text:
Berlin (CNN) -- An opossum that gained worldwide fame for its comedic cross-eyed looks has been put to sleep after its health deteriorated, Leipzig Zoo said Wednesday.

The female opossum, called Heidi, became a German media sensation after her picture was published in late 2010 and had more than 330,000 fans on Facebook.

According to the zoo's website, she and a sister were probably born in May 2008. The pair were found as orphans and raised in a wild animal sanctuary in North Carolina before moving to a zoo in Denmark and eventually arriving in Leipzig in May last year.

Leipzig Zoo released a statement saying: "Heidi, our cross-eyed opossum, has closed her eyes forever today. She passed away having shown typical symptoms of her old age and having severely suffered from arthrosis.

"This illness has made it painful for her to move over the last couple of weeks and Heidi was treated with vitamins and other medicine. Following a short-lived improvement of her condition, her general state of health deteriorated over the last days despite continuous efforts by the veterinarians."

Heidi had to be put to sleep avoid her suffering pain, in accordance with animal welfare guidelines, the zoo said. Arthrosis is a degenerative joint disease.

The cause of Heidi's profoundly crossed eyes remains a mystery, although the zoo's website suggests the way she was fed when she was hand-reared in the United States may have played a role -- as well as the fact she was overweight, which led to "fatty deposits behind the eyes which are pressing the eyeballs slightly out of the eye sockets."

Her sister, named Naira, is also cross-eyed but the zoo's third opossum, a male called Teddy, lacks their distinctive looks.

Opossums, a type of marsupial found in North and South America, have a maximum life expectancy of four to five years, the zoo's website says.

CNN's Brian Walker and Stefan Simons contributed to this report.

text: Berlin

text: CNN

text: An

text: opossum

text: that

text: gained

text: worldwide

text: fame

text: for

text: its

text: comedic

text: cross

text: eyed

text: looks

text: has

text: been

text: put

text: to

text: sleep

text: after

text: its

text: health

text: deteriorated

text: Leipzig

text: Zoo

text: said

text: Wednesday

text: The

text: female

text: opossum

text: called

text: Heidi

text: became

text: a

text: German

text: media

text: sensation

text: after

text: her

text: picture

text: was

text: published

text: in

text: late

text: and

text: had

text: more

text: than

text: fans

text: on

text: Facebook

text: According

text: to

text: the

text: zoo

text: 's

text: website

text: she

text: and

text: a

text: sister

text: were

text: probably

text: born

text: in

text: May

text: The

text: pair

text: were

text: found

text: as

text: orphans

text: and

text: raised

text: in

text: a

text: wild

text: animal

text: sanctuary

text: in

text: North

text: Carolina

text: before

text: moving

text: to

text: a

text: zoo

text: in

text: Denmark

text: and

text: eventually

text: arriving

text: in

text: Leipzig

text: in

text: May

text: last

text: year

text: Leipzig

text: Zoo

text: released

text: a

text: statement

text: saying

text: Heidi

text: our

text: cross

text: eyed

text: opossum

text: has

text: closed

text: her

text: eyes

text: forever

text: today

text: She

text: passed

text: away

text: having

text: shown

text: typical

text: symptoms

text: of

text: her

text: old

text: age

text: and

text: having

text: severely

text: suffered

text: from

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text: This

text: illness

text: has

text: made

text: it

text: painful

text: for

text: her

text: to

text: move

text: over

text: the

text: last

text: couple

text: of

text: weeks

text: and

text: Heidi

text: was

text: treated

text: with

text: vitamins

text: and

text: other

text: medicine

text: Following

text: a

text: short

text: lived

text: improvement

text: of

text: her

text: condition

text: her

text: general

text: state

text: of

text: health

text: deteriorated

text: over

text: the

text: last

text: days

text: despite

text: continuous

text: efforts

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text: the

text: veterinarians

text: Heidi

text: had

text: to

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text: put

text: to

text: sleep

text: avoid

text: her

text: suffering

text: pain

text: in

text: accordance

text: with

text: animal

text: welfare

text: guidelines

text: the

text: zoo

text: said

text: Arthrosis

text: is

text: a

text: degenerative

text: joint

text: disease

text: The

text: cause

text: of

text: Heidi

text: 's

text: profoundly

text: crossed

text: eyes

text: remains

text: a

text: mystery

text: although

text: the

text: zoo

text: 's

text: website

text: suggests

text: the

text: way

text: she

text: was

text: fed

text: when

text: she

text: was

text: hand

text: reared

text: in

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: may

text: have

text: played

text: a

text: role

text: as

text: well

text: as

text: the

text: fact

text: she

text: was

text: overweight

text: which

text: led

text: to

text: fatty

text: deposits

text: behind

text: the

text: eyes

text: which

text: are

text: pressing

text: the

text: eyeballs

text: slightly

text: out

text: of

text: the

text: eye

text: sockets

text: Her

text: sister

text: named

text: Naira

text: is

text: also

text: cross

text: eyed

text: but

text: the

text: zoo

text: 's

text: third

text: opossum

text: a

text: male

text: called

text: Teddy

text: lacks

text: their

text: distinctive

text: looks

text: Opossums

text: a

text: type

text: of

text: marsupial

text: found

text: in

text: North

text: and

text: South

text: America

text: have

text: a

text: maximum

text: life

text: expectancy

text: of

text: four

text: to

text: five

text: years

text: the

text: zoo

text: 's

text: website

text: says

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Brian

text: Walker

text: and

text: Stefan

text: Simons

text: contributed

text: to

text: this

text: report

question: where did heidi move to last year?

answer: Leipzig

text: Leipzig

question: what did the zoo do?

answer: Heidi had to be put to sleep

text: Heidi had to be put to sleep

question: where was heidi raised?

answer: wild animal sanctuary in North Carolina

text: wild animal sanctuary in North Carolina

question: Who became a German media sensation?

answer: female opossum, called Heidi,

text: female opossum, called Heidi,


text:
ORLANDO, Florida (CNN) -- Hobbled with age, weathered with time, the World War II veterans stood at attention. One by one, a two-star general delivered flags flown over the Pentagon in their honor. He looked them in their eyes and snapped his right hand in salute.

Maj. Gen. Vincent Boles salutes Berga survivor Edward Slotkin, 84, at an event in Orlando Saturday.

"National treasures," Maj. Gen. Vincent Boles said Saturday evening.

It marked the first time in history the U.S. Army recognized 350 soldiers held as slaves inside Nazi Germany. The men were beaten, starved and forced to work in tunnels at Berga an der Elster where the Nazi government had a hidden V-2 rocket factory. Berga was a subcamp of the notorious concentration camp Buchenwald.

"These men were abused and put under some of the most horrific conditions," the general told a private gathering of Berga survivors. "It wasn't a prison camp. It was a slave labor camp."

No ranking Army official had ever uttered the words "slave labor camp" in reference to the men's captivity at Berga. Boles knew the gravity of his statement -- that he was setting the historical record straight after 64 years.  Watch general set record straight after six decades Â»

"That's why I'm here. That's why the Army sent me here: To look them in the eye and tell them that."

It's a rare moment to witness history, even more rare when it pertains to America's greatest generation six decades later. But that's what happened at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, first in a private meeting and then in the larger ceremony to honor them. "It's humbling," Boles said.

It was a bittersweet moment. More than 100 of the Berga soldiers died at the slave camp or on a forced death march of more than 200 miles in April 1945. About 80 of the 350 soldiers had been singled out for being Jewish by the Nazis.

Dozens more survived captivity but died as the years passed. There are 22 known Berga survivors still alive, but only a handful made the trip here. "He used that term slave labor camp. That was never used by anyone before," said survivor Samuel Fahrer. "It was a long time coming."  See photos inside the camp Â»

The six Berga survivors present -- Fahrer, 86; Morton Brooks, 83; Sidney Lipson, 85; Peter Iosso, 83; Wallace Carden, 84; and Edward Slotkin, 84 -- looked on stoically as Boles spoke privately with them.

The men's faces hid decades of pain from what they endured in the waning months of World War II in 1945. They'd given up decades ago that the Army would recognize them.

"It means a great deal -- that it's being recognized and understood," Brooks told the general.   See excerpts from diary inside Berga Â»

Boles recited a soldier's war ethos: I will always place the mission first; I will never quit; I will never accept defeat and I will never leave a fallen comrade.

He looked at each of the weathered war heroes and said, "Just as they never left their fallen comrades, we will never leave them."

"You were good soldiers and you were there for your nation."

Boles added, "They're looking around and they're thanking me for coming. And I'm the one thanking them because I get to bask in the character of these great heroes."

If there was a skeptic coming into the evening, it was Fahrer, a U.S. medic held at Berga. He had dedicated much of his life in the years after the war seeking recognition for the men. He had been outraged that the government in 1948 commuted the death sentences of two Berga commanders, Erwin Metz and his superior, Hauptmann Ludwig Merz. Fahrer sought for their death sentences to be reinstated.  See document from War Department letting commanders off Â»

A native of Long Island, New York, the typically talkative Fahrer was rendered nearly speechless as the general spoke. "After 60 years, I gave up hope a long time ago, and I'm glad you're here with us tonight," Fahrer told Boles.

Boles said he couldn't speak to why the Berga commanders got off so easy, but he said he knew "it caused a great deal of pain for these men." In modern times, he said, if U.S. soldiers were held at a slave camp in Iraq or Afghanistan, he'd expect justice for those responsible.

"I think full justice is the right word."

The general even addressed documents that many of the Berga survivors signed before they were sent back home to the States. "The interests of American prisoners in the event of future wars, moreover, demand that the secrets of this war be vigorously safeguarded," it says.

The survivors believed the document meant they were never to speak about their Berga experience. "That was not our intent at all, but we screwed that up," Boles said. "What the intent of the documents was, for those who had been POWs, not to talk about escapes, people who had assisted them, people who had helped them. Our inability to explain that correctly was, therefore, misunderstood by them."

He added, "What they went through didn't need to be kept a secret."

The night would get more special as this evening progressed. The Berga soldiers were honored in front of a gathering of World War II POWs. About 100 veterans and their families packed a banquet hall. Boles told the group what he said in private -- that the men are "national treasures."

"You may wonder if it mattered, if your service and sacrifice made a difference, if it stood the test of time," he said. "You may rest easy. I have seen your service live."

The room grew quiet. The general, in dress blues, strode to the six Berga survivors and presented each one with the flags flown over the Pentagon. "Your nation remembers and it salutes each of you," Boles said. Each of the elders saluted the general back.

The room was then told to stand on orders of the president of the United States. The entire room came to a hushed silence and rose to its feet.

Fahrer, the medic who had fought so hard for justice for his Berga comrades, was asked to step forward. And there before the crowd on this historic evening, he was presented with one of the nation's highest honors, the Bronze Star.

"To all who shall see these presents, greeting: this is to certify that the President of the United States of America authorized by executive order, 24 August 1962, has awarded the Bronze Star Medal to Private Samuel Fahrer, Army of the United States, for meritorious achievement while serving with Medical Detachment, 110th Infantry Regiment in the European Theater of Operations on 19 December 1944, in military operations against an armed enemy of the United States."

He had earned the medal 65 years ago, but due to clerical errors it had never been given to him. Fahrer beamed with pride. He had shed few tears since his time at Berga. But on this night, even Fahrer had trouble containing his emotions. "I'm not the crying type, but it got me right here," he said, his hand over his heart as he searched for words.

At long last, the Berga men finally had some comfort. "It's satisfying that after all this time amends could be made," Brooks said. "When there's talk of the Holocaust, we understand it."

The general commended CNN for its reporting on the issue in recent months, saying those reports helped change the men's legacy. Boles applauded Reps. Joe Baca, D-California, and Rep. Spencer Bachus, R-Alabama, who urged the Army to act to honor the Berga soldiers.

At one point Saturday evening, Berga survivor Sidney Lipson pulled me to the side. "Why did you care so much that we be recognized?"

"Because you deserved it," I replied.

He clutched his encased flag, pulled it to his heart and smiled. "Thank you."

Note from CNN's Wayne Drash: For Berga survivors who were not able to attend the Orlando event, the Army is working to coordinate events in the men's communities. I also want to thank CNN's audience who lobbied Congress and the Army to give these soldiers recognition.

text: ORLANDO

text: Florida

text: CNN

text: Hobbled

text: with

text: age

text: weathered

text: with

text: time

text: the

text: World

text: War

text: II

text: veterans

text: stood

text: at

text: attention

text: One

text: by

text: one

text: a

text: two

text: star

text: general

text: delivered

text: flags

text: flown

text: over

text: the

text: Pentagon

text: in

text: their

text: honor

text: He

text: looked

text: them

text: in

text: their

text: eyes

text: and

text: snapped

text: his

text: right

text: hand

text: in

text: salute

text: Maj

text: Gen.

text: Vincent

text: Boles

text: salutes

text: Berga

text: survivor

text: Edward

text: Slotkin

text: at

text: an

text: event

text: in

text: Orlando

text: Saturday

text: National

text: treasures

text: Maj

text: Gen.

text: Vincent

text: Boles

text: said

text: Saturday

text: evening

text: It

text: marked

text: the

text: first

text: time

text: in

text: history

text: the

text: U.S.

text: Army

text: recognized

text: soldiers

text: held

text: as

text: slaves

text: inside

text: Nazi

text: Germany

text: The

text: men

text: were

text: beaten

text: starved

text: and

text: forced

text: to

text: work

text: in

text: tunnels

text: at

text: Berga

text: an

text: der

text: Elster

text: where

text: the

text: Nazi

text: government

text: had

text: a

text: hidden

text: rocket

text: factory

text: Berga

text: was

text: a

text: subcamp

text: of

text: the

text: notorious

text: concentration

text: camp

text: Buchenwald

text: These

text: men

text: were

text: abused

text: and

text: put

text: under

text: some

text: of

text: the

text: most

text: horrific

text: conditions

text: the

text: general

text: told

text: a

text: private

text: gathering

text: of

text: Berga

text: survivors

text: It

text: was

text: n't

text: a

text: prison

text: camp

text: It

text: was

text: a

text: slave

text: labor

text: camp

text: No

text: ranking

text: Army

text: official

text: had

text: ever

text: uttered

text: the

text: words

text: slave

text: labor

text: camp

text: in

text: reference

text: to

text: the

text: men

text: 's

text: captivity

text: at

text: Berga

text: Boles

text: knew

text: the

text: gravity

text: of

text: his

text: statement

text: that

text: he

text: was

text: setting

text: the

text: historical

text: record

text: straight

text: after

text: years

text: Watch

text: general

text: set

text: record

text: straight

text: after

text: six

text: decades

text: Â

text: That

text: 's

text: why

text: I

text: 'm

text: here

text: That

text: 's

text: why

text: the

text: Army

text: sent

text: me

text: here

text: To

text: look

text: them

text: in

text: the

text: eye

text: and

text: tell

text: them

text: that

text: It

text: 's

text: a

text: rare

text: moment

text: to

text: witness

text: history

text: even

text: more

text: rare

text: when

text: it

text: pertains

text: to

text: America

text: 's

text: greatest

text: generation

text: six

text: decades

text: later

text: But

text: that

text: 's

text: what

text: happened

text: at

text: the

text: Rosen

text: Centre

text: Hotel

text: in

text: Orlando

text: first

text: in

text: a

text: private

text: meeting

text: and

text: then

text: in

text: the

text: larger

text: ceremony

text: to

text: honor

text: them

text: It

text: 's

text: humbling

text: Boles

text: said

text: It

text: was

text: a

text: bittersweet

text: moment

text: More

text: than

text: of

text: the

text: Berga

text: soldiers

text: died

text: at

text: the

text: slave

text: camp

text: or

text: on

text: a

text: forced

text: death

text: march

text: of

text: more

text: than

text: miles

text: in

text: April

text: About

text: of

text: the

text: soldiers

text: had

text: been

text: singled

text: out

text: for

text: being

text: Jewish

text: by

text: the

text: Nazis

text: Dozens

text: more

text: survived

text: captivity

text: but

text: died

text: as

text: the

text: years

text: passed

text: There

text: are

text: known

text: Berga

text: survivors

text: still

text: alive

text: but

text: only

text: a

text: handful

text: made

text: the

text: trip

text: here

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text: used

text: that

text: term

text: slave

text: labor

text: camp

text: That

text: was

text: never

text: used

text: by

text: anyone

text: before

text: said

text: survivor

text: Samuel

text: Fahrer

text: It

text: was

text: a

text: long

text: time

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text: photos

text: inside

text: the

text: camp

text: Â

text: The

text: six

text: Berga

text: survivors

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text: Fahrer

text: Morton

text: Brooks

text: Sidney

text: Lipson

text: Peter

text: Iosso

text: Wallace

text: Carden

text: and

text: Edward

text: Slotkin

text: looked

text: on

text: stoically

text: as

text: Boles

text: spoke

text: privately

text: with

text: them

text: The

text: men

text: 's

text: faces

text: hid

text: decades

text: of

text: pain

text: from

text: what

text: they

text: endured

text: in

text: the

text: waning

text: months

text: of

text: World

text: War

text: II

text: in

text: They

text: 'd

text: given

text: up

text: decades

text: ago

text: that

text: the

text: Army

text: would

text: recognize

text: them

text: It

text: means

text: a

text: great

text: deal

text: that

text: it

text: 's

text: being

text: recognized

text: and

text: understood

text: Brooks

text: told

text: the

text: general

text: See

text: excerpts

text: from

text: diary

text: inside

text: Berga

text: Â

text: Boles

text: recited

text: a

text: soldier

text: 's

text: war

text: ethos

text: I

text: will

text: always

text: place

text: the

text: mission

text: first

text: I

text: will

text: never

text: quit

text: I

text: will

text: never

text: accept

text: defeat

text: and

text: I

text: will

text: never

text: leave

text: a

text: fallen

text: comrade

text: He

text: looked

text: at

text: each

text: of

text: the

text: weathered

text: war

text: heroes

text: and

text: said

text: Just

text: as

text: they

text: never

text: left

text: their

text: fallen

text: comrades

text: we

text: will

text: never

text: leave

text: them

text: You

text: were

text: good

text: soldiers

text: and

text: you

text: were

text: there

text: for

text: your

text: nation

text: Boles

text: added

text: They

text: 're

text: looking

text: around

text: and

text: they

text: 're

text: thanking

text: me

text: for

text: coming

text: And

text: I

text: 'm

text: the

text: one

text: thanking

text: them

text: because

text: I

text: get

text: to

text: bask

text: in

text: the

text: character

text: of

text: these

text: great

text: heroes

text: If

text: there

text: was

text: a

text: skeptic

text: coming

text: into

text: the

text: evening

text: it

text: was

text: Fahrer

text: a

text: U.S.

text: medic

text: held

text: at

text: Berga

text: He

text: had

text: dedicated

text: much

text: of

text: his

text: life

text: in

text: the

text: years

text: after

text: the

text: war

text: seeking

text: recognition

text: for

text: the

text: men

text: He

text: had

text: been

text: outraged

text: that

text: the

text: government

text: in

text: commuted

text: the

text: death

text: sentences

text: of

text: two

text: Berga

text: commanders

text: Erwin

text: Metz

text: and

text: his

text: superior

text: Hauptmann

text: Ludwig

text: Merz

text: Fahrer

text: sought

text: for

text: their

text: death

text: sentences

text: to

text: be

text: reinstated

text: See

text: document

text: from

text: War

text: Department

text: letting

text: commanders

text: off

text: Â

text: A

text: native

text: of

text: Long

text: Island

text: New

text: York

text: the

text: typically

text: talkative

text: Fahrer

text: was

text: rendered

text: nearly

text: speechless

text: as

text: the

text: general

text: spoke

text: After

text: years

text: I

text: gave

text: up

text: hope

text: a

text: long

text: time

text: ago

text: and

text: I

text: 'm

text: glad

text: you

text: 're

text: here

text: with

text: us

text: tonight

text: Fahrer

text: told

text: Boles

text: Boles

text: said

text: he

text: could

text: n't

text: speak

text: to

text: why

text: the

text: Berga

text: commanders

text: got

text: off

text: so

text: easy

text: but

text: he

text: said

text: he

text: knew

text: it

text: caused

text: a

text: great

text: deal

text: of

text: pain

text: for

text: these

text: men

text: In

text: modern

text: times

text: he

text: said

text: if

text: U.S.

text: soldiers

text: were

text: held

text: at

text: a

text: slave

text: camp

text: in

text: Iraq

text: or

text: Afghanistan

text: he

text: 'd

text: expect

text: justice

text: for

text: those

text: responsible

text: I

text: think

text: full

text: justice

text: is

text: the

text: right

text: word

text: The

text: general

text: even

text: addressed

text: documents

text: that

text: many

text: of

text: the

text: Berga

text: survivors

text: signed

text: before

text: they

text: were

text: sent

text: back

text: home

text: to

text: the

text: States

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text: interests

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text: prisoners

text: in

text: the

text: event

text: of

text: future

text: wars

text: moreover

text: demand

text: that

text: the

text: secrets

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text: this

text: war

text: be

text: vigorously

text: safeguarded

text: it

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text: survivors

text: believed

text: the

text: document

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text: they

text: were

text: never

text: to

text: speak

text: about

text: their

text: Berga

text: experience

text: That

text: was

text: not

text: our

text: intent

text: at

text: all

text: but

text: we

text: screwed

text: that

text: up

text: Boles

text: said

text: What

text: the

text: intent

text: of

text: the

text: documents

text: was

text: for

text: those

text: who

text: had

text: been

text: POWs

text: not

text: to

text: talk

text: about

text: escapes

text: people

text: who

text: had

text: assisted

text: them

text: people

text: who

text: had

text: helped

text: them

text: Our

text: inability

text: to

text: explain

text: that

text: correctly

text: was

text: therefore

text: misunderstood

text: by

text: them

text: He

text: added

text: What

text: they

text: went

text: through

text: did

text: n't

text: need

text: to

text: be

text: kept

text: a

text: secret

text: The

text: night

text: would

text: get

text: more

text: special

text: as

text: this

text: evening

text: progressed

text: The

text: Berga

text: soldiers

text: were

text: honored

text: in

text: front

text: of

text: a

text: gathering

text: of

text: World

text: War

text: II

text: POWs

text: About

text: veterans

text: and

text: their

text: families

text: packed

text: a

text: banquet

text: hall

text: Boles

text: told

text: the

text: group

text: what

text: he

text: said

text: in

text: private

text: that

text: the

text: men

text: are

text: national

text: treasures

text: You

text: may

text: wonder

text: if

text: it

text: mattered

text: if

text: your

text: service

text: and

text: sacrifice

text: made

text: a

text: difference

text: if

text: it

text: stood

text: the

text: test

text: of

text: time

text: he

text: said

text: You

text: may

text: rest

text: easy

text: I

text: have

text: seen

text: your

text: service

text: live

text: The

text: room

text: grew

text: quiet

text: The

text: general

text: in

text: dress

text: blues

text: strode

text: to

text: the

text: six

text: Berga

text: survivors

text: and

text: presented

text: each

text: one

text: with

text: the

text: flags

text: flown

text: over

text: the

text: Pentagon

text: Your

text: nation

text: remembers

text: and

text: it

text: salutes

text: each

text: of

text: you

text: Boles

text: said

text: Each

text: of

text: the

text: elders

text: saluted

text: the

text: general

text: back

text: The

text: room

text: was

text: then

text: told

text: to

text: stand

text: on

text: orders

text: of

text: the

text: president

text: of

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: The

text: entire

text: room

text: came

text: to

text: a

text: hushed

text: silence

text: and

text: rose

text: to

text: its

text: feet

text: Fahrer

text: the

text: medic

text: who

text: had

text: fought

text: so

text: hard

text: for

text: justice

text: for

text: his

text: Berga

text: comrades

text: was

text: asked

text: to

text: step

text: forward

text: And

text: there

text: before

text: the

text: crowd

text: on

text: this

text: historic

text: evening

text: he

text: was

text: presented

text: with

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: nation

text: 's

text: highest

text: honors

text: the

text: Bronze

text: Star

text: To

text: all

text: who

text: shall

text: see

text: these

text: presents

text: greeting

text: this

text: is

text: to

text: certify

text: that

text: the

text: President

text: of

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: of

text: America

text: authorized

text: by

text: executive

text: order

text: August

text: has

text: awarded

text: the

text: Bronze

text: Star

text: Medal

text: to

text: Private

text: Samuel

text: Fahrer

text: Army

text: of

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: for

text: meritorious

text: achievement

text: while

text: serving

text: with

text: Medical

text: Detachment

text: Infantry

text: Regiment

text: in

text: the

text: European

text: Theater

text: of

text: Operations

text: on

text: December

text: in

text: military

text: operations

text: against

text: an

text: armed

text: enemy

text: of

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: He

text: had

text: earned

text: the

text: medal

text: years

text: ago

text: but

text: due

text: to

text: clerical

text: errors

text: it

text: had

text: never

text: been

text: given

text: to

text: him

text: Fahrer

text: beamed

text: with

text: pride

text: He

text: had

text: shed

text: few

text: tears

text: since

text: his

text: time

text: at

text: Berga

text: But

text: on

text: this

text: night

text: even

text: Fahrer

text: had

text: trouble

text: containing

text: his

text: emotions

text: I

text: 'm

text: not

text: the

text: crying

text: type

text: but

text: it

text: got

text: me

text: right

text: here

text: he

text: said

text: his

text: hand

text: over

text: his

text: heart

text: as

text: he

text: searched

text: for

text: words

text: At

text: long

text: last

text: the

text: Berga

text: men

text: finally

text: had

text: some

text: comfort

text: It

text: 's

text: satisfying

text: that

text: after

text: all

text: this

text: time

text: amends

text: could

text: be

text: made

text: Brooks

text: said

text: When

text: there

text: 's

text: talk

text: of

text: the

text: Holocaust

text: we

text: understand

text: it

text: The

text: general

text: commended

text: CNN

text: for

text: its

text: reporting

text: on

text: the

text: issue

text: in

text: recent

text: months

text: saying

text: those

text: reports

text: helped

text: change

text: the

text: men

text: 's

text: legacy

text: Boles

text: applauded

text: Reps

text: Joe

text: Baca

text: D

text: California

text: and

text: Rep.

text: Spencer

text: Bachus

text: R

text: Alabama

text: who

text: urged

text: the

text: Army

text: to

text: act

text: to

text: honor

text: the

text: Berga

text: soldiers

text: At

text: one

text: point

text: Saturday

text: evening

text: Berga

text: survivor

text: Sidney

text: Lipson

text: pulled

text: me

text: to

text: the

text: side

text: Why

text: did

text: you

text: care

text: so

text: much

text: that

text: we

text: be

text: recognized

text: Because

text: you

text: deserved

text: it

text: I

text: replied

text: He

text: clutched

text: his

text: encased

text: flag

text: pulled

text: it

text: to

text: his

text: heart

text: and

text: smiled

text: Thank

text: you

text: Note

text: from

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Wayne

text: Drash

text: For

text: Berga

text: survivors

text: who

text: were

text: not

text: able

text: to

text: attend

text: the

text: Orlando

text: event

text: the

text: Army

text: is

text: working

text: to

text: coordinate

text: events

text: in

text: the

text: men

text: 's

text: communities

text: I

text: also

text: want

text: to

text: thank

text: CNN

text: 's

text: audience

text: who

text: lobbied

text: Congress

text: and

text: the

text: Army

text: to

text: give

text: these

text: soldiers

text: recognition

question: Where were the soldiers held as slaves?

answer: inside Nazi Germany.

text: inside Nazi Germany.

question: What building were the flags flown over?

answer: the Pentagon

text: the Pentagon

question: What was recognized for the first time ?

answer: 350 soldiers held as slaves inside Nazi Germany.

text: 350 soldiers held as slaves inside Nazi Germany.

question: How many soldiers were held at Berg an der Elster ?

answer: 350

question: Who presented the six Berga survivors with flags?

answer: Maj. Gen. Vincent Boles

text: Maj. Gen. Vincent Boles

question: In what conditions were the men imprisoned ?

answer: horrific

text: horrific

question: What was Berg an der Elster?

answer: a subcamp of the notorious concentration camp Buchenwald.

text: a subcamp of the notorious concentration camp Buchenwald.


text:
(CNN)  -- Rainstorms and flooding in southern China have killed at least 16 people and left hundreds of thousands homeless, according to state-run media.

Residents in Rongcheng, southwest China's Guangxi region on July 4.

Authorities had sent text messages to more than 1 million people to take precautions in southern China, the Xinhua news agency said Saturday.

More than 400,000 residents total were forced from their homes in Fujian, Guangxi Zhuang, Hunan and Jiangxi.

At least two people were missing in southeast Fujian Province after downpours that started Wednesday, according to the news agency.

The financial damage caused by the rain and flooding -- including damaged homes and crops -- was estimated at $35.4 million.

Destruction included a flooded reservoir and damaged dike in Luocheng County, where fears of a dam collapse forced evacuations.

The storms also disrupted traffic, triggered landslides and cut electricity in various parts of southern China.

text: CNN

text: Rainstorms

text: and

text: flooding

text: in

text: southern

text: China

text: have

text: killed

text: at

text: least

text: people

text: and

text: left

text: hundreds

text: of

text: thousands

text: homeless

text: according

text: to

text: state

text: run

text: media

text: Residents

text: in

text: Rongcheng

text: southwest

text: China

text: 's

text: Guangxi

text: region

text: on

text: July

text: Authorities

text: had

text: sent

text: text

text: messages

text: to

text: more

text: than

text: million

text: people

text: to

text: take

text: precautions

text: in

text: southern

text: China

text: the

text: Xinhua

text: news

text: agency

text: said

text: Saturday

text: More

text: than

text: residents

text: total

text: were

text: forced

text: from

text: their

text: homes

text: in

text: Fujian

text: Guangxi

text: Zhuang

text: Hunan

text: and

text: Jiangxi

text: At

text: least

text: two

text: people

text: were

text: missing

text: in

text: southeast

text: Fujian

text: Province

text: after

text: downpours

text: that

text: started

text: Wednesday

text: according

text: to

text: the

text: news

text: agency

text: The

text: financial

text: damage

text: caused

text: by

text: the

text: rain

text: and

text: flooding

text: including

text: damaged

text: homes

text: and

text: crops

text: was

text: estimated

text: at

text: million

text: Destruction

text: included

text: a

text: flooded

text: reservoir

text: and

text: damaged

text: dike

text: in

text: Luocheng

text: County

text: where

text: fears

text: of

text: a

text: dam

text: collapse

text: forced

text: evacuations

text: The

text: storms

text: also

text: disrupted

text: traffic

text: triggered

text: landslides

text: and

text: cut

text: electricity

text: in

text: various

text: parts

text: of

text: southern

text: China

question: What was estimated at 35.4 million

answer: The financial damage caused by the rain and flooding -- including damaged homes and crops

text: The financial damage caused by the rain and flooding -- including damaged homes and crops

question: What did the storm disrupt?

answer: traffic,

text: traffic,

question: Storms in China did what?

answer: killed at least 16 people and left hundreds

text: killed at least 16 people and left hundreds

question: Financial damage in China cost?

answer: $35.4 million.

text: $35.4 million.

question: what did storms disrupt?

answer: disrupted traffic,

text: disrupted traffic,

question: what did authorities send?

answer: text messages to more than 1 million people to take precautions

text: text messages to more than 1 million people to take precautions

question: HOw many people did authorities send messages to?

answer: 1 million

text: 1 million

question: Who was texted?

answer: 1 million people

text: 1 million people

question: waht was damage estimated at?

answer: $35.4 million.

text: $35.4 million.


text:
(CNN) -- In an effort to alleviate problems facing the company, Starbucks announced that it will close 600 company-run U.S. stores over the next year. Most of the stores are near another Starbucks and aren't profitable.

Nancy Blomquist moved from Georgia to Arizona and sent friends this photo of her first 'houseguest' -- Starbucks.

CNN.com asked iReporters to respond to the news that the coffee giant, known for its saturation of the market, is shuttering some retail locations.

iReporter mattwilliams says he's happy to see some Starbucks go, opening the market for independent coffee shops. Rusty1978 says he can't imagine how Starbucks is in financial trouble, given that his local store is always packed. Cval predicts more people will give up their lattes as the economy tightens.

Below are a selection of iReport responses, some of which have been edited for length and clarity. iReport.com: Share your thoughts on Starbucks here

Stefan: Starbucks Coffee, no doubt, has been a powerhouse phenomenon in the American barista world. The coffee super-giant has not only introduced, but set a national trend in coffee drinking for years to come ... they have created a culture.

Everywhere you look, from street corners, to bookstores and now even supermarkets, there is a Starbucks coffee shop or stand. So what will we do if we no longer have our daily dose of super-charged joe? Go somewhere else.

Since they started becoming a national chain, there has been a rush of smaller coffee shops trying to duplicate the relaxing, welcoming feel of Starbucks, and some do well and even exceed the patron's expectations, offering sofa's, tables, background music and even free internet.

But what about the coffee? As for those specialty drinks, many small coffee shop owners have started sending their employees to barista school, where they learn how to make the "perfect" cup of coffee / espresso with those perfect little beans. ... It is possible we may see a new coffee shop in town; and maybe, just maybe, the "next big thing".

FlashBauer38: I am glad to see Starbucks finally realized you only need one store per city block. I personally do not like or go to Starbucks. I normally get my coffee from Dunkin Donuts on the way to work or buy grounds from them to make at home ... for a reasonable price. I already have to spend $4 a gallon on gas, why would I spend $4 for 12 oz of coffee?

cval: You're kidding me, right? Anyone heard of the Mr. Coffee machine? You can get one for $15, and set it to have your coffee ready for you when you roll out of bed, then it turns off an hour later so as not to burn your house down should you forget to turn it off. Starbucks has always been a luxury item, when people need to get back to basics to survive.

Maybe people are just realizing this, and it is way overdue if you ask me. It's as expensive as smoking, think of all the money you can put into savings if you brew your own coffee.

Johnmcook: "My Starbucks", in the Uptown section of West Village is much more than a place to get a cup of java. It is a real part of the community, a busy, urban, somewhat trendy area near downtown Dallas.

I know each employee by name and they know me. I keep track of their progress through college, another's budding music career, and will attend another's wedding. When on the patio with my Chihuahua, they bring him water to help beat the heat or whipped cream as a treat ...

If you have ever spent time in the UK... you understand the social importance of meeting at the local pub... my Starbucks is the equivalent of that. You come there to get your favorite coffee but you leave with and come back for ... so much more.

rusty1978: Well, amongst all the Starbucks frowners around, I must say it's strong coffee and that's how I like it. I've got a Starbucks in commercial space in my building -- so convenient. I love the Verona, Gold Coast and Kenya blends.

I just can't believe they're not doing good business as most every store is always packed with people -- and they've even raised their prices last year, so I can't understand the closings at all. Someone please explain. Yes, I prefer strong Starbucks coffee in the morning!

mattwilliams: Could I live without Starbucks? The answer is a resounding YES! I live in a small tourist town on the coast of Georgia. Our many different local restaurants provide unique dining experiences with their atmospheres and menus. This is something I fear is being lost because of big chains like Starbucks coming in and replacing local, unique businesses with the same atmosphere and dining experience one could have in Anytown, USA.

So rather than make every little getaway town in this country the very same one Starbucks at a time, I say boycott them all and shut them all down! That won't happen because Starbucks has become part of a routine for so many people.

What would be nice is for the average American consumer to wake up and try to have a unique experience in his or her hometown. Rather than going to that same Starbucks that is so convenient with its drive-thru and perfect location on the way to one's destination, why not take a detour and find a mom-and-pop coffee shoppe, like our own Palm Coast Coffee or Daddy Cate's, and support their brave attempt at making the landscape of where one lives unique.

Nblomq: Definitely a Starbucks Junkie! I moved from Georgia to Arizona last fall, and the first digital picture I sent my girlfriends once I arrived in Tucson was a picture of my first official visitor to my new home ... a Starbucks Chai!

grdpxjmpr: I absolutely could live without Starbucks.

Reason 1: I don't like the taste of Starbucks coffee, especially since they had their closure back in February to make their coffee shop more like a coffee shop. The coffee they have started using since then is terrible.

2. If the Starbucks chain would close some stores, it would allow mom-and-pop-type places to get a footing in the market or allow local smaller chains to expand.

3. Buying beans for home and making your own coffee is substantially less expensive than getting coffee every day from Starbucks. In this economy, being able to pinch pennies helps.

MrRealtor: I hate to say this, but I just like a good ole cup of coffee, and that cannot be found at a Starbucks. Even their most mild coffee is terribly bitter. Will I miss them? No. I would miss a 99-cent cup of coffee from 7-11 worse than a $4.50 cup of yuck from Starbucks.

Blueken: In my entire life, I have had exactly one coffee from Starbucks. Nothing special. I'm not a coffee snob, of course, but I do like a pure Kona roast. I get my caffeine fix at the local gas station. Fresh brewed, $1.49. I predict overpriced microbrew beer is the next to take a hit as the economy gets real.

IchDenke: Yep, Starbucks is too pricey, too burnt and too mega for me! Gimme a hometown-y joint that ain't too expensive and supports our veterans like Just Plain Joe's, and I'm OK! :)

text: CNN

text: In

text: an

text: effort

text: to

text: alleviate

text: problems

text: facing

text: the

text: company

text: Starbucks

text: announced

text: that

text: it

text: will

text: close

text: company

text: run

text: U.S.

text: stores

text: over

text: the

text: next

text: year

text: Most

text: of

text: the

text: stores

text: are

text: near

text: another

text: Starbucks

text: and

text: are

text: n't

text: profitable

text: Nancy

text: Blomquist

text: moved

text: from

text: Georgia

text: to

text: Arizona

text: and

text: sent

text: friends

text: this

text: photo

text: of

text: her

text: first

text: houseguest

text: Starbucks

text: CNN.com

text: asked

text: iReporters

text: to

text: respond

text: to

text: the

text: news

text: that

text: the

text: coffee

text: giant

text: known

text: for

text: its

text: saturation

text: of

text: the

text: market

text: is

text: shuttering

text: some

text: retail

text: locations

text: iReporter

text: mattwilliams

text: says

text: he

text: 's

text: happy

text: to

text: see

text: some

text: Starbucks

text: go

text: opening

text: the

text: market

text: for

text: independent

text: coffee

text: shops

text: says

text: he

text: ca

text: n't

text: imagine

text: how

text: Starbucks

text: is

text: in

text: financial

text: trouble

text: given

text: that

text: his

text: local

text: store

text: is

text: always

text: packed

text: Cval

text: predicts

text: more

text: people

text: will

text: give

text: up

text: their

text: lattes

text: as

text: the

text: economy

text: tightens

text: Below

text: are

text: a

text: selection

text: of

text: iReport

text: responses

text: some

text: of

text: which

text: have

text: been

text: edited

text: for

text: length

text: and

text: clarity

text: iReport.com

text: Share

text: your

text: thoughts

text: on

text: Starbucks

text: here

text: Stefan

text: Starbucks

text: Coffee

text: no

text: doubt

text: has

text: been

text: a

text: powerhouse

text: phenomenon

text: in

text: the

text: American

text: barista

text: world

text: The

text: coffee

text: super

text: giant

text: has

text: not

text: only

text: introduced

text: but

text: set

text: a

text: national

text: trend

text: in

text: coffee

text: drinking

text: for

text: years

text: to

text: come

text: they

text: have

text: created

text: a

text: culture

text: Everywhere

text: you

text: look

text: from

text: street

text: corners

text: to

text: bookstores

text: and

text: now

text: even

text: supermarkets

text: there

text: is

text: a

text: Starbucks

text: coffee

text: shop

text: or

text: stand

text: So

text: what

text: will

text: we

text: do

text: if

text: we

text: no

text: longer

text: have

text: our

text: daily

text: dose

text: of

text: super

text: charged

text: joe

text: Go

text: somewhere

text: else

text: Since

text: they

text: started

text: becoming

text: a

text: national

text: chain

text: there

text: has

text: been

text: a

text: rush

text: of

text: smaller

text: coffee

text: shops

text: trying

text: to

text: duplicate

text: the

text: relaxing

text: welcoming

text: feel

text: of

text: Starbucks

text: and

text: some

text: do

text: well

text: and

text: even

text: exceed

text: the

text: patron

text: 's

text: expectations

text: offering

text: sofa

text: 's

text: tables

text: background

text: music

text: and

text: even

text: free

text: internet

text: But

text: what

text: about

text: the

text: coffee

text: As

text: for

text: those

text: specialty

text: drinks

text: many

text: small

text: coffee

text: shop

text: owners

text: have

text: started

text: sending

text: their

text: employees

text: to

text: barista

text: school

text: where

text: they

text: learn

text: how

text: to

text: make

text: the

text: perfect

text: cup

text: of

text: coffee

text: espresso

text: with

text: those

text: perfect

text: little

text: beans

text: It

text: is

text: possible

text: we

text: may

text: see

text: a

text: new

text: coffee

text: shop

text: in

text: town

text: and

text: maybe

text: just

text: maybe

text: the

text: next

text: big

text: thing

text: I

text: am

text: glad

text: to

text: see

text: Starbucks

text: finally

text: realized

text: you

text: only

text: need

text: one

text: store

text: per

text: city

text: block

text: I

text: personally

text: do

text: not

text: like

text: or

text: go

text: to

text: Starbucks

text: I

text: normally

text: get

text: my

text: coffee

text: from

text: Dunkin

text: Donuts

text: on

text: the

text: way

text: to

text: work

text: or

text: buy

text: grounds

text: from

text: them

text: to

text: make

text: at

text: home

text: for

text: a

text: reasonable

text: price

text: I

text: already

text: have

text: to

text: spend

text: a

text: gallon

text: on

text: gas

text: why

text: would

text: I

text: spend

text: for

text: oz

text: of

text: coffee

text: cval

text: You

text: 're

text: kidding

text: me

text: right

text: Anyone

text: heard

text: of

text: the

text: Mr.

text: Coffee

text: machine

text: You

text: can

text: get

text: one

text: for

text: and

text: set

text: it

text: to

text: have

text: your

text: coffee

text: ready

text: for

text: you

text: when

text: you

text: roll

text: out

text: of

text: bed

text: then

text: it

text: turns

text: off

text: an

text: hour

text: later

text: so

text: as

text: not

text: to

text: burn

text: your

text: house

text: down

text: should

text: you

text: forget

text: to

text: turn

text: it

text: off

text: Starbucks

text: has

text: always

text: been

text: a

text: luxury

text: item

text: when

text: people

text: need

text: to

text: get

text: back

text: to

text: basics

text: to

text: survive

text: Maybe

text: people

text: are

text: just

text: realizing

text: this

text: and

text: it

text: is

text: way

text: overdue

text: if

text: you

text: ask

text: me

text: It

text: 's

text: as

text: expensive

text: as

text: smoking

text: think

text: of

text: all

text: the

text: money

text: you

text: can

text: put

text: into

text: savings

text: if

text: you

text: brew

text: your

text: own

text: coffee

text: Johnmcook

text: My

text: Starbucks

text: in

text: the

text: Uptown

text: section

text: of

text: West

text: Village

text: is

text: much

text: more

text: than

text: a

text: place

text: to

text: get

text: a

text: cup

text: of

text: java

text: It

text: is

text: a

text: real

text: part

text: of

text: the

text: community

text: a

text: busy

text: urban

text: somewhat

text: trendy

text: area

text: near

text: downtown

text: Dallas

text: I

text: know

text: each

text: employee

text: by

text: name

text: and

text: they

text: know

text: me

text: I

text: keep

text: track

text: of

text: their

text: progress

text: through

text: college

text: another

text: 's

text: budding

text: music

text: career

text: and

text: will

text: attend

text: another

text: 's

text: wedding

text: When

text: on

text: the

text: patio

text: with

text: my

text: Chihuahua

text: they

text: bring

text: him

text: water

text: to

text: help

text: beat

text: the

text: heat

text: or

text: whipped

text: cream

text: as

text: a

text: treat

text: If

text: you

text: have

text: ever

text: spent

text: time

text: in

text: the

text: UK

text: you

text: understand

text: the

text: social

text: importance

text: of

text: meeting

text: at

text: the

text: local

text: pub

text: my

text: Starbucks

text: is

text: the

text: equivalent

text: of

text: that

text: You

text: come

text: there

text: to

text: get

text: your

text: favorite

text: coffee

text: but

text: you

text: leave

text: with

text: and

text: come

text: back

text: for

text: so

text: much

text: more

text: Well

text: amongst

text: all

text: the

text: Starbucks

text: frowners

text: around

text: I

text: must

text: say

text: it

text: 's

text: strong

text: coffee

text: and

text: that

text: 's

text: how

text: I

text: like

text: it

text: I

text: 've

text: got

text: a

text: Starbucks

text: in

text: commercial

text: space

text: in

text: my

text: building

text: so

text: convenient

text: I

text: love

text: the

text: Verona

text: Gold

text: Coast

text: and

text: Kenya

text: blends

text: I

text: just

text: ca

text: n't

text: believe

text: they

text: 're

text: not

text: doing

text: good

text: business

text: as

text: most

text: every

text: store

text: is

text: always

text: packed

text: with

text: people

text: and

text: they

text: 've

text: even

text: raised

text: their

text: prices

text: last

text: year

text: so

text: I

text: ca

text: n't

text: understand

text: the

text: closings

text: at

text: all

text: Someone

text: please

text: explain

text: Yes

text: I

text: prefer

text: strong

text: Starbucks

text: coffee

text: in

text: the

text: morning

text: mattwilliams

text: Could

text: I

text: live

text: without

text: Starbucks

text: The

text: answer

text: is

text: a

text: resounding

text: YES

text: I

text: live

text: in

text: a

text: small

text: tourist

text: town

text: on

text: the

text: coast

text: of

text: Georgia

text: Our

text: many

text: different

text: local

text: restaurants

text: provide

text: unique

text: dining

text: experiences

text: with

text: their

text: atmospheres

text: and

text: menus

text: This

text: is

text: something

text: I

text: fear

text: is

text: being

text: lost

text: because

text: of

text: big

text: chains

text: like

text: Starbucks

text: coming

text: in

text: and

text: replacing

text: local

text: unique

text: businesses

text: with

text: the

text: same

text: atmosphere

text: and

text: dining

text: experience

text: one

text: could

text: have

text: in

text: Anytown

text: USA

text: So

text: rather

text: than

text: make

text: every

text: little

text: getaway

text: town

text: in

text: this

text: country

text: the

text: very

text: same

text: one

text: Starbucks

text: at

text: a

text: time

text: I

text: say

text: boycott

text: them

text: all

text: and

text: shut

text: them

text: all

text: down

text: That

text: wo

text: n't

text: happen

text: because

text: Starbucks

text: has

text: become

text: part

text: of

text: a

text: routine

text: for

text: so

text: many

text: people

text: What

text: would

text: be

text: nice

text: is

text: for

text: the

text: average

text: American

text: consumer

text: to

text: wake

text: up

text: and

text: try

text: to

text: have

text: a

text: unique

text: experience

text: in

text: his

text: or

text: her

text: hometown

text: Rather

text: than

text: going

text: to

text: that

text: same

text: Starbucks

text: that

text: is

text: so

text: convenient

text: with

text: its

text: drive

text: thru

text: and

text: perfect

text: location

text: on

text: the

text: way

text: to

text: one

text: 's

text: destination

text: why

text: not

text: take

text: a

text: detour

text: and

text: find

text: a

text: mom

text: and

text: pop

text: coffee

text: shoppe

text: like

text: our

text: own

text: Palm

text: Coast

text: Coffee

text: or

text: Daddy

text: Cate

text: 's

text: and

text: support

text: their

text: brave

text: attempt

text: at

text: making

text: the

text: landscape

text: of

text: where

text: one

text: lives

text: unique

text: Nblomq

text: Definitely

text: a

text: Starbucks

text: Junkie

text: I

text: moved

text: from

text: Georgia

text: to

text: Arizona

text: last

text: fall

text: and

text: the

text: first

text: digital

text: picture

text: I

text: sent

text: my

text: girlfriends

text: once

text: I

text: arrived

text: in

text: Tucson

text: was

text: a

text: picture

text: of

text: my

text: first

text: official

text: visitor

text: to

text: my

text: new

text: home

text: a

text: Starbucks

text: Chai

text: grdpxjmpr

text: I

text: absolutely

text: could

text: live

text: without

text: Starbucks

text: Reason

text: I

text: do

text: n't

text: like

text: the

text: taste

text: of

text: Starbucks

text: coffee

text: especially

text: since

text: they

text: had

text: their

text: closure

text: back

text: in

text: February

text: to

text: make

text: their

text: coffee

text: shop

text: more

text: like

text: a

text: coffee

text: shop

text: The

text: coffee

text: they

text: have

text: started

text: using

text: since

text: then

text: is

text: terrible

text: If

text: the

text: Starbucks

text: chain

text: would

text: close

text: some

text: stores

text: it

text: would

text: allow

text: mom

text: and

text: pop

text: type

text: places

text: to

text: get

text: a

text: footing

text: in

text: the

text: market

text: or

text: allow

text: local

text: smaller

text: chains

text: to

text: expand

text: Buying

text: beans

text: for

text: home

text: and

text: making

text: your

text: own

text: coffee

text: is

text: substantially

text: less

text: expensive

text: than

text: getting

text: coffee

text: every

text: day

text: from

text: Starbucks

text: In

text: this

text: economy

text: being

text: able

text: to

text: pinch

text: pennies

text: helps

text: MrRealtor

text: I

text: hate

text: to

text: say

text: this

text: but

text: I

text: just

text: like

text: a

text: good

text: ole

text: cup

text: of

text: coffee

text: and

text: that

text: can

text: not

text: be

text: found

text: at

text: a

text: Starbucks

text: Even

text: their

text: most

text: mild

text: coffee

text: is

text: terribly

text: bitter

text: Will

text: I

text: miss

text: them

text: No

text: I

text: would

text: miss

text: a

text: cup

text: of

text: coffee

text: from

text: worse

text: than

text: a

text: cup

text: of

text: yuck

text: from

text: Starbucks

text: Blueken

text: In

text: my

text: entire

text: life

text: I

text: have

text: had

text: exactly

text: one

text: coffee

text: from

text: Starbucks

text: Nothing

text: special

text: I

text: 'm

text: not

text: a

text: coffee

text: snob

text: of

text: course

text: but

text: I

text: do

text: like

text: a

text: pure

text: Kona

text: roast

text: I

text: get

text: my

text: caffeine

text: fix

text: at

text: the

text: local

text: gas

text: station

text: Fresh

text: brewed

text: I

text: predict

text: overpriced

text: microbrew

text: beer

text: is

text: the

text: next

text: to

text: take

text: a

text: hit

text: as

text: the

text: economy

text: gets

text: real

text: IchDenke

text: Yep

text: Starbucks

text: is

text: too

text: pricey

text: too

text: burnt

text: and

text: too

text: mega

text: for

text: me

text: Gimme

text: a

text: hometown

text: y

text: joint

text: that

text: ai

text: n't

text: too

text: expensive

text: and

text: supports

text: our

text: veterans

text: like

text: Just

text: Plain

text: Joe

text: 's

text: and

text: I

text: 'm

text: OK

question: How many stores is Starbucks going to close?

answer: 600

question: Who responds to the news?

answer: iReporters

text: iReporters


text:
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Less than a day after Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency and scolded the country's media for being too "negative," police stormed the offices of a television station early Sunday, AAJ-TV's director of news and current affairs said.

Pakistani policemen patrol the streets of Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday.

Armed with guns, the two dozen police said they had orders to take the station's equipment, including a van that the station uses to broadcast live coverage, Talat Hussain said.

"We resisted," Hussain said. "We said show us the papers."

The police didn't have proof their demands were legitimate, he said, adding the officers said only that they had orders "from the highest authority."

"They said, 'We'll do it the nice way or the other way,' " Hussain said.

A brief scuffle between the policemen and about 40 journalists in the station followed, but no one was hurt, he said.

During the confrontation, two AAJ journalists were able to drive the news van away from the station, Hussain said.

Police later left the building, but remained outside, Hussain said.

The raid followed a government directive to the media, warning journalists that any criticism of the president or prime minister would be punishable by three years in jail and a fine of up to $70,000, Hussain said.

Earlier, in a Saturday night televised address to the Pakistani public aimed at explaining why he had declared a countrywide state of emergency and suspended the constitution, Musharraf was critical of the country's media, saying they had "added insult to injury."

"The media could not lend a helping hand to improve the situation," Musharraf said, describing "the situation" in Pakistan as fraught with tension and constrained by the spread of terrorism.

"I said frequently that the media should not be negative," Musharraf said.

Shortly after private networks reported Saturday that Musharraf's declaration of a state of emergency was imminent, most media channels went off the air in an apparent blackout, although some flickered off and on. E-mail to a friend

text: ISLAMABAD

text: Pakistan

text: CNN

text: Less

text: than

text: a

text: day

text: after

text: Pakistani

text: President

text: Pervez

text: Musharraf

text: declared

text: a

text: state

text: of

text: emergency

text: and

text: scolded

text: the

text: country

text: 's

text: media

text: for

text: being

text: too

text: negative

text: police

text: stormed

text: the

text: offices

text: of

text: a

text: television

text: station

text: early

text: Sunday

text: AAJ

text: TV

text: 's

text: director

text: of

text: news

text: and

text: current

text: affairs

text: said

text: Pakistani

text: policemen

text: patrol

text: the

text: streets

text: of

text: Islamabad

text: Pakistan

text: Saturday

text: Armed

text: with

text: guns

text: the

text: two

text: dozen

text: police

text: said

text: they

text: had

text: orders

text: to

text: take

text: the

text: station

text: 's

text: equipment

text: including

text: a

text: van

text: that

text: the

text: station

text: uses

text: to

text: broadcast

text: live

text: coverage

text: Talat

text: Hussain

text: said

text: We

text: resisted

text: Hussain

text: said

text: We

text: said

text: show

text: us

text: the

text: papers

text: The

text: police

text: did

text: n't

text: have

text: proof

text: their

text: demands

text: were

text: legitimate

text: he

text: said

text: adding

text: the

text: officers

text: said

text: only

text: that

text: they

text: had

text: orders

text: from

text: the

text: highest

text: authority

text: They

text: said

text: We

text: 'll

text: do

text: it

text: the

text: nice

text: way

text: or

text: the

text: other

text: way

text: Hussain

text: said

text: A

text: brief

text: scuffle

text: between

text: the

text: policemen

text: and

text: about

text: journalists

text: in

text: the

text: station

text: followed

text: but

text: no

text: one

text: was

text: hurt

text: he

text: said

text: During

text: the

text: confrontation

text: two

text: AAJ

text: journalists

text: were

text: able

text: to

text: drive

text: the

text: news

text: van

text: away

text: from

text: the

text: station

text: Hussain

text: said

text: Police

text: later

text: left

text: the

text: building

text: but

text: remained

text: outside

text: Hussain

text: said

text: The

text: raid

text: followed

text: a

text: government

text: directive

text: to

text: the

text: media

text: warning

text: journalists

text: that

text: any

text: criticism

text: of

text: the

text: president

text: or

text: prime

text: minister

text: would

text: be

text: punishable

text: by

text: three

text: years

text: in

text: jail

text: and

text: a

text: fine

text: of

text: up

text: to

text: Hussain

text: said

text: Earlier

text: in

text: a

text: Saturday

text: night

text: televised

text: address

text: to

text: the

text: Pakistani

text: public

text: aimed

text: at

text: explaining

text: why

text: he

text: had

text: declared

text: a

text: countrywide

text: state

text: of

text: emergency

text: and

text: suspended

text: the

text: constitution

text: Musharraf

text: was

text: critical

text: of

text: the

text: country

text: 's

text: media

text: saying

text: they

text: had

text: added

text: insult

text: to

text: injury

text: The

text: media

text: could

text: not

text: lend

text: a

text: helping

text: hand

text: to

text: improve

text: the

text: situation

text: Musharraf

text: said

text: describing

text: the

text: situation

text: in

text: Pakistan

text: as

text: fraught

text: with

text: tension

text: and

text: constrained

text: by

text: the

text: spread

text: of

text: terrorism

text: I

text: said

text: frequently

text: that

text: the

text: media

text: should

text: not

text: be

text: negative

text: Musharraf

text: said

text: Shortly

text: after

text: private

text: networks

text: reported

text: Saturday

text: that

text: Musharraf

text: 's

text: declaration

text: of

text: a

text: state

text: of

text: emergency

text: was

text: imminent

text: most

text: media

text: channels

text: went

text: off

text: the

text: air

text: in

text: an

text: apparent

text: blackout

text: although

text: some

text: flickered

text: off

text: and

text: on

text: E

text: mail

text: to

text: a

text: friend

question: Who is at risk for jail time & fines?

answer: journalists

text: journalists

question: Who did the police have orders from?

answer: Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf

text: Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf

question: President Pervez Musharraf said what about the media?

answer: being too "negative,"

text: being too "negative,"

question: What did the police say?

answer: they had orders to take the station's equipment, including a van that the station uses to broadcast live coverage,

text: they had orders to take the station's equipment, including a van that the station uses to broadcast live coverage,

question: What was said by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf?

answer: "The media could not lend a helping hand to improve the situation,"

text: "The media could not lend a helping hand to improve the situation,"


text:
(CNN) -- One of America's top World War II fighter pilots, an African-American who took on Nazis abroad and racism at home, was laid to rest Friday at Arlington National Cemetery.

Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Lee A. Archer, one of the famed Tuskegee Airmen, died last month in New York at the age of 90. Archer, who once shot down three German fighters in the span of only a few minutes, went on to become a corporate executive and venture capitalist.

His life came to be seen as an example of the potential of any individual, regardless of skin color or background, if given a fair opportunity.

Lee Andrew Archer Jr. was born in 1919 in Yonkers, New York. An aviation enthusiast from childhood, he left New York University in 1941 to join the Army. Despite passing a pilot's test, he was assigned as a communications specialist in Camp Wheeler, Georgia.

But several months later, after the United States declared war on the Axis powers, Archer was selected to join a training program for potential black pilots at Alabama's Tuskegee Army Air Field.

Archer graduated first in the program in July 1943 and, after receiving his commission as a second lieutenant, was deployed to Italy as part of the 332nd Fighter Group.

On October 12, 1944, while piloting a P-51 Mustang, Archer downed three Luftwaffe fighters in the sky over Nazi-occupied Hungary. He also was credited with shooting down a fighter over Germany earlier in the year.

U.S. military officials could not confirm a fifth downing by Archer in summer 1944. If they had been able to do so, he would have become the only Tuskegee Airman to be officially designated as an ace.

By the end of World War II, Archer had flown 169 combat missions, providing cover and escorting U.S. bombers in over 11 countries, according to the Air Force. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Archer remained in the military through 1970, witnessing its desegregation during the Truman administration and serving in several capacities. Among other things, he became a diplomatic officer at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe and was chief of headquarters at the U.S. Air Force Southern Command in Panama.

He received special citations for his service from Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson.

After retiring from the military, Archer became an executive at General Foods and started Archer Asset Management, a venture capital firm.

Archer's wife, Ina, died in 1996. He is survived by three sons.

text: CNN

text: One

text: of

text: America

text: 's

text: top

text: World

text: War

text: II

text: fighter

text: pilots

text: an

text: African

text: American

text: who

text: took

text: on

text: Nazis

text: abroad

text: and

text: racism

text: at

text: home

text: was

text: laid

text: to

text: rest

text: Friday

text: at

text: Arlington

text: National

text: Cemetery

text: Retired

text: Air

text: Force

text: Lt

text: Col

text: Lee

text: A.

text: Archer

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: famed

text: Tuskegee

text: Airmen

text: died

text: last

text: month

text: in

text: New

text: York

text: at

text: the

text: age

text: of

text: Archer

text: who

text: once

text: shot

text: down

text: three

text: German

text: fighters

text: in

text: the

text: span

text: of

text: only

text: a

text: few

text: minutes

text: went

text: on

text: to

text: become

text: a

text: corporate

text: executive

text: and

text: venture

text: capitalist

text: His

text: life

text: came

text: to

text: be

text: seen

text: as

text: an

text: example

text: of

text: the

text: potential

text: of

text: any

text: individual

text: regardless

text: of

text: skin

text: color

text: or

text: background

text: if

text: given

text: a

text: fair

text: opportunity

text: Lee

text: Andrew

text: Archer

text: Jr.

text: was

text: born

text: in

text: in

text: Yonkers

text: New

text: York

text: An

text: aviation

text: enthusiast

text: from

text: childhood

text: he

text: left

text: New

text: York

text: University

text: in

text: to

text: join

text: the

text: Army

text: Despite

text: passing

text: a

text: pilot

text: 's

text: test

text: he

text: was

text: assigned

text: as

text: a

text: communications

text: specialist

text: in

text: Camp

text: Wheeler

text: Georgia

text: But

text: several

text: months

text: later

text: after

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: declared

text: war

text: on

text: the

text: Axis

text: powers

text: Archer

text: was

text: selected

text: to

text: join

text: a

text: training

text: program

text: for

text: potential

text: black

text: pilots

text: at

text: Alabama

text: 's

text: Tuskegee

text: Army

text: Air

text: Field

text: Archer

text: graduated

text: first

text: in

text: the

text: program

text: in

text: July

text: and

text: after

text: receiving

text: his

text: commission

text: as

text: a

text: second

text: lieutenant

text: was

text: deployed

text: to

text: Italy

text: as

text: part

text: of

text: the

text: Fighter

text: Group

text: On

text: October

text: while

text: piloting

text: a

text: Mustang

text: Archer

text: downed

text: three

text: Luftwaffe

text: fighters

text: in

text: the

text: sky

text: over

text: Nazi

text: occupied

text: Hungary

text: He

text: also

text: was

text: credited

text: with

text: shooting

text: down

text: a

text: fighter

text: over

text: Germany

text: earlier

text: in

text: the

text: year

text: U.S.

text: military

text: officials

text: could

text: not

text: confirm

text: a

text: fifth

text: downing

text: by

text: Archer

text: in

text: summer

text: If

text: they

text: had

text: been

text: able

text: to

text: do

text: so

text: he

text: would

text: have

text: become

text: the

text: only

text: Tuskegee

text: Airman

text: to

text: be

text: officially

text: designated

text: as

text: an

text: ace

text: By

text: the

text: end

text: of

text: World

text: War

text: II

text: Archer

text: had

text: flown

text: combat

text: missions

text: providing

text: cover

text: and

text: escorting

text: U.S.

text: bombers

text: in

text: over

text: countries

text: according

text: to

text: the

text: Air

text: Force

text: He

text: was

text: awarded

text: the

text: Distinguished

text: Flying

text: Cross

text: Archer

text: remained

text: in

text: the

text: military

text: through

text: witnessing

text: its

text: desegregation

text: during

text: the

text: Truman

text: administration

text: and

text: serving

text: in

text: several

text: capacities

text: Among

text: other

text: things

text: he

text: became

text: a

text: diplomatic

text: officer

text: at

text: Supreme

text: Headquarters

text: Allied

text: Powers

text: Europe

text: and

text: was

text: chief

text: of

text: headquarters

text: at

text: the

text: U.S.

text: Air

text: Force

text: Southern

text: Command

text: in

text: Panama

text: He

text: received

text: special

text: citations

text: for

text: his

text: service

text: from

text: Presidents

text: Eisenhower

text: Kennedy

text: and

text: Johnson

text: After

text: retiring

text: from

text: the

text: military

text: Archer

text: became

text: an

text: executive

text: at

text: General

text: Foods

text: and

text: started

text: Archer

text: Asset

text: Management

text: a

text: venture

text: capital

text: firm

text: Archer

text: 's

text: wife

text: Ina

text: died

text: in

text: He

text: is

text: survived

text: by

text: three

text: sons

question: What did Archer shoot down?

answer: three German fighters

text: three German fighters

question: When did Archer die?

answer: died last month

text: died last month

question: Who died last month

answer: Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Lee A. Archer,

text: Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Lee A. Archer,

question: Where did he work after the military?

answer: Archer Asset Management,

text: Archer Asset Management,

question: What did he receive

answer: the Distinguished Flying Cross.

text: the Distinguished Flying Cross.

question: How many planes did he shoot down?

answer: three

text: three

question: Who shot down three fighters

answer: Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Lee A. Archer,

text: Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Lee A. Archer,

question: Where did Archer work after the military

answer: General Foods

text: General Foods


text:
Editor's note: Nathaniel Frank is author of "Unfriendly Fire: How the Gay Ban Undermines the Military and Weakens America" and is senior research fellow at the Palm Center, a think tank at the University of California, Santa Barbara, that has focused on gender, sexuality and the military. He also teaches on the adjunct faculty at New York University.

Nathaniel Frank says there's no evidence that letting gays serve openly would harm the military.

(CNN) --   This week, four senior retired officers wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post predicting "grave harm" to the military if President Obama moves forward with his vow to let gays serve openly.

"Our experience," they wrote, "and that of more than 1,000 retired flag and general officers," suggest that lifting the ban would harm unit cohesion, recruitment and retention, and would ultimately "break the All-Volunteer Force."

The argument is an old one, and was an effective canard in defeating President Clinton's move to lift the ban in 1993. But it has never been rooted in fact or evidence, and the effort of these officers to defeat equal treatment this time around will face mountains of opposing data and a dramatically changed cultural landscape.

The officers who oppose openly gay service do not base their arguments on any new information. In addition to their own experience -- an impressive credential that's nevertheless too vague to hang an argument on -- the officers rely on a single poll.

They cite an unscientific survey -- it does not draw from a representative sampling but from newspaper subscribers -- indicating that 58 percent of the military oppose lifting the ban and that, if it's lifted, 24 percent claim they will leave or consider leaving after their tour ends.

But it's naÃ¯ve at best, and disingenuous at worst, to confuse this opinion survey with a sound prediction of actual behavior. When both Britain and Canada proposed lifting their gay bans in the 1990s, similar opinion surveys found much higher numbers -- about two-thirds in both cases -- claiming they, too, would leave. In each case, no more than three departures were attributed to the policy change. Three.

In fact, the evidence showing that openly gay service works is overwhelming. Since 1957, when the U.S. military began doing its own studies on gays in the military, every last bit of research has shown that openly gay service works.

Studies of foreign militaries include a 1993 Government Accountability Office study of allied nations that found that "the presence of homosexuals in the military is not an issue and has not created problems in the functioning of military units"; a 1994 assessment by the U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences finding that predicted negative consequences of ending gay exclusion in the Canadian Forces never materialized; the 2000 assessment of the British Ministry of Defense, calling its new policy of equal treatment "a solid achievement" with "no discernible impact" on recruitment or other critical variables; and four academic studies conducted by the Palm Center, where I work, finding that lifting bans in Britain, Israel, Canada and Australia had no negative impact on military readiness, including on recruitment and retention.

The officers writing in The Washington Post question the relevance of foreign militaries to this debate, mocking the idea that the U.S. military "must emulate Denmark, the Netherlands and Canada." But they failed to note that 24 of our closest allies let gays serve openly, including Britain, whose combat-tested soldiers and sailors serve shoulder to shoulder with U.S. forces.

While our military and culture are unique in the world, it's an astonishing vote of no-confidence in American troops to say that they are not capable of doing what 24 other militaries have done successfully. Ours is a professional, disciplined fighting force, and the assertion that a diverse military would lack order and discipline is, as Rep. Patrick Murphy, an Iraq War veteran, has said, "an insult" to him and the entire U.S. military.

But it's not just foreign militaries that provide real evidence on gay service. A majority of U.S. troops know of, or suspect, gays in their units, giving the lie to the most basic assumption underlying the gay ban: that openly gay service could never work.

After all, gays are already serving, and serving openly, without causing problems. Yet despite the law's failure to keep many open gays out, the ban's persistence means that gay troops are subject to random dismissals and are often unable to access military support services for fear of being found out and fired.

Even extensive research by our own military has concluded the gay ban is unnecessary, including a large 1993 study by the RAND Corporation -- a think tank created by the military itself -- and two official military studies -- a 1989 study by the Defense Personnel Security Research Center and the Navy's 1957 Crittenden report -- which all found sexual orientation is irrelevant to military performance.

Indeed, neither the military nor anyone else has ever turned up a shred of evidence tying openly gay service to impairment of the military.

When the officers' claims are pitted against the wealth of actual facts and research on this issue, they are shown for what they really are: fear and intolerance, rooted in a world that's largely disappeared. Indeed, the vast majority of these retired officers, including the authors of this week's op-ed, retired before the current "don't ask, don't tell" policy even began in 1994.

Their military is not the same as today's, where three-quarters of troops are "personally comfortable" with gays and lesbians, and "don't ask, don't tell" is considered "a joke."

These officers attribute current efforts to lift the ban to "gay rights activists," when in fact, according to consistent polling, four-fifths of the American public favors repeal, including majorities of Republicans, conservatives and even churchgoers. It also includes many retired officers who did serve under, and used to support, the current policy, such as Gen. John Shalikashvili, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who sees the ban as a threat to military readiness.

The officers say there is "no compelling national security reason" to accept the "risks" of lifting the ban, which they say include the likely loss of "experienced personnel who are not easily replaced." But under current policy, more than 800 "mission-critical specialists" have been fired just because they're gay, including more than 60 Arabic linguists.

Due to the military's overall struggle to meet its recruiting goals, it has had to lower standards and admit convicted felons.

Kicking out capable troops while replacing them with ex-convicts is not a recipe for good order and discipline. Forcing soldiers to lie to each other is not good for morale or cohesion.

Drumming out Arabic linguists at a time when we don't have enough to translate what our enemies are saying is bad, not good, for national security. If these officers care more about our nation than about preserving an embalmed military culture, they'll cease and desist.

The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of Nathaniel Frank

text: Editor

text: 's

text: note

text: Nathaniel

text: Frank

text: is

text: author

text: of

text: Unfriendly

text: Fire

text: How

text: the

text: Gay

text: Ban

text: Undermines

text: the

text: Military

text: and

text: Weakens

text: America

text: and

text: is

text: senior

text: research

text: fellow

text: at

text: the

text: Palm

text: Center

text: a

text: think

text: tank

text: at

text: the

text: University

text: of

text: California

text: Santa

text: Barbara

text: that

text: has

text: focused

text: on

text: gender

text: sexuality

text: and

text: the

text: military

text: He

text: also

text: teaches

text: on

text: the

text: adjunct

text: faculty

text: at

text: New

text: York

text: University

text: Nathaniel

text: Frank

text: says

text: there

text: 's

text: no

text: evidence

text: that

text: letting

text: gays

text: serve

text: openly

text: would

text: harm

text: the

text: military

text: CNN

text: This

text: week

text: four

text: senior

text: retired

text: officers

text: wrote

text: an

text: op

text: ed

text: in

text: The

text: Washington

text: Post

text: predicting

text: grave

text: harm

text: to

text: the

text: military

text: if

text: President

text: Obama

text: moves

text: forward

text: with

text: his

text: vow

text: to

text: let

text: gays

text: serve

text: openly

text: Our

text: experience

text: they

text: wrote

text: and

text: that

text: of

text: more

text: than

text: retired

text: flag

text: and

text: general

text: officers

text: suggest

text: that

text: lifting

text: the

text: ban

text: would

text: harm

text: unit

text: cohesion

text: recruitment

text: and

text: retention

text: and

text: would

text: ultimately

text: break

text: the

text: All

text: Volunteer

text: Force

text: The

text: argument

text: is

text: an

text: old

text: one

text: and

text: was

text: an

text: effective

text: canard

text: in

text: defeating

text: President

text: Clinton

text: 's

text: move

text: to

text: lift

text: the

text: ban

text: in

text: But

text: it

text: has

text: never

text: been

text: rooted

text: in

text: fact

text: or

text: evidence

text: and

text: the

text: effort

text: of

text: these

text: officers

text: to

text: defeat

text: equal

text: treatment

text: this

text: time

text: around

text: will

text: face

text: mountains

text: of

text: opposing

text: data

text: and

text: a

text: dramatically

text: changed

text: cultural

text: landscape

text: The

text: officers

text: who

text: oppose

text: openly

text: gay

text: service

text: do

text: not

text: base

text: their

text: arguments

text: on

text: any

text: new

text: information

text: In

text: addition

text: to

text: their

text: own

text: experience

text: an

text: impressive

text: credential

text: that

text: 's

text: nevertheless

text: too

text: vague

text: to

text: hang

text: an

text: argument

text: on

text: the

text: officers

text: rely

text: on

text: a

text: single

text: poll

text: They

text: cite

text: an

text: unscientific

text: survey

text: it

text: does

text: not

text: draw

text: from

text: a

text: representative

text: sampling

text: but

text: from

text: newspaper

text: subscribers

text: indicating

text: that

text: percent

text: of

text: the

text: military

text: oppose

text: lifting

text: the

text: ban

text: and

text: that

text: if

text: it

text: 's

text: lifted

text: percent

text: claim

text: they

text: will

text: leave

text: or

text: consider

text: leaving

text: after

text: their

text: tour

text: ends

text: But

text: it

text: 's

text: naÃ¯ve

text: at

text: best

text: and

text: disingenuous

text: at

text: worst

text: to

text: confuse

text: this

text: opinion

text: survey

text: with

text: a

text: sound

text: prediction

text: of

text: actual

text: behavior

text: When

text: both

text: Britain

text: and

text: Canada

text: proposed

text: lifting

text: their

text: gay

text: bans

text: in

text: the

text: similar

text: opinion

text: surveys

text: found

text: much

text: higher

text: numbers

text: about

text: two

text: thirds

text: in

text: both

text: cases

text: claiming

text: they

text: too

text: would

text: leave

text: In

text: each

text: case

text: no

text: more

text: than

text: three

text: departures

text: were

text: attributed

text: to

text: the

text: policy

text: change

text: Three

text: In

text: fact

text: the

text: evidence

text: showing

text: that

text: openly

text: gay

text: service

text: works

text: is

text: overwhelming

text: Since

text: when

text: the

text: U.S.

text: military

text: began

text: doing

text: its

text: own

text: studies

text: on

text: gays

text: in

text: the

text: military

text: every

text: last

text: bit

text: of

text: research

text: has

text: shown

text: that

text: openly

text: gay

text: service

text: works

text: Studies

text: of

text: foreign

text: militaries

text: include

text: a

text: Government

text: Accountability

text: Office

text: study

text: of

text: allied

text: nations

text: that

text: found

text: that

text: the

text: presence

text: of

text: homosexuals

text: in

text: the

text: military

text: is

text: not

text: an

text: issue

text: and

text: has

text: not

text: created

text: problems

text: in

text: the

text: functioning

text: of

text: military

text: units

text: a

text: assessment

text: by

text: the

text: U.S.

text: Army

text: Research

text: Institute

text: for

text: the

text: Behavioral

text: and

text: Social

text: Sciences

text: finding

text: that

text: predicted

text: negative

text: consequences

text: of

text: ending

text: gay

text: exclusion

text: in

text: the

text: Canadian

text: Forces

text: never

text: materialized

text: the

text: assessment

text: of

text: the

text: British

text: Ministry

text: of

text: Defense

text: calling

text: its

text: new

text: policy

text: of

text: equal

text: treatment

text: a

text: solid

text: achievement

text: with

text: no

text: discernible

text: impact

text: on

text: recruitment

text: or

text: other

text: critical

text: variables

text: and

text: four

text: academic

text: studies

text: conducted

text: by

text: the

text: Palm

text: Center

text: where

text: I

text: work

text: finding

text: that

text: lifting

text: bans

text: in

text: Britain

text: Israel

text: Canada

text: and

text: Australia

text: had

text: no

text: negative

text: impact

text: on

text: military

text: readiness

text: including

text: on

text: recruitment

text: and

text: retention

text: The

text: officers

text: writing

text: in

text: The

text: Washington

text: Post

text: question

text: the

text: relevance

text: of

text: foreign

text: militaries

text: to

text: this

text: debate

text: mocking

text: the

text: idea

text: that

text: the

text: U.S.

text: military

text: must

text: emulate

text: Denmark

text: the

text: Netherlands

text: and

text: Canada

text: But

text: they

text: failed

text: to

text: note

text: that

text: of

text: our

text: closest

text: allies

text: let

text: gays

text: serve

text: openly

text: including

text: Britain

text: whose

text: combat

text: tested

text: soldiers

text: and

text: sailors

text: serve

text: shoulder

text: to

text: shoulder

text: with

text: U.S.

text: forces

text: While

text: our

text: military

text: and

text: culture

text: are

text: unique

text: in

text: the

text: world

text: it

text: 's

text: an

text: astonishing

text: vote

text: of

text: no

text: confidence

text: in

text: American

text: troops

text: to

text: say

text: that

text: they

text: are

text: not

text: capable

text: of

text: doing

text: what

text: other

text: militaries

text: have

text: done

text: successfully

text: Ours

text: is

text: a

text: professional

text: disciplined

text: fighting

text: force

text: and

text: the

text: assertion

text: that

text: a

text: diverse

text: military

text: would

text: lack

text: order

text: and

text: discipline

text: is

text: as

text: Rep.

text: Patrick

text: Murphy

text: an

text: Iraq

text: War

text: veteran

text: has

text: said

text: an

text: insult

text: to

text: him

text: and

text: the

text: entire

text: U.S.

text: military

text: But

text: it

text: 's

text: not

text: just

text: foreign

text: militaries

text: that

text: provide

text: real

text: evidence

text: on

text: gay

text: service

text: A

text: majority

text: of

text: U.S.

text: troops

text: know

text: of

text: or

text: suspect

text: gays

text: in

text: their

text: units

text: giving

text: the

text: lie

text: to

text: the

text: most

text: basic

text: assumption

text: underlying

text: the

text: gay

text: ban

text: that

text: openly

text: gay

text: service

text: could

text: never

text: work

text: After

text: all

text: gays

text: are

text: already

text: serving

text: and

text: serving

text: openly

text: without

text: causing

text: problems

text: Yet

text: despite

text: the

text: law

text: 's

text: failure

text: to

text: keep

text: many

text: open

text: gays

text: out

text: the

text: ban

text: 's

text: persistence

text: means

text: that

text: gay

text: troops

text: are

text: subject

text: to

text: random

text: dismissals

text: and

text: are

text: often

text: unable

text: to

text: access

text: military

text: support

text: services

text: for

text: fear

text: of

text: being

text: found

text: out

text: and

text: fired

text: Even

text: extensive

text: research

text: by

text: our

text: own

text: military

text: has

text: concluded

text: the

text: gay

text: ban

text: is

text: unnecessary

text: including

text: a

text: large

text: study

text: by

text: the

text: RAND

text: Corporation

text: a

text: think

text: tank

text: created

text: by

text: the

text: military

text: itself

text: and

text: two

text: official

text: military

text: studies

text: a

text: study

text: by

text: the

text: Defense

text: Personnel

text: Security

text: Research

text: Center

text: and

text: the

text: Navy

text: 's

text: Crittenden

text: report

text: which

text: all

text: found

text: sexual

text: orientation

text: is

text: irrelevant

text: to

text: military

text: performance

text: Indeed

text: neither

text: the

text: military

text: nor

text: anyone

text: else

text: has

text: ever

text: turned

text: up

text: a

text: shred

text: of

text: evidence

text: tying

text: openly

text: gay

text: service

text: to

text: impairment

text: of

text: the

text: military

text: When

text: the

text: officers

text: claims

text: are

text: pitted

text: against

text: the

text: wealth

text: of

text: actual

text: facts

text: and

text: research

text: on

text: this

text: issue

text: they

text: are

text: shown

text: for

text: what

text: they

text: really

text: are

text: fear

text: and

text: intolerance

text: rooted

text: in

text: a

text: world

text: that

text: 's

text: largely

text: disappeared

text: Indeed

text: the

text: vast

text: majority

text: of

text: these

text: retired

text: officers

text: including

text: the

text: authors

text: of

text: this

text: week

text: 's

text: op

text: ed

text: retired

text: before

text: the

text: current

text: do

text: n't

text: ask

text: do

text: n't

text: tell

text: policy

text: even

text: began

text: in

text: Their

text: military

text: is

text: not

text: the

text: same

text: as

text: today

text: 's

text: where

text: three

text: quarters

text: of

text: troops

text: are

text: personally

text: comfortable

text: with

text: gays

text: and

text: lesbians

text: and

text: do

text: n't

text: ask

text: do

text: n't

text: tell

text: is

text: considered

text: a

text: joke

text: These

text: officers

text: attribute

text: current

text: efforts

text: to

text: lift

text: the

text: ban

text: to

text: gay

text: rights

text: activists

text: when

text: in

text: fact

text: according

text: to

text: consistent

text: polling

text: four

text: fifths

text: of

text: the

text: American

text: public

text: favors

text: repeal

text: including

text: majorities

text: of

text: Republicans

text: conservatives

text: and

text: even

text: churchgoers

text: It

text: also

text: includes

text: many

text: retired

text: officers

text: who

text: did

text: serve

text: under

text: and

text: used

text: to

text: support

text: the

text: current

text: policy

text: such

text: as

text: Gen.

text: John

text: Shalikashvili

text: former

text: chairman

text: of

text: the

text: Joint

text: Chiefs

text: of

text: Staff

text: who

text: sees

text: the

text: ban

text: as

text: a

text: threat

text: to

text: military

text: readiness

text: The

text: officers

text: say

text: there

text: is

text: no

text: compelling

text: national

text: security

text: reason

text: to

text: accept

text: the

text: risks

text: of

text: lifting

text: the

text: ban

text: which

text: they

text: say

text: include

text: the

text: likely

text: loss

text: of

text: experienced

text: personnel

text: who

text: are

text: not

text: easily

text: replaced

text: But

text: under

text: current

text: policy

text: more

text: than

text: mission

text: critical

text: specialists

text: have

text: been

text: fired

text: just

text: because

text: they

text: 're

text: gay

text: including

text: more

text: than

text: Arabic

text: linguists

text: Due

text: to

text: the

text: military

text: 's

text: overall

text: struggle

text: to

text: meet

text: its

text: recruiting

text: goals

text: it

text: has

text: had

text: to

text: lower

text: standards

text: and

text: admit

text: convicted

text: felons

text: Kicking

text: out

text: capable

text: troops

text: while

text: replacing

text: them

text: with

text: ex

text: convicts

text: is

text: not

text: a

text: recipe

text: for

text: good

text: order

text: and

text: discipline

text: Forcing

text: soldiers

text: to

text: lie

text: to

text: each

text: other

text: is

text: not

text: good

text: for

text: morale

text: or

text: cohesion

text: Drumming

text: out

text: Arabic

text: linguists

text: at

text: a

text: time

text: when

text: we

text: do

text: n't

text: have

text: enough

text: to

text: translate

text: what

text: our

text: enemies

text: are

text: saying

text: is

text: bad

text: not

text: good

text: for

text: national

text: security

text: If

text: these

text: officers

text: care

text: more

text: about

text: our

text: nation

text: than

text: about

text: preserving

text: an

text: embalmed

text: military

text: culture

text: they

text: 'll

text: cease

text: and

text: desist

text: The

text: opinions

text: expressed

text: in

text: this

text: column

text: are

text: solely

text: those

text: of

text: Nathaniel

text: Frank

question: Who oppose letting gay troops serve?

answer: 58 percent of the military

text: 58 percent of the military

question: who are accepted widely today in military?

answer: gays

text: gays