Blogger Challenge Update

Loyal Readers! The Friends of Iraq Blogger Challenge is going swimmingly after only 3 full days! Through your support, The Adventures of Chester has raised $585 as of this writing to support Spirit of America. I'm thrilled to see that we are near the top of the heap as well! But let's not falter. There are still 11 or so more days in the Challenge. If you've been sitting on the fence, why not take the plunge and make a donation to the cause of freedom in the Middle East? You know, it may be tempting to think things like, "How will gifts for Iraqi children or Operation Snapshot or library books for Iraqi children really contribute to freedom in Iraq?" I am extremely optimistic about Spirit of America's efforts because their projects are suggested and created by our troops on the ground. So the commanders and troops who interact with Iraqi and Afghan civilians on a regular basis are those who know and recommend what ways will work best in building a free society. Coupling the power of a well-run charity with the execution of the military is definitely a recipe for success! It's like taking the idea of "unity of effort" or "unity of command" and applying it to a great cause, rather than frittering away on one project without knowing if it helps out or not. This idea is definitely a winner, and media outlets like The Motley Fool and The Wall Street Journal have given kudos to Spirit of America for their efforts. Again, thanks to those who have contributed and I hope those who haven't will consider doing so! Remember, it's tax-deductible. The Adventures of Chester has specified that donations made through our site go to the Unrestricted Fund, so staffers in the know can choose best how to allocate them. One final thought . . . from the Journal article . . . go to Iraq The Model's archives and scroll down to the entry from October 20th. [having trouble with a permalink.] In this post, the authors write about their first ever visit abroad, outside of Iraq. It is a great article and here's a brief quote:

Despite the generous hospitality of our hosts and the friendly treatment of the Jordanians, I couldn’t cast away the feeling that I was in an Arab country, that although peaceful but still not a free and democratic country and it brought back some of the precautions and fears I had before the war, and I started watching my mouth and making sure of avoiding certain words and phrases that may not be acceptable. It’s hard to explain, but I felt I couldn’t condemn terrorism or criticize Arab governments or Jihadists and such stuff that are still more tolerated at least in the majority of Arab countries.

Can anyone doubt that freedom of thought and expression is taking hold in Iraq? Can we doubt that it will have an enormous effect on the entire region? There is already more freedom of thought in Iraq than in Jordan! You can be a part of it through your contribution! Just use the links in the sidebar, or go here.