SwiftVets.com

[Schadow]

The grandkids are finally asleep upstairs. The burnt-out husks of the spent fireworks still litter the front lawn. I'll clean them up tomorrow. No use rushing things. The wreckage of the blueberry cobbler still sits on the dining room table, but not for long. I expect by midnight She Who Must Be Obeyed or I will have finished it off.

Got to thinking about Fourths past and, in my case, 'way past when things were simpler and better-defined. Governments large and small had not yet taken control of matters we were fully capable of dealing with - like fireworks. We live presently in the County (by about a quarter mile) and are therefore deemed more capable of handling fireworks than our neighbors in the City where such things are forbidden. I'm sure that somewhere there will arise a movement called something like, "Americans United Against Overt Displays of Patriotism", and the New York Times will applaud it.

Growing up in Southern California in the '30s, I had some good learning experiences with fireworks. Like the time I fired a Roman Candle into the tall date palm growing in our front yard. The lower, dead fronds obligingly caught fire and I caught you-know-what from my dad who managed to put the fire out with a hose, thereby saving the embarrassment of calling the Fire Department.

Much simpler times. Then came Pearl Harbor and everything changed. I've bored many of you before in this forum with how San Diego and my family and I dealt with those times so I won't repeat it all, except to say that we did deal with it and so did most everybody.

For instance, my grandfather and two uncles had a plumbing business at the outbreak of WWII. Suddenly, there was no cast iron pipe, no oakum and lead to put it together with. Copper pipe vanished along with galvanized. The business would seemingly be done for. But, my uncles immediately joined up, one becoming a B-17 waist gunner and the other a SeaBee winding up on Iwo Jima. Fortunately, when the war ended they both returned safely, the plumbing materials once again became available and their life went on. There was no cry of "victimhood" from them or from most people in those times. Many of the restrictions placed on us then would today be decried as "violations of civil rights".

Surely it was a civil right for my dad to be able to drive at night without taping the headlights down to narrow slits. Surely he should be able to buy gasoline and tires. Surely my mom should be able to obtain meat, butter, coffee and other staples. But the war needed these commodities and they were severely rationed to us for quite a while and we lived with it and made do.

The newspapers didn't reveal secret war plans or troop movements. Hollywood stars didn't go on radio to insult the President. Instead they, too, joined up. Roosevelt rounded up citizens of Japanese descent and got them away from the coast. At the time, this move was applauded as a wartime necessity and it probably was. Revisionists later would proclaim that this was an outrageous thing to do and reparations were made.

On 9/11/01, our country was hit hard on the mainland and deaths were 50% higher than at Pearl. There was a great display of patriotism which lasted for a few months, then it was back to complacent normalcy and the people, who were denied nothing they were used to having, began to hear that the President lied and led us into a war that was totally unnecessary. We're constantly fed polls designed to coax us into believing that things are in terrible shape. The pollsters have become very adept at framing poll questions to fit the desired result. Gullible people who thought things were going well see these polls and are made to feel they aren't in the "mainstream" and are tempted to change their minds. They still don't take with any seriousness the fatwa sentencing all of us to death.

I sincerely hope that another major hit does not need to be visited on us in order for people to awake and take this Islamofascist threat seriously. But how else will it happen?

It may be that it will take God to save the United States of America. Sadly, the civilian American people seem not to be up to the task. I sincerely hope I'm wrong.

Anyway, I hope you all had a happy 4th and paused at some point to reflect on the significance of this solemn anniversary of a time when brave men pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to give us the country we have.

I'd better get to that cobbler.

Schadow
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Capt, 8th U.S. Army, Korea '53 - '54

[dusty]

Good post Schadow. Enjoyed reading it and I think you are right on the money in your observations and reflections today.
I, as you, hope the truth will triumph over the deceptions, lies and half truths that have been spread over the land in the last couple of years by people who are putting their political ambitions over the good of the country.
As G.W. always says at the end of each of his speeches, "May God continue to bless the United States."
Enjoy the cobbler.

Dusty
_________________
Left and Wrong are the opposite of Right!

[LewWaters]

Eloquently stated, Schadow. Although I didn't come along until the late 40's myself, I too miss the simpler times I had.

If you make that next cobbler apple, I might have to join you in destroying it.

[Me#1You#10]

Schadow...right out of the Reader's Digest "Life in these United States" ... nice job

[GenrXr]

Mess outside to be cleaned in the morning, cobbler left on the dining room table and memories of my younger years come to mind. Thanks for the great post.

Hopefully, we will all awake to the threat eventually. although we might just have it too good here in Amercia. We might need to suffer more for people to come out of their sleep.
_________________
"An activist is the person who cleans up the water, not the one claiming its dirty."
"All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to stand by and do nothing." Edmund Burke (1729-1797), Founder of Conservative Philosophy

[NortonPete]

Thanks for a great post. I enjoyed reading it.
I couldn't agree more with every paragraph.

You hit on many of my favorite points, but my all time favorite is...

Does anyone know anyone who knows anyone who has responded to one of these "polls" which supposedly reflect everyone?????

I remember getting a call years ago from one of Ross Perot's campaigners.
Not really being a supporter but still respecting the man I attempted to answer some questions. Well it was a ridiculous waste of time which I cut short. Only a completely mindless, aimless person would spend the time.

Thanks again for putting your thoughts down so eloquently.