Rudyard Kipling"
āWhen you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldierā
General Douglas MacArthur"
āWe are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.ā
āIt is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.ā āOld soldiers never die; they just fade away.
āThe soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.ā
āMay God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .ā āThe object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
āNobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
āIt is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
Malaysiakini - Vijay47 : Siti
Kasim, I disagree with you but when a person as respected as Siti Kasim
offers an opinion that diametrically differs from mine, I must view it
with respect.
Difficulty in enforcing the law upon the parents may be
true, but should irresponsible parents be allowed to let their children
participate in activities almost certain to result in death? If
problems of enforcement are justifiable, then perhaps we should forget
about 1MDB which in Malaysia seems to take forever and a day to be
resolved.
It
is simply unbelievable ā how can anyone be allowed to use a bicycle
without brakes? Downhill racing without lights may seem macho to youth,
but young man or old, the rockhard road shows no mercy. Some of those
who died were 13 or 14 years old! 13 years old, young enough to nestle
on his motherās lap! Yes, what would they know about caution and
safety? But where was their parentsā care and concern?I
am sorry to introduce race into this issue; then again, maybe I am not.
When the tragedy occurred, the only response from Malay politicians
was that the damn Chinawoman should not be let off. Just nail her and
Iām alright, Jack. Nobody cared a bloody hoot for those who died.I
am not a sociologist or a psychologist, I am simply a parent and a
grandfather, but it must be obvious to everyone that basikal lajak and
mat rempitism seems to be almost an exclusively Malay problem. Where
are all those great defenders of race, religion, and Negara, why are
they not instituting measures to end these suicidal tendencies among
their own people?Siti
Kasim, you say that parenting is tough. Of course it is. But at least
where basikal lajak and insane motorbike riders are concerned, the
non-Malay parents seem to be holding their own quite well. My childhood
was a wonderful one, with loving family and great friends of all races.
But step out of line, have one red mark on the report card, and the
rotan would make a magical appearance.Perhaps
through the racist policies of UMNO and PAS, where responsibility,
accountability, and effort have been discarded, we are witnessing the
slow crumbling of a race.But what do I know? I am only a grandfather with 7 wonderful grandchildren.
