Oct162011

Anti-American Funeral Picketers

The recent Supreme Court decision upholding the First Amendment right of the Westboro Baptist Church, Topeka, KS to picket at the funerals of military personnel was a victory for our Constitutional rights but a defeat for morality in this country.

The followers of this so called church typically gather at the funeral ceremonies of our fallen heroes accusing them of condoning homosexuality within the military.

These misguided disciples are reminiscent of the Nazis and other fascist elements who persecuted gays, the clergy, Jews, gypsies and various ethnic peoples in the 1930’s and 1940’s.  They should be looked upon as anti-American bigots who are trying to undermine our military and tear at the fabric of our country.

States should pass laws which prohibit such provocative and anti-American behavior within one mile or more from a funeral ceremony.

Don Moskowitz is a well known prolific writer on subjects of the nation and the world that spark his interest. Retiring from the US Navy in 1967 as a Lieutenant, he often writes on military and political maters he is very active in the Londonderry American Legion. A long career in corporate management he retired after developing a successful business with multiple locations in southern New Hampshire.

He lives in Londonderry, New Hampshire with his wife Betty, they have three children and four grandchildren.

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Jul312011

Block Iran on the Arabian Peninsula


The Iraqi Shiites have increased their attacks on American troops in Iraq. June saw 14 U.S. soldiers killed, which is the highest death toll since 2008.

The Iraqi military, which consists primarily of Shiites, is reluctant to counter Shiites attacking American soldiers. Prime Minister al-Maliki, a Shiite, is hesitant to order military action against fellow Shiites.

Iran is smuggling in weapons to the Iraqi Shiites to promote the destabilization of Iraq and establish a stronger Shiite presence. Iran will probably increase its influence in Iraq as U.S. troops are withdrawn, thereby enabling it to threaten oil producing countries in the region, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE.

Although the U.S. imports only 10% of its oil from the Middle East, any threat to the oil supply reverberates throughout the world and adversely impacts oil prices.

The U.S. needs counter weights against the Iranian Shiite and Iraqi Shiite forces. We should provide weapons to the Kurds in the north, maintain a military force in the Sunni area west of Baghdad, and have sufficient counter forces in Kuwait. A U.S. naval presence must continue in the Persian Gulf.

Hopefully, this will check any advances contemplated by Iran on the Arabian Peninsula.

Don Moskowitz is a well known prolific writer on subjects of the nation and the world that spark his interest. Retiring from the US Navy in 1967 as a Lieutenant, he often writes on military and political maters he is very active in the Londonderry American Legion. A long career in corporate management he retired after developing a successful business with multiple locations in southern New Hampshire.

He lives in Londonderry, New Hampshire with his wife Betty, they have three children and four grandchildren.

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Jun262011

Rally Around The Flag


Once again, I am compelled to address the desecration of our flag by those who do not comprehend the meaning of the U.S. flag. Our flag is the symbol of freedom and democracy in this country, and around the world. It epitomizes what our military personnel defend and rally around. It is sacred and must not be desecrated.

Unfortunately, the U.S. Supreme Court in 1989 ruled it is legal to desecrate the flag under the First Amendment of our Constitution’s right of free speech.

The U.S. House of Representatives will consider H. J. Res. 13 shortly, which prohibits the physical desecration of the flag. A parallel resolution, S.J. Res. 19, will go before the U.S. Senate in coming months. Two thirds majority votes in the House and Senate are required to put forward a constitutional amendment for ratification by the states.

Please contact your state representatives and senators and ask them to support these resolutions. Over 1,200,000 U.S. military personnel have died promoting freedom and democracy in the world, and our flag is the symbol that represents this country.

We have to rally around the flag.

Don Moskowitz is a well known prolific writer on subjects of the nation and the world that spark his interest. Retiring from the US Navy in 1967 as a Lieutenant, he often writes on military and political maters he is very active in the Londonderry American Legion. A long career in corporate management he retired after developing a successful business with multiple locations in southern New Hampshire.

He lives in Londonderry, New Hampshire with his wife Betty, they have three children and four grandchildren.

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May152011

Loose Talk Aids Enemy

As a former naval officer who served a tour of duty as an intelligence officer, I am astonished at the covert information released to the media by the U.S. government. The operation against Bin Laden is an example of this problem.

The media reported details of the military operation, including the designation of the units assigned to the task. They received access to information on a dog involved in the operation, the name of the dog trainer and the location of the training base. When President Obama visited the troops to congratulate them the names and faces of many individuals were plainly visible on TV.

The media reported we captured Bin Laden’s computers, CDs, and telephone numbers with information on numerous al-Qaida terrorists and future plans of the terrorist group. It even received some access to Bin Laden tapes.

One story reported the activities of the U.S. intelligence agencies and how they found Bin Laden. They even reported on a CIA operation inside Pakistan.

And why didn’t we keep the death of Bin Laden a secret while we mined the information we gathered and sought out al-Qaida terrorists?

Our loose talk and openness continues to aid the enemy.

Don Moskowitz is a well known prolific writer on subjects of the nation and the world that spark his interest. Retiring from the US Navy in 1967 as a Lieutenant, he often writes on military and political maters he is very active in the Londonderry American Legion. A long career in corporate management he retired after developing a successful business with multiple locations in southern New Hampshire.

He lives in Londonderry, New Hampshire with his wife Betty, they have three children and four grandchildren.

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May012011

Need Comprehensive Energy Strategy

The increase in gasoline prices reflects the instability in the Middle East and attendant speculation in the oil markets. We need to address the huge runup in oil prices with comprehensive policies designed to provide solutions to our energy consumption problems. Unfortunately, past administrations have failed us.

The Obama administration should continue to promote democracy in North Africa and the Middle East, and hopefully democratic reforms in these countries will provide some stability in the region and thereby help decrease speculation in the oil markets.

The U.S. has to increase domestic oil production, including oil derived from our Western U.S. oil shale and Alaskan oil deposits; build new refineries; build nuclear power plants meeting stringent U.S. specifications, including strict siting requirements; increase power production from natural gas and alternative energy sources, e.g. biomass, wind and solar; promote public transportation; and conserve energy in our homes, businesses, vehicles and in our travels. Another way to conserve gasoline consumption is to decrease the speed limits to 55 mph or 60 mph on our expressways, and we have to enforce these limits. Unfortunately many states have increased speed limits to between 70 mph and 85 mph. Some studies have shown going from 75 mph to 55 mph will reduce gasoline consumption by 33%.

U.S. nuclear plants should be designed to withstand a 9.0 earthquake, tornadoes, category 5 hurricanes and floods, and have battery and diesel generator back-up to provide power to coolant water for at least one month. Existing plants can only withstand a 7.5 earthquake and have four hours battery back-up; and spent fuel rods are currently stored on site. A reprocessing system must be established to neutralize or reuse these fuel rods.

We need the Obama administration to provide some leadership and implement a comprehensive energy strategy.

Don Moskowitz is a well known prolific writer on subjects of the nation and the world that spark his interest. Retiring from the US Navy in 1967 as a Lieutenant, he often writes on military and political maters he is very active in the Londonderry American Legion. A long career in corporate management he retired after developing a successful business with multiple locations in southern New Hampshire.

He lives in Londonderry, New Hampshire with his wife Betty, they have three children and four grandchildren.

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Apr242011

America Must Lead

The Libyan people rose up against their dictatorial and murderous president, and asked for world help to overthrow the tyrant and establish a democracy in Libya, but the world, including the U.S., delayed taking any action. The western world wanted to study the situation.

Finally, about a month later, the U.N. agreed to impose sanctions, including a no fly zone around Libya, and coalition missiles and planes attacked Gadhafi’s military forces. They were able to halt Gadhafi’s drive to retake Bengazi and eastern Libya. The opposition forces in the east were saved from annihilation, but unfortunately Gadhafi;s forces had penetrated many cities and had the opposition on the run.

The dithering and dathering by the U.N., including the U.S., inhibited the momentum of the rebel forces, but it has resulted in a potential long drawn out stalemate in Libya. The stalemate might be broken if we employ helicopter gun ships against Gandhafi’s military in and around the cities; and provide the rebels with anti-tank weapons.

The U.S. finally acted to avert a humanitarian disaster in Libya, and we continued our quest to promote democracy in the region. We also might have contributed to the establishment of some stability in the Middle East, which is necessary to calm fears of disruption to the flow of oil, and the impact on world oil prices.

It is our duty to provide leadership to countries and populations in the world who cry out for help when they are threatened by the dark forces of totalitarianism.

Don Moskowitz is a well known prolific writer on subjects of the nation and the world that spark his interest. Retiring from the US Navy in 1967 as a Lieutenant, he often writes on military and political maters he is very active in the Londonderry American Legion. A long career in corporate management he retired after developing a successful business with multiple locations in southern New Hampshire.

He lives in Londonderry, New Hampshire with his wife Betty, they have three children and four grandchildren.

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