Remember

 

Today marks the 20th anniversary of 9/11, a day I'll never forget. The truth is that many have and those who don't remember are destined to repeat the past. In the past, stronger words like condemned and doomed have been used. They may be more accurate.

I shy away from politics here, but I'm finding it harder to do that these days. While I don't want to add to the growing divergence among us, I can not pretend that I don't believe what I believe. What I believe is not because I am a Democrat or a Republican or a member of any affiliation other than the human race.

Truthfully, I cannot stand most politicians regardless of the side they are on. Most of them are self-serving and unscrupulous and human, thus flawed. That's why I believe in the constitution and my rights as defined within. The democratic framework it established over 200 years ago protects us from government and the people in positions of power. I am worried about the encroachment upon my rights. I can make my own decisions. 

I believe that our veterans should be honored for the sacrifices they make in the name of freedom. When I saw the faces of the servicemen and women recently killed in the terrorist attack in Kabul, I was crestfallen. They were babies with much more bravery than years.

I believe that law enforcement should be respected. I don't want to defund the police, I want to educate them and support them. They have a difficult job. Impossible right now. I turn on the news and every broadcast reports senseless violence and death. I cannot imagine dealing with that first hand every day and then being ridiculed and derided.

I believe that the media is compliant and one of the biggest contributors to the mistrust amongst us. They are openly biased, and thus, unreliable. What happened to reporting the facts? All sides? I am a free thinking individual. I can synthesize, scrutinize and make sense of the facts when they are fairly presented. I don't need George Stephanopolous telling me what to think. I certainly don't care what Jimmy Kimmel has to say about politics. He's a comedian. When I watch him, I want to forget about heavy things and laugh because he said something universally funny.

I believe cancel culture is dangerous. Censorship and ostracism negatively impact our right to free speech. Facebook, Google and Twitter are self-interested social networks. Mark Zuckerberg and his techie peers should not be infringing on our first amendment rights and judging us like Gods. If you don't like what someone has to say, unfollow them, or just stay away from those platforms. That works for me. 

I believe that America is a great melting pot of a nation. I love this country. It's not perfect, but it's better than just about anywhere else. To those who don't agree, I believe you're free to leave.