That is sad! Imagine being away in outer space or another country. Like the Wizzard of Oz, there is no place like home! Tamee Do you live anywhere near Sandpoint? I think the reason you feel that way is Civics isn't taught in school any more. I have traveled much of the world and every time I see the American flag my heart swells. Here in Puerto Rico it's almost impossible to find a car without a Puerto Rican flag, everyone is in love with their home. If you don't like what's going on just turn off the news and turn on some music without news and get back in focus. You don't know what you got until it's gone. From parents, loved ones or America in the rear view mirror. Get in contact with Steve Willey's daughters at backwoodssolar.com in Sandpoint and get the love for what can be without the news. Love and peace to you! Changeyourlatitude
Why is it sad? I mean, think about it. Technically, all being an American really means is that you are living in the country called America. So my heart doesn't "swell at the site of an American flag", that doesn't mean that I'm not living in this country anymore. I am still an American. Sure dont, I live in southern Idaho. You can't possibly know the reason I feel this way. I mean, hell, I don't even know the reason behind it. All I can say is that it just feels natural to me. How can you know what's going on, not like it, and then just say "Oh well, I'll just turn the news off and ignore it" !!! And the news isn't the only way to find out what's going on. If you knew your neighbors were abusive to their children, could you just turn your head and get on with your life and not do anything about it? If I don't like what's going on with the world, I am going to oppose it in any way I can. You may be able to just forget about what you don't like, but I can't. We are all different, and live our lives accordingly. Yeah, sure. Appreciate everything. But don't stand for something that feels bad. The only real place to get the love for anything is within yourself.
I was trying to be nice! Maybe I should have said get a punching bag or a ball to squeeze instead of turning off the news. My guess is Steve's daughters feel a lot like you but have a different perspective. I'm sorry you feel so little for your country. What would you do if you were called to serve the country? Serve or find another country? Service Options, military overseas 2yrs, homeland duty only 6 years. Free medical, dental, medicine and a $1,000.00 a month. When they called me it was without options and $77.00 a month. Changeyourlatitude
I have to say my heart doesn't thump that much when I see Old Glory... I've been overseas too often for that. On the whole, I like living here (though my Midwestern hometown is boring the hell out of me), but I don't have unconditional love for any country, that's a sentiment I think should just be sublimated into sports.
just like i love my house, and the town where i live because of the people in it, i love my country. i greatly enjoy other countries, too, but this one is home, and i love it.
I never thought you were trying to be mean... Why do you think I feel so little for my country? If I was ever called to serve the country, I would protest. I will only live the life I choose. I don't care about any of that.
I guess maybe I was brainwashed by civics classes and the cold war or something. I loved northern Bavaria Germany and thought West Berlin was breathtaking. After I retired from the Army I took one of those fat cat government contractor jobs and toured Europe in style on an expense account. My team was in West Berlin while the cold war was still going on for four weeks. The Berlin Brigade protocol required our team be escorted to East Berlin in the Russian sector through Checkpoint Charlie. We dined at a 5 star hotel for about three hours on a Russian Thanksgiving dinner. It cost $10.00 including tip. New fresh baked bread was offered every ten minutes along with more wine. The smell in the streets of 2 cycle engine cars brought tears to your eyes. The car bodies were not metal but some composite like pressed glued wheat straw. We had the opportunity to tour East German shopping malls and I saw something I never would forget there. In the mall tour a line of 75 people waiting to buy Christmas tree lights, it was June! It would be the last time they could be sure they would be offered again before Christmas and this was their show city for western visitors. The American flag looked wonderful as we passed through the famous Checkpoint Charlie! Too long winded, but I love Germany, France was like going through Iowa on the way to Paris which was also not as nice as New Orleans. In Italy I blew the engine on a rental car on the highway and missed my flight. A communist wool blanket uniformed man told me which plane to get on. I told him I was flying Lufthansa and he bluntly told me I tell you and the airline what flight you take when you have to come to me. I didn’t like Italy. Switzerland and Holland were nice places to visit, 55F on July 4th too cold for me. Japan cost 10 times as much as any place in America to do anything. Korea is beautiful but stinks and the culture is difficult to understand. Liechtenstein was my favorite country outside of the US. None of their beauty can surpass Colorado Springs to Denver CO area. All of their governments suck! London doesn’t suck but it rains all the time and the food sucks. There is no place like home! Changeyourlatitude
I love living here in the USA. I hate our current president. I wouldnt move anywhere else unless after Bush got reelected and then Jeb Bush got elected.I'd high-tail it to Tahiti then.I couldnt bear 8-12 more years of Bushes. As for the comment about defending Oklahoma with your life? I wished Ohio would get destroyed so I had a valid excuse to leave! lol.
Because you said it was just a place you happened to be born. The government is "large and in charge" and if the government institutes a draft and the President sends you a letter you will not, I REPEAT WILL NOT live as you choose! And you may protest until you are taken to confinement. You will go to jail or to another country under the choices I presented you. Changeyourlatitude
You might not even get the choice of flight to another country anymore... I remember hearing that the SSS is working on some big program to keep people from running to Canada.
Listen, congress knows there is a large percentage of people who would avoid draft should they require it. It will not be like the last draft with deferments for consciences objectors and college. They will adapt the Korean style of draft, which requires you do your two years service between the 2nd and 3rd year of college or if you don’t go to college right after high school. Korea places all draftees in reserve duty until age 55. By giving an option of more years service to avoid foreign wars and eliminate the conscientious objector clause everyone will serve. And they will find any number of jobs for those who refuse to carry arms. Homeland security could use camouflaged unarmed troops to secure mass transit rails, airport perimeter and the like. Better have an idea of your options before it happens. The government will make a sacrifice on a few to keep the rest of the sheep grazing with the heard! Changeyourlatitude
Hm, food for thought. But I think it's kinda moot overall, I really doubt that even Bush would move to reinstate the draft, drafts are of course hugely unpopular and it would be fatal to him politically.
Once into his second term, friend, Bush wont give a flying crap about political unpopularity. He'll have his PNAC agenda to pursue and his war machine to fuel and 4 more years to cull the sheeple to fuel the further enrichment of his energy and MIC cronies before retiring comfortably to his seat on the Carlyle Group board next to daddy. Don't say you weren't warned.
i agree, i've traveled a lot and i am always happy to come home...if i had millions upon millions, it wouldnt really matter where i live...but i love what i have in the US..and i dont think i would lead thesame life if i lived outside the US. As much as i enjoy parts of europe and asia..i enjoy them because i only see them once every few years. They are nice places to visit, but not the places to live, imo.
what other countries require service of their young men and women? israel? doesn't france? or am i totally high? it would be interesting to see how well it works in other countries that aren't dictatorships.
germany, denmark, greece, italy, norway, poland, portugal, czech republic, turkey, hungary... thats the list of nato countries with compulsory service http://www.bundeswehr.de/misc/pdf/broschueren/military_service.pdf
Spain and France have both ended conscription. Spain in 2002 France in 2001. Itally is scheduled to end conscription in 2006 but currently has reduced service time to 9 months. Germany has reduced to 10 months.
I think you have overdosed on Pinky and the Brain cartoons. Evil travels to peace, like hot to cold through conduction, even in anarchist societies of ancient Japan a Samaria warrior was needed to protect the innocent. It was years before a central government would be established to do the same act of security. Changeyourlatitude
Ok, and where in that did I say I didn't care about the place I lived? Don't assume so much. I'm a very literal person. Things can change. I would try my hardest.
