I have read several articles lately where you have expressed that you are liberal or conservative and you love your country and this is what you believe. I like 'em. I also enjoy all the pieces that make my thinker work overtime. I don't like to get political. I started off in this community with the express goal of writing some of the things that I wanted my kids and grand kids to remember about me and my dad and things that HBW requested I write about. But lately I have read some troubling opinions about a few things that I thought I would like to express myself on.
1. It really doesn't matter at what point an egg becomes a person. If you leave it alone it has an 85 % chance of becoming a living. breathing, crying, pooping, baby...a human baby. Don't kill it.
2. The Constitution provides for the owning and bearing of weapons. George Washington held that keeping a pistol around was the best deterant to crime. The second amendment cites a "well regulated militia" . In them days well regulated meant you not only carried a rifle or pistol, you actually knew how to care for it and could hit something with it if the need arose. You may not like it, but until a new amendment (not a judicial edict) is ratified, it is the law of the land.
3. Illegal immigration is just that. ILLEGAL. Opposing illegal immigration is not racist, bigotry, or a Republican issue. It is a matter of national security and until THAT is addressed it will never be resolved. What is the harm? Look at Europe, specifically France and Spain to see how well it is working out having foreign nationals flood your country with no intention a assimilating. In our own recent history we got a lesson that many have forgotten or chose to ignore. Google "Antelope Valley, Oregon" to see what happens when a group decides to move in and take over ...all done quite legally, I might point out. We ignore this issue at our peril.
4. The war in Iraq, like all other wars since the beginning of time, is not going the way our leaders figured it would. It is being reported exactly as we should have figured it would. Believe it or not...there are some good things coming of this. Was it necessary to invade Iraq? Could we have found a "peaceful" solution? Don't know but my gut says, "NO". Will it be necessary to invade someone else to avoid worse calamity? I sure hope not but the track record is not too promising. I am not a war lover. I hate war. I am not very happy about the way this war has been handled...but the fact is that we are there and if we don't do it right, we will be back there again in another 15-20 years. I still carry baggage around from two wars and some change spread over a 26 year career. I know that a lot of young men are facing worse than I ever did and it is affecting them for life, too. Is it worth it? I do believe that if we hadn't gone into this war, it doesn't matter which country you chose, they are pretty much all qualified to be targets, there would have been more attacks on US soil. There probably still will be...the question comes up alot about how can we win this war...the same way you win any war...you just have to make the other guy quit. What ever that takes. Don't like the bit about how it is reported? Show me a national news story about a Silver Star recepient...or a Medic who acted above and beyond...or any story of how well our soldiers perform. We did see some of that when the reporters were imbedded during the invasion and maneuver phase...now, as in wars gone by, the reporters sit in their hotels sipping cool drinks and watch the war from a safe distance.
5. I am less and less happy with the performance of the Republicans in any aspect of governing. Having said that, I must add that Democrat take over of the White House and houses of congress would be just dreadful. There just doesn't seem to be anyone in the mix who is out to do the right thing for our country.
6. This is the greatest nation on the face of the earth. It is ok to say that. It is true. I gather from what I have read lately that some of you don't think so...you're wrong. No matter how many nasty things people around the world have to say about us, they still come in droves to be here. If we are so bad, why do they come? They eat our wheat, they accept our foreign aid, they come to our hospitals for their surgery, they fly our airplanes, drive our cars, and beg to be here. Whose flag is it on the moon? Who owns the speed records for fast planes? Oh, the list goes on...but we have to apologize if we offend the world because we are so rich, we use so much oil, energy. We put that energy to work producing goods and foods that are sought after all over the world. This is the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA...yep!
Well, I guess that is about all of that either of us can stand. Thanks for putting up with my mini-rant. You may or may not agree with me...it doesn't really matter...you are entitled to your own views and opinions. That is one of the things that makes this a great country. You can worship as you please, talk crappy about your government, assemble as you wish, even wave someone elses flag if you want...ain't freedom grand?