Where is our spine?

Where are the backbones in America today?

I think lately about my father, a WWII wounded veteran, who loved this nation and all its symbols so much that he instilled in us the same love and respect. His generation has been called "The Greatest Generation." And I don't disagree with that. However, I think his generation would be saddened by the fact that each generation of Americans does not earn for itself that designation.

Do we not see ourselves as willing to fight for what is right? Have we become "less" than our fathers? After all, why did they fight, bleed, die? Not for glory, I will guarantee you that my father NEVER sought glory. He quietly reared his children to fear God, love family, and respect our authorities, but he could get angry when those authorities did not do what he considered right. He had strong ideas about what was right and what was wrong, and in my adulthood, looking back on how we were taught, I can see that he was correct about his beliefs a whole lot more than he was wrong.

1) We were never allowed to ask, "Do we have to go to church this Sunday?" That one question one time when I was about 10 merited a swat on the rear. It is a given; you give back to God from the bounty he has given you. Time was part of that. God was where we started, not what we went to when and if we had time, money, talents left over.

2) The flag. I can remember during the 1960's how flustered he would get seeing people use the flag or parts of it as clothing. "You aren't supposed to sit on the flag," he would say. The flag is our symbol, our focus for doing what is right. To secure the liberties and benefits the flag represents for those who come after. To be disrespectful of that flag is to tarnish the memory of those who bled and died to maintain this nation's greatness.

3) Respect your elders. "Sir" and "Ma'am" were part of nearly every sentence that came from his mouth in the presence of elders. We were expected, nay--required, to do the same. Manners were part of the "correct" way to live. That included behavior toward those in authority and those we do not like. Just because we disagree, doesn't mean we have to be disagreeable. The way "politics" has sullied common discourse today appalls me. People need to remember that each person we meet is a creation of our God. When we treat them without that dignity, we sin--yes, I said it--SIN.

4) Veterans. To this very day, I thank anyone in uniform for their service to our country. They volunteer these days. They give up something to be in uniform. Often times, that something is being home with family during holidays and skimping on purchases because they can't afford it. My husband is a veteran and proudly wears his 11th Airborne cap wherever he goes. When we have been near soldiers, sailors, marines, they invariably treat him with dignity and respect, even when they are young and full of the vim and vigor he had at their age. They don't laugh at an "old man." They see a veteran, just like my father taught us to. They have learned in the military what respect is all about.

Many other lessons were learned from this great man, my father; however, I am glad he doesn't live today. He would be so sad at the direction our country is following. How can we throw aside the liberty he and others fought for? How can we let our "government" become so powerful that it will control our very lives soon? Our Founding Fathers and my father would be depressed and appalled at what is happening.

My question is this then. Do we have the spines that our fathers had to stand up to tyranny? Believe me, tyranny is what is going to happen if we do not stand firmly against it. The Constitution is dying; many in Washington don't even bother to give it lip service anymore. When asked where in the Constitution Congress was given the right to do what they were doing, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representative, the third most powerful person in the United States, said to the reporter, "Are you kidding?" Does she mean that she doesn't know where she is given that power? Does she mean that she doesn't believe she needs that power? What did she mean? In my mind, if you as a member of Congress cannot find a part of the written Constitution that gives you the authority to do something, you should NOT do it.

Maybe more of us should remember our past, our fathers, our former greatness as a nation and shudder when we see the forces aligned against those values and principles which seemed so clear to them. We must fight against this onslaught against our liberties. We must be willing to sacrifice time, money, talents, and self for the continuation of our forefathers' dreams, hopes, and desires for our nation.