I am the Flag of the United States of America-Unknown Author

 (Originally Published on this website 7/2/2010-unknown origin of pic or poem)

I am the Flag of the United States of America-Author Unknown

I am the flag of the United States of America.

My name is Old Glory.

I fly atop the world's tallest buildings.

I stand watch in America's halls of justice.

I fly majestically over institutions of learning.

I stand guard with power in the world.

Look up and see me.

And the Star-Spangled Banner in Triumph Shall Wave

Originally posted 6/25/2011 

Independence Day stirs up such emotion for me.  It is one of my favorite days of celebration, even though, I don't have to shoot off fireworks or gather for picnics to feel its importance.

Being a patriot, the mere passing of the flag in front of me brings tears, as does the singing of the national anthem.  My anger wells up when I see others not standing in honor of the Stars and Stripes or the Star Spangled Banner and you might find me verbalizing it!

The winning of the war with England for our independence from the king's tyranny was only by the Grace of God, then the building of the foundation on God's Word, only served to strengthen it.

Patriotism through Honor, Respect, & History

I was at a rodeo last night and the flags had passed by.  Everyone I saw had stood up, taken off their hat, placed their hand over their heart and respected and honored our flags.  When the prayer began, shortly after Old Glory returned to the arena, a conversation began just down the aisle from me.  I, mostly, ignored it figuring that the irreverence was between them and God.  

Then, the conversation got louder and louder as people began to sing the Star Spangled Banner. I am so proud to be an American and honor those that have given me the freedoms I enjoy.  I honor them and my country every chance I get and I do NOT understand those who do not. That being said, one does not, in my presence, disrespect our country including its flag, anthem, pledge or heroes

Restoring America's Glory

I was just reading through the paper when I ran across the article by Don Newberry talking about honoring the U. S. Flag and America’s former glory.  It really reminded me of the things I have been through trying to stimulate some interest in our country right here in this county.

Post 9/11 when we were marching into Iraq, I helped form a Military Support Group.  We had several members and when we put on an event honoring those servicemen and women and their families, during that year’s summer festival, the crowd turned out in the “desert” heat to help do their part to support the cause.  After that event, the group quietly dissolved.

Christians Must Stand Up for Our Country

We must do more than just “fit in” to the stance of our local congregation/pastor (I believe what I do or don’t do is between me and God) or agree with a cause or simply stop doing something in protest.

We must find a way to “fight” for change, be it signing a petition, supporting or fighting against legislation, even vetting the right candidate and voting for them or just alerting people that the enemy is approaching.

I chose to exercise my  watchman calling by running for County Chair of the local Republican Party as a conservative Christian and by keeping up with current events from a variety of sources including liberal, conservative, Christian and Israeli.  I have chosen to be active in my support or non-support of legislation and those that know me, know that I am not shy about stating my opinion.  I tend to be a little radical in my thinking but if I am to be a watchman on the wall, I must always be ready to send the alarm when the enemy shows it ugly head and God’s people are being threatened.  I encourage Christians to pray, but to know that God works through people, so to be prepared to actually do something like vote or protest that which is not of God in our government or workplace.  If we don’t speak up as Christians, who will speak for us?  Madeline O’Hare? Barack Obama?

We, the People Political Humor

Speaks for me....

Rebelling Against Obamacare

I just got a $50/month increase in my insurance rate because of Obamacare mandates.  I am ticked...BIG TIME!  I told my husband that I will not pay it.  I will pay the fine instead and let Obama pick up my tab. Congress has until January 25 to repeal the healhcare bill or I will be without insurance.  I have been covered by insurance for years.  The money I have paid in has probably been enough to pay for anything that could happen to me, did I have it, instead of the insurance companies.

Why do you think we have to pay for the increase? 

Do you know that you can get a significantly lower bill if you pay cash for the hospital's services instead of filing it with insurance?  Either it costs the amount billed or it doesn't.  No wonder insurance rates are so high. 

We have to pay not only for our medical expenses, but those that choose not to purchase insurance for whatever reason.  Then, we have to pay for illegals to use the doctors and hospitals that should not even be here at all.  And, how do the insurance big shots justify the money they make?  Ask yourself, if this were a totally free market, wouldn't the people and premium payers be in control of rates and NOT the big shots?  People would be finding insurance companies that would be able to offer them great service for affordable rates. 

And then, how can hospitals and doctors justify some of their charges?  Why do radiologists have to read every single xray?  Aren't medical schools teaching that anymore?  What is so expensive about a sonogram or CAT scan or MRI?  You pay one person to order the test (physician), another to perform the test, another to read it, then the physician again to tell you what the result was AND you have to pay that months payment on the machine plus rent on the rooms.  That's why.  These people are making money somewhere.  You can't tell me they aren't.

I know there are people that simply cannot afford healthcare and I don't mind helping those people.  I've been there myself for a time, although I never (Thank God) had to use the services.  I'm all for help for those that can't help themselves, NOT those that won't help themselves.  Protect the children, and the aged.  The rest are on their own just like the rest of us and are on an as needed basis only, not a mandatory one.  

I DO NOT believe we should be forced to carry insurance by the federal government or the state government.  That is a personal choice, usually brought on by affordability. I DO believe that the system needs some work, but this is not the way. 

I think more people would choose to be insured if rates were realistic, but when medical providers jack the rates up for an insurance bill, someone has to pay the difference.  Ever wonder why it takes 2 surgeons to perform surgery?  Are we paying them to train?  Are you aware that the emergency group that the hospital hires to come in and take care of their emergency room, doesn't necessarily have to accept your insurance even though the hospital does and you do not have to be notified of that?  

When government issues mandate after mandate to control every aspect of our lives, assuring that no one is without insurance, it's too much.  

Yes, I was ticked when the bill passed.  I fought it every step of the way with everything that I could do.  None of our legislators voted in favor of it.  Now that it's law, I am not any happier, but was riding along until it could either be repealed or found to be illegal and unconstitutional.  Now it has affected me directly and I am even more determined NOT to obey this law.  I am officially in rebellion.....like I haven't already been!  LOL 

Maybe I'll calm down before I actually cancel my insurance, but not likely.  I'm just back where I started when it was being manipulated through all the wheeling and dealing by the Socialists in Congress. 

Now, the government is trying to further control our food supply, even our private gardens.  What's next?  What do they NOT have their tenacles into? 

God bless America and the great nation that she has the potential to be!

The Establishment Better Wake Up or Be Left Behind

As County Chair of the Republican Party of my county, I am so proud to be a conservative Patriot surrounded by other conservative Patriots. 

When Ms. O'Donnell won the primary race in Delaware, the response from the establishment Republicans was surprising.  I did not expect that, but my reaction when I heard it was...the National Party is at it again. I am not a big fan of some of the things they do at that level.  I was glad when Senator Cornyn with the NRSC corrected the stance that they were supposedly taking.  Officially, I would not even consider NOT supporting what I refer to as MY candidates.  As a supporter of the Constitution as it was intended by the signers, I believe that when "we, the people" vote, then that's the way it is.  They have spoken. 

(Even when I don't like the results, as in Obama's case, I believe that it must be changed in the next election or go through impeachment proceedings as the Constitution allows.  So I ran for County Chair and decided to educate "we, the people" on how we can change things.)

So what does it take to show establishment Republicans that "we, the people" are fed up to here with the same old politics?!?  Continue to elect the best conservative Republican for the job.  If that is an establishment Republican, so be it, but if it is a new-to-politics candidate, even better.  Politics, the way they have been, are not working.  We don't want the same thing in the next session.  We want people in there who will listen to the will of the people and know that we know how to take care of ourselves apart from government intervention.

I support the Republican Party, especially the Republican Party of Texas, wholeheartedly, or I would not be County Chair.  I chose this party because its State platform is conservative and shares the same values that I have.  I was originally impressed with the Tea Party movement although I was apprehensive because I knew we could not afford to have a third party come into the fray or we would lose everything to the liberals.  I hope to continue to encourage grassroots supported candidates to come into the Republican Party.  We must be the Party of Conservative Values.  Those values are the only thing that will save this country.

I will go on record with Palin and DeMint and say to the establishment Republicans that you better get with the program or you will fall behind as the "sleeping giant" of conservative voters continues to rise up and make noise.

Even Fox News, as conservative and supportive as they are of the grassroots, do not completely understand the movement. Tea Parties are making noise, but there are a lot of people not being heard vocally who will definitely be heard in the upcoming election.  I think after all these months of trying to wake up the sleeping giant of apathy, that we are finally beginning to be aware of the tip of the iceberg as seen in the Tea Parties.  But you must remember that the Tea Parties arose from the grassroots, not visa versa, so there are many, many more out there who don't take on a label.

We, as the Republican Party, absolutely must encourage these voters to come into our party and we absolutely must have the courage, as the Local, State and National Party to say yes, we are the Party of Conservative Values! Come on!  Let's take our country back!

The Star Spangled Banner-Francis Scott Key

O say can you see by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming!
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner!  O long may it wave.
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore,
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave,
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

O thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand,
Between their loved home and the war's desolation.
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land,
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto:  "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

(Flag is from the World Trade Towers, 2001)

ALL EUROPEAN LIFE DIED IN AUSCHWITZ (Received in email)

The following is a copy of an article written by Spanish writer Sebastian Vilar Rodrigez and published in a Spanish newspaper on Jan. 15 2008. It doesn't take much imagination to extrapolate the message to the rest of Europe - and possibly to the rest of the world.

________________________________________

ALL EUROPEAN LIFE DIED IN AUSCHWITZ

By Sebastian Vilar Rodrigez

I walked down the street in Barcelona , and suddenly discovered a terrible truth - Europe died in Auschwitz ... We killed six million Jews and replaced them with 20 million Muslims. In Auschwitz we burned a culture, thought, creativity, talent. We destroyed the chosen people, truly chosen, because they produced great and wonderful people who changed the world.

The contribution of this people is felt in all areas of life: science, art, international trade, and above all, as the conscience of the world. These are the people we burned.

And under the pretense of tolerance, and because we wanted to prove to ourselves that we were cured of the disease of racism, we opened our gates to 20 million Muslims, who brought us stupidity and ignorance, religious extremism and lack of tolerance, crime and poverty, due to an unwillingness to work and support their families with pride.

They have blown up our trains and turned our beautiful Spanish cities into the third world, drowning in filth and crime.

Shut up in the apartments they receive free from the government, they plan the murder and destruction of their naive hosts.

And thus, in our misery, we have exchanged culture for fanatical hatred, creative skill for destructive skill, intelligence for backwardness and superstition.

We have exchanged the pursuit of peace of the Jews of Europe and their talent for a better future for their children, their determined clinging to life because life is holy, for those who pursue death, for people consumed by the desire for death for themselves and others, for our children and theirs.

What a terrible mistake was made by miserable Europe .

____________________________________________

A thought provoking article.  A must read for everyone in the US.  Just thought I would share because it is so profound.  If any copyright is violated, please let me know and I will remove it immediately.

"Your Silence Gives Consent" (Plato)

Senator John Cornyn posted on his Facebook page today a quote by Plato (429-347 BC) "Your silence gives consent."  It reminded me of this article I started back in April, but never fininshed.....

To stand by and do nothing or to do nothing but complain, changes nothing. To see change, we must act and we must convince those around us to act.

Obama, Pelosi and Reid lied, cheated, dealt in back rooms, bribed, and gouged their way through the laws, both Houses, and all but a handful of the Democrat party to get what they wanted in the healthcare bill that we didn't want. Obama waits until a holiday recess to appoint people that Congress doesn't want. He issues Executive Orders to put into law things Congress doesn't want to pass. He appoints czars that answer to no one in the three Executive Branches of Government. He and his political ilk have circumvented so many parts of the Constitution to get what they want. (Republican presidents have done some of these same things, but never to the degree this one has and I don't approve of them doing it either.)

If you support the U. S. Constitution as the basis of our Republic form of government, and you are tired of having big government shoved down your throats, then you will understand why it is so important to do your part as the people that are suppose to be the trunk holding up and supporting the branches of government, not the other way around. It is up to us to hold the government accountable to the people. It is us who should be determining what the President, Congress, and Judges are allowed to do and how far away from the Constitution they are allowed to stray. I say its time to get back to the original intent of the Constitution.

Does this have anything to do with local politics? With some of the office holders, no, not much. They have run on the Democrat ticket because that has been the only one to run on for so many years. They are productive members of our community, have accomplished good things and really do have conservative values, but it is time that we remember what our mothers told us and that is that we are judged by the company we keep. Either they start making sweeping changes in their party to get more in line with the conservative majority that is finally waking up in the United States or they switch parties and align themselves with the Republicans or at least Independents.  It's time they asked themselves exactly what their party stands for and do they want to agree with that platform. 
 
I think we all would be perfectly content working a good job, enjoying our families, putting a little money away for the kid's college fund and maybe a little retirement for ourselves, except that taxes already take so much of it, we can't afford to put money back and are forced into social security and medicare.  These two awesome wonderments of the government are broke.  They have spent the money on other things, that we were forced to put in them.  So now we don't have that or the money we could have been saving ourselves. 
 
The economic recession and near collaspe caused by ineptitude of our federal government has caused our IRAs and 401Ks to be worthless.  The stock market, yet another potential source for health or retirement money is still not solid and predicted not to be anytime soon.  China owns more of our debt than we do, yet we import most of the cheap stuff we're forced to buy from them.  Unemployment is predicted to remain high through the end of the year.  The government is guaranteeing huge morgages for people that do not make enough money to pay them...ever.  Unions are being given too much power.  Do we really want more of this? 
 
Healthcare will be the same way.  We can't afford health insurance because of taxes already levied, so the liberals in power ram through a bill that says we must buy insurance or pay even more taxes; we must buy insurance whether we want it or not; we must be in the Obamacare system even though Obama, his wife, his children, Congress and their familes, aides, Cabinet members and others are exempted; we must be in Obamacare even though Muslims, Scientologists, Amish, Christian Scientists and Native American Indians can opt out; our businesses must provide insurance for all employees whether we can afford it or not; abortion is included in the bill, even though an executive order took it out, the same kind of order that just has to be signed to get it back in when it's convenient for the most pro-abortion president in history; etc.

Now we are looking at treaties with other countries taking our guns away and possibly being taken around Congress without having to be ratified (another underhanded tactic); our borders are still not protected from the influx of illegal aliens and our president has publicly aligned himself with the President of Mexico against Arizona, even allowing him to speak to Congress about the laws of OUR land when he can't even improve on the conditions in his own country forcing the illegals to come here.

The embarrassment of the United States just doesn't seem to have an end in sight.  Our debt just keeps rising.  Our rights keep being ripped away.  Washington is out of control.

To change things we must join in with those that are trying to take our country back.  We must be part of the solution and not the problem.  We must speak out.  We must write letters to the editor.  We must blog.  We must fax, email, write or call our representatives at all levels of government.  We must participate at the grassroots level in our political party and man phone banks, get out into our neighborhoods and introduce our candidates or encourage people to vote for our best candidates.  We need to thoroughly vet or investigate each candidate to find out what they believe in and how they vote and how solid they are.  We must run for office.  We must become precinct chairs or volunteers.  We must attend the precinct, county, and state conventions.  We must be willing to hold others accountable by paying attention to exactly how good a job they are doing in representing us.  We must DO something. 

Apathy will destroy this country just as thoroughly as voting for the liberals to stay in power.  That's why you are seeing, as the "sleeping, apathetic giant" of "we, the people" wake up, the tea parties making a difference and scaring the fire out of the liberal movement and the Washington elite in general.  That's why you are seeing the liberal media always attacking Palin, Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck and Bachmann.  That's why you are seeing the biggest growth of the Republican Party that it has seen in years if ever.  People that are tired of the status quo are standing up and participating in the grassroots movement, either through the Republican Party or the tea parties.  They are doing something.  They have moved beyond apathy and are standing up for our Constitution and our personal rights.

If your silence (apathy) gives consent, imagine the change that could be brought about by millions more people that finally decide to speak out?  Let's take our country back....

Socialism-Some Steps to Take to Fight It Now

Is anyone ready to start fighting the government takeover, yet?

If you haven't already done so:

*Be informed.  This is the number one requirement on any issue.

*Register to vote so you will be ready to vote in the primaries and local elections.

*As soon as you know who is running for ANY office, start learning as much as you can about them so you can make an INFORMED vote.

*Keep up with legislation as well as you can (Pelosi, Reid and the Democrats are making this difficult) so you can contact those in power and tell them how you want them to vote, then keep the pressure on.

*Participate in a tea party event or join an online group or a local group that supports your ideas and beliefs.

*Learn the lingo & about how the government is supposed to work.

*Sign up for news alerts from Fox and other sources (to keep it balanced) by email to do with politics.

*Join Twitter (this is the one I use) and only make "friends" with news groups or agencies that will provide you with the latest news from a variety of sources and views on the topics of your choosing, then check it often for the latest updates.

*Follow groups of interest on Facebook.

*Read papers, watch the news on TV, discuss it with your friends.

*Share with your friends and family what you have learned and then ask that they share it, also.

*Make up your own mind about how YOU feel about issues, but be sure that you have sufficient information to do so.

There are other things you can do but this will get you started. Please, please get involved. It really is your and your children's futures that are at stake. If you have questions, you can email me from Facebook, direct mail me from Twitter, or leave a comment here.

I love this country and do not want to see the foundation on which it was built totally destroyed so sharing information and my concerns with others is my way of trying to make a difference in this battle for it's survival.

In Honor of My Son, a Veteran

 I want to start off offering Gene's and my condolences and prayers for the families and friends of the soldiers and others that were killed yesterday at Ft. Hood.  We are keeping each injured person and their loved ones in our thoughts and prayers.  May God wrap you in His loving arms and comfort you......

With this Veteran's Day coming up, my thoughts have been on my son who is about to retire from the Navy.  I have been gathering pictures and memories trying to do my part in helping his wife get ready for his big retirement celebration next year.  With each picture that I come across, a memory comes with it, some happy and some tearful. 

I have to admit, when I was encouraging him to go into the Navy as a Senior in high school, it did not enter my mind that I wouldn't see him but every couple of years.  It never entered my mind that living in Texas was NOT close to a coast with a Navy base.

My memories have pretty much focused on the Iraq invasion, I guess because it was so traumatic for me.  We all went through the trauma of 9/11 and it was devastating, but when the invasion was taking place and all one could hear or see on television or radio was the embedded reporters' accounts of what was happening, it was like reaching out to touch a snowflake only to see it disappear into vapor.  We were able to see the soldiers, but not be there to give them encouragement or comfort....unable to get reassurance that all was well. 

(Since my son worked in an area of the submarine that was restricted and is unable to tell much about what he did, I'll tell how it affected me when he went to war.) 

All I could do was watch in horror as it all took place in front of me.  The television was on 24/7.  I "googled" everything I could about the area and the war.  I printed off maps and gathered news articles from local papers as well as the reports sent in by the embedded reporter on my son's sub.  I subscribed to newsletters from military websites.  I worried about submerged mines and wondered if Iraq had submarines of their own.  I helped to start a military support group, tied yellow ribbons on trees and poles and was part of a ceremony to present the Blue Star flags to families of military people involved in the war.  A friend said that I was "going with him"  in order to deal with the fear.  It was the only way that I could protect my precious child.  I cannot even imagine being the mother of one of the soldier's on land.

I feel for the families of those that were seen on television and the ones, like mine, that weren't.  My son was on a submarine.  Their location is always top secret.  I do have the proud knowledge that his submarine was the first one to fire all of their missiles and I was fortunate to be there to see his sub come in with a broom attached to the "sail" meaning that they made a "clean sweep."  Being there when that crew came into port was an awesome thing. 

We see the pictures of the heroes that came back from WWII and the confetti and bands and all of the people there to welcome them.  Well, with that picture in mind, add to it the anticipation of all as we waited for hours just to see a glimpse of the sub as it turned into the channel, the roar of applause and yells increasing as it got nearer, boats tooting their horns and spraying great streams of water, men and women shouting from their decks as they came through the channel and the tears and laughter of each person there.  We could feel the pride in the air as the sub made it's way to the slip where it docked and at last opened the hatch to unload their special cargo of sailors.  There was kissing and hugging everywhere. It was a true heroes welcome.

I am proud of all my sons, each one for different reasons, but today I honor this one for his 19 years of Navy service, for all he has had to give up, endure and experience.  Thank you, my precious son, for being you.

I hope that all of the soldiers and sailors get some kind of heroes welcome when they come home.  I use this Veteran's Day to humbly honor and extend my gratitude and America's gratitude to each man and woman that has served our country through each service, through each war or military action.  Salute!

Veteran's Day Honorees-SOON TO BE GONE

I got this in my email.  Let's follow this doctor's lead and honor all of our vets everyday, not just on Veteran's Day.  Thank you for your service to this country and to all of the other countries that you have helped keep free and safe.  God bless each and every one of you.......Sharon

SOON TO BE GONE

By A MILITARY DOCTOR

I am a doctor specializing in the Emergency Departments of the only two military Level One-Trauma Centers, both in San Antonio , TX and they care for civilian Emergencies as well as military personnel. San Antonio has the largest military retiree population in the world living here. As a military doctor, I work long hours and the pay is less th an glamorous One tends to become jaded by the long hours, lack of sleep, food, family contact and the endless parade of human suffering passing before you. The arrival of another ambulance does not mean more pay, only more work.

Most often, it is a victim from a motor vehicle crash.

Often it is a person of dubious character who has been shot or stabbed. With our large military retiree population, it is often a nursing home patient Even with my enlisted service and minimal combat experience in Panama , I have caught myself groaning when the ambulance brought in yet another sick, elderly person from one of the local retirement centers that cater to military retirees. I had not stopped to think of what citizens of this age group represented.

I saw 'Saving Private Ryan.' I was touched deeply. Not so much by the carnage, but by the sacrifices of so many.. I was touched most by the scene of the elderly survivor at the graveside, asking his wife if he'd been a good man. I realized that I had seen these same men and women coming through my Emergency Dept. and had not realized what magnificent sacrifices they had made. The things they did for me and everyone else that has lived on this planet since the end of that conflict are priceless.

Situation permitting, I now try to ask my patients about their experiences. They would never bring up the subject without the inquiry. I have been privileged to an amazing array of experiences, recounted in the brief minutes allowed in an Emergency Dept. encounter. These experiences have revealed the incredible individuals I have had the honor of serving in a medical capacity, many on their last admission to the hospital.

There was a frail, elderly woman who reassured my young enlisted medic, trying to start an IV line in her arm. She remained calm and poised, despite her illness and the multiple needle-sticks into her fragile veins. She was what we call a 'hard stick.' As the medic made another attempt, I noticed a number tattooed across her forearm. I touched it with one finger and looked into her eyes. She simply said, ' Auschwitz .' Many of later generations would have loudly and openly berated the young medic in his many attempts. How different was the response from this person who'd seen unspeakable suffering.

Also, there was this long retired Colonel, who as a young officer had parachuted from his burning plane over a Pacific island held by the Japanese. Now an octogenarian, he had a minor cut on his head from a fall at his home where he lived alone. His CT scan and suturing had been delayed until after midnight by the usual parade of high priority ambulance patients. Still spry for his age, he asked to use the phone to call a taxi, to take him home, then he realized his ambulance had brought him without his wallet. He asked if he could use the phone to make a long distance call to his daughter who lived 7 miles away. With great pride we told him that he could not, as he'd done enough for his country and the least we could do was get him a taxi home, even if we had to pay for it ourselves. My only regret was that my shift wouldn't end for several hours, and I couldn't drive him myself.

I was there the night M/Sgt. Roy Benavidez came through the Emergency Dept. for the last time. He was very sick. I was not the doctor taking care of him, but I walked to his bedside and took his hand. I said nothing. He was so sick, he didn't know I was there. I'd read his Congressional Medal of Honor citation and wanted to shake his hand. He died a few days later.

The gentleman who served with Merrill's Marauders,

the survivor of the Bataan Death March,

the survivor of Omaha Beach ,

the 101 year old World War I veteran.

The former POW held in frozen North Korea ,

The former Special Forces medic - now with non-operable liver cancer,

the former Viet Nam Corps Commander.

I remember these citizens.

I may still groan when yet another ambulance comes in, but now I am much more aware of what an honor it is to serve these particular men and women.

I have seen a Congress who would turn their back on these individuals who've sacrificed so much to protect our liberty. I see later generations that seem to be totally engrossed in abusing these same liberties, won with such sacrifice.

It has become my personal endeavor to make the nurses and young enlisted medics aware of these amazing individuals when I encounter them in our Emergency Dept. Their response to these particular citizens has made me think that perhaps all is not lost in the next generation.

My experiences have solidified my belief that we are losing an incredible generation, and this nation knows not what it is losing. Our uncaring government and ungrateful civilian populace should all take note. We should all remember that we must 'Earn this.'

Written By CPT.Stephen R. Ellison, M.D. US Army

If it weren't for the United States military, there'd be

NO United States of America .

Remembering 9/11/2001

As we make our way through this day of remembrance of the people that lost their lives in the tragic events of September 11, 2001, we must never forget the way we felt as the planes hit the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and the ground in Pennsylvania.  We must never forget the heroes, the children, the survivors of those that died. 

As we go through our memories of that day, let us pray for this country, that it may continue to heal; for the leaders, that they may continue to increase our security so that it never happens,again; for the jihadists, that they may find the one true God and repent of their ways, asking for forgiveness and accepting Jesus as their savior; for the people of this country that they never forget the reason for the military in Afghanistan; and that this day be remembered for the tragedy of it and not be replaced by some Earth Day. 

Allow the tears to flow and your hearts to break each time you think of the horrible loss we suffered that day at the hands of an enemy that came so unexpectedly; the people that were killed as the towers came crashing down; the Firefighters killed trying to save as many as they could; the people and crew of United Flight 93 that so heroically brought the plane down in Pennsylvania so that others could live; the dead and wounded at the Pentagon; all of the surviving friends and families and all of us that were so affected by it all.

Let the memory stay alive so that this country can continue to be safe from the tyranny of any future terrorist attacks.  Let it stay alive so that we can be ever vigilant against our enemies whether they are visible or not.

Pray to God for His protection.  Repent to Him as a nation and ask for His forgiveness so that our land may be healed and we might be once again, in His good graces.

May God bless and give comfort to those today that are still suffering from the loss not only of friends and families, but of our innocence on that day.

..................Sharon

"We, the People" Published as Letter to the Editor in Jacksboro Gazette News 8/18/09

I try to keep up with current events especially legislation and comments/votes by our elected officials from the federal or state governments. I read a lot of email updates, Twitter updates and a few from Facebook. Sometimes I address my concerns on my website, www.yourpearlsmustalwaysbereal.blogspot.com or I "tweet" on Twitter and sometimes I write editorials.

My hope is to educate the public in the only way that I know how (by writing), so that you know how to get things changed; that you will recognize when things need to be changed and that you need to spread the word to others to do something.

We have been given a great gift in the freedoms that we have. People have fought and died for the freedoms that we take for granted. I know that many of you will be offended that I might be talking to you, but if the shoe fits.... I am talking to each one of you that did not vote in the last election; to each one that does not like the current plan for healthcare reform and has done nothing about it; to each one that voted for President Obama and now sees it as a mistake, but still does nothing to change what he is trying to do with his socialist agenda; to each one that did nothing when the stimulus package was up for a vote; to each one that does not know who his/her representatives are or how to contact them; to each one that does not know what is happening at the Townhall meetings or tea parties going on across the country; to each one that does not question everything that comes from any of the news media.

I do not care if you are Republican or Democrat, Liberal or Conservative, Right or Left or none of those. What I do care about is the way this nation is headed. Do you think that the federal government should take over running our lives on every level? Are we that inept?

A question from a citizen of Pennsylvania on the healthcare bill to Senator Specter was: “What I see is a bureaucratic nightmare, Senator. Medicaid is broke. Medicare is broke. Social Security is broke. And you want us to believe that a government that can’t even run a Cash for Clunkers program is going to run 1/7th of our U.S. Economy?” Add to that the postal service is on the verge of bankruptcy.

Do you think that the citizens of the United States of America can stand more taxes, higher fuel bills, forced healthcare, more support of illegal immigrants, fewer jobs, less savings, fewer basic freedoms like freedom of speech, freedom to bear arms, freedom to protest when our government oversteps its bounds?

I do not think we will survive as the great country that we are without intervention by "we, the people." You and I must let our opinions be known. We must let our elected officials know how we feel and that we will not allow these things to continue. We must let our friends and family know that we must stand for what we believe. We must vote. We must NOT sit idly by while our country is taken over by politicians that don't care what their constituents want and vote for things anyway because of party lines or a misguided support of the president (one really said he would do that.) We must encourage everyone else we know to do the same.

We, the people, must get up out of our chairs and stand for something or the United States as we know it, will fall. This is no longer the status quo. Our doing nothing will have dire consequences this time. The extremist agenda of the current president and majority party will change things forever. President Ronald Reagan said, "The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a government program."

We must exercise our rights, NOW and protect "we, the people."

We, the People...

I don't understand why the Democrats and Obama have such a problem believing that there are people, voters, out here that do not agree with much of anything that they are doing to take away our liberty.

I can't seem to get the picture out of my mind of all the "red" states as opposed to the "blue" states on the election map following the presidential election this past year. Every time that I hear of something else the liberals have come up with to spread the tenacles of big government into our personal lives and my beloved Texas, I cringe, but thank God that we are represented by those conservative Republicans of a red state.

Where are all of the people of those red states? They're the ones forming tea parties and protests. They are the ones that see through the worship of a man and into the hearts of those that are ready to lay down their lives for the preservation of their country. I can even see, now, some of the people of the blue states starting to question their choices.

I know that Obama is egotistical and self-centered, but this frenzy he is constantly stirring up, surely cannot be what he had in mind when he was running for the highest office in the land. How could anyone want to cause, on purpose, this much turmoil in the country they have just been elected to lead? I mean, what is his hurry to self-destruct or to destroy all that the people of the United States of America have fought so long and hard to build?

Do we not have laws in place that protect our country from dictatorship? Obama says sneeze and Pelosi says in what direction? Then the Democrats follow this order because??? Even the "Blue Dog" Democrats were bought out! Not by their constituency, but by the Yellow Dog Democrats. There is something wrong with this whole picture and I can't for the life of me, figure out how it is being allowed to happen!

Okay, yes, I agree that we need fixing in some areas, but let us take our time and figure it out a little at a time. We, the people, have been lost in this whole circus somewhere. We, the people, are a diverse group of individuals that need to come together to save our country from being split apart by the diversity we are so proud of. We need to consentrate on being first and foremost Americans. Period.

We, the people, have every right to state our views, vote our hearts and minds and protest what we deem as wrong. This is what is happening every time that Obama and his cronies dare to chip away at our constitutionally given rights. Our federal government is not supposed to be huge. The states are supposed to govern themselves The people are supposed to govern themselves. We, the people are supposed to be in control, not the federal government.

Have we, the people, gotten so apathetic that we are going to allow our legislators or our president to take away our rights? Don't you think it's time to take this country back? I think that's what is happening at the townhall meetings. That is also why the liberals are so afraid of Limbaugh, Beck, Hannity and Palin. They represent us. We, the people, are speaking out, defending our way of life.

It's time that our elected officials remembered that they represent us, the people that put them there and that if they can't do the job we want them to do, we need to remind them that we can find someone that will.

Response to Comment on Would You Hold Up the Flag?

I agree with your comparison of the rod and staff, however, I do not believe that patriotism is dead. I think we are seeing everyday, a more and more arousing of the sleeping giant of God-fearing patriots. I think that the apathy that has taken over the right wing conservatives is gradually melting away as we see what Obama and the other liberals are doing to this country. Even the media is starting to question. Some of the Democrats are starting to question. I think people are finally realizing the government isn't going to let us take care of ourselves without intervention, and that we don’t want to share our wealth with those that are too lazy to work and that we want other nations to know we ARE a Christian nation, NOT a Muslim one, among many other issues.

I don't think you should write off patriotism just yet. I think the basic Christian principles are still at work. Our country is founded and grown on them. I just think we have allowed ourselves to become complacent especially since some of the major denominations of Christianity for years, taught that we should not participate in politics...that we should only pray and God would handle it. Biblically, we are supposed to give to Caesar what is Caesar's and God what is God's. In this instance "Caesar" requires the participation of the conservative Christians in order to save him. I think the past mindset is breaking as they see that maybe this is the result of our sins and God's punishment and just maybe we should get back to actually reading the Bible instead of following tradition. God gives us choices and those choices have consequences.

I think as the scales fall off of the sleeping giant’s eyes, he will arise and be a force to be reckoned with.

We may have failed in our job of instilling patriotism, but I don’t think so. I would like to think that all three of my sons would hold up that flag alongside my husband and me...….we love our country and we know where we’re going to end up in eternity. We’re not alone and I think the world will start to know that FACT very soon.

Would you hold up the flag? Published in newspaper 12/28/09

I received an audio link the other day with the story of Francis Scott Key and how he came to write the Star Spangled Banner. The story is moving and you can look it up in the history books or on the Internet.


The short version is that the British Navy had hundreds of ships in the harbor at Fort McHenry in the War of 1812. They gave the insurgents one way out of being slaughtered… they could lower their flag at any time and the battery of artillery would immediately stop, the war would be over and Great Britain would once again, be in control of the new country. The patriots, of course, were determined that wasn't going to happen. A flag had been commissioned with dimensions of 32 x 40 feet with each star being 2 feet across, so that there would be no question that the enemy could see it flying from any vantage point.

Francis Scott Key, an attorney, had been sent to one of the British ships to make a deal for the release of prisoners when the officer told him they would all be free by the next morning because they would again be in control of the land. The firing commenced and Key watched it all from the ship. He conveyed what was happening to the prisoners in the hold of the ship in a play-by-play account. They kept asking him if the flag was still flying? Is the flag still flying? Can you still see the flag? The men below were praying during the night that the flag was still there in the morning. The British aimed all they had at the flag for the last three hours of the assault.

In the morning after all was over, there on the high point was the flag...in tatters...and at an odd angle, but there nonetheless. History tells us that the odd angle was because during the attack, the flag pole was snapped and to keep the flag flying, even though bombs were coming in faster and heavier, patriots were holding it up there. As each man was killed, another replaced him and another and another. These were the patriots that won our freedom....the kind of men that are heroes...the kind of men that have maintained our freedom.

I think the generation before me had that same patriot spirit, having been through the great World Wars. They sacrificed a lot. They passed it on to our generation. We saw patriotism in action: saluting the flag, standing when the flag went by, learning the Star Spangled Banner, the Pledge of Allegiance, and we honored our military. We respected our government and trusted them to protect us from the Communists. We were proud to be Americans. New immigrants arriving on our shores or coming in from the south or the north were proud to be Americans. They learned our language and our ways because they wanted to fit into the American way of life and they cherished the freedom that came with it.

This has all caused me to wonder if our generation has managed somehow to instill patriotism and pride into the younger generations and to wonder if we have allowed being politically correct to dissuade pride in people that have newly come to the land of hope and opportunity.

Have our younger generations managed to salvage what it really means to be an American or realize how many have died for them to be able to live free from tyranny?

I know the Viet Nam police action took its toll against support of the federal government and the military. Corruption in the government hasn't helped any, either.

I know there are a lot of problems that have come out of diversity like having to have your own identity (ex. Mexican-American, Japanese-American or African-American.) I'm thinking that everyone should just be Americans and unify as one people. We have divisions of political parties that are supposed to be speaking for "we, the people" not self-interests or special interests, so much so, that you don't hear about bipartisanship working anymore. We have religiosity dividing us into even more little groups when it should be bringing us together. Diversity and patriotism are opposites. We can't have both.

Our patriotism must totally outweigh our need to be an individual. Our country must take precedence over any one person's or group’s ego or arrogance.

I keep hoping that patriotism may be laying in wait and hidden until "such a time as this" comes upon them like happened on 9/11 and that the sleeping giant of God-fearing patriots will awaken and be ready to strike back at the snake. We are seeing this more and more as tea parties form and Internet sites, blogs, and other groups are reacting to the liberal left's agenda.

We have a responsibility to instill patriotism in each generation by teaching and showing them how to defend our Constitution, our rights and our country especially against those from within the system that are supposed to be protecting and working for us.

Although there will always be those who scoff and put down our country, burn our flag and spit on our soldiers, I hope that there are more God-fearing patriots out there who are going to be ready to stand up to threats within the United States, when they have had enough. I hope that the generations, including mine, have enough pride in their country and belief in God so deeply ingrained in their hearts that they will rise up and go into action to keep our country free from the tyrannical threats coming from any direction.

Search your heart when you ask yourself these questions, “Are you a patriot that would defend your freedom? Would you hold up our Stars and Stripes to keep her waving, even in the face of certain death? Do you love this country so much that you would put her survival above your own?” Are you part of the sleeping giant or have we failed?