Tag Archives: america

A Needed Reminder For America

Ronald Reagan once said America is a shining city on a hill. I believe that promise is still possible but it will be achieved by love, grace, mercy and inclusion. It will take a village saying yes we can. America is stronger together. America is a better place when every person can realize the promise of the founders then and now of our freedom to pursue life, liberty and happiness without bounds.

As an American first and Democrat second I worry about a future where every person can dream and hope and love who they choose. The America I know shows compassion and toughness when needed.

Our moral compass is built on liberty and justice for all. No matter what your faith, creed, heritage and gender you should have a true level playing field. The days ahead are about setting the table for the future and showing our kids that boasting and bullying are not the hallmarks of what a leader is about. It’s about a lifetime of service of helping people from every walk of life and putting people first.

(Posted on Facebook July 28, 2016)

Just Saying – Independence Things

To all my friends who love this country but don’t subscribe to the notion that you have to always like it I salute you. Independence is a gift that can be taken away as easily as it was given. God’s grace should be available to all nations without favor toward one. Everyone should have a seat at the table of discussion and we should all have access to things that give us the promise of life, liberty and happiness without discrimination. Independence Day is a important time to consider what this nation is still becoming. Independence doesn’t mean always going it alone because we are still accountable to one another for our actions. Patriots come in all forms and viewpoints and they don’t always carry arms. Let freedom truly ring…Just saying.

Life, Liberty and The Pursuit of Happiness

On this the 241st birthday of The United States of America I am a firm believer that every American (and everyone around the world) should have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness as prescribed by the Declaration of Independence which was bravely signed by some very wise men during the early days of this nation.

I think if you are believer, non-believer, LGBTQ, immigrant, refugee, male, female, everyone should be afforded the rights to be who you were created to be. Our racial and ethnic diversity should be celebrated too. I also think that globally people should have the freedom to be, to be. There are too many people trying to make decisions about how people are to live and that’s not right.

In America people from all places on Earth have come to this place to find a new home, new opportunities and shelter from oppression. It is my hope they will never find America a new place where because of who they are they are not welcome.

It has been said that America is an experiment and it is still true. However let’s hope the results of this experiment result in a place where people are indeed free to be. May the world take note and may places where people aren’t free be encouraged to seek out a new path where they too have the rights to life in abundance, liberty to be who they are and happiness where they can have joyful participation in all of what life has for them.

America Observes Memorial Day, Remembering Sacrifice and Service

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The Traveling Vietnam Wall during it’s stop in Chattanooga on July of 2016

Today in the United States we remember those who have given their lives in the defense of this country. Many who have gone into battle did not come home. Giving ones life is the ultimate sacrifice. Those who wear the uniform of their country are to be respected and honored because they are going into harms way. Many families mourn those who died on the battlefield and may they be comforted. May their loved ones and friends be remembered on this and every day.

NBC Broadcasting To America For 90 Years

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The Vintage NBC Logo

Watching a 90th anniversary celebration of the NBC network and thinking how much of our culture has been shaped by broadcast television and before it radio. I am a product of it and I am very proud to have worked in it. Without this medium our lives would be very different because we would have been given a glimpse of how life can be for everyone. Modern storytelling has come from the writers and performers that came into our lives through a box in our living rooms nightly. Entertainment, enlightenment and education have come over the airwaves for decades. Along with CBS and ABC over the air TV has made our country what it is today and has made the lives of us all a little more cheerful and fun.

Something About Division

I was never really good at math but it doesn’t take a mathematician to see how divided the world is. We already know the USA is pretty divided at the moment and I am not confident the current president can heal wounds. To me what its all about is people seeking the same rights and privileges that others have had for hundreds of years.

We can see that one group is so afraid they won’t have control anymore while another group seeks the right for self-determination. Freedom is a very loaded word in that it means that one side wants the right to control everything, everywhere. It also means they get to call the shots too. But then another side is told they can’t have basic human rights such as health care, marriage, reproductive freedom, equal pay, and to just be treated fairly without prejudice and so much more.

Leveling the playing field benefits everyone. No one loses. So why do some want to make it hard for others. It doesn’t make sense to me.

I am an American but I am a citizen of the planet. One is no more important than the other. However some don’t see it like that. I don’t buy into America first at all costs because as long as someone suffers elsewhere then a higher power tells me to love thy neighbor as thyself.

We don’t have to be divided if we would be more generous, welcoming, loving and caring. Selfishness is a heart problem and no country will be great as long as it’s still a thing.