Got Spirit?
What is a patriot? According to the Webster?s Dictionary it is ?one who loves his country and zealously supports its authority and interest.? I believe that is one half of being a patriot. The other half is standing up and speaking out against injustices.
America has been known as a country filled with compassion. If someone is suffering from genocide, ethnic cleansing, dictatorships or other absolutely horrifying situations, call America. However, if you are American citizens who are cityless, deal with it. We don?t want your complaints, whining or crocodile tears as far as we?re concerned.
Should a whole city be torn and destroyed like it was in some third world country, we can?t handle it. Didn?t you know, we?ve got more important things going on. We need to invade more countries, watch famous people fall and then mock them, make sure there?s no more trans fat and try our damndest to make sure Universal Health Care is a joke of the past.
I spoke with a Katrina victim a few weeks ago who almost came to tears as she spoke of the on going tragedies. We?ve given up on them. Did anyone ever ask when the rebuilding would be done? If someone had, they might have been told about the scams construction contractors are pulling.
Yes, I know. Every now and then there?s some news story that pops up reminding people that New Orleans is still in rubbles. When was the last time New Orleans was on the table in Congress? Hey, even the courts made their point when they ruled that the insurance companies didn?t have to pay out.
If we can?t even save our own people right within our own country, how are we supposed to save anyone else? If we allow our own fellow Americans to suffer while we sit in the comforts of our own homes telling ourselves not to think of New Orleans because it?s so far away, what makes us better than all of these other countries?
So, I ask you, what does it mean to be a patriot? Does it mean we sit back and lie comfortably in our beds forgetting our fellow Americans as they mourn a city that once brought joyful memories to all our minds? Do we tell ourselves that it?s okay because we made a donation or said a few prayers?
What happened to America the great known for its compassion and brotherhood? What happened to the people who started the revolution, stopped the prohibition, fought for civil rights, came out victorious during both World Wars, stood up against wars we didn?t agree with and what made this country great?
Our heroes are dead and the heroes that are left no longer matter. We still fly our flags and shout whenever we hear our National Anthem as we try to pretend that the spirit of America still runs rapid. Well folks, America?s spirit is officially dead. It died the day we decided to give New Orleans the finger.
"The Shocker"
Children are wonderful little people to learn from. I don?t have children but I have learned great tactics to use on adults. If you don?t have any, I seriously suggest taking nieces, nephews or small cousins for a weekend. The things you will learn will astound you. One lesson that sticks out is called ?The Shocker?. Great tactic.
I recently took my little cousins, the girl is eleven and the boy is thirteen, for the weekend. Of course, it?s summer in Las Vegas so we went swimming. Like two wolves, they started to stalk me in the pool. Both children were on a mission, to dunk me under water. They forgot I was older and had learned how to brace myself against such attacks.
All of a sudden, the boy grab my arms from behind while the girl took her position in front of me. I assumed they were just attempting to once again get me under water. However, this time was different. The little girl smiled and giggled. She looked at me and said the words that should never be said to a woman, she called me fat.
At that moment, my mouth hung to the bottom of the pool and my eyes bulged wide. In that one instance of reeling from shock, her brother plunged me under water. I bounced back up with a million smart remarks to fire the girl?s way only to realize that I was the adult. I wanted so badly to look at her and say, yeah well at least I have boobs.
For the next week, I was terribly insecure. I laid off the chocolate fudge brownie ice cream and pulled out the belly dancing tape. I was determined that even if she was just pulling a cute little tactic, I was going to make sure I wasn?t fat. But it didn?t help. I still needed reassurance from mirrors and my clothing that indeed I was not fat.
A few weeks later the news came, my little cousins were coming over again. The little girl wasn?t even here yet and still she had me defeated. I was feeling insecure and unsure about going swimming. However, I was worn down and agreed to go. We made the dreaded walk to the pool as I perspired not from heat but fear.
We jumped in the pool and it was d?j? vu all over again. The two wolves took their positions and when their attempts were once again fruitless, those horrible words were spoken again. This time was different, I had an advantage since she liked some of my shirts. So, like a choir of angels singing, I got the idea to turn the tables, which I successfully did. Both children were so stunned that I was able to dunk them under water.
I had won the upper hand and was reminded and taught how to use such a wonderful tactic in the real world against my peers in business.
