The Havok Journal

The Voice of the Veteran Community

“Draft Dodger:” I Don’t Think You Know What That Word Really Means

In the aftermath of Muhammad Ali’s death and the recent Havok Journal article about it, the determination about his worth in the veteran community centered on one facet, his stance on Vietnam and his personal refusal to serve. The term most often used? “Draft dodger.” And it’s been used lavishly. And the term has been used inappropriately.Consider first that the draft … [Read more...]

Don’t Lower the Drinking Age for Members of the Military

This article first appeared in The Havok Jorunal on 11FEB15. _____ Don't lower the drinking age for members of the military; it's simply not a good idea. My friend and fellow Havok Journal writer Leonard Benton recently posted a well-argued article in support of a bill sponsored by North Dakota state representative Andrew Maragas that seeks to lower the drinking age of … [Read more...]

The Things I Carried: A Special Forces Officer Reflects

On October 2, 2015, I gave notice to my boss:  it’s time to do something different after ten and half years in the Army.  In the spirit of a writer from my Dad’s generation, I look back on the things I carried:A great admiration for then-Captain Craig Whiteside, West Point TAC officer.  Our cadet squad was shorthanded due to multiple injuries.  He volunteered as a squad … [Read more...]

Harvard, Chelsea Manning, and the Crisis of Misinformation

By Lana DuffyIf there is one thing of which we can be sure, it is that Chelsea Manning is out of prison and attempting to start making the Controversial Public Speaker rounds.If there is one other thing of which we can be sure, it is that no one is quite sure what to do about Chelsea Manning being out of prison and making the Controversial Public Speaker rounds.Case … [Read more...]

Clinton, Trump, and Our Willingness to Self-Delude and Play the Victim

This week has offered some poignantly clear examples of the general public’s ability to view the world with blinders that conveniently shield them from anything that may upset their sensibilities.In the first and most obvious case we have Hillary Clinton herself, who has shamelessly shifted blame of her loss in the presidential election to, well, everyone and, in the … [Read more...]

The Failed War on Drugs

It is difficult to write these words.But the War on Drugs has been a colossal failure.Recently reflecting on my own participation in this war, as a retired federal agent who was assigned to several counter-narcotics units with the FBI and NYPD during a 25-year law enforcement career, I recently stumbled upon a reckoning.No, it wasn’t just my binge-watching of … [Read more...]

Don’t Tell Me How To Do My Job: A Law Enforcement Officer’s Perspective

I don’t know anything about cars. When something goes wrong with mine or it needs service I take it to a mechanic. Like most people, when I get the oil changed and the service technician comes out and asks me if I want a new air filter for my flux capacitor I flip a coin in my head and make a decision based from that.It wouldn’t make any sense for me to walk into the … [Read more...]

Citizenship as a Practice, Not a Status

As a young man, I was fortunate enough to be involved with youth organizations such as the Boy Scouts of America. In the ‘Boy Scouts’, I learned various tasks the public has come to know: camping skills, marksmanship, and community service (those tin bins of popcorn won’t sell themselves!). Specifically, I recall earning merit badges (awards for completing specific … [Read more...]

Why So Much Hate for Nazis While Socialists and Communists Get a Pass?

Who is the greatest mass murderer in history and the personification of political evil? Everyone knows it’s Hitler, man!Read on, friends.As we’ve seen from media coverage lately, hating Nazis is pretty popular.Rightfully so, I say, given what they are and what they stand for.But why—and hear me out on this—is there so much more hate for Nazis than there is for … [Read more...]