For the Good Times

Reach Your Peace

Reach out for peace, my friend

A warm, cool breeze

A wet, dry fire

A bird soaring on the ground.

A sonata in the cacophony

You will find your peace

Pray, cry, weep, smile

 

The gift is yours

In Honor of Our Country

For us all, God Bless all of us…..

American-Guest Post by KKHollis

When I was 17 years old and a senior in high school I took a contemporary literature class –I was kind of pushed into it since the teacher was also my coach. We read several books and we would discuss them as a group. I was reading books I probably would never have read on my own- since at that point in my life I was reading Stephen King and Anne Rice books! It was really a great experience for me and opened up my 17 year old mind. The last book we read was A P.O.W.’s Story: 2801 days in Hanoi by Col. Larry Guarino. The book had a tremendous impact on me as I read the horrors these men suffered. His story of 8 long years of physical and mental agony and suffering gave me pause. When you read something like that as when I read stories about the Holocaust- you picture yourself in that situation and if you would have had the courage and strength to survive. Many of my own family members were career military and I thanked god they had escaped such a fate. My teacher invited him to speak to our class and he accepted. He spoke to us for an hour or so, answered questions, and signed our books.

He was a very impressive man and all I could do was it back and think how they may have taken so much from this man, 8 years of his life but they never broke his spirit.

 

 

Col. Guarino was a prisoner at the same time as McCain but they were in different camps. McCain though is mentioned in the book, but that is not the point of my post-However, It is clear to me exactly what Senator McCain suffered and no matter my differences with him on political positions I honor his service, courage and patriotism. Like Col Guarino-they didn’t break his spirit.

 

So I digress,

 

I haven’t read this book in years, but recently I reread it when so much talk about McCain and his service has been discussed.

 

Something Col Guarino said in his book jumped out at me and made me really think about this primary season and this country. That is really the point of this post and made me want to write it.

 

The passage written by Guarino after an encounter with a Vietnamese interrogator nicknamed “Dog”

 

Guarino: “Later I reflected on the Dog’s mood and comments. Isn’t it amazing that when foreigners think of us-meaning “us” from the United States-they think of all of us as Americans. They don’t seem to notice whether we are white, black, brown or yellow, or whether our last names end with vowels or ski or whatever; to them we are all the same, Americans. Never does a man feel so American as when he is out of his own country. It’s pathetic that only in our own country, many of us still choose to identify ourselves by groups, whether by ethnic background, religion or color.”

These were his thoughts in the late 1960’s.

 

Food for thought.

The Consequence of Venom

Wikipedia’s Dictionary definition of venom is: any of a variety of toxins used by certain types of animals, for the purpose of defense and hunting, unfortunately the Democratic Party and their Presidential candidate, Senator Obama forgot to research the consequences of using venom.

 

All across this country there is a hue and cry against the “party of Inclusion’, a/k/a/ the Democratic Party. People, who include current and former Democrats and Independents leaning Democratic, are infuriated because of the Democratic Party’s insistence on injecting venous assaults of character and personal traits as a defensive strategy in their political campaign.

 

On September 3, 2008, one of America’s own, Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska, asked us to help elect John McCain as President and her as Vice President. Her request shall not go unanswered by the millions of people left behind by the Party of Obama, formerly known as the Democratic Party. The consequences of venom will exact their price in the form of millions of votes for the Republican Presidential Ticket. The price of venom translates into a projected loss for the Democrats.

 

In a changing world of new politics, card-carrying Democrats learned that unless they conformed to the policies and practices of the Obama Party they were not wanted in their own political Party. It did not matter that they marched for civil rights, championed causes for the downtrodden and less fortunate, fought for Women’s rights, or refused to let anyone suppress the rights of the American voter, in this “New World’ of lock-step unity, unless you support Senator Obama without any dissent, you are low-information, low-educated, a closet republican, or worse…a RACIST. With friends like the Party of Obama, who is in need of an enemy?

 

Millions of men and women of good conscience feel inspired by the ticket of McCain/Palin, and they will honor the service of Senator McCain and the leadership of Governor Palin with their vote in November. Hope and change are nebulous subjects, real reformers with a record of service, legislation, executive leadership, and pure patriotism for the causes of all Americans will win votes when they have two civic servants willing to do the work of the people. Country First, I say that is the consequence of venom.

 

 

My tribute to the Democratic Party after their Bashing of Women

This is for your hope and change

Blossoms in the Dust

 

One of my most favorite actresses of classic film fame is Greer Garson. After the media frenzy of the past few days regarding the pregnancy of Governor Palin’s daughter, I was reminded of one of my favorite films, Blossoms in the Dust, a biographical film about Edna Gladney, who founded the Gladney Center for Adoption in Texas. This movie showed a heart-wrenching struggle of a woman who fought to remove the illegitimate from the records of children, fought for their full and equal rights, and their right to be placed in loving homes without the stigma invented by society.

 

 

The feeding-frenzy that I saw on television, in print, and in the “blogosphere” disgusted me. First, the American public was buffeted with rumors that the Governor’s fifth child was actually her daughter Bristol’s child. Then, the story breaks that Bristol is currently five months pregnant; therefore, negating the rumor that she is the mother of a five month-old baby boy with Down Syndrome. The press went wild, the blogs went wild, and America went wild. The words of the day were “SCANDAL” and “ILLEGITIMATE”.

 

America should be ashamed. The Democratic Party, the party that prides themselves on inclusion, mercilessly attacked the Palin family, Bristol Palin, and Bristol’s unborn child. I am ashamed to be associated with a political party that is so blatantly hypocritical that they believe going after a seventeen year-old child is an acceptable political tactic. Donna Brazil stating that it is private, but okay to investigate the 17-yr. old’s pregnancy. My question to Donna Brazil is this, “Would you say the same if Bristol Palin was African American?”

 

The media used phrases such as; Bristol Palin’s pregnancy is a “damaging revelation “. A DAMAGING REVELATION? The Democratic Party’s candidate is the son of a bigamist. Is that a damaging revelation? Many members of the Democratic Party have children out of wedlock, as do many other Americans. Is it our duty to label or judge any of these people?

 

I do not have children, by my own personal choice. A choice that I made many, many years ago and I am pro-choice. Pro-choice as in everyone should have the right to either have a child or not have a child. I do feel that children are a very special blessing from God (or the creator/higher power) when they are wanted and loved, and for those children, who are not wanted and loved, I am thankful for the adoption agencies that place them in loving homes. I am so saddened by the snapping jaws of the media wolves and the mean-spirited gossip mongering bloggers that sought to tear down an American family that either you or I could be related. Everyone has a story, a relative, or a friend that faced an unexpected pregnancy, would we tear down, chew on, or merrily discuss the scandal of it all if it were our own personal relative or friend? I doubt it. Shame on the meanness of spirit and shame on the media for thinking that this is a story to discuss at all.

 

 

Acting as Americans, Not Partisans

A smart choice, and one that I approve.

 

Giving Voice

One can gain an interesting perspective by walking dogs and making conversation with people in your own neighborhood. Maybe because I work from home, and really have lessened my contact with “outsiders”, I find that speaking with strangers is easier than imagined. Having two adorable dogs makes people want to meet them or pet them to say hello.

 

This past week I met a very interesting woman who is now retired. She was a Social Worker that ran a house for recovering addicts. She had a large home with additions that housed up to 40 people. She still hears from her “clients” the ones that remain “straight”. As she was telling me her life’s story she seemed to glow. It all began because she was gardening in her yard and looked up while I was walking by with the dogs. I complimented her on her lush vegetation and overgrown tropical look, which I personally love. All of the other homes look so plainly manicured that it is inspiring to see nature lush and unleashed, on purpose.

 

In twenty minutes, I learned all about her and her passion for helping others, her handicapped dog, Scooter, and the future of the Homeowners’ Association. Needless to say, it was more than I expected from a two-mile dog walking experience, but as I walked away I realized how important that conversation was to her. I listened, sympathized, and realized that I allowed her to give voice to some very deep-seated feelings that she does not get to talk about often. Because of that twenty-minute conversation, I remembered my voice and vowed to continue blogging here and some other choice places.

 

The election this year forced me to give voice to help stop the suppression of the voters’ will. While finding my voice in the political world, I maintain a voice for life here, on Myfreewords! And I must say the singing of the song is sweet.

The New Reality

On August 29, 2008, Senator John McCain announced his selection of his Vice Presidential Running mate. That choice rocked the Nation. Senator McCain changed the Presidential Election game, HISTORICALLY. He went boldly into territory that no Republican dared to go before and put a FEMALE on the highest ticket in the land; he put a WOMAN a heartbeat away from the Presidency (if elected, of course).

 

This brave choice of his, really brought the word “new” back into the race. He showed America that one major political party could not trump history, and would have to share the word “historic” with the entire election process; thereby America could honor either Party with their “historic election” choice.

 

For those of us convinced that the Democratic Party left us, our values, our core considerations of fair play, and our true democratic values behind, we feel more than a scintilla of pride in the fact that the good Senator from Arizona had enough confidence in a woman’s ability to lead and govern to put her on the ticket with him as a true partner. Yes, her views are conservative, but, Senator Obama’s views and displayed tactics are not what we as Democrats, or Independents, approve of either.

 

This election really addresses many things. First, the future leadership of our country must have a leader that is strong, fair, and demonstrates integrity to our citizens, and the rest of the world. Second, this election shapes the future of the major political parties. In practice, the Democratic Party is now the Obama Party. Perhaps this is acceptable to some. Is it acceptable to all? Is voter suppression, voter manipulation, and delegate bonuses to some demographics over others acceptable to true Democrats? Third, this election could decide if ‘Identity Politics” is here to stay. These are just three realities we must question.

 

There is true power in a vote, and I suggest that we all really think about what this election means to us not only personally, but also for our children, and the citizens that will come after us as we write the history of the new reality.