The New York Times

Landmark Ruling Enshrines Right to Own Guns

BR Army 003

Brazilian Army in hell... (2)

After ten days of one of the worst cases involving the Brazilian Army and civilians, in the last 20 years. Some lessons and developments can be said.

Jurisdiction

After the Law 9299/96, that changed the Brazilian Military Penal Code, in the homicides committed by military personnel with intention to kill, the jurisdiction goes to the civilian Court. The Military Justice does not have any jurisdiction at all.

The interesting thing is the decision rules that the State Court should not have jurisdiction and the case should be trial before a Federal Court, once the Army is a federal institution. In this case, THE Army is responsible for their soldiers, once the repercussion is so big. Usually is the State Court who has the jurisdiction. One keeps wondering if is the Army who is on the defended sit.

The accused

The patrol had eleven people, one officer and ten enlisted. Took part in the decision to disobey the order to liberate the three victims - two of them with large criminal records - the officer, a Second Lieutenant, and two enlisted, one sergeant and one corporal, the rest actually just followed the Lieutenant's orders.

But the State, Federal and Military Prosecutors decided to charge all of them.

Worst, the Military Prosecutor (she is a civilian, Brazil only has civilians) decided also to charge the Army Captain who ordered to liberate the prisoners, once he understood the arrest was illegal, on the grounds he did not "guess" his orders weren't being follow (?!?).

Political Development

But what was the Army doing there?? Social services, actually being used as political tool to help one protégé of the President, even not belonging to the Workers Party. He is Senator Crivela and wants to be the next mayor of Rio de Janeiro City.

In the end this cursed patrol will be charge with all. They committed a crime, but nothing will change the fact that they will not have a fair trial. Everybody is more preoccupied with the public opinion than to do what the Law orders.

US Army

Lt. Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody to become first female four-star general

President Bush nominated Army Lt. Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody for promotion, which pending Senate approval would make her the first woman to be a four-star officer in U.S. history; she would be the first woman to attain the rank of a full general. By law, the Army is limited to 11 active-duty four-stars, including the Army chief of staff, Gen. George Casey.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, in a news release published today by the Defense Department, announced the president's nomination of Dunwoody as the commander of Army Materiel Command at Fort Belvoir, Va., responsible for equipping, outfitting and arming soldiers throughout the Army.

Beginning a Good Week

My name is Bond, James Bond

The Sea

BR Army 002

Brazilian Army in hell...

After being under severe pressure from human-rights groups who defend the gay rights (see BR Army 001), the Army now sees itself with new problems.

First was that last 06/14 a student of Army Academy died after a field exercise. But if this already was a big problem, Saturday, 06/15, an Army Patrol delivered three guys (two of them with a large criminal record), to a drug gang, who tortured and killed them.

More to come.

The Soul of the Soldier

I'm the soldier
Regardless of being Marine or Army

I'm the soldier
I feel the pain, I taste the mud and suffer
when my fellow brothers are in harm's way

I'm a soldier
I do my duty, I follow the orders of my superiors
Even when they seem to be silly

I'm a soldier
I'm able to give my life for my country, for my family, for my fellow soldiers and in the field, in the battlefield, they're not just fellow soldiers,
They're my brothers

I pray to God to protect my family,
To look after my country
And to give wisdom to my Commander-in-Chief
Because, as I said, I'm a Soldier

Written by Ary S Dib Dias Filho

BR NAVY 003

The Chief Petty Officer Eduardo J. Oliveira, on duty at Navy Station on Trindade island passed away when was hit by a wave yesterday. His body vanished at 1700hs swallowed by the waves and only today at 630hs was found and recovered.

Info by Kryptos

Spirit of the Navy

Spirit of the Navy made her inaugural run on Lake Washington in Seattle. This kind of boat is very useful for trials of speed boats and can be armed with missiles.

And if in later development you can use ground effect with submersible capability you may have a strong sting against larger fleets, like the proposal of PT boats and even submarines in WW I and WW II.

USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Stacy Young (Released)

USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) is coming back home.

At this moment "the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) transits the Pacific Ocean returning to the United States for decommissioning after 47 years of service, 10 of which have been in Japan. Kitty Hawk will be replaced later this summer by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73);" informs the USN web site.

USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kyle D. Gahlau (Released)

Report to US Congress on Water and Sanitation Strategy in Developing Countries

The US DoS just release the 2008 Report to Congress on Water and Sanitation Strategy in Developing Countries, this report required by the Poor Act of 2005. The report can be seeing also in html format.

It describes all the actions made by US in "develop and implement a strategy to support this goal within the context of sound water resource management". Also show how the US spent the budged of more than $900 million in water and sanitation activities.

At National Constitution Center in Philadelphia

This is a good choice for Independence Day commemorations.

Feel the Freedom Festival
July 3 - July 6
11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

FREE with museum admission

Bring the kids and celebrate July 4th weekend with a variety of fun family activities.

Freedom Activity Trail
Kids ages 12 and under can participate in the Center’s Freedom Activity Trail, which includes different stations throughout the Center’s exhibit spaces and main lobby. Complete different tasks, crafts, and activities on a Freedom Activity Trail Card and redeem the card for a prize!

Fear the media

"Do not fear the enemy, for your enemy can only take your life. It is far better that you fear the media, for they will steal your Honor. That awful power, the public opinion of a nation, is created in America by a horde of ignorant, self-complacent simpletons who failed at ditching and shoemaking and fetched up in journalism on their way to the poorhouse"

Mark Twain

Amazing Video

BR Army 001

Two Sergeants (one of them Staff) were arrested after assuming in a local TV Show, they are gay, live together and are in love. They were already cover of this week edition of "Epoca" a national magazine.

The Brazilian Military have had a lot of problems in the national scenario since all this people (enlisted and officer - and even a Naval Academy student) decided to get out of the closet on the press.

By far, the worst case, until now, was the one of Sergeant Fabio, who changed sex and is suing the Army to be recognized as Sergeant Fabiana.

There are some news about the same kind of problems in the Brazilian Air Force, but until now, they managed to solve the situations in a low profile.

US - Court for Veterans

Today's Editorial (one of) at New York Times and USA Today brings the news about a Buffalo City, NY, experiment: a specialized Court for Veterans.

This is a very good initiative, because it will give a fair treatement to those who put their lives and mental health in harms way for their Country.

"Green" Bombs Planned

A new class of ecologically correct explosives have been developed in Germany. Without the toxic byproducts that common explosives produce and safer to handle they also fits use for Navy and Tank guns use. They are based in nitrogen instead of carbon as TNT and others do.

It is a D&R of University of Munich in Germany with funds provided by the Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich, the Fonds der Chemischen Industrie, the European Research Office of the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, the U.S. Army's Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center, and the Bundeswehr Research Institute for Materials, Explosives, Fuels and Lubricants.

BR NAVY 002

The Brazilian Military Commands gonna be move out from the Ministry Corridor in Brasilia, DF. And if you think they gonna have something like the Pentagon, is a no can do situation. The three Commands will move to three new facilities completely apart.

You keep wondering what exactly the former Rep. (PMDB-SP) Ulysses Guimarães, meant when he called the three Military Ministers (the equivalente of today's Military Commanders) the three Stooges...

Well at this moment the most popular song in the Military Commands is the Everly Brother's "Bye Bye Love".

Bye bye, love.
Bye bye, happiness.
Hello, loneliness.
I think I'm a-gonna cry-y.
Bye bye, love.
Bye bye, sweet caress.
Hello, emptiness.
I feel like I could di-ie.
Bye bye, my love, goodby-ye.

There goes my baby
With-a someone new.
She sure looks happy.
I sure am blue.
She was my baby
'Til he stepped in.
Goodbye to romance
That might have been.

Bye bye, love.
Bye bye, happiness.
Hello, loneliness.
I think I'm a-gonna cry-y.

Bye bye, love.
Bye bye, sweet caress.
Hello, emptiness.
I feel like I could di-ie.
Bye bye, my love, goodby-ye.

I'm a-through with romance.
I'm a-through with love.
I'm through with-a countin'
The stars above
And here's reason
That I'm so free:
My lovin' baby
Is a-through with me.

Bye bye, love.
Bye bye, happiness.
Hello, loneliness.
I think I'm a-gonna cry-y.

Bye bye, love.
Bye bye, sweet caress.
Hello, emptiness.
I feel like I could di-ie.
Bye bye, my love, goodby-ye.
Bye bye, my love, goodby-ye.
Bye bye, my love, goodby-ye.

Warren Brothers

Hey Mr. President Lyrics

Hey, Mr President I don't think I'd want your job
I can barely handle the simple one I got
Hey, Mr President how cool is Air Force One?
Are those guys in the House and The Senate ever gonna get anything done?

I ain't no Democrat,I ain't no Republican
We're fathers and mothers we're wives and husbands
And we pray that we dance at our daughter's weddings
And our sons grow to fine men
And for peace on our land

Hey, Mr President how about that money I sent
Must take a lot of pork barrels to run the government
And hey, Mr President our kids in the middle east
I guess you gotta fight sometimes to find a way to keep the peace

I ain't no Democrat,I ain't no Republican
We're fathers and mothers,sisters and brothers,wives and husbands
And we pray that we dance at our daughters weddings
And our sons grow to fine men
And for peace on our land

I cannot imagine how hard it must be
To tell some soldiers mother
That they died for their country
Mr President won't you thank her for me

Hey Mr President do you ever feel alone
Surrounded by all those ghosts in the White House
Bet you wish you could move back home

We ain't just Democrats,we ain't just Republicans
It's all for one and one for all were Americans
And we pray that we see our children's children
And our sons grow to old men
And for peace
Yeah, peace on our land

Hey, Mr President

Brazilian NAVY 001

A new case of homosexuality. A student of Navy Academy wants also to assume his sexual preferences.

Although I do believe that you must be free in your personal affairs, this is going a little to far with the inescapable damage to the Br. NAVY image.

If someone wants to be gay, so be it, I don´t care or mind, but this one can´t prevail over who does not want. Your personal affairs are exactly this: personal affairs.

LEGAL 001

Great step forward. The Rio de Janeiro State Court upholds decision that condemns the state to indemnity a person who had his car stolen.

Open House

This is a new Blog. Dedicated to inform about news on Law-Legal, Military - mostly NAVY and Constitutional meters. But above all is a democratic space open to all and all opinions.