Big Red Car here.  Oh boy!  What a day in the ATX.  Warm, headed to 65F and just a great day to be alive.  [Hey, Boss, how about a bit of beauty care for your Big Red Car?  Haha.]

So The Boss went to see Lone Survivor last week.

Have ya’ll seen it?

It is the story of Texan Marcus Luttrell and the exploits of a 4-man SEAL team sent to recon and establish the presence of a particular shithead.  The shithead was an Al Qaeda leader called Ahmad Shahd who required capturing or killing back in 2005.  Like all recon patrols they went in naked and looking to avoid a fight.  Unfortunately, they ran into some Afghan herders who ultimately reported their presence to the Al Qaeda.

A big gunfight ensued.

The mission ended badly for the SEALs with everybody killed except for Marcus Luttrell who was protected by the code of the Pashtuns known as Pashtunwali and, in particular, the notion of asylum or Nanawatai.

When a Pashtun tribe member takes you into their village or house then they are responsible for your safety regardless of from whence you have come.  When a local Pashtun villager assisted the grievously wounded SEAL, he became responsible for his well being and safety and refused to turn him over to the Al Qaeda cell.  He saved Marus Luttrell’s life.

If you watch this video you will see a very odd interaction among three very different individuals.  I will not try to color your thinking but it is obvious they have very different views of the message of the movie.

I urge you to see the movie, Lone Survivor, to understand the kind of men who underwrite and preserve our freedoms.  George Orwell in 1942 said the following:

“We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm.”

Marcus Luttrell is one of those “rough men”.  Take his measure.

Good luck and Godspeed to all those warriors who have answered the call to protect our freedoms and who have sacrificed so much that we might sleep safely in our beds.  Thank you.

But, hey, what the Hell do I really know anyway?  I’m just a Big Red Car.