, you are taught that Marines take care of Marines, and if you are wrongly accused, you can find absolution through Request Mast. It sounds great, but it doesn't work.

If these Marines did what they are being accused of, then where is their commanding officer. Why isn't he being keel-hauled for failure to control his men? Obviously he failed his command.

So, it appears the Marine Corps is playing political games, instead of rallying behind it's personnel. And this is a sad statement.

The Marine Corps hymn has a line that says: " First to fight for right and freedom, And to keep our honor clean." Is this public event an attempt to keep their "honor clean," or to find scapegoats for public appeasement?

For me, it's a matter of trust.

Be careful what you post in your area - but only if God's involved.

Okay, so I work for a large US company. This company has embraced an attitude of tolerance, inclusion, and acceptance. To a point.

This morning, I walked by a cubicle, which has an 8" x 11" poster prominently displayed promoting a men's "re-education" group, who's intent is to make men more accountable, and instill integrity. So, I looked up "The Mankind Project" to see what they were about.

As far as I can tell, they have very honorable intentions. This is a positive, acceptable organization.

Back in the late 1990's, I worked in a group of technicians, and our office space was setup in an open, "farm" type manner. All technicians shared office space regardless of gender - I make mention of this because it's key to this subject.

One day, a female technician taped up a full page newspaper article about the group "PromiseKeepers" because her husband had attended one of their meetings, and she saw a positive change in him, so she was all for it.

I've never been to one of their meetings, but I was aware of what they promoted. The article was near my desk, and I had no issue with it, I agreed with their premise that men need to be more accountable, and to have integrity. Sound familiar?

A problem arose from this article. I shared a desk with a young lady who worked the shift after me. For several days, I would come in and find the article taken down, and watch as the female tech on my shift taped it back up. Then one day the article was missing, and I was called to my managers desk.

It turned out that the woman I shared my desk with was a lesbian, and she took issue with the article - she found PromiseKeepers to be offensive to her, and her lifestyle. She was mad that the article kept getting put back up, and assumed I was responsible. She turned the article in to her manager with a complaint. This was passed on to my manager, since I was the suspected "offender."

My manager took a laminated, rolled item of her bookshelf, unrolled it, placed it in front of me and asked me if I recognized it. Well, it was the PromiseKeepers article, so of course I told her I did. She then explained about how someone was offended by it, and the whole story about it being taken down and put back up. I realized what was going on, and let her continue with her accusation, feeling very confident in my situation, since it was another woman that was posting it.

When she was done, I informed her that it wasn't my article, and that another person, a female, was responsible for it. After learning about this she realized the mistake, but instead of an apology for a false accusation that could have easily cost me my job, I was reprimanded for not stopping this "offense," since I was a senior tech in that area.

The female tech I shared my desk with was unapologetic, yet accepted a transfer to another state shortly after this.

The point here is that no one has complained about this "Mankind" poster. Why? It's because of the difference between the two. Both endeavor to bring men to an understanding and acceptance of their responsibilities to family, friends, and community. But PromiseKeepers adds one more level of accountability - to God. And that's the rub.