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Offline 5412

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Came to a major conclusion today
« on: January 09, 2011, 05:47:17 PM »
Hi,

Want to start this with a quote I sent to several friends today.

If some among you fear taking a stand because you are afraid of reprisals from customers, clients, or even government, recognize that you are just feeding the crocodile hoping he'll eat you last.- Ronald Reagan, 1964

I spent the better part of the day with a good friend who is a judge, and another who is a retired Marine (federal marshal and who knows what else?).  We discussed the events in AZ, the state of the union and where we think the country is headed.

I sent the above quote to several friends who are my peers (70 years old) and finally something that I have felt intuitively, really focused. 

Yesterday I saw a good friend who I gave a big hug, who is in his early 20's and just returned from an Iraq deployment.  He had 2-3 near death experiences including running a vehicle over a mine that would have blown his truck into confetti had the mine not been defective. 

Truthfully, what does a person like me have to lose by speaking out; particularly taking an active role against a tyrannical government?  I have said in the past I would rather die with my boots on, fighting for something I believe in, as opposed to drooling into a bowl of Cheerios in a nursing home.  I have a wonderful family who is grown, totally capable of surviving on their own.  In the year I was born the life expectancy of the male was 65 years and a couple of months so I have already experienced some extra credit courtesy of modern medicine and a merciful God. 

My young friend who deployed to Iraq a year ago had his whole life in front of him and much to lose.  I am at the opposite end of the spectrum, have much less to lose than the young folks that is for sure.  While I love my family, and really enjoy watching the grandchildren grow up; I also know that today is as good as it gets and with aging things will erode....  Secretly many of my peers have whispered back and forth to one another.  If the shit is going to hit the fan, bring it on while we are still of a mind and age that we can participate and make a statement.  Don't want it to happen, but no longer afraid of it either.  At this point, what have we got to lose?

While I have felt this way for awhile, I never saw things more clearly than I did today.  I think you may find many more seniors arm in arm moving forward than you may suspect.

regards,
5412

 
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Offline Eupher

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Re: Came to a major conclusion today
« Reply #1 on: January 10, 2011, 04:55:10 PM »
5412, I gotta say, you are an inspiration.

Keep on keepin' on.  :II:
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Offline The Hollywood NeoCon

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Re: Came to a major conclusion today
« Reply #2 on: January 10, 2011, 05:03:56 PM »
I'd say "Semper Fi," 5412, but I never had the fortune of being a Marine, so I'll just say thanks for that. Very well done.
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Offline JohnnyReb

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Re: Came to a major conclusion today
« Reply #3 on: January 10, 2011, 06:21:36 PM »
5412....time changes your perspective. 45+ years ago I saw myself as a "man"...and my Commanding Officers and Sargent's that were veterans of WW2 and Korea as "real men"....old men... now they all look to young to be in a war.

...and the dudes in the movies pulling the pin on a "pineapple" with their teeth...I think I could do that now with these new false teeth.

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“The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism. But, under the name of ‘liberalism’, they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program, until one day America will be a socialist nation, without knowing how it happened.” - Norman Thomas, U.S. Socialist Party presidential candidate 1940, 1944 and 1948

"America is like a healthy body and its resistance is threefold: its patriotism, its morality, and its spiritual life. If we can undermine these three areas, America will collapse from within."  Stalin

Offline 5412

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Re: Came to a major conclusion today
« Reply #4 on: January 10, 2011, 08:58:47 PM »
Quote from: JohnnyReb on January 10, 2011, 06:21:36 PM
5412....time changes your perspective. 45+ years ago I saw myself as a "man"...and my Commanding Officers and Sargent's that were veterans of WW2 and Korea as "real men"....old men... now they all look to young to be in a war.

...and the dudes in the movies pulling the pin on a "pineapple" with their teeth...I think I could do that now with these new false teeth.



Hi,

Thanks to all for the kind remarks. 

I want to be sure I am understood, and not misunderstood.  Much like a rattlesnake, they actually do all they can to avoid a fight.  On the other hand when the have no options they fight to the death.  I really fear for the future of our country.  Not going to look for trouble; but realized that I have little to fear and a responsibility to my children and grandchildren to try to clean up the mess created by my generation.  If it comes to me then my choice is made.

I do not have false teeth, but do have hearing aids.  Seems in Camp Lejeune I was crawling on my belly in an exercise and just as I got to a bunker some idiot decided to detonate what was supposed to simulate a mortar round exploding.  All that separated my ear from the explosion was a couple of RR ties and my ear hurt for a couple days; enough that I can tell you it happened in 1958 and I have never fogotten it.

If you ever tried to pull the pin on a grenade you would know that only happens in Hollywood.  Good news was I had a good arm so I could get them well down range.

regards,
5412

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