I Love The U. S.A.
Rosemary invited me to join the Love America First blog since she is well aware that I love my country and am very proud of and thankful for the great people who make up our military.
I am fortunate to belong to the third generation born in these United States of America on both my maternal and paternal sides. I grew up learning of our nations history, much of it grand and some of it shameful. I learned of patriotism while in second grade when I participated in scrap metal collection and bought stamps toward getting a savings bond to support the WWII war effort. I lived with blackouts during Civil Defense drills. and became aware that the war effort meant going without some things I would have liked to have. I remember the red and blue tokens needed in order to purchase meat, sugar and other foodstuffs since our troops needs had to be met first. I became aware of black-market greed that sought to bypass the efforts of our government to assure fair distribution of the limited goods on the home front. Everyone I knew at the tender age of seven held the black-market in disdain. I remember the posters that I could read at that age--"Uncle Sam Wants You" and "Loose Lips Sink Ships".Our news came to us via the radio and the very rare occasions that we could go to a movie and see Movietone news with actual footage of the war even though the "news" was weeks or months old.
I love the USA, warts and all. Are we perfect? No, we are not perfect. Is this the nation that offers the most freedoms, the greatest chance for persons of humble origin to develop their talents to the highest degree? A resounding yes! It is possible for those with personal drive and ambition to achieve high goals. We are a generous people and have welcomed peoples from diverse lands with their unique cultural heritage and their religious beliefs to join our great melting pot of a nation and share in our good fortune. God has surely blessed our nation.
My concerns as I enter the seventh decade of my life is that somehow we no longer seem united in purpose. We have become selfish and materialistic. I am guilty of wanting and enjoying the comforts of a home with central heat and air. I own a car which is far more comfortable than those my parents owned. I own my computer so can hardly claim to be going without material pleasures. The fact that Uncle Sam wants young people to join the military to defend our nation is met with objections and outright blocking of recruitment efforts at high schools and colleges. The young and physically fit have always formed the bulk of the military but somehow we no longer want to share our young with our nation. Some of our young people still join, voluntarily, for the sheer desire of service to country while some may be slightly more motivated by the chance of education, travel etc. Despite the reasons for joining, they serve our nation with great integrity with at times suffering terrible disability or death. As a Christian, I believe Christ's admonition that as we do unto the least of these, our brethren, we do it unto Him. How can we as a nation sit by while humans live with such horrible suffering under dictators and not act to help them achieve freedom to govern themselves. Why should we enjoy all the benefits of freedom without trying to help those who do not. Our men and women who volunteer to work toward freedom for others should be the most honored of all citizens. They should enjoy greater esteem among Americans than the politicians, entertainers, academics and the extremely wealthy who think they are themselves are so special.
There are many who have a voice in our nation who should heed the "Loose Lips Sink Ships" motto from WWII. A documentary widely promoted to denigrate our leadership, a senator who on the floor of the senate compares our brave military to the Nazis etc. The newspapers and magazines that so spitefully enumerate our faults (they are our faults since the majority of us elected and support our leaders) while spending precious little ink on pointing out the truly good things our military has done and are doing.
This trend to destroy America from within began most vocally with John Kerry and his over the top commentary regarding our troops is Vietnam. Animals show greater integrity in that they generally do not foul their own nests. There has always been debates and disagreements about our national efforts in many areas. We do not need to agree on everything our government does since the freedom to speak is one of our greatest freedoms. We elect people to national office to bring forth their greatest thought and suggestions on a myriad of concerns and to vote (not endlessly talk an issue to it's death) and then to come together in mutual support for the wellbeing of our nation and it's people. Once we have embarked on a course, we need to support those doing the work on our behalf. If corrective action is truly needed, those with different ideas should speak to those in a position to change our course if decided to be necessary. To the nation and world we need to present a united face. This is the mark of leadership and statesmanship. First of all consider what is to our nation's greatest good and forget the grandstanding to be the first, the loudest the most
antagonizing as a means of being noticed and gaining some reward such as money or notoriety. The games of "Gotcha" to destroy our nation, our constitution, our elected leaders and our military should be used against our known enemies who use terror as their great weapon. It should not be used by self named "patriots" whose personal ideas are not currently in the majority.. Present your ideas calmly with details and sound rationales and you can perhaps win us to your viewpoint. Obstruction and public castigation of those who are putting forth their best efforts is not the way to strengthen America and will continue to weaken our great nation. Sedition and treason need to be charged against those whose sole purpose is to undermine our country.
To all of you who serve in the military or have a loved one serving in the military, I give my utmost respect and gratitude. You are the people who are giving of yourselves for the greater good of our nation. May God bless each and everyone of you as you serve our nation.
I am fortunate to belong to the third generation born in these United States of America on both my maternal and paternal sides. I grew up learning of our nations history, much of it grand and some of it shameful. I learned of patriotism while in second grade when I participated in scrap metal collection and bought stamps toward getting a savings bond to support the WWII war effort. I lived with blackouts during Civil Defense drills. and became aware that the war effort meant going without some things I would have liked to have. I remember the red and blue tokens needed in order to purchase meat, sugar and other foodstuffs since our troops needs had to be met first. I became aware of black-market greed that sought to bypass the efforts of our government to assure fair distribution of the limited goods on the home front. Everyone I knew at the tender age of seven held the black-market in disdain. I remember the posters that I could read at that age--"Uncle Sam Wants You" and "Loose Lips Sink Ships".Our news came to us via the radio and the very rare occasions that we could go to a movie and see Movietone news with actual footage of the war even though the "news" was weeks or months old.
I love the USA, warts and all. Are we perfect? No, we are not perfect. Is this the nation that offers the most freedoms, the greatest chance for persons of humble origin to develop their talents to the highest degree? A resounding yes! It is possible for those with personal drive and ambition to achieve high goals. We are a generous people and have welcomed peoples from diverse lands with their unique cultural heritage and their religious beliefs to join our great melting pot of a nation and share in our good fortune. God has surely blessed our nation.
My concerns as I enter the seventh decade of my life is that somehow we no longer seem united in purpose. We have become selfish and materialistic. I am guilty of wanting and enjoying the comforts of a home with central heat and air. I own a car which is far more comfortable than those my parents owned. I own my computer so can hardly claim to be going without material pleasures. The fact that Uncle Sam wants young people to join the military to defend our nation is met with objections and outright blocking of recruitment efforts at high schools and colleges. The young and physically fit have always formed the bulk of the military but somehow we no longer want to share our young with our nation. Some of our young people still join, voluntarily, for the sheer desire of service to country while some may be slightly more motivated by the chance of education, travel etc. Despite the reasons for joining, they serve our nation with great integrity with at times suffering terrible disability or death. As a Christian, I believe Christ's admonition that as we do unto the least of these, our brethren, we do it unto Him. How can we as a nation sit by while humans live with such horrible suffering under dictators and not act to help them achieve freedom to govern themselves. Why should we enjoy all the benefits of freedom without trying to help those who do not. Our men and women who volunteer to work toward freedom for others should be the most honored of all citizens. They should enjoy greater esteem among Americans than the politicians, entertainers, academics and the extremely wealthy who think they are themselves are so special.
There are many who have a voice in our nation who should heed the "Loose Lips Sink Ships" motto from WWII. A documentary widely promoted to denigrate our leadership, a senator who on the floor of the senate compares our brave military to the Nazis etc. The newspapers and magazines that so spitefully enumerate our faults (they are our faults since the majority of us elected and support our leaders) while spending precious little ink on pointing out the truly good things our military has done and are doing.
This trend to destroy America from within began most vocally with John Kerry and his over the top commentary regarding our troops is Vietnam. Animals show greater integrity in that they generally do not foul their own nests. There has always been debates and disagreements about our national efforts in many areas. We do not need to agree on everything our government does since the freedom to speak is one of our greatest freedoms. We elect people to national office to bring forth their greatest thought and suggestions on a myriad of concerns and to vote (not endlessly talk an issue to it's death) and then to come together in mutual support for the wellbeing of our nation and it's people. Once we have embarked on a course, we need to support those doing the work on our behalf. If corrective action is truly needed, those with different ideas should speak to those in a position to change our course if decided to be necessary. To the nation and world we need to present a united face. This is the mark of leadership and statesmanship. First of all consider what is to our nation's greatest good and forget the grandstanding to be the first, the loudest the most
antagonizing as a means of being noticed and gaining some reward such as money or notoriety. The games of "Gotcha" to destroy our nation, our constitution, our elected leaders and our military should be used against our known enemies who use terror as their great weapon. It should not be used by self named "patriots" whose personal ideas are not currently in the majority.. Present your ideas calmly with details and sound rationales and you can perhaps win us to your viewpoint. Obstruction and public castigation of those who are putting forth their best efforts is not the way to strengthen America and will continue to weaken our great nation. Sedition and treason need to be charged against those whose sole purpose is to undermine our country.
To all of you who serve in the military or have a loved one serving in the military, I give my utmost respect and gratitude. You are the people who are giving of yourselves for the greater good of our nation. May God bless each and everyone of you as you serve our nation.
posted by Pat in NC @ 6/18/2005 09:12:00 PM
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