Being American

Veteran’s Day

I ain’t no Democrat. Probably not a true Republican either and ‘cause the Libertarians won’t take a position on the security of my country I am not feeling very good about the current state of politics in the United States.

I voted. I sent the only freshman Republican to the Senate.

The trouble with being an American today is you choose a side. It once was you took a stand. When you take a side, someone loses. Why isn’t there one direction for America and the candidates run on a platform to take America in that common direction? Instead, we have two different directions and the platform is how much mud can one party stick on the other. Our enemy sees our weakness.

I followed Virginia’s route 11 for a few miles after the Interstate 81 backed up due to an accident. America is still out there in heart and principal. In historic Middletown they celebrated and honored Americans who had served their country by having a fun walk. In the center of town the street was lined with the American Flags waving in the wind that swept across the Shenandoah Valley. Under a warm November morning sky, I drove slowly through town pretending I was my own little parade. I’m a veteran. It is my day. I waved to an old man on the street corner. He smiled.