You Have To Stand For Something...

Or You’ll Fall For Anything

This morning I watched country music star Aaron Tippin sing his patriotic song “You have to stand for something” on Fox News “Fox and Friends” morning show. Aaron is a big advocate of supporting our military troops, even if you disagree politically with the Iraq war effort.

Having grown up in military family, living outside a military base, I guess that I might be considered biased—but I have to admit that I feel as Aaron does.

Coincidentally, there were two solders on our flight from Pittsburgh to Atlanta on Monday that were on their way to serve in Iraq. One of the flight attendants made an announcement over the intercom while we were taxiing to the gate in Atlanta telling the passengers of their (the solders) presence on our flight. Spontaneous applause broke out in the cabin.

What burned my ass was…SOME PEOPLE DID NOT CLAP AND JUST SAT THERE WITH THEIR HANDS IN THEIR LAP.

I was personally offended by this gesture (or lack thereof) but I held my tongue and controlled my attitude because, ironically, the solders are fighting for these idiots’ freedom to disagree with our country’s foreign policy. It’s just unfortunate that 20 year old men have to get caught up in the middle of such misdirected political speech.

This situation occurred just hours after we learned that Michael Jackson was acquitted on all ten felony charges against him. I don’t agree with the hype surrounding the trial, but I’m not really in a position to comment on the verdict because I wasn’t on the jury.

It might surprise you to hear this, but I believe in the idea that we are a country OF LAWS, not men and women acting on the basis of mob rule. We are a Representative Republic, not a Democracy, and we elect our leaders and legislature, they write the laws with our approval and then, like it or not, we have to live with the outcome—good or bad.

So, as a result, I had to sit on an airplane with a few ungrateful ingrates that insist on prosecuting their political agenda even if it insults young men that could be dead within weeks if not days defending their rights to be MORONS, and I have to watch a grown man that likes to sleep with prepubescent boys walk out of a courthouse a free man.

It’s too late to change those situations, but I shall continue to absorb as much information as I can about local and national issues and I will intelligently cast my vote in each and every election in the future.

Then, if I don’t like the outcome of a celebrity trial or I find events that occur around me to be objectionable, at least I know that I have done all that I can do.

How about you?