If you want some appreciation for the nation and freedoms we all enjoy, if you want to begin to understand what it means to be the child of a WWII veteran ... what it *should* mean to be an american, read this book.

I registered to vote, for the first time, in 1980. I am ashamed to admit that my motivation for doing so was explicitly to vote against President Reagan. I seem to remember it was because he was both too old and a warmonger. Afterall, I remembered Vietnam. It had been going on for almost my whole life. My dad was a democrat his entire life, and my mother still is to this day (she's voting for Bush though!).

I was 20 years old and very far left for/in those days.

President Reagan, I now know, would have been disappointed that I didn't share his vision at the time (I do now), but overjoyed that he'd motivated me to vote.

I don't, however, remember if I voted for or against him in 1984.

Unfortunately, I remained fairly left, or mostly uninvolved (though I continued to vote), for years after that.

I voted for Clinton the first time he ran. Yes, I admit it, but I'm not proud. Incidentally, THAT gives me the right to criticize him!

I watched Clinton closely because I didn't actually trust him. I voted for him because he was relatively young. He just seemed a bit too "slick" to me. I soon noticed his policies and priorities were both not what he campaigned as, and more importantly, not in keeping with my deepest values.

I know I voted against him when offered a second opportunity.

I truly learned a lot during the Clinton years. I learned what "right" and "left" refer to in the political jargon of this country. I realized that the left was not right. (pun intended)

I read. I listened. I watched. I voted "independent" for a number of years (I don't just vote every 4 years ya know - local is as important as national).

Now I am a Republican. I am 44 years old. I voted for George W. Bush the first time, and I'm going to do so again this year, destiny willing.

I owe Ronald Reagan, at a minimum, getting my attention as, and beginning to be truly proud of being an American.

But I know that I owe him much more. History speaks for itself.

Someday I'll expand on what I learned from Mr. Clinton. In that case, I can assure you, I'll show enough courtesy and respect to wait a respectful amount of time after the dirt is thrown on his ... his repose.

Speaking as someone that was once fully in the Left's camp (when it meant something), those on the left who have lashed out at the corpse of Ronald Regan before he was ever burried, you people show NOTHING but your absolute stupidity and anti-Americanism. You should all move to france and let the rest of us get on with the dream.

That wasn't very "Reagan like," and I apologize for it on that level.

That makes it no less true.

"In God's time, we will all be taken home" - Patti Davis (6/11/2004)

I cried.

 

One of the greatest survivors of the Greatest Generation has left us. We are all diminished.

If you are not a liberal by the time you're 20, you have no heart;

If you are not a conservative by the time you're 40, you have no BRAIN!

 

“Whatever else history may say about me when I’m gone, I hope it will record that I appealed to your best hopes, not your worst fears; to your confidence rather than your doubts. My dream is that you will travel the road ahead with liberty’s lamp guiding your steps and opportunity’s arm steadying your way.”

In the 1940's, a well organized, powerful, German and Japanese army would have turned the world in to one huge Nazi and/or Imperial State.

In the 2000's, a loosely organized, powerful, Terrorist army seeks to turn the world into one huge barbaric society whose actual implementation would set all of civilization back to the stone age ... a sci-fi horror movie would be our dying reality.

Where's the difference? The terrorists are scarrier and harder to beat.

WAKE UP!

WE ARE IN A VERY REAL WORLD WAR THREE ! ! ! ! !

It is the VETERAN, not the preacher,
who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the VETERAN, not the reporter,
who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the VETERAN, not the poet,
who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the VETERAN, not the campus organizer,
who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is the VETERAN, not the lawyer,
who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the VETERAN, not the politician,
Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the VETERAN,
who salutes the Flag,
who serves under the Flag,

ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD,

AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.

I don't know if you saw this in the news but it really
impressed me. Funny, when Hurricane Isabelle hit, our
US Senate/House took 2 days off as they couldn't work.

On the ABC evening news, it was reported that, because
of the dangers from Isabelle approaching Washington DC,
the military members assigned the duty of guarding the
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were given permission to
suspend the assignment.

They refused. "No way, Sir!"

Soaked to the skin, marching in the pelting rain of a
tropical storm, they said that guarding the Tomb was
not just an assignment, it was the highest honor that
can be afforded to a serviceperson.

The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7, since
1930.

We can be very proud of our young men and women in
the service no matter where they serve.

God Bless them.

OK, I have had it. I've taken all I can stand... no more. Every time
TV is on, all that can be seen are effeminate men prancing about,
redecorating houses and talking about foreign concepts like "style"
and "feng shui."

Heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, transsexual, metrosexual,
non-sexual; blue, green, and purple-sexual - bogus definitions have
taken over the urban and suburban world!

Real men of the world, stand up and yell "ENOUGH!" I hereby announce
the start of a new offensive in the Culture Wars, the Retrosexual
movement.

The Code :

A Retrosexual man, no matter what the women insists, PAYS FOR THE DATE.

A Retrosexual man opens doors for a lady. Even for the ones that fit
that term only because they are female.

A Retrosexual DEALS with IT. Be it a flat tire, break-in into your
home, or a natural disaster, you DEAL WITH IT.

A Retrosexual not only eats red meat, he often kills it himself.

A Retrosexual doesn't worry about living to be 90. It's not how long
you live, but how well. If you're 90 years old and still smoking
cigars and drinking, I salute you.

A Retrosexual does not use more hair or skin products than a woman.
Women have several supermarket aisles of stuff. Retrosexuals need an
endcap (possibly 2 endcaps if you include shaving goods.)

A Retrosexual does not dress in clothes from Hot Topic when he's 30
years old.

A Retrosexual should know how to properly kill stuff (or people) if
need be. This falls under the "Dealing with IT" portion of The Code.

A Retrosexual watches no TV show with "Queer" in the title.

A Retrosexual does not let neighbors screw up rooms in his house on
national TV.

A Retrosexual should not give up excessive amounts of manliness for
women. Some is inevitable, but major reinvention of yourself will
only lead to you becoming a froo-froo little puss, and in the long
run, she ain't worth it.

A Retrosexual is allowed to seek professional help for major mental
stress such as drug/alcohol addiction, death of your entire family in
a freak treechipper accident, favorite sports team being moved to a
different city, favorite bird dog expiring, etc. You are NOT allowed
to see a shrink because Daddy didn't pay you enough attention. Daddy
was busy DEALING WITH IT. When you screwed up, he DEALT with you.

A Retrosexual will have at least one outfit in his wardrobe designed
to conceal himself from prey.

A Retrosexual knows how to tie a Windsor knot when wearing a tie --
and ONLY a Windsor knot.

A Retrosexual should have at least one good wound he can brag about
getting.

A Retrosexual knows how to use a basic set of tools. If you can't
hammer a nail, or drill a straight hole, practice in secret until you
can -- or be rightfully ridiculed for the wuss you are.

A Retrosexual knows that owning a gun is not a sign that you are
riddled with fear. Guns are TOOLS and are often essential to DEAL
WITH IT. Plus it's just plain fun to shoot.

Crying. There are very few reasons that a Retrosexaul may cry, and
none of them have to do with TV commercials, movies, or soap operas.
Sports teams are sometimes a reason to cry, but the preferred method of
release is swearing or throwing the remote control.

Some reasons a Retrosexual can cry include (but are not limited to)
death of a loved one, death of a pet (fish do NOT count as pets in this
case), loss of a major body part.

When a Retrosexual is on a crowded bus and or a commuter train, and a
pregnant woman, heck, any woman gets on, that retrosexual stands up
and offers his seat to that woman, then looks around at the other
so-called men still in their seats with a disgusted "you punks" look
on his face.

A Retrosexual knows how to say the Pledge properly, and with the
correct emphasis and pronunciation. He also knows the words to the Star
Spangled Banner.

A Retrosexual will have hobbies and habits his wife and mother do not
understand, but that are essential to his manliness, in that they
offset the acceptable manliness decline he suffers when married/engaged
or in a serious healthy relationship - i.e., hunting, boxing, shot putting,
shooting, cigars, car maintenance.

A Retrosexual knows how to sharpen his own knives and kitchen utensils.

A Retrosexual man can drive in snow (hell, a blizzard) without sliding
all over or driving under 20mph, without anxiety, and without
high-centering his ride in a snow bank.

A Retrosexual man can chop down a tree and make it land where he
wants. Wherever it lands is where he damn well wanted it to land.

A Retrosexual will give up his seat on a bus to not only any women but
any elderly person or person in military dress (except 2nd Lt's) NOTE:
The person in military dress may turn down the offer but the Retrosexual
man will ALWAYS make the offer to them and thank them for serving their
country.

A Retrosexual man doesn't need a contract -- a handshake is good
enough. He will always stand by his word even if circumstances
change or the other person deceived him.

A Retrosexual man doesn't immediately look to sue someone when he does
something stupid and hurts himself. We understand that sometimes
in the process of doing things we get hurt and we just DEAL WITH IT.