Why Do You Vote? Military Leadership
Dr. Karen Ilika is a retired military physician. Her years of military service give her a unique perspective on the skills needed by our military leaders. She posted the following essays on her Facebook page on September 1st and September 4th of this year. They deserve to be reposted and I do that here with her permission. I have added some headings and adjusted the format slightly, but otherwise the words below are as she wrote them. You can see her other writings on her Facebook page at: http://facebook.com/karen.ilika.
The President is Commander in Chief
Why I Vote by Karen Ilika
65 days to the General Election
I vote because I have great respect for military personnel and want a Commander in Chief who understands what a grave responsibility it is to lead and to respect those who serve.
As a retired military officer, the position of Commander in Chief is important to me. The President’s role as Commander in Chief is to protect and defend the United States through control of the various military services. I served under Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan while on active duty and Bush Sr. and Clinton while completing my service in the Reserves. The only time I felt disrespected by anyone above me was at the graduation ceremony at the completion of my residency at Madigan Army Medical Center at Fort Lewis, WA, in 1986. The invited commencement speaker was Major General Norman Schwarzkopf. It was a few days before “Stormin’ Norman” was awarded another star and took command at Fort Lewis of I Corps. I don’t remember a thing he said in his remarks except for saying derisively that “doctors aren’t soldiers”.
I didn’t like Schwarzkopf minimizing the medical corps contribution to the military. Little did he know that there were at least a couple of Viet Nam combat veterans among our ranks, and I felt particularly offended for them. I have hated it every time that DJT has disrespected the military through actual words and deeds, as well as his musings about what he could do with such power. Bone spurs, avoiding STDs as his “own personal Viet Nam”, “I’ve always wanted a Purple Heart,” when gifted one by a supportive veteran, the list goes on.
In 2015 DJT claimed that his primary opponent John McCain, a POW during Vietnam, was “only a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren’t captured, OK?” At the time former Texas Governor Rick Perry called for DJT’s withdrawal from the race saying his statement made him “unfit to be Commander In Chief”. I agree.
In 2018 DJT cancelled a visit to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery, apparently because of the rain, though other world leaders participated. The Atlantic reported that he is quoted as saying “why should I go to that cemetery? It’s filled with losers.” He called the 1800 marines who died at nearby Belleau Wood “suckers” for getting killed. He disputes that account. I’ve paid my respects at both of those cemeteries. (The photos below are of Aisne-Marne, from my last visit to France.)
In 2019 General Mark Milley was sworn in as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (the highest ranking officer of the military). He chose Luis Avila, a wounded warrior, to sing God Bless America during the welcoming ceremony. Avila was wheelchair-bound having lost a leg and suffered a traumatic brain injury plus a stroke. DJT then asked Milley, “Why do you bring people like that here? No one wants to see that, the wounded.” Milley was told never to have Avila appear in public. My son-in-law was severely wounded in Iraq due to his tank encountering an IED. He’s an amazing guy, brilliant county prosecutor and I’m remarkably proud of him and love being in public with him and his family.
In 2020 DJT was interested in deploying federal troops to put down protests in the George Floyd Black Lives Matter aftermath in Minneapolis and elsewhere. A 1792 law, the Insurrection Act, gives the President the power to deploy the military against US civilians in very restricted circumstances. The recent Supreme Court ruling granting immunity for “official acts” opens a very large loophole that I don’t doubt he would take advantage of. The potential for horrible consequences with federal troops being used against my fellow Americans is terrifying.
In 2024, as he was recalling that he had awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom (given at the discretion of the President) to a Las Vegas casino owner who has pledged $90 million to his current campaign, DJT opined that the medal was better than a Congressional Medal of Honor (awarded for heroism in battle) because those recipients are “soldiers and either in very bad shape because they’ve been hit so many times by bullets or they’re dead.” Such disrespect.
Just a week ago, DJT went to Arlington National Cemetery and turned his visit into a TikTok political stunt as his camera crew went against the established rules of no cameras in “section 60” where the fallen of recent wars are buried. He accused the cemetery employee who attempted to keep the camera out as having a “mental health crisis”. Always belittling, always name calling, always being a self involved bully. As quoted in the Washington Post...
“I just haven’t seen anything this disgusting,” said Paul Eaton, a retired Army general ... whose father’s remains are interred at Arlington. “It is completely inappropriate to do any kind of political activity on a federal installation, and it is immoral in my terms to conduct any kind of self-serving activity on a cemetery with the graves of our fallen.”
I will vote for a Commander in Chief who has demonstrated the character to do this job.
Cemetery images by Dr. Ilika
Nuclear War is No Joking Matter
Why I Vote by Karen Ilika
62 days to the General Election
The President’s primary job is to ensure the safety and security of the United States. During my childhood we regularly had drills that trained us to crawl under our elementary school desks in case of nuclear attack. It seems ridiculous now, of course. I recall a family acquaintance constructed an underground ‘bomb shelter’ in their yard. Other neighbors outfitted areas of their basements with provisions in case of attack (doubling as shelters from tornados). I remember a drawing I made of what I considered the ideal shelter and a list of provisions. But I never did figure out how to design the ventilation system to allow fresh air in and keep radiation out.
In 1947 a group of Atomic Scientists designed a symbol, nicknamed the Doomsday Clock, that predicted how close we were to global human annihilation depending on the risk of nuclear war. (Today climate catastrophe and potential danger from Artificial Intelligence is also figured in.). The Doomsday clock was set at 7 minutes to midnight (annihilation time) in 1947. It is reset every year in January. Over my lifetime it has fluctuated based on world events between 17 minutes (in 1991) to just 90 seconds today.
Barak Obama made nuclear nonproliferation a priority of his administration and in 2015 entered into an agreement with 7 other countries to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power. In May 2018, DJT unilaterally withdrew from that nuclear arms deal as he had promised while campaigning, calling it a “horrible one-sided deal”. Although it remains partially in place without the participation of the US, Iran has repeatedly violated the terms and sanctions have expired. The Biden administration has attempted to reinstate talks but they have stalled with other events in the Middle East raising tensions. Iran is thought to be very close to having enough materials to build 3 nuclear bombs today.
Both Russia and the United States have nuclear arsenals large enough to destroy the other’s population centers a dozen times over. Nuclear warheads could reach their targets within 30 minutes of being launched. The President has sole control over using the codes that could result in annihilation of entire countries. During his term, DJT suggested using Trident missiles to wipe out ISIS and to destroy the North Korean Army with a nuclear weapon. Threatening the use of nuclear weapons as a first strike is lunacy.
On January 2nd, 2018, Trump famously tweeted: "North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the 'Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.' Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!” Braggadocio rather than diplomacy from our leader does not inspire confidence nor keep us safe.
In 2021 DJT left office with boxes full of classified documents, squirreling them away in bathrooms, ballrooms and storerooms of his resort complex. According to the indictment these included information regarding US nuclear capabilities as well as those of a foreign country. During the current campaign, DJT has repeatedly used alarmist language warning that we are nearing World War 3. The Russian foreign minister is now using the same language. There is no talk of deescalation on either side.
Kamala Harris served on the Senate Intelligence Committee during the term of DJT. As Vice President she is informed and up to date about foreign affairs and she has a keen interest in America’s security. DJT, on the other hand, has demonstrated his lack of care and knowledge about global affairs and national security as he cozies up to Russian President Putin.
I want the nuclear codes to be in the hands of a President who is not prone to angry outbursts, a person who does not feel the need to goad on our nuclear armed adversaries, someone who recognizes who our adversaries and allies are, an individual who is not reckless or ill informed.
I will vote for Kamala Harris to keep the nuclear codes out of the hands of DJT.