Cross One Off The List!

Well, I finally got a project finished that I started about nine months ago.

About a year ago we put up a flag pole in our front yard. I had the idea to cement the shape of Texas around the base. Pretty original.

After talking to Home Depot, Lowes and a concrete place, they all assured me that what I had in mind could not be done. When I'm told I can't do something, that makes me try twice as hard to do it!

I got the outline done during the winter and tried to figure out how to form it to concrete. Thank you 84 Lumber. They had a pliable board that worked perfectly for my form. That done, it was time to dig. I'm talking huge blisters!

After it was dug out and formed, we concreted it. Hey, we have Texas in our front yard. It looked cool. This was completed in June.

This summer was sooo hot and dry, it was a chore to even go outside. Now that it's September and finally cooling down, I got it painted! Now it looks AWESOME! (If I do say so myself)








And That's What I Think.

Caption This!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.
Here's your chance to add your line to a funny photo. Don't be shy, think of a line and add it to the comments!





Here's a few to get you started:

1. The kids LOVE being pulled in the raft behind my small airplane!
2. In an experiment gone awry, they realized that fluffy could fly!
3. Loch Ness monster swallows kids in small town lake, cat survives.

Now it's your turn. Have fun!

It's Only Money

. . . And you can't take it with you. I try to be frugal and save money and put it away to plan for our future. Sometimes it just doesn't work out, though.

This past weekend, nothing went according to plan. We had planned to get up Saturday morning and eat at a McDonald's I knew still served biscuits and gravy, then head down to Hillsboro to the outlet mall to start our Christmas shopping then head up to Hurst to Putt Putt for the kids. This Putt Putt has go-carts that Lacye is tall enough to drive by herself and bumper boats, etc. Then Sunday we would go to our last Rangers game of the year.

It all started last Thursday. Jenny had heard a very faint sound coming from my car and when I drove next to a building (drive-thru), I heard it easily. So I decided to have the brakes looked at. Best case scenario, the brakes are fine and I surprise Jenny at work and we go to lunch together. Well, the sound was the brake indicator just before you get down to metal to metal contact. So I needed a full brake job, front and rear. (It could have been worse if I didn't catch it before the grinding started.) Jenny did pick me up and we had lunch together while the brakes were being done.

Then I get home later in the afternoon and get a bottle of water from the refrigerator and notice that it doesn't seem very cold. I don't think much about it until that night when Jenny gets two things out of the freezer and they aren't frozen! This fridge is only three and a half years old AND we replaced the blower motor in it last year. The mechanic did tell us that this model GE goes through blower motors. Well, we turn up the settings and hope it lasts till Saturday. Friday night it seems OK with the setting up higher so we plan to head to Hillsboro in the morning. Saturday morning I get up and the fridge is just not doing it's job . . . so scrap the plans and go refrigerator shopping, yea, us! First we go to McDonald's and they quit selling the biscuits and gravy about a month ago. After we eat we go to several places that carry refrigerators and other than the price, a big selling factor is when they can deliver it to us. We find one at Lowe's we like and they can deliver it Sunday afternoon. We upgraded from our modest 18 cu. ft. traditional (over / under) to a 25 cu. ft. side-by-side with water and ice in the door. SWEET! Once it was delivered and we had our food put in it, it still looked empty. LOL

After deciding on a fridge it was time for dinner. Joe's Crab Shack was running an awesome shrimp deal we just couldn't let them get by with. Then instead of heading over to Putt Putt, since some friends of ours couldn't make it and it's more fun with friends, we decided to take the kids to the mall. They rode the merry-go-round and played on this video pad on the floor that you can step on and affect what happens on the screen. Hard to explain, but I even got into the fun.


While we were at the mall, we decided to have our rings cleaned. Jenny and I have been married for 7 years and the plan was to upgrade her rings as our 10th anniversary. As the rings were being cleaned, Jenny says, "Hey, take a look at this ring, it's just like mine, but "Supersized". So I look at it and agree, it's the same style, but bigger. "I wonder how much it is?", I mistakenly ask. The saleslady takes it out and confers with the other saleslady and then the three of them stare me down until I agree to buy it. (LOL) I ask Jenny if she really likes it and of course she really, really does. What's a guy to do? So the ring is being sized and we'll pick it up on Sunday. We went from about 1 carat to almost 2 carats.

Sunday we get up and decide to try out a little place near by for breakfast. Come to find out, they're closed on Sundays, so we go to Sonic. Then head back home and hope the fridge gets there early enough to still make the game. No such luck, but the fridge got set up and is working perfectly.

I won't say the weekend was a total wash, we all got to be together and that's what's important.

Brake job - $275
New Fridge w/ added two year warranty - $1,066
Upgraded wedding ring w/ three year warranty - $2,197
Keeping my wife happy - PRICELESS!!!

And That's What I Think.

World War III

It's time to wake up, America! This is not the first time I've said this. It's time to take our country back. This is not a left or right wing argument, this is survival for the most advance country in the world!

This is not your typical war, we need to change our rules of engagement. We recently had the opportunity to decimate 190 Taliban who were out in the open in the middle of nowhere. Among them were top leaders in their group. We could have wiped them out with no collateral damage what-so-ever. We by passed this opportunity because they were at a funeral at a cemetery!

Instead, these Taliban members have and/or will go on to kill more Americans because of a stupid rule that we chose to play by and the enemy does not.

Now your history lesson for today:

WWIII Started in 1979

This is not very long, but very informative. You have to read the catalogue of events in this brief piece. Then, ask yourself how anyone can take the position that all we have to do is bring our troops home from Iraq, sit back, reset the snooze alarm, go back to sleep, and no one will ever bother us again.

In case you missed it, World War III began in November 1979... That alarm has been ringing for years. US Navy Captain Ouimette is the Executive Officer at Naval Air Station, Pensacola , Florida. Here is a copy of the speech he gave last month. It is an accurate account of why we are in so much trouble today and why this action is so necessary.

AMERICA NEEDS TO WAKE UP! That's what we think we heard on the 11th of September 2001 (When more than 3,000 Americans were killed -AD) and maybe it was, but I think it should have been "Get Out of Bed!" In fact, I think the alarm clock has been buzzing since 1979 and we have continued to hit the snooze button and roll over for a few more minutes of peaceful sleep since then.

It was a cool fall day in November 1979 in a country going through a religious and political upheaval when a group of Iranian students attacked and seized the American Embassy in Tehran. This seizure was an outright attack on American soil; it was an attack that held the world's most powerful country hostage and paralyzed a Presidency. The attack on this sovereign U. S. Embassy set the stage for events to follow for the next 25 years.

America was still reeling from the aftermath of the Vietnam experience and had a serious threat from the Soviet Union when then, President Carter, had to do something. He chose to conduct a clandestine raid in the desert. The ill-fated mission ended in ruin, but stood as a symbol of America's inability to deal with terrorism. America's military had been decimated and down sized/right sized since the end of the Vietnam War. A poorly trained, poorly equipped and poorly organized military was called on to execute a complex mission that was doomed from the start.

Shortly after the Tehran experience, Americans began to be kidnapped and killed throughout the Middle East. America could do little to protect her citizens living and working abroad. The attacks against US soil continued.

In April of 1983 a large vehicle packed with high explosives was driven into the US Embassy compound in Beirut. When it explodes, it kills 63 people. The alarm went off again and America hit the Snooze Button once more.

Then just six short months later in 1983 a large truck heavily laden down with over 2500 pounds of TNT smashed through the main gate of the US Marine Corps headquarters in Beirut and 241 US servicemen are killed. America mourns her dead and hit the Snooze Button once more.

Two months later in December 1983 , another truck loaded with explosives is driven into the US Embassy in Kuwait , and America continues her slumber.

The following year, in September 1984, another van was driven into the gate of the US Embassy in Beirut and America slept. Soon the terrorism spreads to Europe.

In April 1985 a bomb explodes in a restaurant frequented by US soldiers in Madrid.

Then in August 1985 a Volkswagen loaded with explosives is driven into the main gate of the US Air Force Base at Rhein-Main, 22 are killed and the snooze alarm is buzzing louder and louder as US interests are continually attacked.

Fifty-nine days later in 1985 a cruise ship, the Achille Lauro is hijacked and we watched as an American in a wheelchair is singled out of the passenger list and executed.

The terrorists then shift their tactics to bombing civilian airliners when they bomb TWA Flight 840 in April of 1986 that killed 4 and the most tragic bombing, Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988, killing 259.

Clinton treated these terrorist acts as crimes; in fact we are still trying to bring these people to trial. These are acts of war. The wake up alarm is getting louder and louder.The terrorists decide to bring the fight to America .

In January 1993, two CIA agents are shot and killed as they enter CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia.

The following month, February 1993, a group of terrorists are arrested after a rented van packed with explosives is driven into the underground parking garage of the World Trade Center in New York City. Six people are killed and over 1000 are injured. Still this is a crime and not an act of war? The Snooze alarm is depressed again.

Then in November 1995, a car bomb explodes at a US military complex in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia killing seven service men and women.

A few months later in June of 1996, another truck bomb explodes only 35 yards from the US military compound in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. It destroys the Khobar Towers, a US Air Force barracks, killing 19 and injuring over 500.

The terrorists are getting braver and smarter as they see that America does not respond decisively. They move to coordinate their attacks in a simultaneous attack on two US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. These attacks were planned with precision. They kill 224. America responds with cruise missile attacks and goes back to sleep.

The USS Cole was docked in the port of Aden, Yemen for refueling on 12 October 2000, when a small craft pulled along side the ship and exploded killing 17 US Navy Sailors. Attacking a US War Ship is an act of war, but we sent the FBI to investigate the crime and went back to sleep.

And of course you know the events of 11 September 2001. Most Americans think this was the first attack against US soil or in America. How wrong they are.

America has been under a constant attack since 1979 and we chose to hit the snooze alarm and roll over and go back to sleep. In the news lately we have seen lots of finger pointing from every high officials in government over what they knew and what they didn't know. But if you've read the papers and paid a little attention I think you can see exactly what they knew.

You don't have to be in the FBI or CIA or on the National Security Council to see the pattern that has been developing since 1979. I think we have been in a war for the past 25 years and it will continue until we as a people decide enough is enough.

America needs to "Get out of Bed" and act decisively now. America has been changed forever. We have to be ready to pay the price and make the sacrifice to ensure our way of life continues. We cannot afford to keep hitting the snooze button again and again and roll over and go back to sleep.

This is probably one of the most prophetic statements ever made: After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Admiral Yamamoto said "... it seems all we have done is awakened a sleeping giant." This is the message we need to disseminate to terrorists around the world.

This is not a political thing to be hashed over in an election year this is an AMERICAN thing. This is about our Freedom and the Freedom of our children in years to come.

If you believe in this please forward it to as many people as you can especially to the young people and all those who dozed off in history class and who seem so quick to protest such a necessary military action. If you don't believe it, just delete it -- and go back to sleep.

This should make you mad as hell! I know it does me!

Total loss of life: (as of 9/15/06)
9/11 .........................2,996
Afghanistan ...............338
Iraq .........................2,680

To date we have lost 6,014 people. Is this acceptable? No to me! Are you getting madder?!?

Australia has the right idea!

Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia, as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks. A day after a group of mainstream Muslim leaders pledged loyalty to Australia and her Queen at a special meeting with Prime Minister John Howard, he and his Ministers made it clear that extremists would face a crackdown.

Treasurer Peter Costello, seen as heir apparent to Howard, hinted that some radical clerics could be asked to leave the country if they did not accept that Australia was a secular state, and its laws were made by parliament. "If those are not your values, if you want a country which has Sharia law or a theocratic state, then Australia is not for you", he said on national television. "I'd be saying to clerics who are teaching that there are two laws governing people in Australia: one the Australian law and another the Islamic law, that is false.

If you can't agree with parliamentary law, independent courts, democracy, and would prefer Sharia law and have the opportunity to go to another country, which practices it, perhaps, then, that's a better option", Costello said. Asked whether he meant radical clerics would be forced to leave, he said those with dual citizenship could possibly be asked to move to the other country.

Education Minister Brendan Nelson later told reporters that Muslims who did not want to accept local values should "clear off. Basically people who don't want to be Australians, and who don't want to live by Australian values and understand them, well then, they can basically clear off", he said.

Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques Quote: "IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali, we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians." "However, the dust from the attacks had barely settled when the 'politically correct' crowd began complaining about the possibility that our patriotism was offending others. I am not against immigration, nor do I hold a grudge against anyone who is seeking a better life by coming to Australia." "However, there are a few things that those who have recently come to our country, and apparently some born here, need to understand." "This idea of Australia being a multicultural community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity. As Australians, we have our own culture, our own society, our own language and our own lifestyle."

"This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom" "We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society, Learn the language!" "Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools.

If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture." "We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us." "If the Southern Cross offends you, or you don't like " A Fair Go", then you should seriously consider a move to another part of this planet. We are happy with our culture and have no desire to change, and we really don't care how you did things where you came from.

By all means, keep your culture, but do not force it on others. "This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, 'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'." "If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted."

Maybe if we circulate this amongst ourselves, American citizens will find the backbone to start speaking and voting the same truths!!

If we could get Americans into this frame of mind, I think we could go a long way in freeing ourselves of terrorists. Unfortunately, the battle against the "PC" is a strong as the fight against terrorism. Those that stand in the way of doing what is necessary should be viewed as aiding and abetting the enemy.

And That's What I Think!

GrapeFest

This past weekend we went up to Grapevine for their annual Grapefest. It was a lot of fun! They had wine tasting and street vendors all along main street. There were carnival rides and a petting zoo and live music and shows for the kids.

It was a fun day and there were give-aways to be had and clowns walking around, both on stilts and not. The kids really enjoyed the rides the most and the two bounce houses. There was also a mini train ride they liked.

We got a couple of souvenir wine glasses to remember (or prove) our time there. LOL. My friend Paul, who volunteers at Grapefest every year was our guide.

Note of interest: In the petting zoo there were fainting goats. If they get over excited or scared, their legs get stiff and they fall over. We've seen a news story about them. When I found out that these were the same type of goats, I told Jenny that I wanted to scream at them to make them fall over. An animal handler heard me say this and gave me a look and said that they get screamed at enough.
Here's the YouTube of the goats:

Daddy's Poem

Her hair was up in a pony tail,
her favorite dress tied with a bow.
Today was Daddy's Day at school,
and she couldn't wait to go.

But her mommy tried to tell her,
that she probably should stay home.
Why the kids might not understand,
if she went to school alone

But she was not afraid;
she knew just what to say.
What to tell her classmates
of why he wasn't there today.

But still her mother worried,
for her to face this day alone.
And that was why once again,
she tried to keep her daughter home.

But the little girl went to school
eager to tell them all.
About a dad she never sees
a dad who never calls.

There were daddies along the wall in back,
for everyone to meet.
Children squirming impatiently,
anxious in their seats.

One by one the teacher called
At last the teacher called her name,
every child turned to stare.
Each of them was searching,
for a man who wasn't there.

"Where's her daddy at?"
she heard a boy call out.
"She probably doesn't have one,"
another student dared to shout.

And from somewhere near the back,
she heard a daddy say,
"Looks like another deadbeat dad,
too busy to waste his day."

The words did not offend her,
as she smiled up at her Mom.
And looked back at her teacher,
who told her to go on.

And with hands behind her back,
slowly she began to speak.
And out from the mouth of a child,
came words incredibly unique.

"My Daddy couldn't be here,
because he lives so far away.
But I know he wishes he could be,
since this is such a special day.

And though you cannot meet him,
I wanted you to know.
All about my daddy,
and how much he loves me so.

He loved to tell me stories
he taught me to ride my bike.
He surprised me with pink roses,
and taught me to fly a kite.

We used to share fudge sundaes,
and ice cream in a cone.
And though you cannot see him.
I'm not standing here alone.

"Cause my daddy's always with me,
even though we are apart
I know because he told me,
he'll forever be in my heart".

With that, her little hand reached up,
and lay across her chest.
Feeling her own heartbeat,
beneath her favorite dress.

And from somewhere here in the crowd of dads,
her mother stood in tears.
Proudly watching her daughter,
who was wise beyond her years.

For she stood up for the love
of a man not in her life.
Doing what was best for her,
doing what was right.

And when she dropped her hand back down,
staring straight into the crowd.
She finished with a voice so soft,
but its message clear and loud.

"I love my daddy very much,
he's my shining star.
And if he could, he'd be here,
but heaven's just too far.

You see he was a policeman
and died just this past year
When airplanes hit the towers
and taught Americans to fear.

But sometimes when I close my eyes,
it's like he never went away."
And then she closed her eyes,
and saw him there that day.

And to her mothers amazement,
she witnessed with surprise.
A room full of daddies and children,
all starting to close their eyes.

Who knows what they saw before them,
who knows what they felt inside.
Perhaps for merely a second,
they saw him at her side.

"I know you're with me Daddy,"
to the silence she called out.
And what happened next made believers,
of those once filled with doubt.

Not one in that room could explain it,
for each of their eyes had been closed.
But there on the desk beside her,
was a fragrant long-stemmed pink rose.

And a child was blessed, if only for a moment,
by the love of her shining star.
And given the gift of believing,
that heaven is never too far.

Remembering Vladimir Savinkin

Cantor Fitzgerald which was located on the 101st-105th floors of One World Trade Center, lost 658 employees, or about two-thirds of its workforce, in the September 11, 2001 attacks, considerably more than any other company, including the Fire Department of New York.

Of those 658 people, I’d like to tell you what I’ve learned about one. His name was Vladimir Savinkin. Vladaimir came to the United States around 1995 from Odesa, Ukraine at the age of 16 and attended Pace University. “None of his friends knew his real age,” said his father, Valeriy Savinkin. "He was more mature than all his friends, who were actually 19 or 20," he said. "He was very, very responsible and reliable."

Vladimir Savinkin accomplished a lot in his young age. He was only 21 years old and already graduated Pace University, knew how to care, helped many people and never forget about his family and his fiancée. He worked for Cantor Fitzgerald about 6 months. His goal was never stop learning , be optimistic, and do not forget about others.



Olga Lerman, Vladimir's girlfriend of four years, said they met in a Russian chat room on the Internet. "I really liked how he was talking. He was very polite. I liked that in a guy," she said. When they met three weeks later, "It was love in the first place."

Their birthdays are a day apart in May, so they always celebrated together. They had spoken about marriage, she said, and had planned a vacation to Odessa, the city they were from. "He was the leader of our group," she said, the one who most often made the plans for their clique of four young couples.

Vladimir was an accountant with Cantor Fitzgerald, and lived with his parents and sister in Midwood, Brooklyn. He had recently bought a new Acura, impressing his father.




Here’s what others have said about him:

I did not know Vladimir, but my husband used to work with his Dad. My husband was telling me that Vladimir called his father every day during lunch just to see how his day was going. Also, from people who have seen Vladimir around the neighborhood I've heard that he was a very nice guy: always polite, always greeting people with a smile.
My thoughts and prayers are with Vladimir's family always and especially now during this time of remembrance...
-Unknown

You were a true, dedicated friend, full of dreams making them a reality. Your warmth attracted many, and will still attract for many years to come. We will never forget you, rest in peace.
-Max Lukovsky (Brooklyn, NY)

We were friends in college, at one point we were really close friends, but I finished school earlier, and... We never kept in touch, but while we were friends he was a good friend and I will always treasure memories we had together.
Sam

Rest in peace, you still alive in my heart
-Sam Chenker (Brooklyn, NY)


You were working in those towers that dark September day
No one knew of those evil plans that were being made.
You lost your life so tragically when those towers collapsed away.
Your family has lost you and now their lives have forever changed.
The world will not forget your very brave and courageous name.
You came to the United States six years ago from the Ukraine.
With your maturity your friends really didn’t know your true age.
You were more responsible and reliable more mature in every phase
You lived with your parents and sister you were loved, totally adored.
You are a true and dedicated son and brother now and forever more.
Your warmth attracted many you were a friend to everyone for sure.
You could light up a room with your smile it was so sincere.
Your mother, father and sister hold your memory and love close and ever near,
Your courage and your strength help them to face their pain and all their tears.
You are never far away you are smiling down from Heaven above,
You are a guardian angel hero protecting the family that you love.

Written By
Diane Huggins
© 2002 11/22

Although I didn’t know Vladimir personally, I know that he was well liked, full of life with strong family bonds. Vladimir, you are truly missed. My heart goes out to his loved ones.

Vladimir Savinkin is an angel who will forever shine in our heart and our soul.

Good For You, JetBlue!

It's time we start profiling in America. It's time for the "PC" people to take the back seat. If we, as Americans, expect to survive in this new era of terror, then we need to step up and take it seriously. Too many Americans are sleeping or don't think something like 9/11 can happen to them.

Last month a plot to blow up airliners over the Atlantic was foiled in England. A plot to blow up a bridge in Michigan with cell phone technology was averted. Missing "students" from The Middle East were located in Muslim cells miles from where they were supposed to be. Terrorists are here! The guy next to you may not be a "friendly". The world as we know it has been changed forever!

"Arab activist stopped from boarding plane

NEW YORK -- An Arab human rights activist was prevented from boarding a plane at Kennedy Airport while wearing a T-shirt that read "We will not be silent" in English and Arabic. Raed Jarrar was at the gate to board a JetBlue Airways flight to Oakland, Calif., on Aug. 12 when four officials from the airline or a government agency stopped him and told him he could not board with the shirt on, he said Wednesday. One official told him, "Going to an airport with a T-shirt in Arabic script is like going to a bank and wearing a T-shirt that says, 'I'm a robber,'" he said.
-- The Associated Press"

For the love of our country, for the sake of our children, it's time to wake up and take our country back! If you are not in this country legally, expect to be deported. If you are Arab, expect it to be harder for you to move around in this country without being checked out, thoroughly. If you are so "PC" that you can't see the need for extreme measures like this, then you are part of the problem.

And That's What I Know!

Labor Day Weekend

So I finally got to meet an internet friend this past weekend. It's nice to put a face with a name. (Hi Rock Climber). I also got to see some of my cousins over the weekend. Most of these "re-acquainted" cousins I haven't seen in 15 to 20 years. My how time flies!! If all goes well, I'll see even more family in about three weeks when there is a sort of family reunion/get together/birthday celebration. (Granny turns 70!)

My brother had a birthday this past weekend and got three birthday dinners out of it! Talk about eating "High on the Hog!"

All in all, my Labor Day Weekend was enjoyable and low key.

And That's What I Think.

What Is An American?

An e-mail that I just had to share:

Written by an Australian Dentist........

To Kill an American

You probably missed it in the rush of news last week, but there was actually a report that someone in Pakistan had published in a newspaper an offer of a reward to anyone who killed an American, any American.

So an Australian dentist wrote an editorial the following day to let everyone know what an American is. So they would know when they found one. (Good one, mate!!!!)

"An American is English, or French, or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek. An American may also be Canadian, Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or Pakistani or Afghan.

An American may also be a Comanche, Cherokee, Osage, Blackfoot, Navaho, Apache, Seminole or one of the many other tribes known as native Americans.

An American is Christian, or he could be Jewish, or Buddhist, or Muslim. In fact, there are more Muslims in America than in Afghanistan. The only difference is that in America they are free to worship as each of them chooses.

An American is also free to believe in no religion. For that he will answer only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God.
An American lives in the most prosperous land in the history of the world. The root of that prosperity can be found in the Declaration of Independence, which recognizes the God given right of each person to the pursuit of happiness.

An American is generous. Americans have helped out just about every other nation in the world in their time of need, never asking a thing in return.

When Afghanistan was over-run by the Soviet army 20 years ago, Americans came with arms and supplies to enable the people to win back their country!

As of the morning of September 11, Americans had given more than any other nation to the poor in Afghanistan. Americans welcome the best of everything...the best products, the best books, the best music, the best food, the best services. But they also welcome the least.

The national symbol of America, The Statue of Liberty , welcomes your tired and your poor, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores, the homeless, tempest tossed. These in fact are the people who built America.

Some of them were working in the Twin Towers the morning of September 11, 2001 earning a better life for their families. It's been told that the World Trade Center victims were from at least 30 different countries, cultures, and first languages, including those that aided and abetted the terrorists.

So you can try to kill an American if you must. Hitler did. So did General Tojo, and Stalin, and Mao Tse-Tung, and other blood-thirsty tyrants in the world. But, in doing so you would just be killing yourself. Because Americans are not a particular people from a particular place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, is an American.

And That's What I Think!