My last blog entry was also posted on my MySpace page. It gained the following response with which I must take issue. “I don't hold out much hope. Obama was voted into office by people who put his skin color first and completely ignored his utter lack of experience and his (proven) evil past associations. These are not the actions of thinking people. As a Senator, Obama couldn't even get a security clearance because of those past associations. As someone who served this country with pride, and as someone who's "been there, done that", I know what our enemies are capable of, and I know what we've been doing to battle those enemies. Our enemies are closer than most people realize, and our enemies are gloating. As we used to say in the Navy, ‘stand by for heavy waves’. The American Dream has nothing to do with entitlements, handouts or punishing hard work and success.†First let me say that I have nothing but respect for those who serve or have served in the military. My father was in the Navy during the Second World War. My brother-in-law is retired from the Air Force and, in civilian life, works in the maintenance dept. of the local Air Force base. His youngest daughter serves in the local Air Force Reserve unit. I will always honor those who are or were part of our armed forces. You are to be applauded for having served. I save my venom for those amongst our political leaders who would put them in harm’s way capriciously. That having been said, I take great offense at the idea that I would cast something as important and vital as a vote based on something as trivial and useless as political correctness. That offense is leavened by my mirth at the idea that a concept so inflexibly narrow could gain the kind of broad base of support which is needed to elect someone to the Presidency of the United States. As for the so-called “past associations†I can only offer the following observations. You might want to keep these in mind at the next election. *************************************************************** Beware By Stephen Lee Rich Beware the man who offers a list of how much we must fear and boasts deliverance. Beware the man who cries, “Hide under your beds and I will make your beds a safe shield!†Beware the man who arrests angels from their flight then demonizes the fallen. Beware the man who proclaims, “Those who do not know terror, who stand up to and face it are dangerous fools! I shall smite them down along with all those amongst the scribes and rabble who applaud them!†Beware the man who brags that he can make fear know fear. While it is true that there is much in the world of which to be afraid, we must ask ourselves this question. Against whom do we need the greater defense, The foreign terrorist who hates us for being us, Or the man from our own home who is having breakfast in the bed under which he would have us hide? **************************************** As you have pointed out,†Our enemies are closer than most people realizeâ€. I thank the Lord that the domestic ones, at least, are no longer gloating. Be well. Stephen Lee Rich