REMEMBER WHEN - IN TWENTY-TEN

My motto for this year is “Remember when – in twenty-ten”

I remember when the Boeing 747 first went into service. I drove 35 miles to the nearest airport where one could be found. I walked freely into the terminal, down the wing to the gate, and right onto the plane while the cleaning crew was preparing it between flights. We walked all over, up into the “lounge” and even into the cockpit. No one cared, and the cleaning crew even was so polite they apologized for getting in the way. This was not that long ago, in the early 1970’s. In less than 40 years this wonderful world and society as we knew and wanted it has been destroyed. In reality, I sincerely believe we will never see those days again. Kids out playing all day long without every contacting home by a cell phone! Using the street lights coming on as a signal to go home during the summer. These and many other things can never come back again. Progress is good and necessary.

When are we going to wake up? We are so wrapped up in political correctness and protection of personal rights that we have forgot how to protect ourselves as a country. Heaven forbid we should use full body scanners at the airports that might “invade” someone’s privacy and disclose that they have an artificial hip, or even worse, breast implants or butt implants. Rather, we protect these things and allow a bomber to get on a plane. Does this really make sense? Is this really what we want? Is it really what we expect of our government?

It is time for the “nanny state” government to get out of the business of protecting individuals and begin protecting the entire country and society. I’m sure there are a few that may object to what they see as an invasion of their privacy. The easy answer is that they can take other forms of transportation. Yet this would take too long, or be less convenient. So to accommodate them, we put an entire airplane of people at jeopardy for the sake of the convenience of a few? We must prepare ourselves and be able to defend against the far too many radicals that now seem to control our world by way of fear tactics and suicide bombing.

Our nation has willingly and gladly accepted immigrants from most any country in the world. These folks arrived, typically moved into neighborhoods of folks of their own culture and proceeded to learn our language and to assimilate into our culture, while still maintaining their own. Pride of ethnic and cultural background is important and should be not only maintained, but respected. What is the difference between the past and now? Those folks maintained their culture within their home and neighborhood, but at the same time were glad and proud enough to now be in America that they worked very hard to learn our language, laws, and ways. They became part of us. They wanted to be part of us. Now, far too many immigrants, especially of different cultural and ethnic backgrounds come here to live, do not want to become part of our culture and do all they can to change our culture over to their beliefs and desires. And what have our representatives and government done about this? Either directly or indirectly they have supported these new immigrants at the expense of our country and society. Suddenly we are expected to change our lives, beliefs and lifestyles to accommodate these people.

We should be proud of the various cultural neighborhoods that exist within our country. These give those cultures the opportunity to continue with the traditions they may have had for centuries. These neighborhoods have existed for years in many of our cities without fault or problem. In fact and reality they have contributed to the enjoyment of many other cultures having the opportunity to experience how other people live and think without having to travel half way around the world.

Now come those who refuse to become part of our culture and society. For whatever reasons they may have, they refuse to learn our language, laws, or societal ways. Instead they fight our system, demand they be given rights to do things ‘their” way rather than trying to blend with us and become part of us. They come here, in many instances, because their own countries are poor, downtrodden, corrupt, and offer far less than we have. Yet they fail to understand and appreciate that the reason our country is better is because we do not allow our country to run the way theirs is. They use our legal system and courts to undo all the good that created our country, and ultimately allowed them to come here. They perpetuate “war” under the guise of religious beliefs to which we do not adhere or believe. They blame us for the fact that they create and distribute drugs from their country into ours. They defend their religion by saying the “radicals” are only a very small part of the total who follow that religion. Yes, this is true, but one percent (1%) of over 100 million is still one million, that is 1,000,000 people. That is far too many dissenters to be considered inconsequential.

It is time that We The People take back our nation. It is time we put politicians who are more interested in our nation and culture into office. To keep them from becoming too imbedded and secure in their positions, we should institute term limits. Two (2) terms for any position, period. If we can’t get our governmental bodies to pass the necessary laws to force term limits, We The People, still have the power. We just vote them out at the end of 2 terms. Yes, I know, we will lose some who have done, and may still do great things for our country, state or community, but the chain must be broken. If they are elected knowing they have only 2 terms at the most, to accomplish some good, they will work hard to accomplish those things. Political office should be a "Service" not a "Carrier".

So, as we begin this new year, let us “remember when”. Remember when We The People really ran our country. Remember when you could leave your doors unlocked. Remember when you just walked onto a plane without having to be searched. Remember when religion did not occupy so much of our time, but was something we each did and respected the other guy for whatever his beliefs might be. Remember when cultural differences did not mean cultural wars, either within our cities, or around the world. Remember the past was not perfect. Wars have always happened for as long as history exists. Remember that in past wars it was relatively easy to identify the enemy by his dress or uniform, unlike today. Most of all remember when our nation was first stated it was started by and for We The People. It is our nation and our land and it is time the We The People take our nation back under our control and out of the hands of 536 out of control narcissists in Washington as well as our state houses.