Outlaw Flag Burning

A few weeks ago when I took my oldest boy to Cub Scouts we taught the kids how to properly display, fold, and care for our flag. Now to a bunch of seven year olds we were making a really big paper football but they could tell that it was important to us grown ups so they played along. There were several fathers there that have served and it was interesting and comforting to see how they perked up in regards to the flag. After we were done and on the way home me and my little man talked about why the flag was so important. I’m sure that now he understands that it’s much more than a “big paper football” when you fold it up.
Of course our conversation got me to thinking, as they usually do. A seven year olds’ perspective on things has a way of doing that. When did flag burning ever become a legitimate form of protest? I think I already know the answer to that… the sixties. I guess the better question is what makes anyone think it’s an effective form of protest? Now correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t a protest an attempt for a group of people to get together and let their views be known? With any luck it will draw attention to their plight so people can hear their point of view and possibly change their mind about a given topic? If so, then why on earth would anyone take the one unifying tangible item we have in our society and burn it? Regardless of your political affiliation, your religious views on life, any personal views that you have, regardless of all that; we all live under this one unifying flag. We can all find comfort in the fact that we are all Americans and this one symbol gives us something to gather around, to unify us. Why would anyone want to destroy it? If someone wants to destroy it than a logical mind would conclude that they would want to destroy our unity. If that be the case then as far as I’m concerned they have just lost their right to be heard. If you will try to “rip the fabric” that unifies us then I’ve got no use for you. Disagree, that’s fine. In fact that’s good if you truly believe your point but trying to rip us apart serves no purpose other than to make us weak.
Too many people have laid down their lives for our flag. Not for the fabric that it is but for the unity that it represents. For that reason alone it boggles my mind why anyone would A) want to burn it, and B) why we would continue to allow it to be legal. I know, the response to that is going to be “free speech man…” Well set down the doobie, blunt, spiff, whatever you want to call it and think about that a little. If the only way you can get anyone to listen to you is to burn their flag then do you honestly think that you are going to sway their opinion? Banning flag burning does not in any way deny someone free speech. That argument sheds light on yet another prime example of why we should make everyone in school understand English. That way these knuckleheads will have a tool to use to express themselves other than burning my flag.
The free speech argument is bogus and doesn’t hold water in this corner of the blog-o-sphere.
I’m done for now. Thanks for listening.

What the Hell!!!!

You mean to tell me that a kid with a BB gun (unloaded mind you) could get up to a year in jail??? You've got to be kidding me!
http://www.nbc29.com/global/story.asp?s=6426170

This is yet another example of political correctness replacing common sense in our schools. College no less. This is just plain stupid.

You can't fight an ism...

Whenever I hear the phrase "the war on terrorism" I just shake my head. When President Bush started saying it I knew something just didn’t sound right about it. You can’t fight an ism. You fight people. You fight nations. You fight armies. You don’t fight an ism. However because of political correctness and a lack of gonads this country has been declaring war on isms. Let’s get some leaders that will “buck up” and call out the people that are causing this hell we are fighting.

I like President Bush. I think he is a decent man and I voted for him both times. I think his words are a bit contradictory however and unfortunately his inability to truly get his point across has cost him. He did call out the “axis of evil” but then stopped short by declaring war on terrorism. He needed to declare war on the people that are evil. Not on their ideas. In WWII we didn’t fight Nazism, we fought Germany. We kicked their ass too. We didn’t fight Imperialism, we fought Japan. Stomped them. Unfortunately our leaders, and I’m really worried that the general population, doesn’t have the guts enough to call out the offending countries and declare war on them. Political correctness is at its height…We’ve declared war on Terrorism and left everything gray as to our purpose, especially to those that only get their news in 20 minute chunks. We went to the right spot to fight and we’re fighting the right people but you have to win the hearts and minds in a war just as much as you have to win the battles. Now as far as the battles are concerned we are handing the bad guys their ass on a daily basis and will continue to do so. Our military has never lost a battle in Iraq. Then why is it that the perception is we have lost the war? It’s because we haven’t called those necessary out specifically. All of our politicians are hiding behind political correctness.

You can fight people that have a certain ideal but not the ideal itself. You have to win the hearts and minds by telling and showing everyone that a democratic ideal is far better than that of tyranny and oppression. You have to make it Waterford Crystal clear however that you’re fighting the people that think tyranny and oppression are the way to go. When this is accomplished then most everyone will understand why we are doing what we are doing and rally around us.

In Vietnam it was communism, we chose to bow and leave before getting it done. I prey that we don’t do the same in Iraq.

Fireside Chat, good ole boy style…

I was sitting around my fire pit last eve with family and a neighbor and the discussion of the state of the world came up. In our neck of the woods it’s a general consensus that Americans have become afraid of war and don’t have the stomach for it any more.

I hold the “greatest generation” in high regard, in fact I tend to set them on a pedestal because of what they were able to accomplish and the sacrifice they were able, but more important, willing to make. The most major influence in my life was my granddaddy, who was part of this generation. He made that sacrifice and entered the Marine Corps in 1942 and was in the south pacific shortly thereafter. He came from a very meager upbringing and yet he understood what was happening. I find it disheartening that in this “age of enlightenment” that we as a society can’t see the same thing happening. Do enough people actually think that we are not in the same type of struggle that our grandfathers faced down 50+ years ago? Natzism and fanitical Islam? Please don’t tell me that the ideas, principals, and good common sense that prevailed during that time are being buried with that generation. I pray that it’s still out here in the everyday guy on the street but after this past run at the elections I am beginning to worry. We need a Patton right now, a man that will stand on the nuts of the enemy while holding their throat.

People don’t change, the times may but human spirits don’t. Their have always been and always will be people who strive for personal freedom and those that strive to conquer those seeking it. Isn’t that what we see as the primary struggle in this world right now? In Iraq we saw a dictator that made a life of conquering those that did not agree with him. We see that in their society now. We saw that on 9/11 when we were attacked for our way of life. In Iran we see a neighboring country, striving to conquer, but they do it in a more subtle way. Instead of coming across the border with their tanks and troops they are sending “martyrs” in the name of Islam. Blah, Blah, Blah. That’s a load of crap. These people are trying to conquer. If we leave they will be in there immediatly. Once they have done that they will see weakness in us and point their sights towards us and don’t think they won’t. If they acquire nukes the game changes exponentially.

Now is the time to stand on some nuts and grab some throats, not tuck tail and look for a way out.

Parenting--Wow what an experience--

This is a topic near and dear to me since I’m trying to be a good one. While living our day to day lives it‘s easy to forget that our children are living their lives in ours. They learn how to live from us. Not just the basics of “do your chores, brush your teeth, finish your homework, etc.” but they also learn how to handle all of life’s little situations by how we handle them.

If they see us working hard, providing for our family, and maintaining some self control then that becomes their norm and they will hopefully follow suit. Sure, once they are older they begin to become exposed to outside influences and begin to draw their own conclusions but if we are able to give them the stability of a good solid home and give them the feeling of security then when they are comparing differing views on life they will hopefully make the right decisions.


Here is a partial list of things I hope to teach my children and hopefully live by:

1) Be kind to those around you.
2) Learn your core beliefs and feel confident in them. There is no reason to flaunt them to others.
3) Defend your beliefs but don’t force your beliefs on others.
4) Live and lead by example; remember actions ALWAYS speak louder than words.
5) Never start a fight but NEVER back down from one.
6) Trust your understanding of right and wrong and always do what you believe to be right.
7) You have 2 ears and 1 mouth; use your ears twice as much as you use your mouth.
8) Family is your core. Your family was put together by God for you. Always put your family first and treat them with the respect they deserve.
9) Never let outside influences override your common sense and your knowledge of right and wrong.
10) Traditional values will serve you well and will bring you comfort when times get tuff.
11) Love your country. Treat your fellow countrymen as if they were extended family.
12) Always use your manners. They never hurt and most always help.

Where our oil really comes from

Ever wonder where we get all our oil from? This also helps explain why we don't do much about illegal immigration. Our oil imports

Random Quotes I like--More to come

-It ain't that bad, if you ain't that particular...

-Never cuss a man when you're mad cause you can't cuss 'em like they need to be...

-If you're 20 and conservative you don't have a heart, if you're 40 and liberal you don't have a brain...

-An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile - hoping it will eat him last.

-America is the greatest, freest and most decent society in existence. It is an oasis of goodness in a desert of cynicism and barbarism. This country, once an experiment unique in the world, is now the last best hope for the world.

-We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail.

-Guns cause crime like flies cause garbage.

-I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.

-Red White and Blue down to the bone...You don't like that then take your punk ass home...