long may she wave

As long as I can remember my father has had Old Glory on a pole whipping around in the wind by his once immaculate flower bed. Part of his daily ritual is turning the light off and on that illuminates the stars and stripes. He was a supply man in the Air Force during the Korean conflict and spent a good amount of time in the Azore Islands. I still have his language textbook from Portugal and somewhere there is a full length wool dress coat that I once wore over bare feet to Led Zeppelin concert. Daddy never understood my resistance to Vietnam having grown up during the time when goals of the military were clear cut and for a purpose to defend our country. The Vietnam war was definitely not that. Every war since then, including Desert Storm, was based on protecting access to foreign oil. See: Koch Brothers, et.al.

Oscar and Peggy Bruce came from Mississippi sometime prior to my elementary school years because he was the principal who told my mother that every time he walked past my room I was looking out the window in spite of my higher than average IQ. Miss Peggy was a librarian and Jeanne Mallard an English teacher. My Uncle Jim and Ms. Ann Rone taught music. Mom and Peggy played bridge together every other Tuesday like clockwork. After Peggy died, Mr. Bruce was pretty much at a loss about what to do with himself. There was the usual parade of church ladies with casseroles but he chose to spend time with Mom and Daddy instead. One 4th of July (probably after picking sweet corn) I stopped by the homeplace and found him there visiting my folks. I sat on the carpet like a little kid listening to his story from Iwo Jima and how he was one of the 10% who made it out alive. He carried shrapnel internally for the rest of his life.


Was it Truman who said that "war is hell?" I'm not sure but I believe that to be a true statement. Homeland security is a must and I'm afraid that we have neglected our own in order to further the interests of some rich folks. I believe in American values which have gone by the wayside, including villages sticking together and helping each other. Much more can be accomplished at the local level than through some giant government program that is easily abused. Community farms and daycares....church based health services. All of these and more would be easy to implement and change lives. I know, what a dreamer I am.

I am grateful to be an American even though I don't like the political climate. Long may she wave ^j^