Born Again American

BORN AGAIN AMERICAN
By Keith Carradine       

Just a workin’ man without a job
It got shipped off to China via Washington, D.C.
And I know I’m nothin’ special, there are plenty more like me
Just the same
I thought I knew the rules of the game

I stood up for this country that I love
I came back from the desert to a wife and kids to feed
I’m not sayin’ Uncle Sam should give me what I need
My offer stands
I’ll pull my weight you give me half a chance

I went up to a congressman and said to him “you know
Our government is letting people down”
He said he’d need a lot of help to buck the status-quo
I said there was a bunch of us around

I’m a Born Again American, conceived in Liberty
My Bible and the Bill of Rights, my creed’s equality
I’m a Born Again American, my country ‘tis of me
And everyone who shares the dream from sea to shining sea

My brother’s welding chassis at the plant 
He’s earning what our granddad did in 1948
While CEOs count bonuses behind the castle gates
How can they see
When all they care about’s the do re mi

It’s getting where there’s nowhere left to turn
Not since the crash of twenty-nine have things been so unfair
So many of our citizens are living in despair
The time has come
To reaffirm that hope’s not just for some

The promise of America’s surrendering to greed
The rule is just look out for number one
But brace yourself ‘cause some of us have sown a different seed
A harvest of the spirit has begun

I’m a Born Again American conceived in liberty
My Bible and The Bill Of Rights
My creed’s equality
A Born Again American, my country ‘tis of me
And everyone who shares the dream from sea to shining sea

It’s clear my country’s soul is on the line
She’s hungering for something that she lost along the way
The principle the framers called upon us to obey
That in this land
The people’s will must have the upper hand

I felt the calling once before and took a sacred vow
And faithful to that vow I have remained
I hear the calling once again, my country needs me now
And to her cause I have been re-ordained

I’m a Born Again American conceived in liberty
My Bible and the Bill Of Rights, all people living free 
A Born Again American, my country ‘tis of me
And everyone who shares the dream 
From sea to shining sea
And everyone who shares the dream
From sea to shining sea
A M E R I C A

 

Check this out and turn up the volume: 

http://www.bornagainamerican.org/

 

 

"This is as good as it gets."

Baxter Black is a Cowboy Poets and this video is his "cowboy" way of saying "thanks" for everything.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is truly an unique American holiday.  Each year we celebrate this special day by feasting and visiting with friends and family.  But most of all, Thanksgiving is the one day of the year when we should reflect on the good life we have in this marvelous land and give thanks for all we have and all we have become.

We know every year that more Americans travel on the long Thanksgiving weekend than at any other time of year.  But they aren't going away; they're going home.  And this is only fitting.

Thanksgiving began with a voyage of brave and noble people seeking a free life.

Although there are so many myths about the original Thanksgiving, we can be sure of some thing.  We can be sure that the Pilgrims did not celebrate Thanksgiving after completing their voyage.  They certainly gave thanks for the successfully crossing a tempestuous ocean.  But the first real Thanksgiving didn't come until a year later.

That first Thanksgiving was celebrated by a tiny band of survivors who thanked God for allowing them to live through the previous year of travails during which half their company perished, while the survivors scavenged for food and fought that long winter's perilous, numbing cold.

As we sit down to our Thanksgiving dinner this year with family and friends, let's remember those indomitable men and women who persevered, who refused to give up.  Who gave no thought of returning to England on the Mayflower and abandoning their little colony.

Their little colony became the cornerstone of a great Nation.

Let us give thanks for the spirit those inspiring pioneers planted in this land, and for all the bounty we share today.  Let this Thanksgiving remind us of our debt to a heroic past and our duty to build for the generations to come.

Let us also remember the men and women in uniform today serving around the world and offer thanks to them and their families for their sacrifice.

About a half a century ago, two song writers, Robert Allen and Al Stillman, wrote about the year-end holiday.  Although they lumped Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's together, many of us believe their song describes perfectly the family holiday Thanksgiving has become.  They wrote:

Oh, there's no place like home for the holidays
'Cause no matter how far away you roam
When you pine for the sunshine of a friendly face
For the holidays, you can't beat Home, sweet home

I met a man who lives in Tennessee
And he was headin' for Pennsylvania
And some home made pumpkin pie
From Pennsylvania folks a travelin' down
To Dixie's sunny shore
From Atlantic to Pacific, gee
The traffic is terrific

Oh there's no place like home for the holidays,
'Cause no matter how far away you roam
If you want to be happy in a million ways
For the holidays, you can't beat home, sweet home

 

I hope that you will be happy in a million ways and that you'll be home for the holidays – in your memories and prayers if nothing else.

I wish all of you a safe and happy Thanksgiving

America, Our America!

America, our America!

Thou art not alone,

Nor can’st thou ever be

Helpless and hopeless,

The prey of fears within,

The pawn of plots without,

Amid the tumult of nations

Wandering like homeless waves,

Roaring like hungry winds,

Breaking against thy coasts,

Spirits of the vastly deeps

Leaping to rend thee.

 

America, our America!

Thou art not lonely,

Nor can’st thou ever be

Thine eyes look to the hills

Untroubled against the sky,

Whence help shall come,

Aglow with radiant light,

Itself the shining shadow

Of the matchless Vision

That companies thee always

In places dark with death,

In hours weary with wars.

 

America, Our America!

Thou art not lonesome

Nor can’st thou ever be.

The Vision is thy sentinel

Circling thy borders,

Guarding thy threshold,

Shedding rare light

That is life itself –

The life that lives on love,

The Voice ever beating out

On hearts, the Song of Songs,

On souls, the Song of Service.

 

America, Our America!

Lift up thine eyes and see

Mary is thy Patroness,

High in the sky,

Nearer than land and sea.

The Sign of the Woman appears,

Clothed with the sun,

The moon Her footstool,

Her crown twelve stars –

‘Neath Her writhes the dragon,

Ancient demon of hate,

Spawner of discord and hate.

 

America, Our America!

Thy heart stirs within thee –

The Woman is thy Mother

The Vision travails in pain,

Awaiting deliverance,

Expecting a son.

Sharp are the pangs,

Sharpening with the hours

Till stayed by thy voice,

Thine infant voice,

Calling Her Mother.

Calling Her Patroness.

 

‑ Cardinal Francis Joseph Spellman (1967) was the sixth archbishop of the Archdiocese of New York.

The Average American

The Average American

A recent study conducted by Harvard University found that the average American walks about 900 miles a year.

Another study by the American Medical Association found that Americans drink, on average, 22 gallons of alcohol a year.

This means, on average, Americans get about 41 miles to the gallon.

Kind Of Makes You Proud To Be An American.

Hooaahhh!!!

You stay up for 16 hours.
He stays up for days on end.

You take a warm shower to help you wake up.
He goes days or weeks without running water.

You complain of a "headache", and call in sick.
He gets shot at as others are hit, and keeps moving forward.

You put on your anti war/don't support the troops shirt, and go meet up with your friends.
He still fights for your right to wear that shirt.

You make sure you're cell phone is in your pocket.
He clutches the cross hanging on his chain next to his dog tags.

You talk trash about your "buddies" that aren't with you.
He knows he may not see some of his buddies again.

You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls.
He patrols the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists.

You complain about how hot it is.
He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow.

You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong.
He doesn't get to eat today.

Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes.
He wears the same things for weeks, but makes sure his weapons are clean.

You go to the mall and get your hair redone.
He doesn't have time to brush his teeth today.

You're angry because your class ran 5 minutes over.
He's told he will be held over an extra 2 months.

You call your girlfriend and set a date for tonight.
He waits for the mail to see if there is a letter from home.

You hug and kiss your girlfriend, like you do everyday.
He holds his letter close and smells his love's perfume

You roll your eyes as a baby cries.
He gets a letter with pictures of his new child, and wonders if they'll ever meet.

You criticize your government, and say that war never solves anything.
He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own people and remembers why he is fighting.

You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of men like him.
He hears the gunfire, bombs and screams of the wounded.

You see only what the media wants you to see.
He sees the broken bodies lying around him.

You are asked to go to the store by your parents. You don't.
He does exactly what he is told.

You stay at home and watch TV.
He takes whatever time he is given to call, write home, sleep, and eat.

You crawl into your soft bed, with down pillows, and get comfortable.
He tries to sleep but gets woken by mortars and helicopters all night long.

You sit there and judge him, saying the world is probably a worse place because of men like him.
If only there were more men like him

The Seed Of Our Founding Fathers

With the gift of a land and a nation comes responsibility to the my Creator.
As a Christian, I am seriously impelled by the vision of our nation's founders to seek liberty, peace and justice for all -- a task that is never complete.
Let me cultivate for the final havest the seed our founders sowed.

Free me to flow your way, my Creator!

Where complacency darkens
my vision of your will for me:

Where greed for personal gain dims
my commitment to the welfare of all people:

Where the failure of faith discourages
me from pursuing your goals for me:

Freedin is not an achievement but a gift.
Freedom is not license but radical obedience to God's liberating law of love.
Let me give thanks for the gifts of freedom we have received and, trusting in God as did our nation's founders, let me seek to share them as gifts with all who are still enslaved by political oppression, social or economic injustice, or personal sin.

Free your people, Lord!
For all those who hold others under
the yoke of polictical oppression and violence:
-- grant them conversion of heart.
For all those who serve themselves
at the cost of social or economic injustice toward others:
-- grant them conversion of heart.
For all those who are enslaved by habits of sin:
-- grant them conversion of heat.

May the God of peace we with us all. Amen.

Tribute To The Marine Corps

Marine Tribute From Tommy Maddox, former Pittsburgh Steeler quarterback.

Tommy Maddox, former Pittsburgh Steeler, brought his family to Camp Lejeune to participate in the Marine Corps Celebrity Classic golf tournament which is held here to support charities such as the USO and Hope for the Warriors (Wounded Warriors). He wrote this letter afterwards and sent it out to his family and friends. It's a bit long, but well worth the read.

(From Tommy Maddox)
To Everyone,

This past weekend my family and I had the opportunity to spend five days at Camp Lejune in North Carolina.
It was a trip that our family will never forget.
We were able to watch as the Marines went through several exercises that would blow you away.
To see them handle the equipment is amazing.
Colby particularly liked the tanks.
He even got to sit in one.
But this is not about our weekend.
This is about the young men and women that serve our country.
I wish that each and everyone of you could look into the eyes of these Marines.
This is about Sgt. Jones, who I had the privilege to play golf with.
He has lost both of his legs and so proud to be an American and a Marine.
This is about all the men and women that call the Wounded Warriors barrack their home because of the wounds that they have suffered giving us the freedom that we take for granted each and every day.
To see these Marines wanting to get back in the fight, wanting to do their job, even after suffering an injury that had taken a leg or an arm is amazing.
There is a wall of Marines that have been injured and are now back in Iraq serving this country.
It is also about all the wives that I met this weekend that are here alone because their husbands are overseas.
The pride that they have in them and the pride that they have in this country is amazing.
One night, we got to watch a training exercise that involved a convoy getting ambushed, helicopters giving air support, and having to fight their way out of danger.
After this we got to join the Marines at mess where a former Marine that was injured during Vietnam gave a talk.
He talked about sacrifice and suffering for the cause of freedom.
He talked about what it took to be a Marine and to be a good citizen, but he said something that will ring in my ears forever.
He said that we are ALWAYS called to be loyal, we are ALWAYS called to be faithful.
He said that this is true in every walk of life.
We were put on this earth to be faithful to one another, faithful to our wives, faithful to our friends, and most importantly faithful to our GOD.
Semper Fi means always faithful, but he put the emphasis on always and not faithful.
I have heard this many times before, but never quite like this.
To sometimes be faithful does us no good.
It is black and white; we are either faithful, or we are not.
We either serve God in all that we do, or we do not all.
We are not called to serve God some of the time, but all of the time.
We are not called to be good husbands and friends some of the time, but all of the time.
To see this played out in everything that they do was amazing to me.
I was able to go through a training exercise that included M-16's loaded with paint cartridges(yes they hurt).
As we stormed a building the Marine that I was with only said two things.
Stay with me, and when we go -- we go.
No matter how many bullets are flying when we say we are going -- we are going.
I thought of my relationship with Jesus.
Am I that way?
I have said that I am going, but do I hesitate when the bullets start to fly?
How do they keep going?
They have trained for it.
They are more worried about the Marine in front of them and in back of them than themselves.
I want to train myself for that.
I want to spend time daily so that I am more concerned with the people around me than myself.
I want to keep going when the bullets fly.
I want to serve God in everything that I do, even if it is hard sometimes.
We live in a great country.
Anyone that does not believe that needs to go spend a week at a Marine base and they would come away feeling so much different.
I wish that we all had to spend time serving our country the way these men and women do every single day.
I just want to say thank you.
I want to say thank you to the young man that sat next to me at dinner.
The helicopter pilot from Vietnam that I got to play golf with.
To General Dickerson, for allowing us to see a glimpse of what it is that they do.
I want to say thank you to all the Marines that I met this weekend, and to all the ones that I didn't.
I am more proud to be an American than I ever have been.
God has blessed this country with more than we deserve and more than we could ever imagine.
If we will stop looking at ourselves and start looking to serve and protect others, it will continue to be the greatest country in the world.
One person at a time, I believe that we can make this happen.
I thank God for this weekend.
I thank God for each one of you.
And I thank God for this country.

-- Tommy.

Don't Enlist

Finally, someone recommending the people take the power to end the war or fight it right – if there is such a thing or way. I pray everyday that the young men and women serving our country are keep from harms way. To bad the government does not – especially the madness on Capitol Hill.

Until the war ends, my prays will continue.

I also include another story about soldiers. Check it out:

http://countrycontemplative.wordpress.com/2007/05/17/soldiers/


From The Dilbert Blog:

Don’t Enlist:

http://dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_blog/2007/05/dont_enlist.html

By Scott_Adams on General Nonsense

I was reading an article about the newish armored vehicles with V-shaped hulls for withstanding IED attacks. Apparently no one has ever been killed by an IED blast in one of these particular vehicles despite thousands of encounters. The military bought 300 of them. They have 35,000 regular Humvees.

Does it seem like we’re trying hard enough to protect the troops?

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2006-10-30-iraq-buffalos_x.htm

I realize it probably isn’t easy to build these special vehicles in mass production. And it’s absurdly expensive. But are we putting a war-level effort into increasing production capacity? I don’t recall seeing a story to that effect.

My recommendation to young people: Don’t enlist.

The majority of the country opposes the war in Iraq, but we don’t seem to have much power to do anything but wait out the clock. 18-to-21 year olds could end the war in six months. All they have to do is stop enlisting. In the short term, it wouldn’t have much impact on military capacity or the defense of the nation. But the threat of a future impact would shock the system and cause some sort of immediate action.

If young people want a career in the military, they could put it off a year, or at least until the government gets serious about building more IED-resistant vehicles. If enlistment drops to near zero, the government has to consider a draft. And it won’t do that because they have too many kids of their own who are draft age.

It’s ironic that people between the ages of 18 and 21 are the only American adults not allowed to drink. And yet they are the only ones who can stop the war in Iraq in the near term. Or if they prefer, at least cause more IED-resistant vehicles to be built.

That’s a lot of power.

The Assault On Reason

I am not a fan of Al Gore.
But this looks like an interesting book -- I am ordering a copy to read.

Time Magazine has an excerpt.
I found it easy to read and understand.
Just passing it along.

http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1622015,00.html

Made in the USA: Spoiled brats

By Craig R. Smith
11.20.2006

The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true given the source, right? The same magazine that employs Michael (Qurans in the toilets at Gitmo) Isikoff. Here I promised myself this week I would be nice and I start off in this way. Oh what a mean man I am.

The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the president. In essence 2/3s of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change.

So being the knuckle dragger I am, I starting thinking, ''What we are so unhappy about?''

Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter? Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job? Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?

Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state? Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter? I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough. Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all involved. Whether you are rich or poor they treat your wounds and even, if necessary, send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.

Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home, you may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of having a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family and your belongings. Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes; an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss. This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90 percent of teenagers own cell phones and computers.

How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world? Maybe that is what has 67 percent of you folks unhappy.

Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S. yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.

I know, I know. What about the president who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The president who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the same president who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11? The president that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled brats safe from terrorist attacks? The commander in chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me?

Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go. They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general'' discharge, an ''other than honorable'' discharge or, worst case scenario, a ''dishonorable'' discharge after a few days in the brig.

So why then the flat out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans? Say what you want but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds it leads and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sells. Just ask why they are going to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write a book and do a TV special about how he didn't kill his wife but if he did … insane!

Stop buying the negative venom you are fed everyday by the media. Shut off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as a country. There is exponentially more good than bad.

I close with one of my favorite quotes from B.C. Forbes in 1953:

''What have Americans to be thankful for? More than any other people on the earth, we enjoy complete religious freedom, political freedom, social freedom. Our liberties are sacredly safeguarded by the Constitution of the United States, 'the most wonderful work ever struck off at a given time by the brain and purpose of man.' Yes, we Americans of today have been bequeathed a noble heritage. Let us pray that we may hand it down unsullied to our children and theirs.''

I suggest this Thanksgiving we sit back and count our blessings for all we have. If we don't, what we have will be taken away. Then we will have to explain to future generations why we squandered such blessing and abundance. If we are not careful this generation will be known as the ''greediest and most ungrateful generation.'' A far cry from the proud Americans of the ''greatest generation'' who left us an untarnished legacy.

Craig R. Smith is an author, commentator and popular media guest because he instantly engages audiences with his common-sense analyses of local, national and global trends. Serving as CEO of Swiss America for nearly 25 years, Craig understands that Americans want solid answers to the tough questions and that real leadership begins with servanthood. Craig's most recent book is "Black Gold Stranglehold: The Myth of Scarcity and the Politics of Oil."