I Am An American (No Hyphen)... And I Shed Tears For My Country!
By William Bailey (01/21/03)
To those who are so "hang dog" and down on my country, listen to me a minute, please . . . I am, in no way, ashamed to tell you that I am an American ! I believe in my country. I shed tears when one of our military has sacrificed all for what we enjoy. I get "goose bumps" every time (no exception) that majestic piece of red, white and blue cloth goes by. And, I choke up each and every time that I hear the National Anthem.
I wore the uniform of my country, as have others and, as others are doing at this very time. And, I was proud to do so. All of us who did so have provided you with the continuation of the freedoms and liberties which you enjoy. Among those, the right to dissent . . . and yes, even protest, when you disagree with what the government is doing. Do I like everything the government does ? Nope ! But, let me ask you a simple question . . . before you started your protestation activity, did you stop and think that just maybe you didn't have all of the information ? Did it ever occur to you that many of those who lead the protest activities do NOT have the best interest of this nation at heart, but rather an agenda that has little, if anything, to do with what is best for the United States. Did you stop and think about those things ? Or, did you just get caught up in the emotions of the protest moment ?
Many are very vocal these days about how a number of "rights" have been taken away from the American people. I guess I'm not smart enough to know whether that's so. I do know this . . . when I turn on my TV I can watch any of the channels offered to me without any government interference; I still have the ability to read any of several newspapers and magazines (none of which are printed by the Federal government); I can still drive wherever I want to, whenever I desire . . . without the requirement of any type of pass or special papers. There are no "hob-nail" boots patrolling the streets around where I live. I can still go anywhere on the internet I choose . . . I can telephone anybody I want to at anytime of the day or night . . . anywhere !
Has the sensitivity to certain things increased since that infamous day on September 11 ? You bet your bippy ! And, I will give you odds that had that not been the case, the American public would've been screaming louder than it is now.
Hard as I try, however, I can find no valid grounds for people to be screaming that the President should be "impeached", or that he is guilty of "high crimes and misdemeanors". It sounds like a bunch of emotional "hype" with, absolutely, no factual foundation.
Please . . . I'm not trying to "preach" to anybody (I'll leave that to the clergy), but I ask again, please think it through before you jump on the "protest bandwagon" and join a group that belittles my country. I beg you ! If for no other reason than to honor and memorialize those who gave all that you might have that privilege. Think about it !
And, since it's the primary issue of the day . . . let me answer one of the questions that seems to be at the crux of the protest activity. Do I favor war ? Nope ! I don't know of anybody who has a reasonable level of sanity who prefers war. I can assure you that the true professional military person does not. But, I believe that you will find, if you take the time to check history, one of the surest deterrents to war is a strong and prepared national defense.
All I ask is that you think about those things I have (hurriedly) mentioned in sharing these thoughts. Then make a decision. More often than not, we find that when we react, we end up regretting what we did.
I have no shame in the tears I shed for my country nor the "goose bumps" that come up nor in choking up at certain times. I never have and I never will. I am an American . . . no hyphen . . . just a plain, simple American. One who is forever grateful to live in a land of freedom and liberty.
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