I saw this at Michelle Malkin.  The Daily Kos dismissed the reports as fakery, but ths story is confirmed.

Here is the initial report from OC Blog:

Marines and Soldiers Returning from Iraq not allowed into Oakland terminal

On September 27th 204 Marines and soldiers who were returning from Iraq were not allowed into the passenger terminal at Oakland International Airport.Instead they had to deplane about 400 yards away from the terminal where the extra baggage trailers were located.

This was the last scheduled stop for fuel and food prior to flying to Hawaii where both were based.  The trip started in Kuwait on September 26th with a rigorous search of checked and carry on baggage by US Customs. All baggage was x-rayed with a “backscatter” machine AND each bag was completely emptied and hand searched. After being searched, checked bags were marked and immediately placed in a secure container. Carry on bags were then x rayed again to ensure no contraband items were taken on the plane.  While waiting for the bus to the airport, all personnel were in quarantined in a fenced area and were not allowed to leave.

The first stop for fuel/food and crew change was in Leipzig Germany. Troops exited the aircraft and took a bus to a reception area in the terminal, where there was a convenience store, phones, Internet and restrooms. As we exited the bus we were given a re-boarding pass. Three troops remained on the plane with the rifles and pistols. There was no ammunition on the plane and the bolts of the rifles had been removed. After about 2 hours troops re-boarded the plane and flew to JFK in NY.

At JFK the procedure was similar to Germany, 3 troops stayed on the plane to guard weapons while the rest deplaned. At the gate we were each given a re-boarding pass and spent about 1.5 hours in the terminal, at which time we re-boarded and flew to Oakland.

Since school lunacy is hot today, here is an even more outrageous case of what I consider flat out abuse.

Hat tip this time to Sister Toldjah:

Check out this appalling story, via the Monroe, Louisiana News Star:

A recent incident at the elementary school on the Grambling State University campus that resulted in a noose hanging around a small child’s neck has left university officials scrambling for answers.

Grambling State University President Horace Judson was driving to Dallas on Friday afternoon for the Saturday football game between GSU and Prairie View when his secretary called him, describing certain pictures that had been posted online by the student newspaper, The Gramblinite.

Among the photos immediately ordered taken down by Judson was one of a young girl in a school uniform, a noose around her neck, being hoisted by a woman who may have been a family member.

Lovely, just friggin lovely.  Here is one of the pictures in question via Sweetness and Light:

And there is more:

According to an article in the newspaper written by Justin LaGrande, posted on the student newspaper Web site some time this week, and sent to The News-Star by Ruston Daily Leader publisher Rick Hohlt, “kindergarten and first-grade students at Alma J. Brown Elementary will always remember the day they marched for equality. The children marched in protest of the imprisonment of Mychal Bell, and the seemingly racial bias shown toward blacks in a small Louisiana town.”

LaGrande wrote that while the students “marched,” they actually only circled their playground with their teachers during the event.

“Before marching, the students were taught about racism,” LeGrande wrote. “They also learned about the events surrounding the ‘Jena Six’ and their arrest.”

According to the article, teachers “had a replica noose and explained why it is such a symbol of racism. They also allowed the children to carry chains and shackles

See more at Sweetness and Light above.

Having lived in Everett, I can not act surprised.  My kids attended Everett School District schools and always ran into this kind of foolishness.

Hat tip to Stop the ACLU:

Talk about religious hostility and political correctness gone too far! This song doesn’t even have lyrics! It is an instrumental piece for crying out loud! Why do our schools keep catering to the oversensitive PC crowd while spitting on freedom of speech?

Via The Rutherford Institute who are appealing the case:

A federal district court has dismissed a lawsuit over a school’s decision to forbid a student woodwind ensemble’s performance of the instrumental piece “Ave Maria” at a high school graduation ceremony. Attorneys for The Rutherford Institute had filed suit against the Everett School District, charging that the school’s actions violated student Kathryn Nurre’s right to freedom of speech and to be free from hostility to religion.

In dismissing the case, the U.S. District Court in Seattle ruled that although music is considered a form of speech that can be protected, the school district was within its legal rights to control the content of any speech at the graduation ceremony in order “to keep religion out of graduation as a whole.” Taking issue with the court’s ruling that the school’s actions did not violate Nurre’s First Amendment rights, Institute attorneys plan to appeal the case.

“Despite what the district court said, this case is a perfect example of the extremes to which school officials will go in their efforts to sanitize our nation’s public schools of anything even remotely related to religion,” said John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute. “Schools cannot ban performances and restrict students’ right to free expression whenever those forms of expression might have some minimal connection to religion.”

Those who read here often may have noted that in many cases, I do not break news often, and quite often the story has settled down before I post commentary.  I do this intentionally.  There are plenty on both sides who love to scream the accusations with little or no proof or even documentation, I prefer to wait until the details emerge, as they usually do, and try to see the deeper issues.

This is a classic example.  Breaking this down, here is what initially emerged.

In the wake of the high-profile uproar from Republicans over a MoveOn.org ad attacking Gen. David Petraeus, Democrats are seizing on recent comments from popular conservative talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh who said on a recent broadcast on Iraq that some veterans who criticize the war in the media are “phony soldiers.”

Democrats are pointing to comments Limbaugh made Wednesday when he and a caller were discussing critics of the Iraq war:

“What’s really funny is, they [Iraq war critics] never talk to real soldiers,” the caller said. “They like to pull these soldiers that come up out of the blue and talk to the media.”

“The phony soldiers,” Limbaugh then said.

In a statement issued Thursday, Rep. Chris Van Hollen, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, called Limbaugh’s comments a “personal attack on our men and women in uniform” and “reprehensible.”

“It minimizes the sacrifice our troops in Iraq and their families are making and has no place in the public discourse,” he added. “Rush Limbaugh owes our military and their families an apology for his hurtful comments that minimize their service to our country.”

Had the story ended here, I would personally have been a little upset.  As you know I take insults very seriously when they are conferred towards the Military.  Sure, the Military is not immune from criticism, but insults are not something I casually tolerate.

I was inclined to be pretty irritated at him.  It would not be the first time he has pushed the limits of my sensibility.  But I also noted most stories gave a quote and no context.