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Donna McAleer | Porcelain On Steel Posts

Greg Mortenson: Tea Stains and Hollow Stones

Published on April 26, 2011

Like countless others, I am heart-broken and viscerally angry since learning the news of Greg Mortenson’s conflation, exaggeration and fabrication of many of the stories and details in his two best-selling books “Three Cups of Tea” and “Stones in Schools”.

Mortenson, a former emergency room trauma nurse, former mountain climber, Nobel Peace Prize-nominated author, and co-founder of the Central Asia Institute (CAI), created a reputation as a quixotic humanitarian activist. And became an unlikely champion for girls’ education globally and building bridges to peace by constructing schools. His books sold more than 4 million copies and were standard reading for US service members deploying to Afghanistan. He consulted regularly with US military leadership on engagement of Pashtun tribesman.

In a decade of war news, economic turmoil, and frequent natural disasters, that the media gladly reported on and we, the public devoured; his were the on-going feel-good stories that rose above the cynicism and disillusionment.

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Of Past and Future Strengths: The Colby

Published on April 5, 2011

At the base of the Green Mountains is an institution like no other in the United States. In the quaint town of Northfield, Vermont sits Norwich University, the country’s oldest private military college. Few American institutions of higher learning as old as it still adhere to the principles of its founders. In a very substantial sense, Norwich today is the lengthened shadow of its founder, Captain Alden Partridge whose philosophy continues to guide Norwich in its 175th year. “We are here to serve this great nation and educate students who will become leaders in business, government, and the military in order to advance the causes of the Republic, ensure its continued freedom, and develop the economic, political, and social infrastructure of this new century.”

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A Sea of Women

Published on March 17, 2011

This week I witnessed something I hope my own daughter will see one day—a sea of women in military uniform. More than 1,300 U.S. servicewomen, and a few servicemen, gathered in San Diego, CA this week for the 24th Annual Joint Women’s Leadership Symposium.

The two-day event centered on leadership and professional development.

Focusing on the achievements of women on the frontlines worldwide and the role of women involvement in building global security and stability, Melanne Verveer, the U.S. ambassador-at-large for global women’s issues remarked that the symposium’s theme of “Connect, Empower, Succeed,” Is applicable to women worldwide.

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Joining Forces—Businesses Building Leaders “The West Point Way”

Published on February 17, 2011

West Point is the nation’s oldest and most respected leadership institution. For more than 200 years, it has been a high-pressure, high-performance, developmental laboratory that produces leaders for the Army and our nation. Its graduates are found at the highest levels in nearly every field: military, business, education, medicine, law, and government. They include: US Presidents, international heads of state, military generals, astronauts, university presidents, engineers, industrialists, financiers, public servants, educators, builders, scholars, artists, authors, and Olympians.

West Point’s model of leader development has evolved over the years but with a constant focus on the central tenets of character, integrity and teamwork.

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Objectified, Sexualized and “Miss Represented”

Published on January 26, 2011

Besides the certainty of taxes and death, we know sex sells. Americans are bombarded with images of women to sell everything from beer to cars. Meanwhile, young women and men searching for role models may have difficulty seeing past the “sex sells” mentality that ties a woman’s worth to her looks. The nearly ubiquitous publicity garnered by the likes of Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, and Lindsay Lohan have helped to create an underlying belief that one has to sell their body and looks to be deemed successful. Sexual allure, as proffered by the media, is enshrined as the Rosetta Stone of esteem, confidence, power and success.

Miss Representation, a documentary by Jennifer Siebel Newsom screening at the Sundance Film Festival, examines how women are objectified, sexualized, fabricated, and paraded by the media. Repeatedly portrayed in television, film and print as sex objects, estrogen induced superheroes, scantily clad princesses, unstable and raging bitches, and romance seeking women too stupid, too soft or too hard to be in positions of leadership, power, and influence.

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Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. It’s Done.

Published on December 22, 2010

Today President Barack Obama signs into law the repeal measure of the ban on allowing gays to serve openly in the military. In a historic vote on Saturday, Dec. 18, 2010, the Senate repealed the 17 year-old Clinton-era policy known as ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ by a count of 65 to 31. This is a momentous day for our country and our military: the beginning of the end of a blatantly discriminatory law that for years has forced honorable gay men and women to live a lie.

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Risk of Repeal of DADT is Low the 23rd Study Finds

Published on November 30, 2010

Earlier today, the Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen announced the results of the Pentagon’s Comprehensive Working Group Review of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”. The 10-month study led by US Army General Carter Ham and DOD General Counsel Jeh C. Johnson concluded that the repeal of the 1993 ban on gays serving openly in the military might have some short-term, isolated disruptions; but there would be no long term or negative impacts on the military.

So why does the media, particularly MSNBC, continue to ask Elaine Donnelly for her opinion on issues affecting the US Military?

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