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EXCLUSIVE TO VT: Message To The Churches From: USS LIBERTY Survivor, Ronald G. Kukal
by Eileen Fleming
On that day in infamy-8 June 1967, Ron Kukal was a twenty-seven year old First Class Petty Officers and Communications Technician on board the USS LIBERTY AGTR-5 -technical research ship- meaning spy ship.
Ron was below the water line when the torpedoes attacked the unarmed ship while navigating in international waters on 8 June 1967, the third day of The Six Day War.
Ron became the man in charge of “the body recovery” of friends and shipmates and then suffered for years with undiagnosed PTSD which he self-medicated with alcohol.
Ron also became the first Chaplain for the USS LIBERTY Vets Association.
Ron and I have conversed via email and phone calls since 2007, and on the eve of The Fourth of July, Ron told me, “It was in 1991 that I came close to God and the Church simply to survive. I attended a Baptist Church in Sheridan, Wyoming and I was an absolute mess! I must have had quadrupled PTSD and a lot of it dribbled into that church. When I was being baptized I broke down and told the congregation, ‘I’m not suppose to be here, but God saved the LIBERTY and I witnessed many miracles during the two hours of attack.’”
In an email from 22 October 2007, Ron wrote:
“It may be possible that the only reason God saved the LIBERTY was so that we could tell our story.
“The ship was sailing 15 miles off the coast in international waters when the Israeli Defense Force attacked her. She was subjected to torpedoes, 50 caliber machine gun fire, napalm, and rocket fire. There was over 800 holes in the LIBERTY after the attack, she was listing about 10 degrees to the starboard, and was on fire in many places. Thirty-four men were killed and close to 70% of the crew were wounded, of which I was one.
“For what seemed like an eternity… many miracles occurred during, and after the attack. The only armament we had were 50 caliber machine guns, and they were like peashooters against the French built Mirage jets that attacked the LIBERTY…we were not ready for any kind of attack whatsoever. The element of surprise was theirs.
“I survived the attack by the planes, but the worst was yet to come, as five torpedo boats were bearing down on us, with one thing in mind, and that was to put us to the bottom! Only one found its mark. This was the second miracle that I was exposed to that day, the first being the surviving of the onslaught by the jet aircraft.
“The torpedo hit the Liberty almost amidships on the starboard side, and I was approximately thirty feet from the explosion. There were a couple of bulkheads between the explosion, and myself but they were like paper to the several tons of TNT that tore up the bowels of the Liberty. What had been several compartments were turned into one big room in a very short time. I was immediately immersed in sea water, and it was rising fast to the point where it would be above my head in a short time, and even though I could swim, the compartment would soon become completely full, and there would be no place to go.
“The hatch to the above deck was closed, and dogged down, and so my life again depended completely on what God would do.
“Just before the compartment became fully flooded the hatch above me was opened to let as many of us as possible out of there before we became a part of a watery grave. This was the third miracle that I saw that day, but there was even more to come.
“I ran to get to the main deck; I was slipping and sliding because of the water, and blood was awash within each passageway.
“The fourth miracle occurred when I was exposed to the machine gun fire on the main deck, and still remained alive, and still there was more to come. Every antenna we had was shot to pieces except one, and it had never worked very well. One of the radiomen told me that he tried several times to call for help, and finally when he realized that all the antenna were shot, he switched to the one that had always given him trouble, and when it was needed, it worked!
“We were able to call the Sixth Fleet, and notify them of our predicament through an antenna that had hardly ever worked. The fifth miracle had just occurred.
“The attack had gone on for two hours, or more, but it seemed like only a few minutes. The captain told us that we had lost our steering control, and that we would have to go aft, and steer the ship manually. We were able to make headway, and in time were headed for the island of Malta, and to dry dock. This was almost one thousand miles away, and here we were with a ship that had a forty by forty-foot hole in her side, on fire, and riddled with holes.
“The Liberty could go down at any minute, but we did sail the thousand miles without incident, and this had to be the sixth miracle of the day.
“I was one of the crew that went down below to identify the deceased and I know that God gave me the strength to go and do what was expected of me. Let it suffice to say that, under the conditions, only men that were strengthened, and held up by God himself would be able to enter the dark area down below.”
In his essay, NIGHTMARE ON THE MEDITERRANEAN, Kukal wrote:
“Yes I did see a ‘Flying Boxcar’ high above me at about 11:00 that morning when I walked out on the main deck. I had no idea who would be flying high above us, nor did I give it much more thought…“My General Quarters station was topside on the main deck, and had I been there when the attack began the possibility of death was very real.
“The time was 1300 and the expected General Quarters Drill minutes away. Instead of going back down to my workstation in the Research Spaces, I decided to stay topside and close to where my assigned GQ station would be.
“Of course I knew I wouldn’t have that convenience during a real situation, but it was hot that day and I could see no reason for any extra effort on my part to accomplish my mission, and fulfill what the captain expected of us. The drill went quite well and took the better part of an hour. I was glad to be heading back to my workspace, which was two decks down below the main deck.
“I found my way to my desk and was just settling down for the long afternoon when a loud noise that I had never heard before came from the main deck above.
“I remember it well…I was not in fear of anything for a few moments because I was sure there was a good explanation for what sounded to me like the pounding of large balls of hail on a tin roof. Then the sound came again and reality struck me as the word came down that we were under attack. Thoughts of self-preservation went through my mind, and time seemed to stand still and yet go forward while I stood frozen for a few moments wondering what my next move would be. The sound from above came again and little did I know that my shipmates were dying just a few feet above my head. Men were being cut to shreds by rocket and machine gun fire from the jet planes.
“Several minutes into the attack we began to realize that the bullets where whizzing through our space, but it wasn’t from the planes, but from the strafing by the torpedo boats. They were evidently using armor piercing bullets…The torpedo boats had come on the scene shortly after the planes began to attack, and of course being down below it was hard to fathom what was going on above, and in the sea around us.
“I am absolutely dead certain that the Liberty was saved by God’s Hand, and by nothing else. There was just too much destruction, the odds were so against us since we had no way to defend ourselves, and the enemy was bent on sending us to the bottom. Of that I am sure. “As Saul of Taurus was blinded on the road to Damascus, so was I struck in a similar way which caused me to believe, to make a stand for what God had done here, no matter who would say differently.
“As I ducked for cover I found myself prostrate on the deck. Someone behind me ordered me to get flat down and that is exactly what I did. As I look back I often wonder who gave me the order?
“Who was there at the exact time to tell me what I needed to do?
“I probably was one of the more senior men in that compartment, and if anyone had ordered me flat to the deck it probably would have been someone senior to me, and yet I don’t think there was anyone. “We were now locked down with all hatches sealed, which is standard procedure during an attack such as this. I wondered if this steel vault that we were sealed up in would become the place of my death.
“I could not run from it, I could not hide from it, and I had only one way out..but I certainly knew that this was the time to pray. I didn’t pray the sinners prayer, no sir…I began to bargain with God.“My prayer went something like this, ‘Lord if you will save me I will be in church every Sunday for the rest of my life.’
“God probably thought, ‘Yep this would be the type of prayer coming out of a man who was within inches of meeting his maker.’
“But God was looking at my heart as I prayed, he knew I was sincere, he knew I was scared to death also, but in his infinite wisdom he chose to let me live. I am here today because I believe it was the Lord who told me to get flat on the deck, it was God who directed my actions, and even though we lost twenty five men only twenty to thirty feet from where I lay, there were many who remained alive.
“I do not profess to know how our God thinks, I do not know why thirty four had to die that day, what I do know is that 260 remained alive. I prefer to look at it that way now, rather then the way I have looked at it for the past thirty some years.
“I was an absolute mess when I came back from the Six Day War.
“I drank profusely, even more then I did as a teenager. I never missed a chance to fill my body with alcohol, and little did I know that this time I was using alcohol as a painkiller, and a way to forget…I looked like I was carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders and that is exactly the way I felt.
“June 8, 1967 became a day of infamy for all of us that were aboard.
“Those of us that had escaped drowning down below were then meant with even more death as we found our way out of the bowels of the Liberty. As soon as we hit fresh air on the main deck we were ducking for even more cover as the torpedo boats were spraying the ship from fore to aft with machine guns.
“I was unaware of the machine gunning when I reached the top decks, and I think it was due to the release I felt being able to escape with my life from the decks down below. Somehow the stinging death from topside just didn’t seem to make any difference as I hugged and shook hands with some of the shipmates.
“Every table had an injured man on it, and with the wink of an eye our eating area had been transferred into a hospital. Our sick bay was small, and as I remember it was a shambles as it had been hit several times. I remember someone saying we needed Epinephrine and would someone make the trek back to sickbay to retrieve it.
“I remembered seeing that particular bottle in sick bay during my visits there and I volunteered to go, but someone was already out the door…no one knew if the IDF was coming back or not. “I wandered around the mess decks and someone walked up to me and said, ‘Ron thanks for bandaging my head.’
“I looked at him in wonder and thought to myself, ‘When did I bandage his head?’
“The job looked professional to me, and I asked him if he was mistaken, but he said, ‘No I am not mistaken, don’t you remember doing it?’
“I did not!
“How one can accomplish a task that he or she knows little about. What happens to a person when they are under the gun? It is amazing and could only be God inspired.
“Where was God on that ill fated day?
“He was everywhere.
“He accomplished so much in such a short time that it boggles the mind.
“Human beings are just not able to sustain themselves through horrible things like this without the help of God, of that I am absolutely sure.
“I offer my humble thanks to God for saving my life. I know I should not be here, but he saved me for a reason. Maybe to write this-maybe to just tell others-or some other purpose that I am not aware of yet.
“Going on from table to table on the mess decks, I found my buddies. Some unable to talk, and others just laying there hoping someone would talk to them and give them some kind of comfort. I wandered to the galley looking for something to eat, and wondering why I could possibly be hungry. When was the last time I ate? I couldn’t remember…I was not more then ten foot from the nearest man lying on a table, looking for a sandwich and drinking tomato juice. It is strange what one does under the circumstances, and even stranger the things that can be remembered after all these years. Yes I remember exactly what I drank and ate, but I cannot remember all I saw during the body recovery and identification phase of the attack.
“The time had arrived and the hatch was opened.“I was in charge of the body recovery
“I told the officer who ordered it that I didn’t think I could do it.
“He said I should set my mind to it.
“I wondered what I would see, I thought about the method I would use to identify if I couldn’t recognize, and of course it came to me. Everyone had their names on their clothes. Surely there would be some recognizable article of clothing that one could use to confirm who this person might have been.
The remaining water had been drained out in the dry dock and we were ready to proceed. As I slowly descended the ladder I heard some of the others talking, and there were some who were down below ahead of me prying bodies from between the steam pipes, and picking up arms and legs or whatever pieces they could find and bringing them to the deck up above to identify.
“I decided I could do my job quite well where I was at, standing in a sea of body parts, and wondering where each part might fit.
“A shipmate walked by me and remarked, “How do you do it?’
“I don’t know, my mind was numb to what I was seeing. I floated away from the scene in my mind more then once, and tried to focus on something in my life that was more pleasing, but the reality of it all would come back in a flood. I found tears coming down, but no crying, or at least nothing audible.
“Someone passed out some sick bay alcohol, and I believe there was some other types of alcoholic beverages available. They combined them all and put them in little medication bottles. I must have drunk two or three, but it had no affect.
“I did my duty those two or three days down in Radio Research Room #2 and #1. I identified as best I could, and little did I know that it would affect me the rest of my life.
“Little did I know I would lose my family, go through two divorces, and lose most of what I owned. I had my job, so I could pay child support, but I was booted out of my home with a few clothes and furniture items, and pushed away from my children who loved me. To this day my former spouse has turned my daughter so much against me that I haven’t seen or talked to her for over twelve years now. I have an older son who was turned against me also.
“Does this pain ever go away? Not when it remains unresolved does it ever really go away, and of course the Liberty matter still remains unresolved.
“Many of the men’s families have said, ‘How could our own government do that to us?’
“I have no answer, but what I do know for sure is that I am glad I am not one of those who held the lid on this and has passed on with this on their heart.
“I would not want to go in front of the greatest and mightiest judge of all carrying this burden. Some may laugh, but it is not something I would want to do. Many a great man has spilled the beans before their death, because I would guess that they just don’t want to take what they have done to a higher court. Does that court exist? Oh yes I am sure of it!
“A nation cannot treat it’s own in this fashion, there will be repercussions that will be of great magnitude as God himself deals with a governing body that needs a good thrashing.
“I can sleep soundly at night now because I know a power much greater then I has taken over- and that my fellow Americans you can take to the bank–if you can find one you trust.”
On the day before America celebrated our Independence from a British Occupation with the promise that held “these truths to be self-evident: That all [people] are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights…that, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among [people] deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; and, whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the RIGHT of the people to ALTER or to ABOLISH it” Ron concluded our phone interview by stating, “It will take an Act of God” before The Churches Wake Up to Israel’s brutal attack on the USS LIBERTY.
Ernest A. Gallo, Chairman and Liberty Foundation President of the USS liberty Veterans Association had previously informed me that, “Some of the Liberty survivors think the Lord wants us to tell this story. My focus is on our government, who abandoned the crew when Israel targeted the USS Liberty and murdered 34 servicemen and injured 174 on June 8, 1967. Ever since, we have been chastised and dishonored by our government.”
My focus as a candidate of conscience for US HOUSE is to do all I can to support these troops by helping to establish every June 8th a National DAY Of REMEMBRANCE For The USS LIBERTY.
Hear Ron elaborate on his message to The Churches in his latest radio interview that ran at least 4 times on July 4th @
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Please sign this Petition from JEWISH VOICE FOR PEACE @
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/301/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=11042
I am Eileen Fleming and I approve of ALL of my messages.
Related Posts:
Short URL: http://www.veteranstoday.com/?p=214419
Posted by Eileen Fleming on Jul 6 2012, With 0 Reads, Filed under Veterans Affairs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
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THANKS Dear The Cyclic Cross at Hendayeand and on that topic I wrote on July 18, 2012:
To Congress and AIPAC Regarding The Trees and The Children
http://wearewideawake.org/
On Fri, Jul 13, 2012 at 1:02 PM, Joe Meadors wrote:
Dear Eileen,
Thank you for signing INVESTIGATE THE ATTACK ON THE USS LIBERTY petition. With your help, we’ve reached 1251 signers. But if we are going to have an impact, it’s critical that more people contact The United States House of Representatives, The United States Senate, and President Barack Obama.
Can you please forward this email to five of your friend right now? With your help we can reach our goal! Share this link: http://signon.org/sign/investigate-the-attack ?source=s.em.cr&r_by=2504862&mailing_id=5014
Send a Letter to the Editor http://www.signon.org/tools/lte.html?id=5014-2504862-YBu_qo
You can also subscribe to our mailing list and get email alerts at http://www.usslibertyveterans.org/email_alerts.html
Thank you for taking a stand on this important issue.
Joe Meadors
This message was sent to Eileen Fleming by Joe Meadors from the SignOn.org system. MoveOn.org Civic Action sponsors SignOn.org, but does not endorse specific campaigns or the contents of this message.
Assange says the USS Liberty never happened.
Not kidding.
PLEASE send me THAT link.
There are currently 1,372 signatures and what the US Govt. and Israel are betting on is that once the survivors die out-so will The Story of THAT DAY in infamy-BUT they will be proved wrong and THIS candidate of Conscience for US HOUSE is determined to get in the face of THE MEDIA and ALL the other candidates for federal and state office I meet over the next few months regarding the need to establish every June 8 as USS LIBERTY REMEMBRANCE DAY.
‘Supporting The Troops’ are just 3 words UNLESS we LISTEN to them!
the key to why is why, the by now, milked dry propaganda of just why a threatened victim representation is a false manipulation, probably into text books by now, as is the 911 narative, see how this lie has militarised if not the world at least the NPT also for the poor defenceless victim, must also die, so greater zion may ? kill another day i suppose, yer not getting my point are you, the arabs are not the guilty party when this shoot out turned into old testamont style murder, not just of civilians and innocent casualties also peace, and its sane codes of free will and normal relations ever since, militarised even at all our perils and continuineing into generations under dogmatic exsploitive manipulation, tyranny, peonidge, pollution, sickness, that kinda thing, yer not getting it are ya, besides its all man made, its not as if g.o.d. underwrit all these acts & stages, zero justice has a tendancy of festering, zionising if ya want to call it a disease or process of decomposition
The Key and The Struggle is Educating and Waking Up Americans:
http://ifamericansknew.org/
translation,,, who started the 6 day war, mean smelly Arabs as demonised in media & culture or poor lil ole defenceless victim Israil, Sneak Attack, is that a crime somewhare, like Pearl Harbor, thats what the Star of davy thare was trying to murder, remember poor ole victim launches sneak attack except radio ship Liberty, they tried to murder it as well as what ever else died that week, ahh poor victim gone criminalised rampage again, easy like pie to David of star zionism, parasitical or just predatorally canibolistic, those zionist inter/national socialist of/for a global order inter-core-per-zated & maniacally homicidal 1rst degree, what shall “it” ZIONIZE next ?, the dead ?
PS: This article is just ONE in an ongoing series @
http://wearewideawake.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=818&Itemid=185
Follow Up coming soon!
This is a very moving and descriptive article, Ron. America has no reason to fear it’s future with men like you that are ready to enlighten and steer the way. Make your voice heard my friend.
We live in terrible and most unGodly times – as the ‘entertainment’ and ‘news’ industries plot to distract people’s minds with smut, nonsense and wholly inaccurate information. It purposefully distorts people’s views as to who our REAL enemies are – and with whom we should reach out. It also influences people to lead their lives in an unhealthy manner, devoid of any spirituality.
It creates a sick shadow world in which we are forced to live – where only the principle-free slime-balls are able to thrive, reach promotion and high office – while the good men and true are kept down at the lowest level. You have been a fantastic example to those men who have discovered this modern reality and turned to drink as a release.
It is always a great wonder to me how those who have been so very close to death and horror – often find in it an unforgettable moment of utter clarity – where they properly discover God, humility – and their place in the world. I salute you Ron and hope that you are able to get your message and story out to touch the hearts of millions with ears to hear – and the understanding of what we now need to do.
Dear Excalibur,
What Ron and all the survivors need are people like you who read, think and disseminate, so please and thanks for sending this link to everyone you know and ask them to do the same.
In Solidarity YES WE WILL and YES WE CAN get JUSTICE for the USS LIBERTY:
Which requires A NEW and TRUE Court of Inquiry by the Navy with Congressional oversight and all the survivors who want to should be allowed to speak on the Congressional Record.
The CIA and NSA must also cooperate and release all their documentation and Congress must investigate the actions of the LBJ Administration and Defense Department that prevented the rescue to the LIBERTY and allowed the Israeli Attack to continue and WHY they COVERED IT UP!
And every June 8th should be established as USS LIBERTY REMEMBRANCE DAY.
I am Eileen Fleming for US HOUSE and I approve of all of my messages.
I totally agree Eileen.
Amen,
Infidel
Excalibur
It is man like you that lift me up. I can go on when I don’t get tore down. At least seven miracles happened on June 8, 1967. I witnessed them and for those that poo poo this, I feel so very sorry
for you. I guess you have to experience it before you understand, BUT some do without the experience.
Anyway thank you for the positive.
ron
thats all very good about the man-? behind some curtain, however may i propose a rational theory on the secret squirrel “clutch” radio unit, as its cross grounded ohm draw had been “circumnavagated, the remaining unit finally had the draw/current, logical more than miraclous superstition, which apeareintly the khzareans were in dalussion of, whats relavent is, what did said radio man, 1 “surivor” hare of the flashpoint, now a popular perversion of fact in some qtrs., really, as radio 1 operator heard it, the critical truth that day, offensive pre-medatation or defensive martial skill marshalled, unfortunately for glory be, the action speaks volumes unto its loudnessessiz of the contrary sub-version, radio1, come in plz, what really happened in the sanai/suez that day, ? sneak attack or “god the dude” picked queer cides, & as if, ever since, only co-ercied monarchs kno for sure, well that & radio1, survivor, for the record, plz, chronologic, or outline, schematic even, SALUTE, oo
Sorry fauxxbatt- your comment does not compute-can you please spell check and try it again?
Maybe with a full re-boot, a pull-through, a re-bore – and a few drops of WD-40?
Eileen ol buddy, the concept of “one god” is the worst thing that humans ever came up with. Yaweh or the highway is just pure bigotry. And Mother T was a fraud.
Peace be unto Us,
Infidel
The New Fundamentalism is Rigid Atheism that is so SURE they KNOW that The Ultimate Mystery of the Universe does not exist.
Science has also confirmed there are those who suffer a lack in their brain they are unable to intuit the sense of Presence of a Greater Being.
The Stages of the Soul and How Religiosity/Fundamentalism is holding up Evolution @
http://wearewideawake.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=825&Itemid=195
I think you are right about Mother T….. I remain very skeptical of her….I don’t think she loved the poor, as much as she USED the poor..kind of like Haiti…..
What’s god got to do with it. His chosen ones were enabled to murder or wound over 200 US sailors and this god did nothing to stop it. Although this god has been quite successful in keeping this atrocity from the American public for about half a century, while protecting the perps, he (god), and I do mean he, has enabled the evil doers to thrive and continue in their evil lusts. 9/11. This god has also given his chosen ones control of our government so maybe we should just throw in the towel and raise the flag of David and worship the god of Israel? Or maybe there is no god?
Peace be upon Us,
Infidel
GOD has EVERYTHING TO DO WITH IT!!!
And as Mother T said: “In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.”-Mother Teresa
And as this candidate of CONSCIENCE for US HOUSE- who is a fiscal conservative and social and spiritual progressive says- What the ancient Hebrews were chosen to do was to bring the concept of ONE God to the pagans!
And TIME is NOW for A GREATER AWAKENING:
http://wearewideawake.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=64&Itemid=195
Begin with “Beyond Theism and On with Evolution”
Dear Ron and Crew,
Sequential American administrations may make a mockery of ‘leave no man behind’ honor code but abandoning the Liberty crew truth to them, their families and all military families.
It has been a gross betrayal because this cowardess in the face of Israel and the Lobby is an open admission that American troops will be sacrificed for Israeli if Israeli deems that necessary.
No political entity who will not support the Liberty people should never set foot at any military ceremony as each time they do, trying to wash the Liberty stain off them, they feel safer and safer.
Dear Mr. Dean and LIBERTY Crew,
This little sister is “on a mission from God” [The BLUES Brothers] to get in the face of EVERY candidate for Federal and State offices in Florida at every one of the many political “meet and greets’ I will be attending and I will ask ALL if they will SUPPORT THESE TROOPS by helping to establish a State-and Federal Day of REMEMBRANCE for the USS LIBERTY every June 8th!
I am Eileen Fleming for US HOUSE and I approve of ALL of my messages.
Thanks Jim. We who are the humble, the ordinary, are working to save this great nation from itself. God
willing it will happen.
Ron
Amen to that.
Beezness is beezness.
I could not have imagined having lived through that and thank God you survived and lived to tell the tale. If “Israel” had got away with its false flag attack and sunk the Liberty to blame on Egypt there would have many more innocent lives that would have been lost, Cairo and Alexandria were just 90 seconds from being nuked.
I can’t remember if it was in Peter Hounam’s “OPERATION CYANIDE” or Jim Ennes’s “ASSAULT ON THE LIBERTY” where I first read that the first rescue plane that went to HELP was called back and the pilot thought it was because he was flying with nuclear weapons, so he returned to base and got them off the aircraft but when he was ready to fly back and RESCUE the LIBERTY he was ordered to STAY where he was!
Any LIBERTY VETS out there who can enlighten US?
So wonderful knowing that Romney aka Mittens can’t get enough of Israel and Bibi. Romney is such an undesirable candidate, his campaign is a terrific sleeping pill. He’s going to take a trip to Israel, isn’t that fabulous? I only wish he’d stay there forever. How and when does Israel get its comeuppance? Obama the Android or Mittens the Mutt. Great choice, huh?
Thanks for publishing VT and the VOTE from the Presbyterians is in–and the good news [in comment section] and all the bad news in the body here:
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2012/07/06/dear-presbyterians-why-it-is-apartheid/