Profile of a Hero on Memorial Day

Memorial Day 2022 is here. I'm remembering Gunny Johnny Basilone, USMC today. He gave his life for the country he loved on the first day of the furious Battle of Iwo Jima. That was 19 Feb 1944.

His heroic three-day stand during the fierce Battle for Henderson Field on Guadalcanal made him a Marine Corps legend. And it was on Iwo Jima 16 months later that John gave his last full measure of devotion. 

This hero is the only marine from WWII who received both the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross. You can read both citations near the end of John's Wikipedia entry. Follow the link found below.

Honestly, where do you find men like this?

An entry on Wikipedia is often long on information but just a bit dry. Here's more about Johnny from a tribute site that puts Gunny Basilone's story in a more human context.

I am not able to attend any event on this Memorial Day. But thinking of our heroes here at home.



"Bulldog Ben" Basile

© 2022 Ben Lawrence Basile

Murdered Kids, Lame Excuses

Yes, there has been another horrific school shooting. In Texas this time. It took at least 18 innocent lives including one teacher.

The call to enact some kind--any kind--of sensible laws and/or regulations to address the never-ending string of mass killings in our schools is being heard in every corner of our heartsick Nation.

But I promise you that nothing will be done. Nothing at all.

A clear majority of America wants some kind of sensible gun regulation. But nothing will be done.

Reich Wingers and Ammosexuals will say the usual stuff: they'll offer thoughts and prayers. They'll say that now isn't the time to think about such things. They say we should stop politicizing such tragedies. 

The NRA will make hundreds of calls to the legislators they've bought off and sic their lobbyists on any who may be wavering.

The leadership of the QOP in both houses of Congress will sniff around, making sure that none in their caucus will turn on them and vote with those evil demon-rats, go full commie on the Nation and vote for... wait for it... vote for background checks for people who want to buy guns!

They'll say that the true liberal agenda is to take away our guns, they say, blah, blah blah...

Yeah, it'll go like that. As it has after every mass shooting, whether it's school children who're lying still in pools of their own blood or their unlucky parents and friends. Or anyone.

It's tragic. It's horrific. It's all too familiar.

And it's not going to change.

"Bulldog Ben" Basile

© 2022 Ben Lawrence Basile 

For details about this tragedy unfolding in Uvalde, Texas, follow this link.

Today is Arbor Day 2022

It most certainly is and I look forward to it each year. I’ve been a supporter of the Arbor Day Foundation for years and it’s one of the things I do each year — more often than that, actually — that I look forward to with anticipation and excitement.

To learn more about the work of the Arbor Day Foundation, follow this link.

It’s well known that our Planet is in dire straits now and has been for a long time. And although we can’t pursue only one or two courses of action to help her in her time of urgent need, the planting of more trees is one very good action we can easily take.

Planting or helping to plant a tree today would be a wonderful thing to do. Contribution to an org like the ADF would be marvelous.

Watering, pruning or otherwise caring for a tree in your corner of our Planet would be, as well.

Best of all is to cultivate the habit of taking these actions all through the year.



“Bulldog Ben” Basile

© 2022 Ben Lawrence Basile

The Struggle Against Rising Authoritarianism

It's no surprise that so much of the World's attention is focused on the war in Ukraine right now. It's a very big deal and it would be shocking if it were not receiving so much coverage and attention.

The Ukrainians continue to fare way better in their campaign to thwart putin's attempts to murder their Nation, snuff out their identity and culture and re-assimilate them than anyone could have predicted. It's the silver lining in the horribly dark cloud of rising Authoritarian and Nationalist movements everywhere. 

Although the outcome is far from clear, the Ukrainians have a good shot at thwarting putin and preserving their democracy.

There are a dozen Nations or more where ultra-nationalist movements and governments are threatening their citizens' liberties and trying to consolidate power. Power with none of that pesky "messiness" that comes with people choosing their leaders in free and fair elections. Turkey, Hungary and Brazil come to mind. 

And now France is looking very vulnerable to their own home-grown Nationalist and far-right movements. Marine Le Pen has tried hard to overhaul her party's extremist image and at this writing, stands a good chance to send France's Centrist Premier, Emmanuel Macron, home and institute a right-wing government in France.

Here in the US, trump's cult followers, White Supremacists and Neo-Fascists are gaining strength. The fight to preserve our democracy in the face of their assault is very daunting and we're losing ground, truth be told. 

These threats to democratic institutions in so many places are very serious, whether or not they're accompanied by an actual armed invasion. The crisis in Ukraine is merely the most tragic and sensational example of a widespread problem.

Sad to say, there are no easy solutions on the horizon for those of us who're are committed to the efforts to defend and preserve democracy.

There is only recommitting ourselves to the work. The work of truth-telling, of organizing, voting, community building, and staying engaged in the fight.

"Bulldog Ben" Basile

© 2022 Ben Lawrence Basile

Of War and the Leadership of Two Nations

I'm musing this morning on the subject of leadership, the leadership of  Nations, in particular, and how the contrast between Russia's Putin and Mr Zelensky of Ukraine couldn't be more stark.

Zelensky has proven by the way he’s comported himself in the office — and by the way he’s led Ukraine since the tanks started rolling — that he cares about the Ukrainian people and about their country and that he’s 100% committed to doing what must be done to lead them through this terrible, unjustified, once-in-a-generation crisis.

The fact that he spent most of his adult life as an entertainer does certainly make all of this highly unusual, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing. It just makes his leadership that much more extraordinary and worthy of respect.

Daddy Vladdy, on the other hand, has shown again and again that he puts his own welfare — and the welfare of his oligarchical buddies — over the welfare of the Russian State. And certainly over the welfare of the hapless troops he sent into harm’s way five weeks ago in his ill-fated attempt to destroy the Ukrainian Nation as it's constituted today and drag her back into Russia’s orbit.

The World — or at least the part of it that has always seen Putin for who and what he is — will always respect and admire a leader like Zelensky and loathe, despise and shun a “leader” like Putin.

"Bulldog Ben" Basile

© 2022 Ben Lawrence Basile

Putin's War has begun

Just as so many have predicted, Putin has launched his war to conquer the Ukraine. It must be done, you see, to de-Nazify his neighbor.

Pretty pitiful cover story, but it's the best Daddy Vladdy could do.

It's going to get ugly. Very ugly. In ways that no one could have predicted.

God help the Ukraine. Europe will never be the same.

"Bulldog Ben" Basile

© 2022 Ben Lawrence Basile

Ready to Pounce

In 1939, Hitler needed a little Lebensraum. Today, Russia's cutthroat despot just needs another chunk of the Ukraine. 

The op to create a pretext for the invasion got underway this week. The die is cast; The men and machines of war are in place. 

Putin is ready to pounce.

"Bulldog Ben" Basile

© 2022 Ben Lawrence Basile