While Afghans Patiently Wait

 

We are undergoing ruin by speed, and I’m not talking about meth, although meth in and of itself is terribly ruinous to our society. I might say, “just ask my dear and long-lost friend Richard,” but … he’s lost. Disappeared. Off the grid. Meth took him out … completely. I miss him. We used to enjoy long leisurely lunches and talk about everything.

So, what is it then? I’m talking about the sudden and increasingly accelerating speed of society’s fall into utter superficiality, a loss of depth that once could only be sustained through a slow gaze or a long think or an appropriate delay in sensitive communications like what we once accepted as normal and appropriate when people wrote newsy and heartfelt letters by hand. News stories were reports on what had actually happened, and journalists took their time to dig up and confirm the facts before writing word one. There was a dignity to the journalistic profession, and we relied on the profession’s product to first grasp and then think about what was happening in our world.

Of course, people were more relaxed and cordial back in the day; the day before someone put a large piece of lead on our world’s accelerator. I think his name is Mark Zuckerberg.

Nowadays we have news cycles. The essence of the news game is to frequently release shallow story replacements in order to sustain a societal state of distractedness; a calculated and injurious inability forced upon us by our own conditioned perception that we lack the time to dig into things a little more … fomenting an extraordinary level of anxiety that drives us back to the poisoned well for something that will calm our nerves and allay our fears; but as we do, we end up worse off.

The new rhythms grieve me. It seems as if we’re being trained to not pay attention, to eat junk food news and believe it’s good and right for us, and to rush to the next big topic that will put us “in the know” or on “the right side of history” or give us new ways of butchering a language that once allowed us to co-exist, connect, and develop deep and abiding interpersonal relationships. Now our words … our entire language!, is being torn asunder and thrown back together in an unrecognizable form aimed at driving division, confusion, hatred, judgment, violence, and death. The enemy, who comes to steal, kill and destroy; is out and on the move, dressed in full regalia without apology.

This is my complaint; a complaint I’ve had for quite some time. Yes, you’ve read my rants before, but now there is a consequence that I cannot simply shake my head about while topping it off with a heavy sigh.

We are losing our country. We are losing who we have always been. We are losing the once-ingrained and insatiable appetite for freedom the early settlers and founders of this country brought with them when they fled their tyrannical overlords abroad to find a new land and start something new … something better. Something that was rooted in a profound and studied understanding of human nature, our mysterious connection to the Divine, and the soul’s need to run like a stallion through the inter-recesses of our innate drive toward purpose, potential, love, and victory. We are losing who we are as a life-loving, humanity respecting, values-driven, and rock-solid stable country of a thoughtful and close-knit people.

All of this drama … so much manufactured drama. The enemy’s work is obvious, but not to everyone. And we are distracted.

Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, people who have lived in a mostly westernized and freer society (much like ours … er … was) for the past twenty years, many of whom have known nothing different, now suddenly face … every day … the real risk of violent injury and death. They are hunted, tortured, beheaded, deprived of access to their own financial resources, forced to hide in safe houses, or worse yet, driven to repeatedly pick up and move under cover of darkness to avoid their hunters.  They are having babies they cannot feed, shivering in the cold of their darkened homes, and struggling to keep their minds clear and their thoughts rational as they wake up each morning searching for some sign that they will be rescued. After all, the United States had made a commitment to them; that they would not be left behind. Like always. They knew the United States was trustworthy. The United States always operates with honor, high values rooted in integrity, is absolutely dependable, and compassionate. The United States stands up in the face of evil and serves as the great liberator of those who are oppressed, abused, and disenfranchised.

Oh … was that yesterday?

And what about today? Today we have doubts, even promote doubts, about the greatness of this country. Doubts that have been introduced by fantastical notions aimed at reading fantasy into reality and creating new methodologies, ideologies, and language requirements. All for a reason … to keep us confused, on guard, and distracted so that we don’t notice things like … Afghanistan, the greatest embarrassment of this country in my lifetime. We are now completely self-absorbed by our internal conflicts, and I fear we are being pulled into the vortex of self-destruction, with no one standing in the gap. No one to plug the drain that pulls us deeper into darkness.

I’ve spent hundreds, if not thousands, of hours researching my own family’s history. Something got into me. No … rather, something in me was awakened by the people who came before me.  I owe them something. We all owe them something. We owe our children something before it’s too late. We need to make things right.

Might I suggest something you can do, one of thousands of things we need to do, but it’s a start? Get up to speed on what’s happening in Afghanistan. And get up to speed on what our once great country is not doing about it.

It seems that protecting the reputation and pride of the elite in office has become more important than holding fast to an honorable courage, and exercising it with strength and confidence in the face of menacing threats. We owe it to those who came before us, and we certainly owe it to the Afghan’s, the innocents, who write to me every day asking if their case has made any progress while personally wishing me well, sending me their respects, and telling me that they are praying for me. I go through a lot of tissues.

Here is an excerpt from a newsletter our group sent out yesterday.

Afghanistan remains closed to the outside world, and access to surrounding “lily pads” is difficult due to a lack of cooperation from the Dept. of State. It seems that the DOS is working against any efforts that might be telling about the reality on the ground in Afghanistan. Although Afghanistan as a news cycle topic rose to greater visibility in the past two weeks, most of the recent efforts are focused on humanitarian aid and safe house operations. Planes are still in short supply with only a few flights anticipated in the near term. We are hopeful that we will not experience yet another disappointment with a last-minute collapse of commitments.

The TB continue to commit atrocities as they hunt down and torture people on their hit lists. The situation is dire for the 32,000 people left behind who, in addition to the frequent incidents of torture, are facing starvation as a severe winter season exacerbates the circumstances of joblessness, limited access to funds, difficulty finding food, and the constant fear of being injured or killed if they dare leave their homes. Many of the heads of household who were allies of the U.S. are being hunted, forcing the families to remain “on the move” to avoid detection.

Please help us. There are dozens of “evac” organizations that are committed to doing the right thing, and working through the long process of redemption for the reputation of the United States in the world.  The news cycle does not serve us well, but with great people like John Ondrasik of Five for Fighting working to raise awareness, we are holding on to hope that we can keep our commitment to the thousands of allies whose hearts we broke on August 31, 2021. Our hearts are broken too, and we could use some encouragement from our countrymen and countrywomen.

This is the first of what I hope will be a series of posts about our efforts in Afghanistan.  Thank you for taking the time to read this. I appreciate that you didn’t let something distract you.

Published in General
This post was promoted to the Main Feed by a Ricochet Editor at the recommendation of Ricochet members. Like this post? Want to comment? Join Ricochet’s community of conservatives and be part of the conversation. Join Ricochet for Free.

There are 20 comments.

Become a member to join the conversation. Or sign in if you're already a member.
  1. MarciN Member
    MarciN
    @MarciN

    God-LovingWoman: Thank you for taking the time to read this. I appreciate that you didn’t let something distract you.

    Thank you for doing this. 

    A truly great post also. 

    • #1
  2. God-LovingWoman Coolidge
    God-LovingWoman
    @GodLovingWoman

    MarciN (View Comment):

    God-LovingWoman: Thank you for taking the time to read this. I appreciate that you didn’t let something distract you.

    Thank you for doing this.

    A truly great post also.

    Thanks MarciN! You must be a speed reader!!!! HA HA … I guess I made a little joke. Sorry, I have to make sure I’m laughing a little here and there to keep my head on straight.

    • #2
  3. Chuck Coolidge
    Chuck
    @Chuckles

    What is the group that puts out the newsletter? 

     

    • #3
  4. God-LovingWoman Coolidge
    God-LovingWoman
    @GodLovingWoman

    Chuck (View Comment):

    What is the group that puts out the newsletter?

    Ah … I didn’t expect that question!

    It’s internal to the group and I’m not authorized to identify it, but if there is interest, I can see about creating one appropriate for public consumption. I was just asked yesterday if I might take on the newsletter responsibility, so I might have some pull. We meet tomorrow  I will put it on the table.

     

     

     

    • #4
  5. Chuck Coolidge
    Chuck
    @Chuckles

    God-LovingWoman (View Comment):

    Chuck (View Comment):

    What is the group that puts out the newsletter?

    Ah … I didn’t expect that question!

    It’s internal to the group and I’m not authorized to identify it, but if there is interest, I can see about creating one appropriate for public consumption. I was just asked yesterday if I might take on the newsletter responsibility, so I might have some pull. We meet tomorrow I will put it on the table.

    Waiting patiently.  

    • #5
  6. Susan in Seattle Member
    Susan in Seattle
    @SusaninSeattle

    Thank you.  I always look forward to reading your posts: not just once but a few times, every time.   

    • #6
  7. God-LovingWoman Coolidge
    God-LovingWoman
    @GodLovingWoman

    Susan in Seattle (View Comment):

    Thank you. I always look forward to reading your posts: not just once but a few times, every time.

    Oh wow. Thank you Susan. That is really nice of you to say. I am humbled by your words. 

    • #7
  8. Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patriot) Member
    Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patriot)
    @ArizonaPatriot

    I appreciate the compassion for the people of Afghanistan expressed in this post.  I have some questions.

    Why is it the responsibility of the United States to solve the problems of Afghanistan?

    Did the results of our 20-year involvement in Afghanistan indicate that we have the ability to solve the problems of that country?

    If we have a responsibility to the people of Afghanistan, do we have the same responsibility to the people of other countries around the world, from North Korea to Saudi Arabia to China to Cuba to Cameroon to Venezuela?

     

    • #8
  9. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patrio… (View Comment):
    Why is it the responsibility of the United States to solve the problems of Afghanistan?

    To me, this is an easy question to answer. We don’t. But we have an obligation to fulfill our promise to those who helped us. We promised to get them out. Instead, we removed many Afghans who were not vetted (no matter what they try to tell us) and have abandoned the others. As our status as a nation continues to fall, our broken promises will alienate not only those who trusted us, but those who are watching the situation unfold. I know we have broken our promises to others in the past, but now every broken promise will add to our reputation as a weak and feckless nation.

    • #9
  10. God-LovingWoman Coolidge
    God-LovingWoman
    @GodLovingWoman

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patrio… (View Comment):
    Why is it the responsibility of the United States to solve the problems of Afghanistan?

    To me, this is an easy question to answer. We don’t. But we have an obligation to fulfill our promise to those who helped us. We promised to get them out. Instead, we removed many Afghans who were not vetted (no matter what they try to tell us) and have abandoned the others. As our status as a nation continues to fall, our broken promises will alienate not only those who trusted us, but those who are watching the situation unfold. I know we have broken our promises to others in the past, but now every broken promise will add to our reputation as a weak and feckless nation.

    I could not have expressed it more perfectly. Thank you Susan. 

    • #10
  11. philo Member
    philo
    @philo

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patrio… (View Comment):
    Why is it the responsibility of the United States to solve the problems of Afghanistan?

    To me, this is an easy question to answer. We don’t. But we have an obligation to fulfill our promise to those who helped us. We promised to get them out. Instead, we removed many Afghans who were not vetted (no matter what they try to tell us) and have abandoned the others. As our status as a nation continues to fall, our broken promises will alienate not only those who trusted us, but those who are watching the situation unfold. I know we have broken our promises to others in the past, but now every broken promise will add to our reputation as a weak and feckless nation.

    But, then again, that has all been covered with him on numerous occasions. His obtuseness is a choice… a tiresome, embarrassing choice. 

    • #11
  12. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    philo (View Comment):
    But, then again, that has all been covered with him on numerous occasions. His obtuseness is a choice… a tiresome, embarrassing choice. 

    True. But I comment for others who might have questions. Not just for Jerry (who’s heard it before).

    • #12
  13. Doug Kimball Thatcher
    Doug Kimball
    @DougKimball

    Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patrio… (View Comment):

    I appreciate the compassion for the people of Afghanistan expressed in this post. I have some questions.

    Why is it the responsibility of the United States to solve the problems of Afghanistan?

    Did the results of our 20-year involvement in Afghanistan indicate that we have the ability to solve the problems of that country?

    If we have a responsibility to the people of Afghanistan, do we have the same responsibility to the people of other countries around the world, from North Korea to Saudi Arabia to China to Cuba to Cameroon to Venezuela?

     

    This could be done relatively easily.  What do the Taliban leaders fear?  Death.  So you tell them, stop, or you will face Allah.  It could be a drone, a sniper, a smart bomb.  Declare a moratorium. Set up a UN safety zone and find countries to resettle those who want to leave.  Then, get them out.  Why?  Because it’s the right thing to do.

    • #13
  14. Jim McConnell Member
    Jim McConnell
    @JimMcConnell

    Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patrio… (View Comment):

    I appreciate the compassion for the people of Afghanistan expressed in this post. I have some questions.

    Why is it the responsibility of the United States to solve the problems of Afghanistan?

    Did the results of our 20-year involvement in Afghanistan indicate that we have the ability to solve the problems of that country?

    If we have a responsibility to the people of Afghanistan, do we have the same responsibility to the people of other countries around the world, from North Korea to Saudi Arabia to China to Cuba to Cameroon to Venezuela?

     

    Our continued involvement in Afghanistan, and the needless loss of lives by our service members, was a mistake. But the way we left was a total disgrace. Not to mention the idiotic killing of innocents by that final drone strike.

    • #14
  15. I Walton Member
    I Walton
    @IWalton

    I don’t know what to say about this.  Clearly it’s easy to say we should not have been there, certainly not for so long.  Moreover, with the current leadership in the U.S. there is nothing we can do about it, and more importantly, there is little we can do about our own country that is going in the same direction– down and out.   We  can focus on all the things we are doing wrongly around the world, but the same folks are in a full scale attack on the US, its history, its character and its future and the rest of the world doesn’t care, indeed the vast majority do not even know why the US was different, unique, how it alone created the modern world economy, and how once we’re destroyed, there is no coming back in most of our life times.    Most folks on our side dismiss such concerns as foolish exaggerations.   How many have lived in totalitarian systems, that are or once were, or  became, or just collapsed into chaos.   Folks who haven’t lived abroad at all let alone extensively are too confident of what’s going on and where it could end up.  Too many are pretending that this is just a domestic political dispute that will end when we replace the Democrats.    Going back to the original point, yes with strong leadership and coherent coordinate foreign policy we could do lots, even when unwise or even foolish, as long as we had a coherent vision of what it was all about.  But absent that there is only one thing, preserve the nation or find a way to break away and form one based on the original idea.  

    • #15
  16. Columbo Inactive
    Columbo
    @Columbo

    God bless you God Loving Woman!! Prayers for you and all in this organization that reaches out to Afghan allies, and even U.S. citizens left behind by our useless and demented President.

    Biden supports a migrant invasion: https://nypost.com/2022/01/26/leaked-video-reveals-joe-bidens-hush-hush-migrant-invasion/

    Biden leaves Afghan allies and Americans to lanquish in UAE refugee camps: https://www.nationalreview.com/news/afghan-evacuees-with-sick-baby-rescued-after-months-in-uae-refugee-camp/

    So, Americans, in the character of the way we used to be, decide to do it ourselves in spite of Old Joe. Thank you @godlovingwoman!

    • #16
  17. God-LovingWoman Coolidge
    God-LovingWoman
    @GodLovingWoman

    Columbo (View Comment):

    God bless you God Loving Woman!! Prayers for you and all in this organization that reaches out to Afghan allies, and even U.S. citizens left behind by our useless and demented President.

    Biden supports a migrant invasion: https://nypost.com/2022/01/26/leaked-video-reveals-joe-bidens-hush-hush-migrant-invasion/

    Biden leaves Afghan allies and Americans to lanquish in UAE refugee camps: https://www.nationalreview.com/news/afghan-evacuees-with-sick-baby-rescued-after-months-in-uae-refugee-camp/

    So, Americans, in the character of the way we used to be, decide to do it ourselves in spite of Old Joe. Thank you @ godlovingwoman!

    Thank you Lt.!  It is difficult for our service members to keep up the effort, and not just because the means for orchestrating evacuations is drying up. It is also because of the deep impact the US government’s betrayal has had on them personally. The way the withdrawal was done and the callous indifference of the administration toward both those left behind and those seeking to rescue has caused them to question their worth and purpose. It is devastating. I don’t think we have the same armed forces today that we had before August 2021. What this means to our efforts in regard to Ukraine remains to be seen. 

    • #17
  18. God-LovingWoman Coolidge
    God-LovingWoman
    @GodLovingWoman

    God-LovingWoman (View Comment):

    Chuck (View Comment):

    What is the group that puts out the newsletter?

    Ah … I didn’t expect that question!

    It’s internal to the group and I’m not authorized to identify it, but if there is interest, I can see about creating one appropriate for public consumption. I was just asked yesterday if I might take on the newsletter responsibility, so I might have some pull. We meet tomorrow I will put it on the table.

     

     

     

    I’ve been given permission to prepare a newsletter for public consumption! There are many questions about how to distribute, but we will get there. 

    • #18
  19. Chuck Coolidge
    Chuck
    @Chuckles

    Chuck (View Comment):

    God-LovingWoman (View Comment):

    Chuck (View Comment):

    What is the group that puts out the newsletter?

    Ah … I didn’t expect that question!

    It’s internal to the group and I’m not authorized to identify it, but if there is interest, I can see about creating one appropriate for public consumption. I was just asked yesterday if I might take on the newsletter responsibility, so I might have some pull. We meet tomorrow I will put it on the table.

    Waiting patiently.

    @godlovingwoman I am still waiting to find out what I can do.  Tried to send a PM but your privacy selection would not permit.

    • #19
  20. God-LovingWoman Coolidge
    God-LovingWoman
    @GodLovingWoman

    Chuck (View Comment):

    Chuck (View Comment):

    God-LovingWoman (View Comment):

    Chuck (View Comment):

    What is the group that puts out the newsletter?

    Ah … I didn’t expect that question!

    It’s internal to the group and I’m not authorized to identify it, but if there is interest, I can see about creating one appropriate for public consumption. I was just asked yesterday if I might take on the newsletter responsibility, so I might have some pull. We meet tomorrow I will put it on the table.

    Waiting patiently.

    @ godlovingwoman I am still waiting to find out what I can do. Tried to send a PM but your privacy selection would not permit.

    Hi Chuck

    My apologies! I have not been online for several weeks, which happens often with me as I get pulled into various projects and tend to have tunnel vision. The leader of the organization I was working needed to return to running her business, so my role on the team as the systems person dried up. My last job was to ensure that all of the waiting families were transitioned into a larger system that supports multiple organizations. There is a cohort group involved now that has taken responsibility for shepherding the transitioned families. I am still checking in with them periodically. 

    That said, I last heard there have been significant difficulties in getting a plane out that was originally scheduled for departure back in February. The families were moved to safe houses, thinking it was temporary, and now meeting their basic daily needs of food and safe shelter is the focus. Unfortunately given the security issues around the situation, I am out of the loop – I’m not on the need-to-know list for the operations.  I do believe they are funneling all donations to safe house/food operations for those in staging for the flight and those next up for subsequent flights. 

    I will change my privacy settings for messaging (I had no idea), and message you with the links to the cohort site. 

    GLW

    • #20
Become a member to join the conversation. Or sign in if you're already a member.