LET THE MARINES BE AND LET JIM BE
A recent well intended, but perhaps not completely scoped out, occurence is causing a great deal of angst within the CASI ranks. I want to preface my opinion with one I recently sent to the Naples, FL Daily News on a more serious issue that unfortunately has made world wide news. Below is a letter to the editor I sent on that matter.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
While the rest of us continue on with our daily lives, working a mundane job, playing golf, visiting the local watering hole, watching sports on TV, etc. a few of us are carrying on a ten year war in Afghanistan. On occasion, perhaps during our third or fourth tour of duty since the rest of our peers do not feel it necessary to serve their country, we have a weak moment and, seemingly in privacy, go a little beyond the call of duty in our actions. Perhaps it is a belated reaction to the 911 atrocity committed by supporters of those we have just sent to their final resting place. Who knows? The point is the recently publicized action of four of our marines was not done nor openly broadcast for the world to see. Truly it was not a proper action. However, it is not something for which Defense Secretary Panetta needs to announce openly that the perpetrators "will be held accountable to the fullest extent".
Now the four marines will probably be dragged before the world of public opinion for the next year or so, at least court martialed and possibly given extensive prison sentences. Where was the hue and cry when Americans were beheaded or hung, mutilated and burning, from public bridges for all the world to see? Remember that? Maybe not as it was front page news in some publications for a day or so and then largely ignored and forgotten. These Taliban fighters were already dead. They were not tortured, mutilated, burned or beheaded. The marines in question need severe reprimands for their misactions. They do not need to be persecuted and raked over the coals for endless months to come. The only saving grace for them may lay in not returning home to Dover Air Force Base in a casket or to a military hospital missing one or more body parts, or suffering some other debilitating injury, as approximately 40,000 of our brave and sacrificing troops have done before them.
Truly, enough is enough on this matter.
Rocky Rockwell
Naples resident thru April
And, I feel enough is enough on the Woodbridge CASI cookoff issue as well. Jim has fully explained his involvement on the matter, has said he was sorry for how it was handled, and offered his apology. We're talking about a man here, without whom CASI would be in serious financial straits. Jim has busted his posterior (you know, his ass) for CASI for many fruitful years and has done so on behalf of all CASI members and PODS. Instead of continuing to rake Jim over the coals here why not put that effort into something positive like contacting Woodbridge or any other CASI sponsors who do business in our respective CASI states and try to get some sponsorship funding for cookoffs there. I'm sure Jim would much prefer working with you on an effort like that than continuing to deal with the negativity that one well intended, but perhaps misunderstood, misguided endeavor has caused.
This was a one time opportunity that went somewhat wrong. It was not intended to slight any of us. Let's suck it up, ensure it will not happen again, and move on.
Truly, enough is enough on this matter too.
From Sharron Christopherson:
From Ken Rodd:
TriState Regional CCO Winners
TRI STATE REGIONAL TEQUILA TOAST
From Vickie Childers:
If you were not in Amarillo this weekend you missed a great weekend. We had 2 cook-offs. On Friday night we had a cooks party and the Tall in Texas Pod cook-off with 73 cooks. Then on Saturday we had the Tri-State Open Chili Championship benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation with 129 cooks. We had a very special guest to attend the cook-off on Saturday it was the little boy who was one of the 2 wish's that we granted from the funds raised at last years cook-off. Cole wanted to come out and thank us for granting him his wish which was to go to a NASCAR race and meet Kyle Busch. He also stole the hearts of everyone there. I would like to thank everyone that helped with both cook-offs. I will not try to name everyone in fear of leaving someone out. You know who you are and we could not put this great cook-off on with out your help. We had cooks from Oklahoma, New Mexico, and all over Texas. We were glad to have one of our National sponsor's with us also. John Sterna and Jimmy Velasquez with Republic National were sharing shots of Tequlia Rose and Hot Rose. We want to thank them for joining us for this event.
Anyone wanting to see some photo's from the cook-off can go to these 2 web sites. Go to amarillo.com and scroll down until you see Get Spotted on the left and the second one is www.castillophotovision.com/p67303480. These both have some great photos of the cook-off and shows the large crowd that we draw.
Tall in Texas Pod 73 cooks
1st Connie Collier Snyder
2nd Pam Matheson Amarillo
3rd Cindy Noe Wichita Falls
4th Janice Miller San Angelo
5th David Lefler Bardwell
6th Harvey West Telephone
7th Bruce Stewart Hurst
8th Terry Graves Wichita Falls
9th Clint Wooster Wichita Falls
10th Susan Campbell Amarillo
We had no show
Tri-State Open Chili Championship 129 cooks
1st Mike Sherfield Hobbs, NM Q
2nd Connie Collier Snyder Q
3rd Tom Noe Wichita Falls Q
4th Kevin Wooster Wichita Falls
5th Laura Wooster Wichita Falls
6th Terry Graves Wichita Falls
7th Millie Bingham Amarillo
8th Tim Collier Snyder
9th Mike Parker Fritch
10th Nelad Matheson Amarillo
Show
1st Homers Backyard Ball Kent Feltcher Amarillo Q
2nd Hot Rod Chili Bill Mclean Amarillo
3rd Grease is the Word Martha Richardson Dimmitt
