WOW We all need to do this.

Subject: RE: WOW




WW II Battleship sailor tells Obama to shape up or ship out !

This venerable and much honored WW II vet is well known in Hawaii
for his seventy-plus years of service to patriotic organizations and causes all over the country. A humble man without a political bone in his body, he has never spoken out before about a government official, until now. He dictated this letter to a friend, signed it and mailed it to the president.

Dear President Obama,

My name is Harold Estes, approaching 95 on December 13 of this year. People meeting me for the first time don't believe my age because I remain wrinkle free and pretty much mentally alert.

I enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1934 and served proudly before, during and after WW II retiring as a Master Chief Bos'n Mate. Now I live in a "rest home" located on the western end of Pearl Harbor , allowing me to keep alive the memories of 23 years of service to my country.

One of the benefits of my age, perhaps the only one, is to speak my mind, blunt and direct even to the head man.

So here goes.

I am amazed, angry and determined not to see my country die before I do, but you seem hell bent not to grant me that wish.

I can't figure out what country you are the president of.
You fly around the world telling our friends and enemies despicable lies like:
" We're no longer a Christian nation"
" America is arrogant" - (Your wife even
announced to the world," America is mean-
spirited. " Please tell her to try preaching
that nonsense to 23 generations of our
war dead buried all over the globe who
died for no other reason than to free a
whole lot of strangers from tyranny and
hopelessness.)
I'd say shame on the both of you, but I don't think you like America, nor do I see an ounce of gratefulness in anything you do, for the obvious gifts this country has given you. To be without shame or gratefulness is a dangerous thing for a man sitting in the White House.

After 9/11 you said," America hasn't lived up to her ideals."

Which ones did you mean? Was it the notion of personal liberty that 11,000 farmers and shopkeepers died for to win independence from the British? Or maybe the ideal that no man should be a slave to another man, that 500,000 men died for in the Civil War? I hope you didn't mean the ideal 470,000 fathers, brothers, husbands, and a lot of fellas I knew personally died for in WWII, because we felt real strongly about not letting any nation push us around, because we stand for freedom.

I don't think you mean the ideal that says equality is better than discrimination. You know the one that a whole lot of white people understood when they helped to get you elected.

Take a little advice from a very old geezer, young man.

Shape up and start acting like an American. If you don't, I'll do what I can to see you get shipped out of that fancy rental on Pennsylvania Avenue . You were elected to lead not to bow, apologize and kiss the hands of murderers and corrupt leaders who still treat their people like slaves.

And just who do you think you are telling the American people not to jump to conclusions and condemn that Muslim major who killed 13 of his fellow soldiers and wounded dozens more. You mean you don't want us to do what you did when that white cop used force to subdue that black college professor in Massachusetts , who was putting up a fight? You don't mind offending the police calling them stupid but you don't want us to offend Muslim fanatics by calling them what they are, terrorists.

One more thing. I realize you never served in the military and never had to defend your country with your life, but you're the Commander-in-Chief now, son. Do your job. When your battle-hardened field General asks you for 40,000 more troops to complete the mission, give them to him. But if you're not in this fight to win, then get out. The life of one American soldier is not worth the best political strategy you're thinking of.

You could be our greatest president because you face the greatest challenge ever presented to any president.
You're not going to restore American greatness by bringing back our bloated economy. That's not our greatest threat. Losing the heart and soul of who we are as Americans is our big fight now.
And I sure as hell don't want to think my president is the enemy in this final battle...

Sincerely,
Harold B. Estes
Snopes confirms as true:
http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/haroldestes.asp
When a 95 year old hero of the "the Greatest Generation" stands up and speaks out like this, I think we owe it to him to send his words to as many Americans as we can. Please pass it on.























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While its a passionate letter it rambles quite a bit and doesn't have a whole lot of substance.

Obama gave them 40,000 troops when asked.

In the past three decades we've only had one President with real war Service and Bush I was in office for four years...everyone else who 'claimed' service was stateside national guard...(not like the national guard of today that is almost guaranteed to have overseas duty)

wil wrote:While its a passionate letter it rambles quite a bit and doesn't have a whole lot of substance.

Obama gave them 40,000 troops when asked.

In the past three decades we've only had one President with real war Service and Bush I was in office for four years...everyone else who 'claimed' service was stateside national guard...(not like the national guard of today that is almost guaranteed to have overseas duty)

I guess it all is what you want to get out of it. Some folks will always find something wrong with it and others will praise it.
Me, I see a concerned citizen who was proud to serve his country & standing up and voicing his opinion as freedom of speech. One of the rights obama hasn't tried to take away yet. And never will either.

Old Timer wrote:

wil wrote:While its a passionate letter it rambles quite a bit and doesn't have a whole lot of substance.

Obama gave them 40,000 troops when asked.

In the past three decades we've only had one President with real war Service and Bush I was in office for four years...everyone else who 'claimed' service was stateside national guard...(not like the national guard of today that is almost guaranteed to have overseas duty)

I guess it all is what you want to get out of it. Some folks will always find something wrong with it and others will praise it.
Me, I see a concerned citizen who was proud to serve his country & standing up and voicing his opinion as freedom of speech. One of the rights obama hasn't tried to take away yet. And never will either.

"Yet" being the key word.

I tried to serve my country during dessert storm, they turned me away because I had a GED rather than a HS diploma. That sort of told me something about the way our country was going right there.

CarolinaHound wrote:

Old Timer wrote:

wil wrote:While its a passionate letter it rambles quite a bit and doesn't have a whole lot of substance.

Obama gave them 40,000 troops when asked.

In the past three decades we've only had one President with real war Service and Bush I was in office for four years...everyone else who 'claimed' service was stateside national guard...(not like the national guard of today that is almost guaranteed to have overseas duty)

I guess it all is what you want to get out of it. Some folks will always find something wrong with it and others will praise it.
Me, I see a concerned citizen who was proud to serve his country & standing up and voicing his opinion as freedom of speech. One of the rights obama hasn't tried to take away yet. And never will either.

"Yet" being the key word.

I tried to serve my country during dessert storm, they turned me away because I had a GED rather than a HS diploma. That sort of told me something about the way our country was going right there.

And I was able to enlist with only two years of HS majoring in gym and girls. Went on later to get GED and then 2 years of college. That was all this poor brain of mine could absorb.

Old Timer wrote: I see a concerned citizen who was proud to serve his country & standing up and voicing his opinion as freedom of speech. One of the rights obama hasn't tried to take away yet. And never will either.

Which right has Obama taken away? I know a whole slew that were infringed upon by Patriot Acts I & II but what has Obama taken away from you?

CarolinaHound wrote:
I tried to serve my country during dessert storm, they turned me away because I had a GED rather than a HS diploma. That sort of told me something about the way our country was going right there.

You tried during the Obama Administration or the previous one? I'm gonna go out on a limb and say it was not during Obama, so what did this tell you about the direction our country was going in then, and what does that have to do with Obama?

wil wrote:

Old Timer wrote: I see a concerned citizen who was proud to serve his country & standing up and voicing his opinion as freedom of speech. One of the rights obama hasn't tried to take away yet. And never will either.

Which right has Obama taken away? I know a whole slew that were infringed upon by Patriot Acts I & II but what has Obama taken away from you?

Though I wouldn't say it's Obama, it's the whole system. I have more issues with Polosi and the rest of congress than I do with Obama. He can't do squat without them...

One, the right to purchase or not to purchase the services we need by forcing fines on people who can't afford health insurance.

Two, slowly taking our right to eat what we choose by taxing the hell out of everything.

Three, slowly taking the right to smoke by taxing the hell out of it.

wil wrote:

CarolinaHound wrote:
I tried to serve my country during dessert storm, they turned me away because I had a GED rather than a HS diploma. That sort of told me something about the way our country was going right there.

You tried during the Obama Administration or the previous one? I'm gonna go out on a limb and say it was not during Obama, so what did this tell you about the direction our country was going in then, and what does that have to do with Obama?

It was during the first Bush, and no I don't like the Bush dynasty either. Showed me we were heading for a weak country. And now we've come to Bambam bowing and appoligizing to every leader in the world. Many of which are ungrateful leaders who's people would have starved without the humaitarian aide the US provides the majority of. Showed me winning a war wasn't too important to them, or it wasn't nessicerily winning that we were there for. It showed me they were/are oblivious, or just didn't care about to the fact that no matter how technicly advance the military ever will be, a war can not be finished without grunts on the ground.

CarolinaHound wrote:
One, the right to purchase or not to purchase the services we need by forcing fines on people who can't afford health insurance.

Two, slowly taking our right to eat what we choose by taxing the hell out of everything.

Three, slowly taking the right to smoke by taxing the hell out of it.

One? Fines, please define the fines. It appears to me currently those without insurance rely on emergency rooms and the largess of the American Public. The new system says if you don't have insurance, haven't purchased insurance we'll include a 2% tax on your income, details yet to be ironed out, but doesn't that make a lot of sense to you? That those that use the services should somehow pay for them?

Two? What food has been taxed of which you complain about?

Three? Cigarette taxes...lets go back to the good old days....federal tax on cigs...

1955 22.7› 8› 35%
1956 23.2› 8› 34%
1957 23.8› 8› 34%
1958 25.0› 8› 32%
1959 25.6› 8› 31%
1960 26.1› 8› 31%
1961 26.1› 8› 31%
1962 26.9› 8› 30%
1963 26.8› 8› 30%

WHAT 30-35%!!! Highway robbery....just a question, what percent does the fed take today?

(remember when you said you'd quit if they went over a dollar a pack?)

wil wrote:

CarolinaHound wrote:
One, the right to purchase or not to purchase the services we need by forcing fines on people who can't afford health insurance.

Two, slowly taking our right to eat what we choose by taxing the hell out of everything.

Three, slowly taking the right to smoke by taxing the hell out of it.

One? Fines, please define the fines. It appears to me currently those without insurance rely on emergency rooms and the largess of the American Public. The new system says if you don't have insurance, haven't purchased insurance we'll include a 2% tax on your income, details yet to be ironed out, but doesn't that make a lot of sense to you? That those that use the services should somehow pay for them?

Two? What food has been taxed of which you complain about?

Three? Cigarette taxes...lets go back to the good old days....federal tax on cigs...

1955 22.7› 8› 35%
1956 23.2› 8› 34%
1957 23.8› 8› 34%
1958 25.0› 8› 32%
1959 25.6› 8› 31%
1960 26.1› 8› 31%
1961 26.1› 8› 31%
1962 26.9› 8› 30%
1963 26.8› 8› 30%

WHAT 30-35%!!! Highway robbery....just a question, what percent does the fed take today?

(remember when you said you'd quit if they went over a dollar a pack?)

1) Fines are money you are forced to pay if you don't buy a service that the federal government unconstitutionaly forces you to buy. If they'd fix medicaide and medicare and make the guidlines to qualify for it resonable, (ie...In my state, to qualify for medicaide a household has to make less than $250 a month), There'd be no need for this program which will cost the taxpayers even more to run, collect fines, and file paper work for a government system that will go the way medicare and all other government systems have gone. It will be a disaster because the government fails miserably at running anything. Always have, and always will.

2) Have you not heard about the soda tax being proposed? Fast food taxes? And the list goes on.

3) Do you honestly think the tax paid at the register is the only tax a consumer pays for? No you're paying for every tax levied on the tobacco company. Therefore a smoker is actually paying a lot more than those purposely flawed and misleading numbers that you have found and posted.

(remember when you said you'd quit if they went over a dollar a pack?)

No, I didn't say that till they hit $2.00.

[quote="CarolinaHound"][quote="wil"]

CarolinaHound wrote:2) Have you not heard about the soda tax being proposed? Fast food taxes? And the list goes on.

3) Do you honestly think the tax paid at the register is the only tax a consumer pays for? No you're paying for every tax levied on the tobacco company. Therefore a smoker is actually paying a lot more than those purposely flawed and misleading numbers that you have found and posted.

(remember when you said you'd quit if they went over a dollar a pack?)

No, I didn't say that till they hit $2.00.

That must be cause youse is younger...I remember them 35 cents a pack in the machines....and folks horrified when they went to fifty cents...me I was horrified when pinball machines and bar pool tables went to fifty cents.

But I don't have problems with soda taxes or fast food taxes...I do believe if you wish to have a slow agonizing death you should pay for it in advance.

And inhaling burning weeds is inherently stupid despite how much we seem to have an affinity for it.

[quote="wil"][quote="CarolinaHound"]

wil wrote:

CarolinaHound wrote:2) Have you not heard about the soda tax being proposed? Fast food taxes? And the list goes on.

3) Do you honestly think the tax paid at the register is the only tax a consumer pays for? No you're paying for every tax levied on the tobacco company. Therefore a smoker is actually paying a lot more than those purposely flawed and misleading numbers that you have found and posted.

(remember when you said you'd quit if they went over a dollar a pack?)

No, I didn't say that till they hit $2.00.

That must be cause youse is younger...I remember them 35 cents a pack in the machines....and folks horrified when they went to fifty cents...me I was horrified when pinball machines and bar pool tables went to fifty cents.

But I don't have problems with soda taxes or fast food taxes...I do believe if you wish to have a slow agonizing death you should pay for it in advance.

And inhaling burning weeds is inherently stupid despite how much we seem to have an affinity for it.

Yea, I'm a bit younger. When I started they were around $1 a pack already. 89 cent or something like that. And yes I agree, it's stupid. But if that's the things will be, shouldn't health nuts be paying the same type taxes on they're protien shakes and gym memberships to pay for all the medical bills that come from back strain, pull ligaments, and other physical problems that occur later in life from such activities? My nephew was complaining about how much he paid for a back problem the other day. I told him if he'd drop that gym membership he'd have money for health insurance.

I won't even get into how much money is spent pulling mountain climbers and skiers off mountains, searching for hikers in the woods and canyons, etc... etc...

I won't even get into how much money is spent pulling mountain climbers and skiers off mountains, searching for hikers in the woods and canyons, etc... etc...

You don't have to.

Times they are a changing....

You pay to get pulled off of mountains now. Have for years.

http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/hiking-faq.htm

Q: If I get into trouble and need to be rescued, who pays for my rescue?

A: You will be charged for rescue expenses.

wil wrote:

I won't even get into how much money is spent pulling mountain climbers and skiers off mountains, searching for hikers in the woods and canyons, etc... etc...

You don't have to.

Times they are a changing....

You pay to get pulled off of mountains now. Have for years.

http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/hiking-faq.htm

Q: If I get into trouble and need to be rescued, who pays for my rescue?

A: You will be charged for rescue expenses.

And if they can't or won't pay they just take them back where they found them?

CarolinaHound wrote:

wil wrote:

I won't even get into how much money is spent pulling mountain climbers and skiers off mountains, searching for hikers in the woods and canyons, etc... etc...

You don't have to.

Times they are a changing....

You pay to get pulled off of mountains now. Have for years.

http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/hiking-faq.htm

Q: If I get into trouble and need to be rescued, who pays for my rescue?

A: You will be charged for rescue expenses.

And if they can't or won't pay they just take them back where they found them?

Never get a trail permit or back country permit until your name is off the do not climb list.

wil wrote:

CarolinaHound wrote:

wil wrote:

I won't even get into how much money is spent pulling mountain climbers and skiers off mountains, searching for hikers in the woods and canyons, etc... etc...

You don't have to.

Times they are a changing....

You pay to get pulled off of mountains now. Have for years.

http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/hiking-faq.htm

Q: If I get into trouble and need to be rescued, who pays for my rescue?

A: You will be charged for rescue expenses.

And if they can't or won't pay they just take them back where they found them?

Never get a trail permit or back country permit until your name is off the do not climb list.

ewww... I'm sure that'll stop them from going back up there.

CarolinaHound wrote:
ewww... I'm sure that'll stop them from going back up there.

Your probably right two decades of cancer warnings doesn't affect smokers. Check out what Brazil requires...

wil wrote:

CarolinaHound wrote:
ewww... I'm sure that'll stop them from going back up there.

Your probably right two decades of cancer warnings doesn't affect smokers. Check out what Brazil requires...

Now that might have an effect. Doubt it for me though. I found out with booze, I aint goona quit till I really want to or it near kills me.

If it don't quit it will kill ya. Just look at what it did to me. Now I is a haint. I haint dead and I haint alive, I is a haint.