Call For A Vote

I read an article today about the governments push for gun control. One small paragraph in the article caught my attention. This paragraph was a quote from Vice President Joe Biden and is copied here: "The American people are way ahead of their political leaders," Biden argued. "And we, the president and I and the mayors, intend to stay current with the American people." My first feeling when reading this was “stay current”. That implies they ever were current. That in my opinion has never been the case. Most career politicians are way out of touch and not current with the majority of Americans. They hear what the special interest groups and the media feed them. They rarely know what the quiet majority of us want. 

That is the case for gun control. They see a grieving widow or parent and immediately think we want them to push for more control. The truth is that most people I know want our society fixed so we are not afraid of a person owning a gun, of any type.

With all the controversy over gun control I’m going to throw a wild notion out there. Let’s put it on the next ballot and let the people speak. The trick to this is it must stand on its own merit with no riders attached. Politicians are good at tacking negative items and riders to bills just to shoot down a good bill or to get something undesirable passed. A simple vote as to whether or not our elected official have to power to control a law abiding citizens right to own guns, any type of gun. Put it to the people.

I am not naive and I know this will never happen, but I am also not naive enough to believe our elected officials always have our best interest at heart. I know we elect our officials to represent us. But, when they start representing the minority over majority will, I believe it is time to put it to the people and let them speak.

Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans

This is not my typical rant complaining about or elected officials. Sometimes they get things right even if it is at lower levels. This is kudos to my elected officials in the State of Florida. 

I am a member of The American Legion Riders and The Patriot Guard Riders. As a member I received (like all members did) an invitation to the state capital building for a military appreciation day. One of the highlights of the day will be reserved seating in the State Senate Gallery to watch them vote in a resolution naming March 30^th of every year hence forward as Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day thorough out the State of Florida. State representatives will also be available to talk to veterans and look into their concerns. I live only 20 minutes from the capital. I’m taking a vacation day from work and watching this happen. With all of us in the gallery, I don’t think any Senator will have the guts to vote against this resolution. 

From a little research I have learned that numerous states are doing the same thing and naming March 30^th as Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day. I applaud all of you. Now we just need our representatives in Washington to do this at the national level (I have done a little research and have found no plans of this, I hope I’m wrong).

I would like to encourage everyone out there to take a little time on March 30^th and welcome home a Vietnam Veteran.

Who's To Blame

Everyone I know agrees that the United States is in trouble. Government sequestration, mounting debt, high unemployment, the housing crisis, immigration reform, a war that has lasted way too long and veterans going without promised benefits. These are just a few of the problems our nation faces.  At present there is a lot of finger pointing and blame being placed for our current situation. The democrats are blaming the republicans and the Bush administration; the republicans are blaming the democrats and the Obama administration. While the blame game is being played nobody is doing anything meaningful to fix the problem. A lot of people have good ideas as how to fix these problems, but their ideas are never heard. Our current representatives don’t listen to the grass roots American man on the street. Most politicians are out of touch with working class Americans. Our representatives are too caught up in party politics and not interested in working together and compromising to create solutions to our problems. So who do I believe is to blame for our current situation?  That is an easy answer, our elected officials and career politicians. ALL OF THEM.

I would like to take this opportunity to pass a message to our elected representatives (remember you are elected to represent “We the People”, not to rule us). Go out and talk to your constituents and not just the ones affiliated with your party. Find out what the people you represent want, not what you think they want. After each and every one of you has done this, go back to Washington, lock yourselves in session, work together and while keeping the desires of your constituents in mind, fix the problems. In other words: Do Your Effin Job. It’s what we elected you for and what we pay you to do. Thank you.

Suspention Of Military Tuition Assistance

Every time I read the news there seems to be another promise broken to our veterans and active duty military members. This time it’s tuition assistance. The Army and Marine Corps have both suspended tuition assistance and the Air Force and Navy are reviewing their current programs. The reason they are giving for these cuts is the sequestration and budget restraints.

For those that are not familiar with tuition assistance, it is a program where the military pays tuition for active duty military members to take college classes. It is not like there is no payback to the military. The various branches get better educated members to support their mission. In these days of high tech weaponry and global reach politics, a well educated military is essential. Tuition assistance is also a great recruitment and retention tool.

When I joined the Air Force in 1979 and when my Son joined the Army in 2010, tuition assistance was one of the first things that came out of the recruiters mouth. Both of us and everyone else going into the military is promised free education while on active duty should they choose to pursue it. The military itself puts such a high emphasis on education, in many cases promotions are based on an individual members pursuit of education. Young military members who do not take collage classes do not get promoted.

I would like to say to all of our nation’s leaders, no matter your party affiliation, do not mess with the military and keep your promises. These young men and women lay their lives on the line keeping our nation safe and our way of life intact. They do all of this with low pay and broken promises despite the childish bickering of you, our leaders on Capitol Hill.

Oath Of Enlistment

In 1979 at the young age of 17, I joined the U.S. Air Force. At that time like most young people joining the military I did not pay a lot of attention to the oath of enlistment; it was some words I had to say before I started a grand adventure. During my career I swore the oath several more times, specifically with each re-enlistment. Each time paying a little more attention to what I was saying and I believed fully in the oath I was taking. Now many years later and retired from the Air Force I once again take a look at the oath I took so many years ago. This is an oath I have never un-taken, legally I am no longer bound to this oath, but morally, I believe that unless I willfully denounce it, I am still bound to it. But, in current political times I am forced to examine and dissect this oath. First let’s have a read of the oath.

"I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."

In my opinion items in this oath are in order of importance and what level the bind you to the oath. First I swore “to protect and defend the constitution”. This is something I would still do today. That is followed closely by “following the orders of the President and officers appointed over me according to regulations and the UCMJ”. What this tells me is the constitution comes first, before the officers and even before the President. Any order which you may receive that is contrary to the Constitution of the U.S., or to a constitutional law, is illegal. Compliance with such an order is not required; it is an illegal order. Lastly the final line “So help me God”. I swore this oath to God and place myself at his mercy should I not follow it.

This is not the only oath I have taken in my life. After retiring from the Air Force I took a position as a Federal Law Enforcement Officer. My first day on the job, as most federal employees do, I took this oath:

"I (name), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to

the same; that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God."

Look familiar? It has the same lines about defending the constitution. The point of this writing is to state that I live by the oaths I’ve sworn and will “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic”. This I will do till my last breath and implore all current and former military members and federal employees to remember the oath you took “So help you God”. I also especially implore all of our elected official to remember the oath of office they took. Every one of these oaths has a statement, though worded a little different, swearing them to protect and defend the constitution of the United States.