The world cries yet again

Yesterday was such a soul-crushing day of sadness. From the outrageous shootings in Alexandria, VA, and San Francisco, CA, to the horrific fire in London, UK, it was all too much to take in upon awakening. And yes, I'm sure there were countless other tragedies and deaths throughout the world as well. I'm damned sorry about all of them. To mention only a few does not in any way marginalize the others.

Oh, to have the ability to heal the world and to be able to right the wrongs in it...even if just for one day. Our time is short on this planet. Way too short for violence, sadness, hate, and war.

Sit or stand. It's your right as an American.

I see a lot of people upset over Colin Kaepernick. Here's the thing: even if you don't agree with him or his method, this is America and he STILL has the right not to stand for the national anthem.

Remember, FREEDOM of speech, expression, and religion are all at the CORE of the ideals this country was founded upon. So you can be pissed off, disagree, and outright livid about it, but if you understand America and its history at all, you will understand that him exercising his right to express himself in that manner IS an outgrowth of what this nation was founded upon.

I come from a military family. I was a military brat. I wanted to go into the Air Force to be a pilot but was too short. I am a proud American and I come from a long line of proud Americans who fought in the Revolutionary War AND who helped found this country in the first place (I'm a DNA relative of President John Adams and President John Quincy Adams -- two presidents).

So, here's the thing: all the people who have fought for our country and are fighting for our country? Three things they fought and died for include the RIGHT to freely speak, express, and practice any religion you want. You can be as pissed off as you want and disagree with what Colin Kaepernick did; however, this is freedom of expression and speech in action.

It doesn't matter if you agree or like it. You have to defend ALL speech, not just the speech you don't like. Doing so is at the core of what it means to be an American. If you don't believe me, go back and brush up on United States history.

A house divided cannot stand

The easiest way to destroy a country is from the inside. Especially when you ignore the needy, the poor, the minorities, the disenfranchised within a country's midst. Unless a whole lot of stuff changes within the United States, our country will not survive. When you divide your people, others can conquer them. I'm sure you've heard, "Divide and conquer" before, right?

We have the power to address all of these problems. We are so busy propping up the infrastructures of other countries that we are ignoring our own, and it's crumbling...not just physical infrastructure, but cultural as well.

And when I say culture, I don't just mean European culture. America is, and always has been, a melting pot of various cultures, religions, ethnicities. In case you have forgotten, the words on the Statue of Liberty read thusly:

Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!

I say this a lot, but I'm PROUD to have one of the founding fathers, President John Adams, as a relative on my birth father's side. Same for his son, President John Quincy Adams. Now, listen to his words:

"Posterity: you will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it."

If we do not take substantive, meaningful action to address the serious issues that are currently tearing our country apart, we risk losing our freedom AND our country. Because when your house is divided, it can be conquered.

Our house is fractured and divided into so many pieces. There is hard work ahead, but we must commit to bringing those pieces together as best we can. We have to be brutally honest with ourselves and see the truth, not coddle ourselves with comfortable lies.

There is work to be done, not for just some of us, but for all of us. As Americans. As people who love our country and do not want to see it crumble, only to be discovered centuries later in dusty history books. Right now, the biggest threat to our country's survival is from the strife we are fighting from within. Wake up, America. Let us take a cold, hard look at ourselves and commit to doing what must be done for the sake of our country and all of us who reside within it.

We can do better. You know this, right? Let's get to work on the problems facing us and SOLVE them, together.

[Dream] United States Tsunami

Dreamed of a HUGE tsunami ravaging an American city last night. I was in a high-rise building, watching it approach. It was terrifying in its beauty.

A monstrous wave rose up and covered everything in its path. Watching it, all I could think about was the power of Mother Nature and the feelings of awe and fear competing with one another for top billing.

So many buildings and people wiped out in a flash. I survived, but the aftermath was nothing but destruction, chaos, and confusion for those who managed to escape it.

What an intense dream!

No use for the Confederate flag. Take it down.

I was born in the South. The South already has a flag. It's called the Stars & Stripes, and this is what it looks like:

Take down the Confederate flag or secede from the United States. We have no need for you racists.