Hi Lou And Everyone;
I'm sorry this message went to our list.
However, this is one of the few lists where we could express our political
opinions.
However, I did not mean for this post to come to our list.
Thanks for your understanding.
73 De Anthony W2AJV
[log in to unmask]
ECHOLINK NODE NUMBER: 74389
----- Original Message -----
From: "Louis Kim Kline" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, March 30, 2008 3:22 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: Worth Reading: Pledge of Allegiance by John McCain
> Hi.
>
> As long as we are getting political, I'll express my views.
>
> I'll say that pledge again when we return to following the Constitution
> that that flag used to represent and for which that young man fought. I
> am
> frankly shocked that Americans do not see those founding principles as
> being of utmost importance. Even for so-called security sake, when you
> give up liberties, you generally don't get them back. It is easy to be
> complacent about this as long as they are going after the other guy. But
> when you can make up the rules as you go, and hide under homeland security
> as the clause that absolves all, what is to stop you from ignoring the
> rules for any reason that suits you. I don't trust Bush or his goons as
> far as I could throw them, and this isn't the country that the flag used
> to
> represent, and frankly I don't care if you want to call me unpatriotic for
> that or not. If backing the likes of George W. Bush and his ilk to go
> around being the international bullies under false pretenses constitutes
> patriotism, then I would just as soon return to the British crown, thank
> you very much.
>
> In fact, a real patriot should insist that this government return to the
> principles that our Constitution stands for. That would be an end to
> search and seizures without warrants just because someone can conveniently
> say that someone might pose a security risk to the country.
>
> Normally, I don't like to express my views in this forum, but if you are
> going to shove the flag in my face, I'm going to tell you what the flag
> should stand for, and what a bunch of self-serving phonies the current
> administration represents. This isn't about being a Republican or a
> Democrat. If Jimmy Carter had tried what Bush is done, I'd have hung him
> out to dry verbally as well.
>
> Now, can we get back to talking about ham radio?
>
> 73, de Lou K2LKK
>
> At 02:11 PM 3/30/2008 -0400, you wrote:
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: "Bob Tinney" <[log in to unmask]>
>>To: "Bob Tinney" <[log in to unmask]>
>>Sent: Sunday, March 23, 2008 4:08 PM
>>Subject: Worth Reading: Pledge of Allegiance by John McCain
>>
>>
>> > I've seen this before, but it's worth reading again!
>> > Bob, [log in to unmask], K8LR
>> > Skype name: bobtinn
>> > Live Long and Prosper!
>> >
>> >
>> > In light of the recent appeals court ruling in California, with respect
>> > to
>> > the
>> > Pledge of Allegiance, the following recollection from Senator John
>> > McCain
>> > is very appropriate:
>> >
>> > The Pledge of Allegiance' - by Senator John McCain
>> >
>> > As you may know, I spent five and one half years as a prisoner of war
>> > during
>> > the
>> > Vietnam War. In the early years of our imprisonment, the NVA kept us in
>> > solitary confinement or two or three to a cell. In 1971 the NVA moved
>> > us
>> > from
>> > these conditions of isolation into large rooms with as many as 30 to 40
>> > men
>> > to a room.
>> >
>> > This was, as you can imagine, was a wonderful change and was a direct
>> > result
>> > of
>> > the efforts of millions of Americans on behalf of a few hundred POWs
>> > 10,000
>> > miles from home.
>> >
>> > One of the men who moved into my room was a young man named Mike
>> > Christian.
>> >
>> > Mike came from a small town near Selma , Alabama. He didn't wear a pair
>> > of
>> > shoes
>> > until he was 13 years old. At 17, he enlisted in the Navy. He later
>> > earned
>> > a commission by going to Officer Training School. Then he became a
>> > Naval
>> > Flight
>> > Officer and was shot down and captured in 1967. Mike had a keen and
>> > deep
>> > appreciation of the opportunities this country and our military provide
>> > for
>> > people who want to work and want to succeed.
>> >
>> > As part of the change in treatment, the Vietnamese allowed some
>> > prisoners
>> > to
>> > receive packages from home. In some of these packages were
>> > handkerchiefs,
>> > scarves
>> > and other items of clothing.
>> >
>> > Mike got himself a bamboo needle. Over a period of a couple of months,
>> > he
>> > created an American flag and sewed it on the inside of his shirt.
>> >
>> > Every afternoon, before we had a bowl of soup, we would hang Mike's
>> > shirt
>> > on
>> > the
>> > wall of the cell and say the Pledge of Allegiance.
>> >
>> > I know the Pledge of Allegiance may not seem the most important part of
>> > our
>> > day
>> > now, but I can assure you that in that stark cell it was indeed the
>> > most
>> > important and meaningful event.
>> >
>> > One day the Vietnamese searched our cell, as they did periodically, and
>> > discovered Mike's shirt with the flag sewn inside and removed it.
>> >
>> > That evening they returned, opened the door of the cell, and for the
>> > benefit
>> > of
>> > all of us, beat Mike Christian severely for the next couple of hours.
>> > They
>> > opened the door of the cell and threw him in. We cleaned him up as well
>> > as
>> > we
>> > could.
>> >
>> > The cell in which we lived had a concrete slab in the middle on which
>> > we
>> > slept
>> > and four naked light bulbs hung in each corner of the room.
>> >
>> > As I said, we tried to clean up Mike as well as we could. After the
>> > excitement
>> > died down, I looked in the corner of the room and sitting there beneath
>> > that
>> > dim light bulb with a piece of red cloth, another shirt and his bamboo
>> > needle,
>> > was my friend, Mike Christian. He was sitting there with his eyes
>> > almost
>> > shut from the beating he had received, making another American flag. He
>> > was
>> > not
>> > making the flag because it made Mike Christian feel better. He was
>> > making
>> > that flag because he knew how important it was to us to be able to
>> > Pledge
>> > our
>> > allegiance to our flag and country.
>> >
>> > So the next time you say the Pledge of Allegiance, you must never
>> > forget
>> > the
>> > sacrifice and courage that thousands of Americans have made to build
>> > our
>> > nation
>> > and promote freedom around the world
>> >
>> > You must remember our duty, our honor and our country
>> >
>> > 'I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of Ameri ca and
>> > to
>> > the
>> > republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with
>> > liberty
>> > and justice for all.'
>> >
>> > PASS THIS ON... and on... and on! You can even send it back to me, I
>> > don't
>> > mind,
>> > because its worth reading again!
>> >
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>--
>>No virus found in this incoming message.
>>Checked by AVG.
>>Version: 7.5.519 / Virus Database: 269.22.1/1350 - Release Date: 3/30/2008
>>12:32 PM
>
> Louis Kim Kline
> A.R.S. K2LKK
> Home e-mail: [log in to unmask]
> Work e-mail: [log in to unmask]
> Work Telephone: (585) 697-5740
>
>
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