For the record, in Wake County yesterday, app. 13,000 students, a full 40% of the student body were absent. I hope the school administrators who disrespected our nation's fallen take notice. Because there is something wrong in America these days. Something that the new president cannot cure with "Hope" or "Change," because he is a symptom of the malady.
A cautionary tale:
In a traditional middle class neighborhood in Staten Island New York, aging veterans donned their gear, American Legion and VFW jackets and garrison caps. So attired, they moved, some with considerable effort, to stand in formation with current National Guard soldiers. Warriors past and present saluted the flag and laid a wreath, on a local memorial. The old vets had tears in their eyes, as they approached the younger versions of themselves thanking them for fighting for our country since 9/11.
The older generation guys didn’t fight in theater with nightly ice cream, 9-month tours, Internet, Private rooms with modern AC, two weeks’ leave, $25k in individual protective and fighting gear, extra pay for housing, etc.
They just fought bloody attrition warfare on the ground against the Emperor’s children and Nazis; with aircraft made of wood and gas tanks and engines; ships loaded with electrical gear, huge boilers, ammo and diesel all ready to blow at any time, and weapons aimed with a Mark 1 eyeball alone.
“And these guys are thanking us—thanking me?” My friend recounted of his day
A few hours later. A few miles north of NYC, in one of the nicer northern Suburbs. He was at an annual Memorial Day carnival to raise money for the town’s public school (which doesn’t really need any money).
The scene: several hundred families milling about, mostly graying yuppies and captains-of-the-universe hedge fund and white-shoe law firm types, trooping their Ivy League bound spawn around from ride to ride.
The US Army officer arrives in uniform. Not one person – not one – thanks him for serving. No one asks why he is in uniform. On Memorial Day.
“You could just tell from the glances and eyes turned away that some of these folks were quite uncomfortable with me there, for whatever their reasons: afraid that I’m a vet ready to snap, or scream at them for electing BHO, or yell at them for being greedy and selfish or, most painfully, ask them what branch of the service they were in . . . who knows.”
One guy, a scout troop leader – himself in “uniform” – managed to decline an offered $1.00 for a bottle of water, but even he couldn’t make eye contact with the recent veteran of two deployments. At least it was a gesture.
There was one old lady: “She had to be in her 90s, parked under a tree by her lousy preppy grandkids; with a huge sun hat and the kooky white-rimmed sunglasses. She looked over here glasses, smiled and waved. I waved back. I appreciated that.”
My friend went straight to the nearest American Legion post, ordered a beer, and toasted the Greatest Generation.
Welcome to Obamastan!
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