The Many Faces Of Patriotism

I have an acquaintance who writes a column, Front Porch, for Spokane's Spokesman Review. Today she wrote a heartfelt recollection of the show of patriotism she witnessed in the recent Armed Forces Torchlight Parade. She had the privilege of riding with five Pearl Harbor survivors. There are so few left; their stories are riveting and should never, ever be forgotten. She came away from the experience with the hope that patriotism is alive and well.

I believe it is too and signs of it go beyond people applauding and cheering veterans in parades. Considering politics has politicized patriotism to the point of labeling those who don't agree with one side or the other as unpatriotic, the people themselves are showing the truth of the matter.

Movements, be it Tea Party or otherwise, are letting the government know they are going too far in changing our America.

You see it in the number of veterans running for office.

You see it in the respect members of the military get on the street. It may not be spoken, but rather a nod of the head and a smile. It says the same thing.

You especially see it in a much more informed and passionate electorate. Don't mess with what made America great. We don't want to be like Europe. We don't want our President bowing to foreign leaders. We don't want our President blaming all that is wrong on the previous administration while duplicating those actions.

You see it in the ongoing primaries. It's time to clean house. On both sides of the aisle. It's happening. We're showing just who the patriots of this country are. It's all of us. For loving it and not leaving it. By being engaged rather than disinterested.

When kids cheer and clap and young boys doff their hats, you know it's catching on. Now if we can put in place a government that won't disappoint them with unfulfilled promises, we'll make consistent voters of them.

They are the future. If we can give that type of government to them as our legacy, we'll truly be patriots and they'll stand in good stead.

Memorial Day. A time for remembrance of the sacrifices of those who came before us and a time to remember what we must do to preserve that for which they made those sacrifices!

Fly the flag while you're at it.

When The "Bingo" Bulb Burns Out

We live in a time of instant gratification. Remember when dial up was the norm for your computer? Look at it now!

So why is it we have an administration so bent on commissions to study every issue that comes along. Pair that with a President who's bulb isn't screwed in tight enough, we have problems. With mid terms behind us it will be interesting to see how many times that old bulb flickers when it comes to candidate support. The President flies to California for a big bucks fund raiser for Barbara Boxer yet let Arlen Specter go down in flames. Flicker.

He's opting out of the wreath ceremony in D.C. for one in Chicago, where he will be vacationing. We have men and women at war in two countries and one on the verge. Flicker.

Instant gratification. I had hoped for it after my acupuncture session yesterday but was told to be patient. Things would get worse for a spell. The acupuncturist sure wasn't whistling Dixie! I hurt so bad today I relegated my activity to the couch and while there listened to Obama's explanation of his response to the oil spill.

He and his team were on top of it from day one he said. They were studying what to do. As for Governor Jindal's request for sand dams to hold the oil off shore; well, the Corp of Engineers were studying it. There would be a commission set up to study ways to address such disasters should one reoccur. There would be a commission set up to study drilling and exploration leases.

Commissions for this, commissions for that. It's good to talk things through but there never seems to be timely end results. No instant gratification. That old "bingo" bulb just flickers away.

On the Arizona immigration bill. The Fed's are studying it. Meanwhile 1200 hundred troops will be sent somewhere along the border to help out. Flicker. They will have no authority to make arrests. Oops! The bulb just burned out.

Obama had best start pondering whether or not he'll seek a second term right now. By the time he studies it to the point of actually making a decision the election may well be over!

We Need A Real Third Party

We need a real third party to which the moderates from both the Republicans and Democrats can migrate and join with independents. The two part system no longer works because it's too fragmented and at the same time, too partisan.

On the Democratic side you have the left and the far left. The only time they come to the center is during a Presidential election because left and far left do not have the numbers to win on their own. Even Obama was more of a centrist during his campaign, though he is anything but right now.

The Republicans are even more fragmented. They have the right leaning, the far right and the Tea Party. Again, none of the fragments can win a national election on their own. I will be surprised if Rand Paul, the first Tea Party type to win a primary, will win the Senate seat for which he is running. Emboldened by his win he has been free with his opinions that are anything but main stream. There is nothing wrong with that in itself but there is a limit as to how bizarre thinking can or should be.

At the moment, the Christian Conservatives are being fairly quiet. Perhaps that's because there is no real Republican leadership to take to task for not being far enough right. The Tea Party is a mixed bag depending on which branch you're dealing with. No direction to count on there.

The far left is not happy with Obama for not being far enough left. The rest of the Democrats seem to be marching like Lemmings to the sea behind Speaker Pelosi and Leader Reid.

Bi-partisanship under this administration is beyond hope. Obama's idea of it is for a few Republicans to turn their backs on their own party's policies and join with him. Compromise is not part of his vocabulary. Scolding and "catch up" is. Scolding as in taking Arizona to task for taking needed action. "Catch up" is sending 1200 National Guard troops to the border. But compromise with the Republicans and fix the border first, which is the easier of the tasks, then tackle the problem of illegal immigrants already in the country? It won't happen.

So where do the moderates and independents go? They are ignored by both sides yet they are the last best hope to raise the country out of the mess it's in. I wish the President was one of us, but he's not. Surely there is a viable leader lurking in the shadows somewhere. Come out, come out where ever you are!

I'd not think it all bad that a coalition government might have to be formed with a third party. Like the Brits. If no party gets the pre-determined votes necessary for an outright win, a coalition would be formed to make up the difference. Under any circumstance that would require compromise.

After all, that's what it's supposed to be about!

How Many Pills Would YOU Take?

Remember a few months ago when actress Brittany Murphey was found dead? Being an actress it was natural to think "drug overdose". Though they found prescription drugs in her system, it was determined an overdose was not the cause.

Today her distraught husband was found dead. Some of the prescriptions she took were found in his bedroom. It's too soon to know if his grief was so great he decided to follow her or that two young people, married, died within weeks of one another was a coincidence!

There was a time when I wondered how they got the number of drugs necessary to cause a death. I now know.

Those who follow me know I occasionally write of my problem of chronic pain. It's been five years now since the problem started. I've done everything asked of me. Physical therapy, massage, shots, etc. etc. ad nauseam. And pills. I think I've been on every non-narcotic pain and anti-inflammatory medication known to man. With no relief.

It started slowly. Adding one medication to another. Increasing the dosage. Still to no avail. Essentially we're working toward the implantation of a neurostimulator that sends electric impulses that block the pain. Before I get to that however, I have to try everything. That includes narcotic medications.

On my last visit I was given one such prescription. I asked if it was in lieu of what I was already taking. No, take them together until I feel I don't need the original pain killer. When I told Hub what was happening, he suggested in no uncertain terms that it should be absolutely the last resort. What about hypnotism or acupuncture from a practitioner not trying to rearrange you're life by selling you programs and products you neither want nor need?

I called the doctor and was told to forget hypnotism but was given the names of local acupuncturists. I was told to take the medicine too because of the time frame needed for acupuncture to work. I got on the handy dandy Internet to do some research and didn't like what I read.

Here's my problem. We're meeting friends from Great Britain in a couple of weeks and no doubt will want wine with our dinner. The following weekend we're meeting friends for a weekend of wine tasting. I hadn't planned on being the designated driver. But when I asked the nurse if any alcohol was allowed she said the medication affects the respiratory system as does alcohol and when over done people tend not to wake up. Maybe Ms. Murphey's husband? I'm remembering Heath Ledger. I think not.

So here's the decision. I'll struggle on as I am until the festivities with friends pass. I'll have started acupuncture by then and we'll see where it goes.

What I don't understand is why, if there is a device that is known to be effective, why one would be asked to take a narcotic before insurance or medicare would pay for the device! It makes no sense to me. I can give up my wine. That's not the issue. What is, is putting someone on a narcotic when it's not necessary. What point is proven?

I have no idea how this is going to shake out. I tried acupuncture before with poor results, but I'm firmly convinced the practitioner did not have my best interests in mind. I can but hope for better results with a doctor recommended one.

Will I take the narcotic for a month or so if necessary to satisfy medicare? I'm really not sure. Really. Not. Sure. What a position to be put in. Live with pain that is barely tolerable or take an addictive drug as a mere step toward no medication at all!

And they wonder why there is insurance and medicare fraud!

The Meek Shall Inherit The Earth And The Garbage That Comes With It!

Is anyone other than myself getting tired of our government apologizing for the immigration law Arizona recently passed. First we listened to President Calderon of Mexico scold us. The photo is of a mess left behind at one of the way lays on a route out of Mexico heading toward Tucson. His people fleeing his country. Imagine that along all the routes smugglers use out of Mexico.

By their own admission neither Big Sis Napolitano nor AG Holder had read the bill before criticizing it. Napolitano even said the borders are as secure as they've ever been. She had the previous watch and is telling us, though I doubt she intended it this way, the borders are not secure now and never have been. But we're hung up on hurt feelings if asked to produce proof of legal stature in this country.

The last straw was Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy and Human Rights and Labor, Michael Posner, being told by the Chinese, of all people, this was a trend they found "troubling".

With primary elections under way for the next Congress, I hope the voters are paying close attention to what the candidates stand for. If it's for a strong America, one had best not vote for a supporter of Obama's policies.

I'm to the point I'm not sure I can vote for our Blue Dog. Sarah Palin, campaigning for a challenger, summed it up when she said, "...Walt, it's who you're hanging with...". I really don't think this country can recover from continuing one party rule. Actually, the ailment has to cease before it can recover and as long as the Democrats hold sway, everything we once were is going to continue to disintegrate.

The solution to the immigration problem doesn't have to be all that "comprehensive". Part of it, yes, the part about the illegals already in the country. The part about securing the borders should be a totally different issue. Do it. It's not rocket science.

If the Feds had done it instead of politicizing it way back when Reagan issued amnesty Arizona would not have had to do as it did. I hope the other states contemplating similar measures follow through and through and through until the Federal government gets the message. Don't apologize to the oppressive, don't scold Arizona, don't support those who are trying to make it into something it's not and do do your job. Secure the border!