Well said Lou.
Pat, K9JAuAt 02:22 PM 3/30/2008, you wrote:
>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