why not leave some cash behind to help us send some helpful items to the men and women who are serving this country overseas?
It would be virtuous and I have reliable word that donating to NFTT will get you Raptured!
But only if you want that. People who DOES NOT WANT Ceiling Cat to bat them off the face of Urth with Hiz Awsum Pawz can donate and still stay to haz Cheezburgrs and Free Rapture Stuff. Srsly!
Alright, enough LOLCAT for one diary. This is in earnest a serious topic.
Coming home
Throughout my childhood, there was this rather ubiquitous set of pamphlet tracts everywhere, compliments of my older brother who collected these via a friend who adhered to, shall we say, a rather more ecstatic denomination of Christianity than the moderate Presbyterian church that we attended.
The message was consistent in this "Chick Publications" - get good with God, or it's the hellfire. Many of the stories in these tracts ended with the main person dying. Sometimes they got in under the wire. Sometimes not. You never knew - either ending served the intended purpose - terrifying the children and young adults who read them.
I cannot think of the number of times I was up late worried after sneaking into my brother's room to read these stories earlier in the day. Naturally I did so often.
Why bring this up? Because my brother is a soldier in the United States Army. He has been for many years. And if there has been a war or security concern over the past twenty-odd years, he's most certainly had a piece of it.
And given the interesting headline news of today...you get to know something about him when we were both young.
The men and women we prepare packages for are not strangers. We know them. In my case I know Kossacks who are either overseas, back for now, on their way back, or dealing still with the practical and personal issues (sometimes bodily and psychological harm) that come with the territory of being an active serviceman or veteran.
My brother is five years older. He has always been a warrior of some variety. At such an advantage in age and size there was never really much contest in any kind of fight and by the time I was of some size he was off in college. I suspect it would not have mattered much anyway. What I did learn from our occasional contests was that I was not inclined to conflict but, when thoroughly activated by fear or provocation, capable of changing gears.
I remember Sunday after Sunday as a first through third grader, having my older brother command me to engage in these curious floor-wrestling "downs". He wanted to get me to get past him, either to touch a wall or a chair or past some invisible line.
I would have rather locked myself in my room and read. Oh, no. These sessions would go on and on.
I hated him for it. For wasting my time, compelling my obedience for such stretches, getting into my head and heart so easily.
But damn it all, once I was in these contests I played to win.
It was frustrating as hell He was twice my weight. Faster. More aggressive. Much stronger. And worst of all I knew he was toying with me. He was holding back.
This just made me angrier. So I would figure, fine. Get past him enough times he will bore of it.
He would just escalate his commitment of strength, each time. The only way to satisfy him once in this mood was to be completely exhausted, emotionally or physically.
Problem is, I never ran out of energy. And he knew it.
So these matches would go on all afternoon, it seemed. In hindsight, they were probably no more than 20-40 minutes.
So, why share this at all?
Because my brother would ultimately go on to become an officer. He would fight and lead men (not sure if he ever had women in his command for he was always combat arms) in two wars. He might do so in more. I am sure they all feel oppressed and obligated and dominated at times.
But I know these hateful experiments of his (and there were many others) imparted in me a kind of resistance to any kind of compulsion and, the few times it ever was needed for real, a kind of place I can go to - calm, completely focused and ready for anything - that you want to be in when in real danger. Like, say something mundane, when an opportunity to be in a car accident arises. Or someone threatens to pull a gun out (okay, that's not mundane).
Or, for the soldiers in his various commands, the need to focus on the task, get each other's backs, and come out as alive and intact as possible is at hand.
My brother is amicable in personality but in some respects a stone. A statue of a man. The image of an accessible hero. And he is decorated, several times over. But most of all he wears the decoration every officer must: the respect of his men, dare I say, their love as well.
He is not an easy man to love, nor does he care to be. Even the respect of others is something that must be had, to get the job done.
But he respects himself. And he has every right to do so. And by example, he teaches this.
Even, as I learned as kid, it is a hard and hateful process to endure at times. :)
My brother is not the type to need NFTT. He would say, consider this for others in the field at this time. But in past conversations he has related that these types of packets are beyond welcome.
These are soldiers. They have learned to respect themselves. It is an essential to staying alive.
It does not hurt thought to receive reminders that their work is respected, and that their hardships and sacrifices and service are cherished.
And, yes, that their country loves them.
Someday, these current wars will end... all wars do. And every soldier will return home.
They assume a hard life as servicemen. They know it. Wishing "good hunting" is as welcome as "stay safe". Sometimes more, for some.
But they do it for a simple reason, my brother says. They place themselves in harm's way to keep those they love as far from harm's way as possible.
And a few bucks for snacks and supplies is a very welcome way to say thank-you.
Someday.. they'll all come home (And not like the strange tracts from my childhood said they'll "come home").
They'll come on ships and planes and buses and trains.
They'll arrive at ports and airfields and bases the country over.
Their families will be waiting.
And their multitude of returns will be lovely and special.
Not everyone returns hale and whole. Or alive.
But most come home.
That just makes this all the more special.
So, please give to NFTT. It's not going to speed up the end of the wars...but it's going to make the wait a bit more bearable.
Our goal for Netroots for the TroopsTM 2011 is $100,000.0 (cash or in-kind donations)
NFTT's primary function is the purchasing and assembling of Care Packages at Netroots Nation to be mailed to American Military serving in war zones. However, the needs of our military families and veterans at home are also a NFTT priority. As llbear et al. have shown, far too often veterans and their families end up caught between a need and red tape. As we raise funds this year remember that your donation will be helping on multiple levels. Our deployed sons and daughter will know they have not been forgotten. Military families will know that they are not alone. Veterans at home will receive needed help.
We realize that you would like to donate something tangible to go inside the packages that will be mailed to the troops. Unfortunately, accepting in-kind donations from individuals is not practical in terms of storage and handling of the items. We will only be accepting corporate donations or cash from YOU to purchase items for the care packages this year.
Here’s how YOU can help:
1. Please contact TexDem if you know someone who might be helpful in securing the corporate in-kind donations. Just leave him a message through the dkos message system. To help you think of companies who could donate products, see below for a list of potential items. Put your thinking caps on and let us hear from you. It takes time to get through the corporate processes so we need to hear from you ASAP!
2. We are accepting cash from individuals and -beg- ask that you DONATE HERE to contribute to this worthy cause. Your donation will enable us to purchase the things that we are unable to obtain through corporate donations, and will help to pay the costs of shipping them to our troops.
3. Sign up for a diary! Don’t worry---we’ve made it easy for you. We’ve got a template set up, and all you need to do is add a small introduction. You can tell us why you are donating or share a story of someone you know who has served or is serving. You can post some favorite pootie and woozel photos. Or how about some gardening photos? We love them! Recipes? We're ready to cook. A list of the top ten guitarists of all time? We'll listen. An homage to your favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy writer? (Terry Pratchett is one of mine.) We'll be reading. We want you to have fun while raising money for our troops and their families. Just drop Onomastic/Ono a message through the dkos message system to get the template and on the schedule.
4. Do you know a service member who would like to receive a care package? Email a request to: info@netrootsforthetroops.com before May 31, 2011. Please include all of the following information. Unfortunately we will not be able to process any incomplete requests:
Rank:
Last name:
First name:
APO Address Line 1:
APO Address Line 2:
APO Address Zip:
If you know of a Military Unit that would like to receive care packages please include Unit and contact information by May 15, 2011.
5. Write letters to be included in the packages! If you need some ideas, rbutters wrote an excellent diary with tips on how to write letters to troops and why it’s so important to them.
6. Help us assemble the packages in Minneapolis. It's fun! More information will be forthcoming for those of you who are going to be in Minneapolis and would like to help there.
7. Please consider joining the NFTT FaceBook Group. Invite your FaceBook and non-FaceBook friends.
_
The goal for 2011 is 600 Care Packages assembled in Minneapolis, that equates to approximately $100,000.00. Again this was decided upon after seeing we could assemble 300 in 45 minutes in Pittsburgh. Those boxes had a retail value of approximately $210.00. The items we'll be sending will be comparable to what was sent last year. However, that list is subject to modification based on suggestions, request and needs. Btw, check out the NFTT website.
The following list contains some of the things we have included in packages. Please let us know if you know someone who might be helpful in securing these corporate in-kind donations. (Please DO NOT send these items yourself! We have no way to accept them. Instead, your cash donation is the very best way to help make this happen on the ground in Minneapolis.)
- Baby wipes
- Mechanix gloves
- LED flashlights
- Gel shoe insoles
- Goop Cleaning Gel
- Powdered energy drinks
- Gel energy food packets
- DVDs and CDs
- Letters to the soldiers
- More suggestions coming soon
The NFTT diaries are a way for the Daily Kos community to support the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and their families. We send them packages of items they might not otherwise receive through the normal military process but that they find useful. This is a non-political diary. While we understand there are differing views on the wars and the warriors, the site gives plenty of opportunity to express those views elsewhere. Furthermore, we would hope that users do not engage with those that attempt to hijack or otherwise disrupt these diaries.
We appreciate your understanding and support. Thanks!
Netroots For The TroopsTM is a project of Netroots for the Troops, Inc., a Virginia non-profit corporation. Netroots For The TroopsTM raises money for the assembly, mailing and delivery of care packages to American military in war zones, and to provide assistance to military families in the United States. Netroots For The Troops, Inc. is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization.