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