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Old December 14, 2006, 02:28 AM   #1
hydrashok407
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Location: Benbrook, Texas
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In response to Denny's January '07 Opening Editorial:

I didn't get to vote. I'm mobilized National Guard stationed at Ft. Hood. My home is only 2 1/2 hrs away. I was registered to vote, but duty called the morning I was supposed to drive home to cast my ballot. Therefore, I'm excluding myself from your "apathetic" statement

Regarding to the author wondering if remaining totally silent is the best course of action, I would have to say that depends on the situation. As with most "what to do if" advice columns, they generalize everything as if all situations were the same. They're not.

I was involved in a fatal shooting just 6 days after I received my CHL in the mail. I was a young punk 21 yr old, and was thrilled that I had a bypass to the Brady Nazi Gun Wait Law, and that I could carry. I found that my attitude changed a LOT while carrying... I took the chip off my shoulder and put it in my pocket. I was no longer looking for a fight.

Well, one found me. I thought I was successful in conflict resolution when a drunk man was harrassing me, my bestfriend, and 4 teenage kids I didn't even know. I thought I had diffused the situation by calming him down and sending him home to "sleep it off". I was wrong. He returned 15 minutes later with a gun.

Gunfight ensued, and he lost. When the police got there, they rounded me up in one car, my bestfriend in another, and my four other witnesses were gone.

They took me to the station, and I told them exactly what happened. My friend gave a statement, as well. I had WISHED those other teenagers were there, but never-the-less, I believed with our statements, I would be "OK".

To my surprise, the four teenagers showed up. I saw them coming into the station as I was being escorted outside to smoke a cigarette. I never hired a lawyer, I was never booked (or even arrested for that matter), and my case was no-billed.

I can't say I would do it the same way if I were to be involved in another shooting... partially because of age/maturity, but mostly because every situation is different.
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Old December 16, 2006, 12:29 AM   #2
Eghad
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My mom was three states away but managed to vote in the Texas election.

She simply went to the State of Texas website and requested a ballot purchased a stamp and voted.

So if you live over a reasonable commuting distance from your voting place or will be away getting an absentee ballot is easy in Texas. You can be ready for the next one!
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Old December 16, 2006, 09:27 PM   #3
hydrashok407
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Well, YEAH! If I *KNEW* I was going to be called up on election day, I would have had an absentee ballot. My issue was nothing was scheduled, and as I got up and got ready to drive home to vote, I got that call.

My vote is important, sure, but so is making sure soldiers going to war are properly trained.

NEXT TIME, I will just go ahead and do the absentee ballot regardless of whether I plan on being home or not.
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Old December 16, 2006, 11:56 PM   #4
Eghad
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I was assigned the additonal duty as a voting officer, which was a good thing because it enable me to have the knowledge to help my mom get an absentee ballot. So if you have any questions hopefully somewhere in your AO you have a person appointed as a voting officer who can help you.
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Old December 17, 2006, 05:46 AM   #5
hydrashok407
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That's a good thing to know... I'm actually outprocessing right now, and starting my transitional leave on Wednesday (YEA!!!)

I'm in the National Guard. I mobilized back in August '04. We did a six month train-up, went to Iraq for a year, then when our unit got back, a small group of us (about a hundred) out of our brigade stayed on active duty at Ft. Hood to train other units going.

It was a new program the Army started so that soldiers who had "been there, done that" were training the units going. When WE went, we had a bunch of instructors who were either (a) never deployed, or (b) weren't deployed to Iraq.

Well, my year is up, and although many of the soldiers in my unit are extending, there's a lot more soldiers who have returned since then that are being brought on to keep the training "fresh".

So.... I fully expect to leave burnt rubber tracks all the way from the exit side of the Clear Creek Gate all the way to Hwy 190 on Tuesday afternoon, and see just how fast I can make Ft. Hood disappear from my rear view mirror
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Old December 17, 2006, 11:07 AM   #6
Eghad
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Quote:
So.... I fully expect to leave burnt rubber tracks all the way from the exit side of the Clear Creek Gate all the way to Hwy 190 on Tuesday afternoon, and see just how fast I can make Ft. Hood disappear from my rear view mirror
I know how you feel. I remember on my way out the Ft Hood gate back to the house I remembered that I had left a set of BDUs and a shirt at the post cleaners...

I guess they are still there..lol. I was ready to go home..lol

Quote:
It was a new program the Army started so that soldiers who had "been there, done that" were training the units going. When WE went, we had a bunch of instructors who were either (a) never deployed, or (b) weren't deployed to Iraq.
I get a chuckle out of the fact that after some Soldiers get back from Iraq and Afghanistan after being in combat running patrols and convoys that they are required to go to the Warrior Leaders Course (formerly PLDC) to be taught by instructors who may have never been deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan.
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