A view from the stands
Saturday was a beautiful day to take in a college football game. A deep blue sky with puffy white clouds and a nice twenty mile an hour breeze made for a great day to see a game from high in the stands.
Just as much fun as the game though is watching and listening to the banter of the folks in attendance as they enjoy the day as well. The good natured rivalry and spirit of the competing forces, the smell of grilled hamburgers and hotdogs and the spirited cajoling of the cheerleaders imploring the fans to support their team were enough to make me realize how much I missed this venue for almost a year.
There was something else that caught my eye amid the hoopla and celebration; something that made me realize how great it was to be an American. Two individuals sat just below me wearing shirts that may have given an indication of where they were from, or possibly just shirts they chose for this occasion without any particular thought to their significance. Both were Harley-Davidson shirts, extolling the virtues of their dealerships in Stoughton, MA and Valparaiso, IN. Whether or not these two individuals were actually from these two cities didn't strike me as important, but what did cause me to take pause was this: What do the people of Stoughton, or Valparaiso think about what's going on in our country today? Are they happy with the state of affairs that our President has consigned to our nation on its current path? How about the folks in Des Moines, IA, or Brookings, SD, or Butte, MT? As I looked at these people, whose background I could know nothing, could it be they're satisfied with the policies of this administration?
How about the people of Arizona whose State has been sued by our own Justice Department while only trying to enforce Federal law with respect to immigration. Do they agree with what's being done to them by our own Government? When Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton offered up the State law as an instance of a violation of civil rights to the United Nations Human Rights Commission are we not even slightly embarrassed, not by the law, but by the actions of this administration? Being lumped in with the horrific regimes of North Korea, Iran, Venezuela and Cuba would make me wonder which side our government is on.
Do the people of Beaufort, SC, or Baton Rouge, LA, or Casper, WY really believe there's nothing exceptional about America? Is our exceptionalism no better than Britain or France or China? There were two world wars fought in the last century that indicate there certainly is something exceptional about America. The Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines who fought the great battles of those wars would beg to differ with President Obama. They didn't give their time, honor and some the ultimate sacrifice to hear an American President talk so cavalierly about our greatness. I, for one, am embarrassed to even hear this President talk about America, because I honestly believe he's embarrassed to invoke its greatness. How such a man attained the position he now holds is beyond comprehension. Mistakes do happen, even in a nation such as ours. We can, however, rectify this mistake in 2012. We can also show our love of Nation and Constitution by rectifying other mistakes in the coming Congressional elections on November 2Nd of this year.
We are an exceptional nation, with exceptional people and exceptional dreams and hopes for our children and grandchildren. We will make those changes necessary to put us on the correct path of renewed exceptionalism and we will do it because we love this nation and refuse to follow anyone who does not.
It was a grand day on Saturday. The team I was rooting for was victorious, scoring two touchdowns to come from behind in the fourth quarter. All of us will make sure America wins again. We'll do it with our voices and our votes and we'll do it from more than the stands; we'll do it from our hearts as well.
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