Witness Statements

[tombogan03884]

Then I stand corrected and you need to add the 11th to your list, young Sir...

It's on the list, as are Memorial day and June 4th (Flag Day) but for the context of the comment they were not needed.

[Timothy]

Yeah, the Marines (Nov 10, 1775) have been around ALMOST as long as the Army (June 14,1775). 

Lest we forget...

"The United States Navy traces its origins to the Continental Navy, which the Continental Congress established on 13 October 1775 by authorizing the procurement, fitting out, manning, and dispatch of two armed vessels to cruise in search of munitions ships supplying the British Army in America. The legislation also established a Naval Committee to supervise the work. All together, the Continental Navy numbered some fifty ships over the course of the war, with approximately twenty warships active at its maximum strength."

[DesertMarine]

Tom, I'll do the same.
"This previous part I really can't answer beyond saying that being of Irish decent I do not celebrate St. Paddy's day, I don't believe in it or "Cinco De Mayo" or "Bastille Day" I celebrate the 4th of July because I'm an American. (and Nov 10th."  Not celebrating St. Paddy's day is up to you, though it is celebrated in the US.

"NOT SO, the Constitution guarentees Free Speech, and a free Press, this is NOT the same as "freedom of expression" which is the specious argument that was used to justify burning and otherwise showing disrespect for our Flag and other National symbols."  My comment says that we have the freedom of speech, in any language we wish, not anything to do with justification.  Did not the Supreme Court held up that burning the flag was protected by the 1st Ammendment.  I don't agree with that.

"I don't care what language you speak at home, or what foods you eat,(so far I have not met a Mexican Thai, or Chinese food that I have not liked) or how you dress etc. But when I go to DMV  I DEMAND that the person I deal with speak ENGLISH, I don't care where your people were from, the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Gettysberg address and every other worth while document of America was composed and written in English, why should WE adapt to the languages of nation that were unable to even conceive of the Ideals America is supposed to represent ?"  No one is saying you have to.  Most people from other places are adapting and learning and doing business in English.  A lot of them, learning in first generation and almost all by second generation.  Those that do not, find life here very difficult and most go back to their countries.  By third generations, the young people do associate with their country of origin and would not be albe to assimilate there.

As far as November 10th, that is the most important date in the history of the world.  No arguement.  I celebrate with a few good shots of tequila every year.  Been known to shed a tear or two.

[tombogan03884]

 Let me try to come at my point from a different direction, Over my life I have seen my home state change for the worse, Urbanization of once quaint New England towns, Commercialization of natural wonders, an increasing disconnection between the people and those who are supposed to represent them, increasing crime, the disappearance of the "Old Yankee"traditions, When I was a kid the State legislature got their $100, a special license plate, and then went back to their real jobs, anything that needed to be decided was settled in March when the towns held Town Meeting, then the issue was raised, and Face to face with your neighbors some spoke for, some spoke against and a vote was taken based on raised hands, the issue passed or failed.
That has changed because people from Boston and NY  come up here to "get away from the City" they bring their money and build million dollar homes, then demand services like they had in the city, driving tax rates to where natives can't afford to own a home in our own state, they get Ordinances and laws passed simply because their big city jobs let them afford lawyers, that a working man can't hope to compete with, they come to the woods and get their sidewalks and street lights because the alternative is a law suit that can bankrupt a small town, so they drive our taxes up, (bearing in mind that high taxes used to be the #1 gripe of Massholes that came up here) Then they want something else, the 250 year old street trees make a mess on their lawn they have to all be cut down, and it goes on, and our taxes go up. Now in what USED to be one of the most Conservative states in the Nation  one of the local towns can not afford new books for the Library because the money earmarked for them had to be spent on a lawsuit defending Town Meetings because some rich prick Ma. can't be bothered to show up for a one day meeting, the fact he only uses the place to get shitfaced and DWI's 3 months of the year doesn't matter, He's a property owner, this is happening while the formerly inactive state legislature debates the wording of a gay wedding bill. These things piss me off. If they want the things of the city then they should stay in the f%$king city, don't bring the city here, we don't want it. The last 2 places I worked no one was under 36 and I was the only one who was born and raised here. I don't want to see the country suffer the same loss of identity that NH has. I am NOT a citizen of the world.

I just reread this DM, Don't take it personal, try to see my point but bear in mind that I'm venting TO you, not ranting AT you. Semper Fi.

[DesertMarine]

Tom, I have read enough of your writings to know where you are coming from.  Same here, I don't take it personally, from you.  What has happened in your town is happening all over.  I moved to Albuquerque in 1969.  It was a good small big town.  You knew you were in New Mexico.  Now, with the influx of big city ideas, morals and all the rest, it is not the same.  The New Yorkers want things like they had in New York, the Californians want to change it to be like California.  One of my sisters lived in Wyoming for about 25 years and moved to Albuquerque area, complained that Wyoming had a better system for doing things.  I told her politely to move back and have said so to others.  But they won't go back. 

One thing I like very much is some changes from when I was growing up.  My home town was around 18K population when I was growing up.  I am Catholic.  We had two Catholic Churches in town, not because of need but because of race.  On the north side was the "white" Catholic Chruch and on the south side the "Mexican" Catholic Church.  Both had elementary schools, with the "white" church also having a high school.  We could not go to the Catholic high school.  That was then.  Now, we still have two churchs but most of the "whites" now belong to the "Mexican" church.  A lot of Mexicans have gone to the "white" church.  We now have a lot of blacks and some Asians in our churches.  I love what has happened.  Some of us prefer the Mass in Spanish, so we have Masses in Spanish.  My sister likes the Mass in Latin and that where she goes, she lives in Albuquerque area.  That is only a small example in what I say that a lot of the changes are for the better and will only make us stronger. 

Changes in our country have occurred and will continue to occur.  What we need to be concerned more, is people like fundamentalist Muslims who want us under Sharia law.  There are a lot of Muslims that love their religon but do not believe like the fundamentalists and are willing to live along side of everyone else. 

[Sponsor]

[brosometal]

Veterans Day, young Thomas, is November the 11th....not the 10th.....geez.....

A marine's second birthday unless, of course, he was born twice on the same day, sir.

and I shot my keyboard off before I saw that several others had mentioned it at well.  Will the last guy leaving the party please turn out the lights?

...fade to black.