Old Glory is, The American Revolution, The Sprit of 76, 1812, Gettysburg, Antietam, WWI, Normandy, Bastogne, Iwo Jima, Pork Chop Hill, Nam, Kandahar, Mogadishu, Kabul. These are all merely wars, you say. No, I say; these are all places where those who revere and respect the Flag and for which it stands, willingly defended our freedom. It is bigger than a mere flag, a mere Army, a mere Nation, it is the heart of every patriotic American.
It always chokes me up a little when I see the American Flag raised at the Olympics when one of our stellar athletes wins the Gold. I suppose it is because when I was a boy, growing up, going through school, we said the Pledge of Allegiance every morning, and sang the National Anthem at the opening of school ceremonies and athletic contests. I remember saying and singing the words loudly and clearly with pride and a smile.
As our wonderful Team USA competitors stood on the podiums I noticed that about 90% placed their right hands over their hearts, but only about 10% actually sang the words to the anthem aloud. Many mouthed and mumbled the words, but very few sang with gusto. The tears came, and the eyes glistened and the smiles beamed, but the words, somehow got lost in the athletes throats.
Then on the second to last day of the Olympics, Neymar da Silva Santos Jr., kicked the final soccer goal, a shot heard round the world. As if that wasn’t enough, the stadium was treated to a historic medal ceremony. Each man received his medal, dutifully kissed it and bit it for the cameras, and then turned to face the three flags about to be hoisted for history. The teams from Germany, Brazil and Nigeria gradually settled down as the Brazil National Anthem began to play. The ensuing roar was deafening. To a man, each Brazil Team member sang to the top of his lungs, almost screaming, along with thousands of joyful fans, and followers; the Brazilian Nationals.
My heart rose with joy as I watched that marvelous spectacle. From the depths of recent depression; the back bending burden of political corruption, the doubts and touts of a world media that tried to cast a pall over the games, the voices of a proud people rose and drowned out the naysayers. What marvelous national pride, what unabashed joy, what perfect splendor. (Booing the opposition was a bit objectionable; another blog perhaps.)
What has happened to us America. Is it politically incorrect to show national pride? Is the ACLU so strong it can muffle the hearts and voices of patriots? Are we so down trodden; so beaten, so callous that we; the greatest country in history, the overwhelming winners of 121 Olympic Medals, the peddlers of democracy, can’t sing our joy and praises with a similar spirit? What has happened? I want to know.
Mark my words, Michael Phelps will be back in four. How do I know this? I watched his performances and his interviews very closely and noticed a very strong dichotomy with a perceptible slant.
“I am happiest when I’m in the water competing.” “In 2008 and 2012 I was just going through the motions, this time I was involved.” “This was the first time I have ever participated in an opening ceremony. It didn’t ever occur to me that I would be nominated.” “This was the first time I was voted team captain.” “I really enjoyed myself.” “Mom said, ‘How about a 100 Fly and a Relay or two in Tokyo'”. “Boomer got to see me this time. He didn’t understand, but we will explain it to him when he grows up.” Remember the up-shot of the four Gold Medal medley relay swimmers with their arms around each other chanting “Four more years”.
Conversely, “This is how I want to end it.” “I’m looking forward to a next leg of the journey (never once elaborating on what that leg was).” “This is how I want to remember it.”
Okay then. Here is an obviously wildly successful player in the Olympic Arena. He has a net worth of $55 Million which will probably double with his 2016 performance. He has a new life, and a new family. New reasons to move on, or new reasons to continue on. 31 is the new 21. Boomer needs to understand what he is looking at when he sees all those bubbles in the water. Mom and fiancé are already booking rooms in Tokyo. He ran away with the 2016 wins, only one win was close.
Mark my words. Michael will compete in 2020. It may not be 5 Golds and a Silver, but it could easily be 3 Golds. Michael, take six months off. Rest, relax, get married, cuddle the boy and then get back into the saddle and ride into the (23, 24, 25, ?) Golden (Medal) Sunset. Mark my words.
Want to feel good about life again? Want to renew your human spirit? Want to see some real action? Want to find out what life is all about? Want to fall back in love with your fellow man? Want to see what real dedication and discipline is all about? Want to take a trip on the wild side. If you can’t afford to go, WATCH THE OLYMPIC EXPERIENCE.
Here, on my 78th birthday I reflect on my accomplishments (Def: Things I have done successfully) and realize that however much I have achieved, however many roads I have traveled, however many times I have won, I have never done so much that I have earned the right to bring others down for theirs. Bashing others for your abhorrence of their success, for your jealousy of their triumphs, or for your own ineptitude is the greatest measure of smallness, weakness and failure.
My accomplishments (Def. Things I have done successfully) have all come from a fifty year stint in the construction business. As a Civil Engineer I chose to build things. To my accomplishments I list, one of the Camp David Accord Airbases in Israel, nominated “One of the top 125 Construction Projects in the past 125 years” by Engineering News Record. I list some hundreds of miles of freeways including hundreds of bridge structures and millions of cubic yards of earthmoving. I list countless hours working shoulder to shoulder with carpenters, masons, ironworkers and laborers in the sheer joy of “getting it done”. I identify with builders.
I am appalled at the antics of those who feel the need to bring down winners, especially bringing down those in the business I love. Jon Stewart, Bill Maher and Stephen Colbert have not earned the right to say what they have said, and have only shown us the depths of their own irrelevance and worthlessness. Shame on you boys. Is there no limit to the depth of your triviality?
As usual, the liberal left has dug hard to find a negative in the RNC bash last night, and quickly announced that Melania Trump, in her marveolous speech, plagiarized Michele Obama. This time the media has really screwed up, and I am sick and tired or the liberal press and the left leaning media in general constantly leading their RNC reporting of the news with a negative.
“Work hard for what you want”, “Treat people with respect”, “The strength of your dreams is defined by your willingness to work for them”. COME ON PEOPLE, WHEN WAS THE FIRST TIME YOU HEARD THAT? Was is Michele Obama in 2008? Was it Melania Trump in 2016? Nope, I don’t think so. (As a First Generation American born son of Danish Immigrants, Melania’s speech was Deja Vu – all over again.)
I can tell you the first time I heard it. It was sometime in my Junior Year in High School (1955) when my Coach pulled me aside one day. I heard it again from my Mother (1956) as I struggled with High School. And I heard it again (1956) when my Dad took me to a bus station to get on a Greyhound bound for boot camp. If Melania plagiarized Michele Obama, then Michele Obama plagiarized every responsible American mother and father since 1776.
God Damn it liberal media, wise up and knock it off. Your bias is so blatant, it is embarassing.
I also noticed that the stellar press didn’t draw any comparisons by Michele to Melania’s speech about her love of her new Country and her hard earned Citizenship. In comparison, what was it that Michele Obama said on February 18, 2008? I think it went something like this. “This is the first time in my adult life that I have been proud of my country.” Interestingly enough, Melania didn’t plagiarize that proud American statement.
I was reading the paper this morning and I said ot myself, “What has happened?” “How has the Republican Party allowed so much change to occur in conservative government?” “How have they let it sink this deep into the abyss, without a fight?”
And then it occured to me that the Republicans have held the majority in both Congress and Senate now for nearly two years. “Do they not care that the government is moving to the left at a lightening pace?” “It there something in it for them to allow the pendulum of equality to be locked in the left swinging position?”
Is it possible that the Elitist Movement has swallowed up every right thinking soul. Have the Republicans really sold their souls to the Elitist Devil? Lets look at this for a moment. Obama’s ratings in 2014 were the lowest of any President ever in the history of political America. The voting public got on its hind legs and decided to make a change, and handed the Congress and the Senate to the Republican Party on a silver platter. It’s been two years and still nothing has happened. Even removing John Boehner had no effect on the blance of power. Still Congress faltered, still the Political System did nothing but filibuster and stalemate progress. Obama, Peloci, Reid and Feinstein all kept marching down the same path with McConnell, Ryan and McCain tripping over themselves to remove any obstacles to their paths.
Now there is someone who says he has had enough. He says he is tired of the Politically Correct, Intellectual (?), Elitist crowd and wants to make sweeping changes. He says he wants to make America Great again. Through a raging storm of Political Mud, the ‘Conservative Right’ has turned their backs, and still this person persists and gains ground. Finally someone comes along with the clout, bravado and financial backing to do something about the last eight years of left leaning insanity and few among the Republican Conservatives have stepped forward. Even Mitt Romney, for God’s sake, has turned coat.
What has happened? Think it through very carefully over the next four months.
Couldn’t help but notice a couple of articles in our local liberal rag this weekend. The weekend we honor our heritage, our independence, our love of country and our values, Dufus decides he is going to ‘campaign for Hillary‘. So what’ wrong with that, you ask.
1.) The President of the United States, POTUS, is the President of ‘THESE’ United States, ALL 50 OF THEM, including Guam, Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands, The US Virgin Islands and American Samoa. He is the (So called) President of ALL OF US. So why is he Politicizing the election by supporting only one candidate, and marginalizing the country. WHY? Because he only cares about himself and his party leaving the rest of us to think for ourselves (thank God). As an American Citizen, I demand equal time for Trump.
2.) He is going to amass costs during his campaign romp that will be paid for by me, and he is therefore taking money from me that I would donate to Trump, who is my choice for President. He is cheating me out of my support for my candidate. As an American Citizen, I demand that he repay that money immediately. Behind that greasy smile (above), is a man bent on cheating half of the population of their right to individual choice.
3.) He is swaying voters from the bully pulpit, a trick that only divisive Presidents have used in the past. Did you see the photo to him carrying boxes of Pizzas into one of Hillary’s volunteer headquarters? “Man isn’t he cool?”, “He is the coolest President ever.” I can Hear the thoughts of the Hillary faithful all the way from here. What a travesty. As an American I demand Pizza for Trump volunteers as well.
Another Obama hater, you say. Just another racist, you accuse. THINK ABOUT IT!!! We hail from the UNITED States, not the UNITED DEMOCRATIC States, the President wants you to believe. SHAME ON YOU Mr. President, for besmirching and tarnishing the most patriotic of weekends, for ALL AMERICANS. You take the prize.
“Bubbles I Blow, Beads I twist; All The Rest Is Darkness And Conjecture“.
That was the one and only question on my English Lit. 101 course final. I immediately siezed on my answer, wrote my essay, and recieved the only A+ given out that day. Certainly I was proud of myself. I have kept those words with me for all these years and have tried to convey their meaning on many occations, receiving looks from aha moments to utter confusion. This morning while reading the paper, the perfect elucidation came to me.
I recently read a wonderful book entitled, The Oregon Trail, A New American Journey, by Rinker Buck. It is the hair raising, enlightening, enderaing story of two brothers who crossed the country in an authentic three-mule-team covered wagon. Their highs, their lows, their conguests and defeats gave testimony of the hardships and trials the intrepid pioneers must have experienced on their pursuit of the American Dream.
As I read the book my heart began to fill with wellbeing, patriotism and oneness with my country and my fellow Americans. After seven grueling years of apology for who I am, abysmal rips and tears in our inherited fabric, and the shrinking away from our assigned task of Leader of the Free World, I finally saw again what made this country great and what gives me my joy in being a flag waving, chest bumping, Fourth of July, bonafide American.
I wrote the author thanking him for writing such an inspiring book and thanking him for giving me back my nationalistic pride, so battered and beaten these last seven years. He wrote back and told me that giving people back their ‘national pride’ was not what he had in mind when he made the crossing nor when he wrote the book. He went on to say, however, that after it was all over and the book was published, he had the exact same feelings. Bubbles He Blew, Beads He Twised.
The Liberal Press, the Liberal Politicians, The Liberal Radio charge off bashing Trump before trying to understand what it is he is saying. True, Trump tells it as it is, but isn’t that what we all have been waiting for? Someone who will speak the truth no matter how he says it? I think so.
Months ago, Trump came out and said that he feels that there should be a “Temporary Ban on all Muslims coming into the country because we haven’t a clue as to how to vet them and we have no idea who we are letting in. Until we get it together we shouldn’t be letting unknowns into the U.S.” That was turned around by the Liberals to mean “Trump wants to ban all Muslims. He wants to ban an entire religion, over a billion strong from entering the United States.” When I heard Trumps first proclimation, I said absolutely. Why? I have traveled the world extensively. Before I could enter Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran, and other Mid-East countries for an extended stay I had to obtain a “Non-Objection Certificate”. This meant that I had to undergo two to three weeks of delay at home while the host countries vetted me, until they found out that I was who I said I was, and wasn’t there to cause problems. I submitted willingly. Why shouldn’t people be vetted before they enter? Certainly those people from predominantly Muslim countries should understand and acguiesce, it is their policy as well.
“Lets face it folks, Mexico is not sending their best. They are sending, murderers, rapists and drug dealers.” That was turned around to mean, “Trump thinks all Mexicans are either rapists, murderers or drug dealers.” We all know that there are hundreds, probably thousands of illegal immegrants that are murderers, rapists and drug runners, and someone has finally said that and wants to do something about it. “I love Mexicans, I employ thousands, I have many Mexican friends.” Shouldn’t that count for something? Not as far as the Liberals are concerned.
Trump is not the most eloguent (having the power of fluent, powerful and appropriate speech) orator to have run for President, that I concede. He is however, one of the few to have put his money where his mouth is and has his fingers on the pulse of America and understands America’s frustrations. Before you rush to bash Trump, review his words, grasp his meaning and then draw your own conclusions. There are thousands of Liberal Media “Pundits” paused to pounce on every word the man utters. Listen with your own ears.