Soldier Simulates Drowning Of Daughter When She Fails Alphabet Test

A soldier has been accused of simulating drowning, pushing his four-year-old daughter's face underwater because she was unable to recite the alphabet. Joshua Tabor, 27, is a soldier at the Lewis-McChord base in Tacoma, Washington.

While some reports named the technique used by Tabor as waterboarding, strictly speaking, it was not. Waterboarding involves covering the individual's face with fabric or cloth and pouring water over the nose and mouth to simulate drowning.

According to reports, "Tabor said he submerged her face three or four times until the water was lapping around her forehead and jawline."

Tabor had won custody of his daughter only four weeks earlier. Her mother lives in Kansas. Tabor has been charged with assault and ordered to remain on his base and have no contact with his daughter or girlfriend (who was not named). He is due to appear in court later this week.

Bank of America Flag Controversy Begins to Cost It Accounts

Last week, a Bank of America branch in Gaffney, SC removed American flags from an adjacent sidewalk, concerned, Branch Manager Brandy Tate said, that some might be offended by the flags. The flags were placed there as part of a funeral procession for Marine Lance Cpl. Chris Fowlkes. Fowlkes died Sept. 10th in a German hospital of injuries suffered in Afghanistan the previous week from an IED.

The first thing I'd have to say about the Bank of America flag scandal is that, if the display of an American flag would offend people living in America, that is a sad state of affairs as far as I am concerned. The bank, located at 1602 West Floyd Baker Blvd. in Gaffney, returned the flags for an initial funeral procession on last Wednesday, then again for the actual funeral that Friday.

In the wake of the furor over that Bank of America branch removing the flaqs, the Cherokee County Council has decided to close its accounts with Bank of America. B of A earlier said that the removal of the flags occurred due to a "breakdown in communications," but that reasoning didn't fly (no pun intended) with the Council.

One has to wonder what the communications were. Perhaps there is some overarching policy about flags in front of Bank of America branches, but these were American flags. This could be the result of the branch manager being overzealous in following a particular B of A policy. Here's where some common sense would need to be used (ahem).

With regards to the Bank of America flag controversy, the company issued an apology last week, saying “We want to ensure the community knows how deeply proud we are of the men and women who have sacrificed so much in service to our country. The bank does fly the American Flag at our locations throughout the country and flags were displayed in front of our banking center in Gaffney the evening prior to our dedicated Marine returning home. We deeply apologize for any misunderstandings.“

It's obvious the Bank of America flag controversy isn't going to die out anytime soon. Bank of America isn't on my list of favorite banks simply because its fees are higher and they offer less than smaller banks do. This just adds still more reason to avoid the corporate giant.

Soldier Killed After Re-Enlisting to Get Health Insurance

While people still continue to fight over whether or not health care should be provided for all, and the morality of allowing people to die because of lack of health insurance, here is the sad story of a soldier who re-enlisted to get insurance for his family, then later died in Afghanistan.

Army SPC Greg Missman lost his job as a computer consultant, and along with losing the job he lost health insurance for his family. Missman had ended his military service 11 years ago, but re-enlisted in order to be sure his family had health insurance coverage.

After only one month in Afghanistan, Jim Missman, Greg's father received the news that his son's convoy had been ambushed. Greg was killed in the attack. His father said he was told "I'm going to go back in the Army, and make sure Jack (his son Jack) has health insurance. That was really the motivating thing to have him go back in."

CNN reported that a "Pentagon spokesman said there is no way to count how many soldiers have joined the armed services to get health care benefits. As for Greg Missman, his son will continue to receive military health insurance so this soldier's sacrifice will live on."

It's curious that the world's richest nation is also the only industrialized nation to not provide some sort of universal health care. It's sad that Cuba has better infant mortality rates than us and the same lifespan, while Canada and the UK better us in both categories, according to UNICEF statistics current as of 2007. All have some sort of Universal Health Care.

Watch the video report:

AP Photo of Dying Soldier Draws Criticism

Julie Jacobson, AP

A decision by the Associated Press to distribute a photo of a dying Marine, Lance Cpl. Joshua M. Bernard is drawing much criticism from both sides of the aisle. AP reported that the Marine’s father had asked, both in an interview and in a follow-up phone call, that the photo not be published, yet it was.

The photo of Lance Cpl. Joshua M. Bernard, 21, was taken by an embedded photographer, Julie Jacobson. The picture shows his fellow Marines helping Bernard after he suffered severe leg injuries as a result of an RPG attack on Aug. 14th in southern Afghanistan. He was evacuated to a field hospital, but he later he died on the operating table.

While I have chosen not to publish the image directly, the controversial Lance Cpl. Joshua M. Bernard photo can be viewed by clicking the above image, which shows U.S. Marine Lt. Jake Godby paying his respects to Bernard during a memorial service.

Santiago Lyon, the director of photography for AP, explained the Lance Cpl. Joshua M. Bernard photo as follows:

“AP journalists document world events every day. Afghanistan is no exception. We feel it is our journalistic duty to show the reality of the war there, however unpleasant and brutal that sometimes is.

“We understand Mr. Bernard’s anguish (he's speaking of Lance Cpl. Joshua M. Bernard's father). We believe this image is part of the history of this war. The story and photos are in themselves a respectful treatment and recognition of sacrifice

“Our story and photos report on him and his last hours respectfully and in accordance with military regulations surrounding journalists embedded with U.S. forces.”

Defense Secretary Robert Gates sent a strongly worded letter to the AP, in which he said:

“Out of respect for his family’s wishes, I ask you in the strongest of terms to reconsider your decision. I do not make this request lightly. In one of my first public statements as Secretary of Defense, I stated that the media should not be treated as the enemy, and made it a point to thank journalists for revealing problems that need to be fixed – as was the case with Walter Reed."

“I cannot imagine the pain and suffering Lance Corporal Bernard’s death has caused his family. Why your organization would purposefully defy the family’s wishes knowing full well that it will lead to yet more anguish is beyond me. Your lack of compassion and common sense in choosing to put this image of their maimed and stricken child on the front page of multiple American newspapers is appalling. The issue here is not law, policy or constitutional right – but judgment and common decency.”

Rep. Buck McKeon (R-CA) echoed Gates' sentiments, with a simple tweet on Friday:

This truly is appalling. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0909/26759.html

American Legion National Commander Clarence E. Hill said of the photo of Lance Cpl. Joshua M. Bernard, “Outrageously irresponsible.”

Some media outlets chose to publish the photo, some did not. The Buffalo News ran the photo, as did The (Wheeling, W.VA) Intelligencer, the Akron Beacon-Journal and the St. Petersburg Times. Others, such as the Orlando Sentinal, the Arizona Republic, and The Washington Times ran other photos.