Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Letter to the Editor: in PRINT!

The most recent issue of the Webster Journal came out today, and my Letter to the Editor on Veteran's Day is printed on the second page! :) Here is a pic I took with my phone... and you can see the online version at this link: http://websterjournal.com/2011/11/16/letters-to-the-editor-4/



Judging by my reaction the rest of the content in the newspaper this will definitely not be the last Letter to the Editor I write. So keep watching Present Day Patriots for continuous updates! Also, if you'd like to receive an email whenever I publish a new post here, type your email address into the box on the right hand side of the screen.

Thank you all for your reading and support!!! :)

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Thoughts on OWS!

I should be doing homework but I just can't help but comment on the most talked about recent headline in our country. Affectionately known by some as the "Flea" Party, I'm talking about the whole Occupy Wall Street movement. (Is it really a movement? Perhaps "ordeal" would be a better word..."movement" would imply the existence of coherent goals and/or values, something lacking with OWS).

Regardless of what started this whole movement, let's look at what it has turned in to. Diseases in their camps, assaults, arrests, violence against fellow protestors and police officers, a fatal shooting, and defecation in the streets (not kidding about that last one, either... ) are just a few of the methods these folks use to get their point across. These guys are everything the left-wingers claimed the Tea Party Movement to be (can anyone give me a number of arrests of Tea Party protestors? Oh right, there were none!) When I watch interviews with these OWS protestors (the ones that aren't stoned or drunk, and those that are) and see their "artful" cardboard signs they strike me as either odd, disturbing, or just plain funny... here are a few...





http://www.buzzfeed.com/fjelstud/the-best-signs-from-occupy-wall-street

I could rant on every one of the signs on the site posted above, but I won't. But notice the disturbing Biblical reference on the second sign. "We are legion, and we are many." Anyone know where that comes from? Mark 5:1-20, which you can find at this link. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+5%3A1-20&version=NIV I implore you to read it and see what kind of ideas are floating around these "tent cities". I'm not sure what kind of education all of the OWS protestors have, but since when does referencing demons in relation to yourself and your cause serve as an effective method of communication of legitimate ideas (assuming you have legitimate, coherent ideas)?

What is being achieved here, besides proving to the world who the degenerates of American society are? How are these protests actually helping the downtrodden and destitute in this country? All I see from these protests are people angry with those Americans who "have" more than they do. There are a handful of wealthy people who have reached their level of wealth/stature by dishonest means, and that IS wrong. But there also exists a number of wealthy people who have reached their level of financial success through their own merit and hard work. The concept of earning what you work for is NOT wrong. This country was NOT founded upon the principle of entitlement, nor was it built to last under that doctrine of giving freebies to those who don't work for them.

If the whole Occupy Wall Street "movement" is a battle between the "haves" and the "have nots" I can tell the protestors that the best way to remain a "have not" is to sit in a park waving a cardboard sign. (Let us not forget that these two terms--haves and have nots--represent an undesirable concept in itself, and are subjective. And an American's definition of "have not" is much less deprived than that of any other third world country on this Earth). Get up and make a difference in someone else's life, and don't expect someone else to provide for you--be it the people around you or the government itself. Stop "occupying" and start LIVING!

Monday, November 14, 2011

Marine's Prayer

A Facebook friend and former Marine shared this with me yesterday (Thank you John!) and I just wanted to share the Marine's Prayer with those of you who have never heard it before.

Almighty Father, whose command is over all and whose love never fails, make me aware of Thy presence and obedient to Thy will. Keep me true to my best self, guarding me against dishonesty in purpose and deed and helping me to live so that I can face my fellow Marines, my loved ones, and Thee without shame or fear. Protect my family.

Give me the will to do the work of a Marine and to accept my share of responsibilities with vigor and enthusiasm. Grant me the courage to be proficient in my daily performance. Keep me loyal and faithful to my superiors and to the duties my Country and the Marine Corps have entrusted to me. Help me to wear my uniform with dignity, and let it remind me daily of the traditions which I must uphold.

If I am inclined to doubt, steady my faith; if I am tempted, make me strong to resist; if I should miss the mark, give me courage to try again.

Guide me with the light of truth and grant me wisdom by which I may understand the answer to my prayer.


I think each of us can use this prayer to guide our own lives, whether we serve in the military or not. Also, since we're on the topic of the Marine Corps...



This classic picture was taken when an ex-Marine had had enough with an Occupy Wall Street Protestor trying to disrupt the swearing in of New York Representative Bob Turner. Let's just say this guy met his match. Check out the story below:

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/ex-marine-tosses-occupy-heckler-from-congressmans-swearing-in/

I'll keep everyone posted on whether or not my letter to the editor gets published or not. We shall see :) Have a great week everyone!!!! :)

Sunday, November 13, 2011

My Letter to the Editor

I am a freshman at Webster University, for those of you who don't know, and as I was scanning through the most recent issue of "The Journal," the student run newspaper last Thursday, I was surprised that there was no mention of Veteran's Day ANYWHERE in the paper. So... I decided to write a Letter to the Editor and remind Journal readers of who we have to thank for our freedoms, and to express my own thanks to veterans and current soldiers in the Webster community. I just submitted it... so we shall see whether or not they publish it!

I thought some of you might want to read it, so here it is...

Dear Editor,

I am surprised and disappointed that there was no mention of Veteran’s Day in the last issue of The Journal. While the expression of different viewpoints within the newspaper is interesting, not an inch of space thanked or recognized the men and women who have served in the US military, whom our nation honors with a day of remembrance on November 11. Though we at home and at school seem to be so occupied (no pun intended) with the matters of our daily lives, we tend to take our freedom for granted. In our complacency and in this era of entitlement, have we so soon forgotten to whom we owe the rights to free speech and press—which allows the free printing of ideas in this paper—and a score of other precious freedoms? I haven’t forgotten; to all faculty and students who have served in any branch of the United States Military, I say THANK YOU for your service and sacrifice. The next time you see an American flag, I encourage students and faculty of Webster to pause and reflect on the high price that has been paid time and again throughout history for that flag to wave freely.

Sincerely,

Sarah Hinds


Thoughts/comments? Hope everyone has a safe, blessed week! :)

Friday, November 11, 2011

Love your freedom? Thank a Veteran!



On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, the "Great War", World War I, ended... and November 11th was known as Armistice Day until after World War II and the Korean War, when it became Veteran's Day.

Today isn't just another Friday--it's a day to pause a reflect upon the selfless service of our men and women who have given so much to protect and defend our country and our freedom, past and present. I'd like to dedicate this post to those men and women, and say THANK YOU for your devotion to our country and defending our way of life!

So, to every American soldier out there: Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for believing in a cause greater than yourself, and thank you for being willing to put your life on hold and on the line to defend our country. Thank you for willingly sacrificing the comforts of civilian life to protect and defend that way of life. Thank you for believing in the principles this nation was founded on, and believing in them enough to devote your life to defending them.

I love my freedom and I NEVER take it for granted because I know the price of that freedom. I pray that other Americans realize the same and I thank each and every one of you who has ever worn the uniform of the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, National Guard, Reserves for their dedication and sacrifice for the United States of America.

I thank our veterans, but I also want to thank their families. I cannot imagine the fear of watching a loved one leaving for a deployment, the emptiness felt at family gatherings when that person cannot be there because he/she is overseas, or the pain and anguish of receiving word that that loved one has paid the ultimate price for their country. So to all of you military wives, husbands, kids, parents, siblings, etc... thank you as well!

Today, take a minute of your day to thank a veteran. Do something to show that you, as an American, are grateful of the sacrifices made to ensure your way of life is protected. If you love your freedom, thank a veteran!

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Happy Birthday, Marines!

You'll be happy to hear that Obama administration has decided to "delay" implementing the asinine Christmas tree tax I spoke of yesterday. Good choice, Obama.

On a better note, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the United States Marine Corps! :) On this day in 1775, a resolution was approved that formed the Continental Marines. And for those of you who don't know, the motto "Semper Fi" means "Always Faithful" which so accurately describes our US Marines, past and present.

Just want to give a shout out to those of you who currently serve or have served in the Marine Corps... thank you for your service and Semper Fi!



Also...tomorrow is Veteran's Day. Will you treat it just as any other Friday, or will you DO SOMETHING to reflect upon the meaning of the day and/or directly thank an individual who has served our country?

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Obama loves Christmas... trees.

I have a lot of homework I could be doing but couldn't resist sounding off on just another one of the Obama administration's laughable schemes, and this time its a tax on live Christmas trees.

Obama loves Christmas so much, he's going to boost the whole Christmas tree industry by slapping a 15 cent tax (they'd rather call it a "fee") on Christmas trees to tree sellers. But wait--this isn't just any tax, like the many others that go to the federal government so they can spend it frivolously. Every 15 cents will go to the newly formed Christmas Tree Promotion Board... a program intended to help the promotion and marketing of live Christmas trees. I'm not kidding.

Unemployment: 9%
National Debt: almost $15 trillion
Relationships with other foreign world powers: Shaky.
US Christmas tree industry: Flourishing!

I am almost at a loss for words with this administration (note: almost). Their idea of leadership gets more bizarre everyday. Is this seriously the best thing the administration can come up with? Our country's economy is at one of the most fragile and weak states it has ever been in throughout it's short history, and we are worried about Christmas tree sales. I love Christmas as much as the next person. But a REAL leader who has their priorities in order is desperately needed in this country.

Someone give me one good reason why Obama deserves my, or your, vote in 2012. I can't even imagine, nor do I want to, what this group of buffoons will do to our country if they are in power four more years.

On that note... have a nice Wednesday :)