In Search of Thanksgiving

With November nearly done -- and Thanksgiving barely  finished -- I am struggling with my usual response to this time of year:  "I am thankful for the following..."

Still smarting from our election defeat, I find myself thinking about things differently.  The majority of time, I tell myself ... it could be worse.  You could be dying, your wife could be leaving you, or your two sons could be moving back in with you.  

And that thinking is right, it COULD be worse.

As Liz reminds me, I'm the eternal optimist, which is what makes this so tough.  Normally I need a day or two to get over the loss of the Packers or Badgers.  Pretty soon I'm right back in front of the television thinking last week's loss was a fluke.  We'll get 'em this time!  More times than not, I'm right.

So let's look at a few things and put them into perspective.


I still don't like the dark meat (it's nothing racial).

1.)  Obama's re-election means that Obama Care is going to be the law of the land.

With the Supreme Court allowing the take over of our healthcare system by government bureaucrats, and this fall's election signalling America's endorsement of such folly, be prepared for higher taxes, higher insurance premiums, less control over your care choices, and death panels.  Know someone in the business of selling health insurance?  Add them to the growing unemployed ranks.

I AM THANKFUL that I won't be sitting in front of business clients trying to explain why their premiums are going up 30% this year.  In the near future, my ex-clients will be on the phone talking to someone else who will piss them off and eventually pass the buck to their "supervisor," who will then promise to get back to them.  Right.

2.)  During a season of yuletide blessings, peace on earth and good will towards men, I find it ironic that the Freethinkers Society is having such a hard time with Christmas.  When the whole world is enjoying a season of lights, carols and the occasional eggnog, this atheist group has their Santa undies in a bundle over the busing of school children to see "A Charlie Brown Christmas" at a local Arkansas church.

Anne Orsi, spokesperson for the group, says the sponsored field trip made "some" parents uncomfortable because of the religious content of the program.  Makes me wonder if these parents turn the television off when CBS runs the special on television.  The late Charles Schultz must be rolling in his grave.

I AM THANKFUL that as a child, I faced no such hurdles in observing and celebrating Christmas. Religious displays on public property were a joy to visit -- providing assurance that someone greater than me was born in the city of Bethlehem.  I'm sure many of the displays were tradition and involved whole communities celebrating their similarities, not differences.

How long before they ban "Silent Night" from public airwaves?

3.)  The Land of Lincoln -- Illinois -- recently elected Jessie Jackson Jr., Democrat, to another term in Congress, despite a bipolar disorder, links to disgraced former Governor Rod Blagojevich, an affair that threatens his marriage and suspicious activities leading to a federal investigation into his political finances.

Before election day, a number of political observers said that the developments would have no impact on his re-election.   They were right.  Jackson, who was too sick to even campaign, was chosen by Illinois' Second Congressional District with more than 66% of the vote.  "Congressman Jackson is in a very safe congressional district," said DePaul University Law Professor, Len Cavise.  "Absent the most blatant kind of violation, I don't think (anything) would have much of an effect."

Update:  It was recently reported that Jackson would resign, citing a federal ethics investigation and poor health.  It is believed he swung a deal to avoid further investigation and potential prosecution.

I AM THANKFUL that the great state of Wisconsin has Republican Paul Ryan of Janesville.  The presidential campaign introduced many people to Ryan, who -- as the Chairman of the House Budget Committee -- has stood his ground on many conservative issues.   By challenging President Obama during the Obama Care health forum debate, people got to see  his  Midwestern principals on display.  .

Anyone who is viewed by Washington's left as "the evil genius, the cruel and mad budget cutter who threatens grandma's health care, granddad's retirement, and the entitlement state as we know it," gets my vote every time.

Apparently others feel the same way.  He was re-elected to his seventh term by a large margin (in a mostly Democratic district).


I'll take the white meat (just keep it moist).

1.)  The Wisconsin Badgers football team has had a really tough year.  How tough?  For the third time this year, they lost an overtime game.  Once to Michigan State, once to Ohio State, and last weekend to Penn State.  I don't know what effect losing in overtime does to a team's psyche, but I would imagine it's like reliving the election results of November 6th over and over.  And over.

I AM THANKFUL that the Badgers have Montee Ball who was voted the Big Ten's top running back for the second straight year.  As a first team all-conference pick by both coaches and the media, Ball set a NCAA record with his 79th TD.  He has rushed for 1,528 yards this year and 18 touchdowns.  Wisconsin now has the honor of having two of the greatest college running backs ever:  Montee ball with his 79 touchdowns and Ron Dayne with his 6,397 rushing yards.  If that doesn't help future recruiting, I don't know what could.

The Badgers also have the honor of going to the Big Ten Championship game again for the second year, playing Nebraska.  The first time this year the two teams played, Nebraska came from behind to win 30-27 in Lincoln, NE.  It was a game that featured a fast start by Wisconsin, followed by strong defense in the second half by Nebraska.  The winner will travel to the Rose Bowl to face the winner of the PAC 12 Championship Game.

Admittedly it's been a tough year for the 7-5 Badgers, but wouldn't it be great if they could play in Pasadena one more time?

2.)  The fickle voters of Wisconsin pulled a bit of a surprise with Republicans regaining control of the state Senate and state Assembly, when they picked up two Senate seats that were lost in last summer's recall election.  In typical fashion, Democrats blamed the re-districting efforts by the GOP for their surprise victory.  It's surprising, considering the cantankerous recall elections earlier in the year, and the decision to send Tammy Baldwin to the senate instead of Tommy Thompson.

I AM THANKFUL that Republicans gained influence in 60% of all states, where we can establish a firewall against President Obama and the rest of Washington.  In stark contrast to the Presidential outcome, voters put Republicans in control of local and state purse strings.  This is significant because Democrat-controlled states like California, Illinois and New York are spending themselves into bankruptcy.  If Republican-controlled states, like Wisconsin, can foster economic growth and job creation at the state level, perhaps we can give the electorate a clear choice in 2016.

Do the people of America want  more California/Illinois or more Wisconsin?  It may be the kind of test that finally fixes the problems coming out of Washington.  Perhaps the Rose Bowl (with Wisconsin playing the PAC 12 winner) will be a harbinger of things to come.

Rockwell's Thanksgiving

3.)  Finally, what would Thanksgiving be without family?  My wife and I were speaking recently about how much family means to us at Thanksgiving.  For her, it wouldn't be the holiday without sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, moms and dads.

This year marked the first Thanksgiving for Liz without either parent.  Her dad died almost 20 years ago, and her mother passed away this summer from cancer.  For some very good friends of ours, it was the first Thanksgiving without their son, who died in a car accident.

And it wasn't the same without them.

Many of us take for granted that we will always have family sitting around the table at Thanksgiving.  It seems like your sister will always be there with her green bean casserole, or your mom with the sweat potatoes topped with marshmallows.  And how many kinds of pie will there be?  Apple, pumpkin, banana cream and pecan?

I AM THANKFUL for our traditions -- like watching the Macy Thanksgiving Day Parade,  sitting down to some Detroit Lions football (maybe playing a little ourselves outside if it's warm enough), that afternoon nap, and perhaps best of all -- the leftover turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy.

When I worked at Gast Manufacturing in Benton Harbor, Michigan, the owner -- instead of sending Christmas cards -- would send Thanksgiving Day cards.  It was my job to work with an agency that created a new card every year.  We always focused on the customer, who was the most important part of his business.  It was his reason for going to work everyday.  And ultimately for it's success.

I think of those cards often.  Thanksgiving is about work, and reaping the benefits of that hard work.

Hopefully, this blog finds you thankful for many of your blessings.  Despite the election results, it could be worse.  If we do our best, love those around us, and treat our friends like family, we will truly be blessed.

Give thanks for that.

A Letter to My Sons

Dear Matt and Sean,

I'm sorry.

Today -- November 6, 2012 -- a majority of voters ended what it means to be an American.  Despite being a beacon of ethical individualism, a paragon of untethered capitalism and a benevolent force that withstood the evils of fascism, communism and radical Islam, America finally lost its standing as the western world's last example of a free society.

After more than 200 years, those who made America the land of the free, are no longer in the majority.

As Abraham Lincoln said in his Lyceum speech on January 27, 1838, "At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected?  I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us.  It cannot come from abroad.  If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher.  As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide."

Who would have thought one hundred-seventy-four years later, America would succumb to the temptations of Barrack Obama and the Democratic party's false promises of "hope and change", and a classless society? In fact, fifty-two percent of America put a president back into office despite a horrible economic record, a campaign based a "war on women" and a booming federal deficit.   And rejected a man who had provided balanced budgets, worked on a bipartisan basis while governor, and turned around failing business, including the 2002 Olympics.

I'm still asking myself "what's happened to the America I used to know?"

As a child of ten, I remember playing a game with my friends that involved a folded piece of paper that you moved with your fingers.  I don't remember what the game was called, but the folded triangles contained numbers, then colors, and finally words.  By picking certain combinations, you would be rewarded with the coolest car, a big house or lots of money to spend anyway you wanted.

 

In many ways it represented the dreams of a nation, who was finding its way through the Vietnam War, gender/race equality, and the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Bobby Kennedy.  But as a young boy, all I understood was the possibility that I would some day grow up to get married, find a good paying job, buy a cool car and own a home.  The American Dream was alive and well, despite the winds of unrest blowing through the storied halls of Congress.

Twenty years later, I was moving up in the world -- the girl of my dreams had said "yes," my first son had turned four, and we had just moved into our second home, nestled among the peach and apple orchards of southwestern Michigan.  I remember like it was yesterday:   the joy I felt as I lay in the grass of our backyard looking up to blue skies and drifting clouds.  My hopes were high, and our family's future looked bright.

President Reagan, who had led us out of the recession of Jimmy Carter's doing, had been replaced by another man of integrity and honor, President George H. Bush.  During those good years (the late 1980's), the United States was still a "shining city... a tall, proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, windswept, God-blessed and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace..."

More than 20 years later, I now feel foolish to think that such vision and faith in the human spirit would continue.  At some point during my lifetime, the citizens of this great country changed.  The American Dream -- getting an education, working hard and achieving success -- lost its appeal.  Those striving for prosperity became a pariah to those voting in elections.

We somehow lost our momentum through the Clinton and Bush presidencies -- but to be honest (in looking back) those winds of unrest had been gathering new focus and intent for years.  Traditional families lost their cohesion, God fell out of favor, love of country was replaced with love of self, and union influence dominated our educational and judicial institutions, as well as the workplace.

Equally damning was the emergence of the liberal media.  Early in the 20th century, the media was hard on both political parties, but with more and more liberal journalists gaining prominence in our media -- newspapers, television and magazines --  their passion for fact finding turned regularly into attacks on conservative ideals.  Watergate became the calling card for a new generation of "investigative journalists."  Within a single lifetime, mainstream journalism lost all pretense of unbiased reporting.  They have clearly put all their chips on the left, with no apologies.

Today, more youth get their news from Comedy Central and Saturday Night Live than ABC, NBC and CBS combined.  The internet, blogs and You Tube videos have expanded the aberration of what is broadcast on TV as mainstream news.

Many voters who elected Obama to a second term no longer read newspapers, or bother to research candidates' claims (immigrants even fight the need to learn our language).  This has led many youth to get their news through highly opinioned web sites and  late night appearances on liberal talk fests like David Letterman, Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Fallon (let's get our news with a dose of comedy).  Unfortunately, the ones being made to look foolish and dumb are usually the conservative choice.

The cover up this year from the major networks on important stories like Libya, Solyndra, and Fast and Furious was unparalleled and (as a fellow journalist) perhaps I'm more sensitive than most.  I know there's media bias on both sides, but how thin skinned is Obama that he has to complain when it's 6 to 1 in his favor?

So Matt and Sean, I want to apologize for what has happened to this once great nation on our watch.   One of the most important things parents can do for their children is provide a better future.  Perhaps that thinking is what misled us.  Perhaps your mom and I loved you so much that we forgot to teach you how hard it was to achieve success and to appreciate this great nation.  Rather than saving for your own car, we gave you one.  Going to college? -- let us pay for it.  Don't worry about a job, focus on doing well in school.

I don't know...

I'd like to think that we raised you to value family, honesty and hard work.  But somehow our society -- and I'm including my generation as well -- focused on the wrong things.

For generations, our forefather fought in wars, putting their country first.  With the perceived failures in Vietnam, the mandatory draft became a thing of the past .  Love of country and self sacrifice died as quickly as those brave souls who lost their lives in Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Believe me when I say that I'm glad that you didn't have to fight in any wars -- but perhaps by doing so, your focus drifted to blaming America for those wars.  How could you not see that we were liberating Iraq from a bloodthirsty murderer who had beheaded mothers and fathers in front of their children, gassed thousands of Kurdish villagers, tortured hundreds of "conspirators" by gouging out eyes, chopping off limbs or executing others who displeased him simply because they would not allow him to take their virgin daughters?

Where did this idea that America was the bad guy come from?

Surprisingly, most of the criticism comes from within our borders.  Starting with our public schools.

Columbus's discovery of America is being re-written in history books, as is the treatment of Native Americans and their culture.   High schools and colleges focus on the bad behavior of a few soldiers who interrogate prisoners with water boarding to gain information that saves thousands of lives.  Candidate Romney was right when he said that President Obama took an apology tour, claiming America was to blame for everything from global warming to Middle East unrest.

The push in schools to allow our children to travel abroad encouraged your mom and me to send you to Europe, Asia and South America.  Perhaps somewhere along the way, you were allowed to think those countries were better.   As taught in school, these countries had many of the things missing in America -- economic and social fairness, equality for all.

The trouble is that none of these countries will ever be as good as America once was.  I've heard both of you come home from school saying communism was the fairest form of government, despite it's failure.  Every country that has tried communism, socialism and radical Islam has failed miserably.   Too bad schools don't see it that way.

Look at the current crises facing Great Britain and Europe.  Socialist doctrine reduced Great Britain from a super power to one that is a pale shade of what it once was.  Prime Minister Attlee embraced it, Churchill fought it to no avail, and Margaret Thatcher (at best) held it in check.  No one has been able to go back to the way it was.  Some countries are either over the edge (Greece), heading full speed toward the cliff (France) or suffering a slow death (Germany).  What makes anyone think America will be any different?

Apparently we either don't believe it will happen here or, worse, we don't care.

For many immigrants, America still represents that shining city President Reagan spoke about thirty-five years ago.  Unfortunately, more and more immigrants today are coming to our country uneducated and non-skilled, looking for government assistance.  The breakdown of this year's election indicated the majority of Latinos who voted for Obama didn't do it because of Republican anti-immigration policies -- they did it for the benefits promised by Democrats.

There are more elected minorities in the Republican Party than the Democrat Party.  Yet former Secretary of State Condi Rice,  Florida Senator Marco Rubio, governors Nikki Haley (South Carolina) and Susana Martinez (New Mexico) are made fun of by most of your friends.    If any of these politicians were Democrats, they would be loved and defended by the media and minority groups.  But no -- rather than applaud their struggles and success, they are called uncle toms and culturally incorrect.  No wonder I worry about your generation.

Matt and Sean, I wish you could have seen America through my eyes as a child.  The great things we did, the hope our country had for its future and its indispensable courage against impossible odds.  As a child, I saw us land on the moon...  Today, NASA is out of business.

We didn't make excuses or complain about what our neighbors had.  If nothing else, we sought out what they did and tried to do it ourselves.  It was a great time to grow up -- we were proud to be Americans.

America used to be about merit -- talent that should be allowed to rise and prosper.  It didn't pick winners based on race, sex or age.  There was no "war on women," "fair share," "one percent" or "affirmative action" needed to embraced this philosophy.  Teachers, students, laborers and business owners were all allowed to succeed.  And immigrants knocked on our borders to have a shot at it.

Somehow we've gotten away from it.  And I'm afraid there's no turning back.