On Syria, Turkey and the Kurds

It’s been in the news lately. Trump has roundly received criticism and rightly so for abandoning an ally, especially one that was so pivotal in defeating ISIS, that occupied large swaths of Iraq and Syria. I watched Good Morning America this morning to see what they had to say, and was not surprised when they left out large segments that bear on this matter. Having done a little research from many sources, I’d like to expose a bigger picture.

First, there are about 2 million Syrian refugees in Turkey. Many of them live in detention camps. (I don’t know why the left is not screaming from the sidelines about these refugees as they do for those on our southern border, but that is another question for another day.) For two decades, Turkey has been dealing with Kurdish terrorism, instituted by the PKK, which is a Kurdish militia group which receives help from Kurds on the southern side of the Syrian border. Just last week they instituted two terror attacks in which 20 civilians in Turkey were killed. Essentially, they have adopted the fighting methods of Hezbollah and other Palestinian groups.

So Turkey wants to expand a 20 mile border zone into Syria for two reasons: to repatriate and send back the Syrians who have fled into their country (illegally) and to stop the terrorism which flows from the other side of the border. I don’t blame them for this- it seems a good cause. The Kurds are no boy scouts. The US essentially used one terror organization to put down another. 

Turkey, while a NATO member and one of the first 15 countries to sign on, is a US ally (on paper.) However, despite recently returning some land to Christian and Jewish minorities which was seized in the 1930s, the regime uses brutal means to suppress religious and cultural minorities. 

Trump failed in pulling out troops by not going with a public call first for the Kurds to cease all terrorism supporting activities. He should have given them the warning “Cease all terror related activity or we pull out.” He did not. Yes, the Kurds are holding thousands of ISIS soldiers in confinement (some of which are escaping.) Yes, they are responsible for defeating the terrorist state. And yes, the Kurds are responsible for terrorism in Turkey.

None of this was reported on Good Morning America- just the human atrocities left by the Turkish Air Force at the hands of Trump. And now the Kurds are turning to a Russian brokered deal with Syria. 

The situation is far more complex than even my meager words can explain. If these facts are not being reported by major news networks, I ask, what else are we not being told? Perhaps one can see why I hesitate to simply accept what I am told by the media. 

G.Houtchens

armchair coach

amateur historian

I Met the Captain of the Enterprise

I met the Captain of the Enterprise

I left early Friday morning, 5 am. The destination: Savannah Mega Comic Con, where Vic Mignona, actor, voice artist and driving force behind Star Trek Continues would be signing autographs.

Driving through downtown Atlanta in the rain is not an activity I would recommend. Somehow, I made it through. I stopped once for breakfast at a Chick-Fil-A just north of Macon. Yum.

As I drove, I prayed for my online pastor who was scheduled for surgery in Scotland. (He made it through the 10 hour operation and is in recovery, for which I am extremely thankful.) I tried to listen to some stuff on my cell phone but could not for the life of me figure out how to synch the cell phone with the car. Danged technology!

Also, on this car is a “bob” which locked and unlocked the doors. The ignition started with a push button. Every time I went to start the car I put my key chain up to the steering column. Dumb! No wonder so many cars get stolen. I was reminded of my age and the enablement of society every time I went to start the vehicle. “Yo, dog, let’s do some GTA 5.” 

As I arrived in Savannah before check in time at the hotel, I decided to take the advice of friends and go to lunch at the Original Crab Shack. I was amazed at the size of the seating area- half a football field, it seemed. “Do you want inside or outside seating?” the host asked me. “Inside,” I replied, “I want the air conditioning.” “All we have are fans,” he said. How quaint.

The inside area was a hodgepodge of Christmas treed outlets (where you have 5 electrical junctions attached to one via extension cables) and dried bamboo and plant fronds just waiting to be struck by lightning. The food was excellent. I chose the crab stew and some stuffed crabs. Although both had tiny pieces of shell one had to carefully search for with their tongue, they were outstanding dishes.

Outside there was a pond with small pieces of Samsonite luggage that drifted serenely about … er, pardon me, alligators. A sign encouraged visitors to feed them but not to abuse them in any way. 

Afterwards I visited the gift shop.  There, someone had decided to behead small alligators and shellac the heads for the shelf to be purchased. I asked the shop manager if these were the same gators that were kept outside and she laughed and replied no, they get them from a different source. 

I got checked in and wandered around within a couple blocks of the hotel. There were a number awesome looking restaurants, although I was still stuffed from lunch, so I just got some snacks and went back to the hotel room where I watched some TV until drifting off to sleep.

Got up at 6:30 this morning, washed and went down for the continental breakfast. After that, I crossed the street to the convention center where Savannah Mega Con was to take place. I was among the first there, and as a VIP pass holder, got to enter the con first when it opened. There were a number of brightly dressed convention goers, many decked out as anime characters. I found the table where Vic was to appear and pulled up a chair to make small talk with the convention person who was there, a very nice young lady who was most kind. 

After a while Vic showed up. He was flamboyant, enthusiastic, outgoing and personable as he set the table up. After that, he noticed a gift I had wrapped and set up against the table. “What is this?” he asked. I replied that it was a gift for him, to show my appreciation for the work he had done. When he unwrapped it (it was a hardcover copy of my novel) he said, “Did you write this?” I nodded and said yes, he complimented me and asked me about it. He then took the wrappings, wadded them up in a tight ball and threw them at a conventioneer further back in line with gutso, addressing the man by name. (I can only imagine the number of flying objects that graced the Star Trek Continues set, triggering my teacher sensibilities.)

Vic was most kind, and spoke with me for a few minutes. He had a line a mile long behind me, and yet he took time out to speak with me. I can’t help but think, had we more time, we might have many more things to discuss, such as the driving inspiration which fueled our projects and life and times at Liberty University, our mutual alma mater.

With that, he gave me a hug for my selfie. I left thinking that Vic was not just an excellent actor but a warm and generous soul, and a very kind man.  I am very grateful to have met Vic Mignogna, the Captain of the Enterprise, and this is a day I will always cherish.

Thank you, sir. The honor was mine.