July 03, 2005
Happy July 4th! Yeah, I'm a day early, but Annie's in bed, and I'm looking forward to sleep, so I thought I'd just go ahead and say it. Being a Californian now, I thought I'd preach a bit, too.
California is largely populated with people who protest against war and combat. I, too, hate war and combat. Mostly, I hate death and the idea of killing people. That said, I believe in fighting for our lives. I believe in supporting our military. I believe in backing our government. We don't always make the best choices, but I do believe we have the best intentions. I subscribe to the Dale Carneghie thinking that we all make decisions based on what we think is right. Very few people are actually motivated for "evil". I don't think that terrorists are doing what they do just to do the "wrong" thing, but rather what they think is right for them. Fine. Be prepared for a similar response.
When I was a foreign exchange student, a friend of mine asked me if I was the kind of American that thought my country was the best in the world. I was stunned for a moment. I thought everyone thought that their country was the best. I don't know about now, but I believe at that time Germans had been trained to be so ashamed that they couldn't think they had the best country. I politely said that I didn't think that any American believed that this country wasn't the best. I think with the recent turmoil I might have been wrong.
The disaster of September 11 had a tremendous impact on me. I spent two days in front of the television with tears in my eyes clinging to my daughter and my fiance'. We were to be married on September 15th, and she declared (much to my pride) that we were not going to let terrorists change the plans of our lives. I hear the words of what are now called "Liberals". I don't understand it. The mother of one of Annie's friends told me one time that she couldn't understand how I could have a Ph.D. and be a conservative. I laughed, thinking how could I be educated and not be.
The words Liberal and Conservative have had their meaning changed in the last 20 years or so. Maybe I'm not a Conservative, nor am I a Liberal. I believe in power to the locality not to the federal government. That's how I'm a Conservative. I'm disgusted with how California has screwed up its finances to the point that we are closing down schools. I don't believe it is a matter of inadequate funds, but rather abuse of the funds. Alright, let that go for a moment. After 9-11 we saw an incredible response that showed patriotism. I would drive to work and see people on overpasses waving flags and thousands of cars honking in support. People were hanging flags everywhere. Pride. Support. Love. Then I find out that people are protesting the hanging of flags on overpasses, because it's "illegal". You can't hang a garage sale sign on a public facility, why can you hang a flag? Did this happen anywhere other than California? I was shocked, dismayed, and so angry that I think I would have hung up those protesters by a flag from the overpass...
I'm proud of my father's and other family members' participation in our military. My own impatience prohibited my own involvement. As a sophomore in college, I worked the front counter of a pharmacy in Rolla. One of my "regulars" was the recruiter for the Army. Their office was just down the street. He was a great guy, and we talked at length about life, the military, women (my favorite), and everything. One time, after a particularly bad time at school, I told him I was just going to join the military. He laughed. He said, "I won't let you. You will better serve this country doing what you are doing." He might have meant that I was a scrawny tall goof that couldn't succeed in the military, but he added some words that I won't repeat. They are personal, and I took them to heart. I try to be the best that I can at what I do. I hope that satisfies him, and fulfills what he believed.
On this Fourth of July, be proud. Be strong. The pendulum needs to swing back from the post-Kennedy days. I love the constant arguments about government. That's what makes this country what it is. We are allowed, no, encouraged to disagree, to comment on the government. It is a necessary part of our future. But, please, don't disrespect our country. It is the best we have, and in my opinion, the best in the world. Where else could a farm boy grow to the point of getting a Doctorate in Electrical Engineering and move 2,000 miles from everything he ever knew and make a go of it.
So, on this celebratory weekend, be proud... be supportive... take pride in the fact that you can voice your opinion... fight for what you believe (even if you disagree with me on policy)... and never, never lose the will to fight. Love your country. If not, you have two choices: 1) Run for office and initiate change, 2) Leave.
Proud American
California is largely populated with people who protest against war and combat. I, too, hate war and combat. Mostly, I hate death and the idea of killing people. That said, I believe in fighting for our lives. I believe in supporting our military. I believe in backing our government. We don't always make the best choices, but I do believe we have the best intentions. I subscribe to the Dale Carneghie thinking that we all make decisions based on what we think is right. Very few people are actually motivated for "evil". I don't think that terrorists are doing what they do just to do the "wrong" thing, but rather what they think is right for them. Fine. Be prepared for a similar response.
When I was a foreign exchange student, a friend of mine asked me if I was the kind of American that thought my country was the best in the world. I was stunned for a moment. I thought everyone thought that their country was the best. I don't know about now, but I believe at that time Germans had been trained to be so ashamed that they couldn't think they had the best country. I politely said that I didn't think that any American believed that this country wasn't the best. I think with the recent turmoil I might have been wrong.
The disaster of September 11 had a tremendous impact on me. I spent two days in front of the television with tears in my eyes clinging to my daughter and my fiance'. We were to be married on September 15th, and she declared (much to my pride) that we were not going to let terrorists change the plans of our lives. I hear the words of what are now called "Liberals". I don't understand it. The mother of one of Annie's friends told me one time that she couldn't understand how I could have a Ph.D. and be a conservative. I laughed, thinking how could I be educated and not be.
The words Liberal and Conservative have had their meaning changed in the last 20 years or so. Maybe I'm not a Conservative, nor am I a Liberal. I believe in power to the locality not to the federal government. That's how I'm a Conservative. I'm disgusted with how California has screwed up its finances to the point that we are closing down schools. I don't believe it is a matter of inadequate funds, but rather abuse of the funds. Alright, let that go for a moment. After 9-11 we saw an incredible response that showed patriotism. I would drive to work and see people on overpasses waving flags and thousands of cars honking in support. People were hanging flags everywhere. Pride. Support. Love. Then I find out that people are protesting the hanging of flags on overpasses, because it's "illegal". You can't hang a garage sale sign on a public facility, why can you hang a flag? Did this happen anywhere other than California? I was shocked, dismayed, and so angry that I think I would have hung up those protesters by a flag from the overpass...
I'm proud of my father's and other family members' participation in our military. My own impatience prohibited my own involvement. As a sophomore in college, I worked the front counter of a pharmacy in Rolla. One of my "regulars" was the recruiter for the Army. Their office was just down the street. He was a great guy, and we talked at length about life, the military, women (my favorite), and everything. One time, after a particularly bad time at school, I told him I was just going to join the military. He laughed. He said, "I won't let you. You will better serve this country doing what you are doing." He might have meant that I was a scrawny tall goof that couldn't succeed in the military, but he added some words that I won't repeat. They are personal, and I took them to heart. I try to be the best that I can at what I do. I hope that satisfies him, and fulfills what he believed.
On this Fourth of July, be proud. Be strong. The pendulum needs to swing back from the post-Kennedy days. I love the constant arguments about government. That's what makes this country what it is. We are allowed, no, encouraged to disagree, to comment on the government. It is a necessary part of our future. But, please, don't disrespect our country. It is the best we have, and in my opinion, the best in the world. Where else could a farm boy grow to the point of getting a Doctorate in Electrical Engineering and move 2,000 miles from everything he ever knew and make a go of it.
So, on this celebratory weekend, be proud... be supportive... take pride in the fact that you can voice your opinion... fight for what you believe (even if you disagree with me on policy)... and never, never lose the will to fight. Love your country. If not, you have two choices: 1) Run for office and initiate change, 2) Leave.
Proud American