Just as
it has for the past decade, the rising sun on
September 11th did it again. Our regional country /
western radio station, KCTR, plays patriotic music
on the anniversary of the 9-11 terrorist attacks and
it always coincides with my morning travels east on
Old Highway 10 as I drive to my clinic. The blinding
sun was just breaking over the Laurel skyline and
the bugs and scratches on my windshield made
oncoming traffic dangerously invisible. However,
waving clearly and proudly above the horizon in the
golden morning sunlight was Old Glory attached to
the structure found in every small town in rural
America—the main street, corrugated-tin, grain
elevator. With Johnny Cash referencing our stars and
stripes with the words “…she may be threadbare and
wearing thin, but she is in good shape for the shape
she’s in,” I had a lump in my throat and a tear in
my eye and I found myself driving slower and slower
so as to savor what it means to be an American—at
least to me. Ours is a great country and it pains me
greatly to think the blood spilled by patriots over
236 years could be washed away and forgotten by the
results of this election.
Over six years ago, and against the wishes of
campaign advisers, I launched this op-ed column when
I entered the political arena in my first run for
office. I was warned my words would be used against
me and it would be easier to campaign from the
middle of the road and just smile and wave a lot;
something I simply cannot do. You and I have had
over 300 one-way conversations addressing every
possible political topic and each week I try to jolt
you with a political truth. You see, I love America,
but I gravely fear for her future and I refuse to go
down without a fight.
Here is my concern: Everyone is a flag waving
patriot on September 11th and then on September 12th
they collapse back to the misperceived safety of
their big government cocoon. Liberalism is
completely contradictory to the US Constitution, so
our founding document is ignored; the masses are
given free stuff while the rest of us and our
descendants are enslaved to pay for it. This should
enrage most Americans, but I am afraid it does not.
Thursday night, I was rattling down a gravel road to
treat a horse choking on pressed beet pulp when I
passed a farm yard with a line of campaign signs
supporting progressive candidates. “Is every one
sleeping?” I mumble to myself. “Progressives in both
parties are leading America on a path to complete
collapse and no one seems to notice or care.”
Unfortunately, progressives refuse to be enlightened
by logic, facts or figures, so I just as well quit
worrying about it and focus my attention on those
who understand the difference between free stuff and
freedom; two completely contradictory commodities.
This election, voters who understand liberty must
cast a freedom ballot, or forever wish they would
have. Patriots, please consider this a call to
action to be certain every like-minded individual
you know is registered and timely casts their
ballot. History shows there will be legislative
races decided by less than a dozen votes and US
Senate races settled by less than 4,000. Enslavement
from full implementation of Obamacare could be
decided by the people living on your creek, on your
street, or in your small town. You be the one who
stands up and saves our great American experiment in
freedom because no one else will.
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