Question for the 4th?

[GMN]

What does America mean to you?

GMN

 

[dun]

The words of Lee Greenwood pretty well sums it up

 

[Lammie]

America is my home. It's who I am. It's a place where anyone can overcome class or poverty to become whatever they have the drive and will to become. It's wide open spaces and great diversity and beauty. Americans have the ability to come together when other countries would have been torn apart. It's the best place on Earth to live.

 

[Jim62]

Sadly, it doesn't mean the same thing now as it did 50 years ago.....

I hope we'll be able to get it turned around pretty soon.

 

[backhoeboogie]

What does America mean to you?

GMN

Let me add how fortunate I am to be here, in addition to the other things already said.

 

[Ryder]

Sadly, it doesn't mean the same thing now as it did 50 years ago.....

I hope we'll be able to get it turned around pretty soon.

Jim, I have the same opinion. The freedoms that I used to be so thankful for have been lost or watered down. The worst part of it is that the young moderns don't have a clue.
They want to take care of problems by imposing more and more rules and regulations and that creates more problems in the long run.
I hope it does turn around. But I am afraid there are going to be some really rough times before the pendulum swings back the other way.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Jim, Ryder,

And it is not the big things either. It is all the little freedoms. For instance I am hording light bulbs. We use the high efficiency ones for practically everything but I need the old fashion type in the well house during winter. They have now been outlawed.

 

[Jogeephus]

Jim, Ryder,

And it is not the big things either. It is all the little freedoms. For instance I am hording light bulbs. We use the high efficiency ones for practically everything but I need the old fashion type in the well house during winter. They have now been outlawed.

Does this make you a criminal?

 

[backhoeboogie]

Jim, Ryder,

And it is not the big things either. It is all the little freedoms. For instance I am hording light bulbs. We use the high efficiency ones for practically everything but I need the old fashion type in the well house during winter. They have now been outlawed.

Does this make you a criminal?

Absolutely. Will you throw my bail if I am caught? I'm no flight risk. There's too much work to be done.

 

[Frankie]

What does America mean to you?

GMN

It's my home.

 

[HOSS]

My America:

I loved it so much I fought for it.
I loved it so much I bled for it.
I loved it so much I have spilled blood for it.
I loved it so much I would have died for it.

I love it so much I would do it all over again. I am afraid that at the speed that we are heading away from everything that made us great in the first place, soon it will not be worth fighting or dying for.

 

[TexasBred]

Sit out front of Wal Mart for a few minutes. You'll see America. Rich, poor, homeless, powerful, young, old, ill, dieing, smiling, crying, complaining, being kind, helping others, turning their backs on someone, Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, every nationality and every faith you can imagine. That's America. Not necessarily "at it's finest" but it's America. The good, the bad the ugly.

 

[kerley]

I am in agreement with all of you. The present world situation scares the hell out of me. America has changed since I returned from the battlefield. I use to feel like if our shores were ever invaded there would be enough of us armed citizens to really give them hell. It will be hard without arms and ammo.
Tom.

 

[GMN]

I was thinking along the lines of Apple pie, cookouts, baseball games, the all American things that us Americans do.

GMN

 

[Frankie]

I was thinking along the lines of Apple pie, cookouts, baseball games, the all American things that us Americans do.

GMN

I'm going to celebrate my freedom on July 4th by doing just exactly what I want to do: stay home. That trip to crowded Italy made me appreciate the peace and quiet of home.

 

[MO_cows]

I am very proud to be an American and believe it is the best country on earth to this point. We didn't quite get it exactly right but we've come closer than anybody else. I am proud of our "melting pot" culture and all the legal immigrants that came here with not much more than hopes and dreams and made a good life for themselves. I love how the best parts of their cuisines and cultures have become part of the American culture. I wish we had done better with the Native Americans.

I'll always love my country but have begun to fear my government.

And a big thank you to all the ones who served this country in the armed forces.

 

[Calman]

I'm going to celebrate my freedom on July 4th by doing just exactly what I want to do: stay home. That trip to crowded Italy made me appreciate the peace and quiet of home.[/quote]

I am proud to say that I am an american.
Every time I came back from serving in a different country I was was vary happy to be on american soil again.With an exeption of the last viet nam tour,Having landed in California in the middle of rioting,flag burning,and being cussed at,spit on,and called baby killers,made me wonder if we got detoured and didn't make it to the USA.
Serving or visiting a different country will make you see how good it really is here.
Although we take to much for granite.(sp)
Like Frankie said,I will be celebrating at home.

Cal

 

[gimpyrancher]

I guess the answer depends on who you are and how it was "back then." If you were any minority or poor, those were not good times. If you were a woman trying to support a family, it wasn't good. If you were a legal immigrant, you might have been rounded up and imprisoned. Martin Luther King didn't fight just for African Americans, he also fought for the equal rights of the poor. In the timeframe of 'Nam, most injured soldiers died of their wounds. Now most are saved and returning disabled because of improved healthcare in the field and because of body armor. Remember how it was reported as to how we treated our disabled Vets at Walter Reed Hospital just last year? Would those brave men and woman feel it's better now than it "used to be?" Being disabled isn't the problem, it's lack of access to any real quality of life. Are most of the disabled vets able to go to these 4th of July celebrations? The "modern" and current answer is no. I know that for my 4th, and the fourth for many disabled vets, I've pledged to continue to fight this domestic war. Seems to me the good 'ol days of past depends on who you were/are.

 

[farmwriter]

Gimpyrancher - one of the most sobering moments of my 4th was at the 'homemade' parade we go to every year just a few miles from our home. It's a great event: all you have to do if you want to be in the parade is show up, it's strongly encouraged to throw candy to children, and the only people who make $ are the volunteer firefighters that sell BBQ plates and the church youth groups with lemonade, homemade ice cream, etc.
We sat in the back of our farm truck in lawn chairs, so there were people on the ground between us and the parade route. One man in the group directly in front of us had on his Wounded Warrior Project shirt. I can't explain the gratitude I felt at that sight. It makes me tear up now.
My most heartfelt thanks to all who have served and still serve. :tiphat:

 

[TexasBred]

I guess the answer depends on who you are and how it was "back then." If you were any minority or poor, those were not good times. If you were a woman trying to support a family, it wasn't good. If you were a legal immigrant, you might have been rounded up and imprisoned. Martin Luther King didn't fight just for African Americans, he also fought for the equal rights of the poor. In the timeframe of 'Nam, most injured soldiers died of their wounds. Now most are saved and returning disabled because of improved healthcare in the field and because of body armor. Remember how it was reported as to how we treated our disabled Vets at Walter Reed Hospital just last year? Would those brave men and woman feel it's better now than it "used to be?" Being disabled isn't the problem, it's lack of access to any real quality of life. Are most of the disabled vets able to go to these 4th of July celebrations? The "modern" and current answer is no. I know that for my 4th, and the fourth for many disabled vets, I've pledged to continue to fight this domestic war. Seems to me the good 'ol days of past depends on who you were/are.

And that depends a lot on our attitude. I too still carry some shrapnel....but I still try to live life to the fullest and have very few regrets about my past and look forward to each new day. I have always considered myself very very blessed.