Where I Come From and What I Believe

UPDATE: Regarding the apartment complex story referenced here. Not only did the apartment management relent and post their own American flag, a pretty nice rally was held by citizens to one thing--wave their flag. Tell you what, how precious is your Saturday? Would you have gone? Would you have put aside the bazillions of other plans to go? I don't know, my weekends are packed tight. But I am absolutely warmed to see a crowd did go and show their patriotism. Click here for the story. Huge thanks to them for the initiative and seeing that waving the flag of the country you live in is worthy of making such a point. Thank you.


Here in Oregon we have had a few incidents recently that really question "where are we again?" A local conservative talk show host (Hi Victoria!) talked about these incidents tonight and gave a challenge to her listeners. Let me tell you the incidents, for the out-of-staters who certainly have had incidents like these I am sure.

1) Local apartment complex manager has tenants who are displaying American flags on the exterior of their apartments or the cars parked in the apartments. She was afraid people would be offended. Here is the link to that debacle and the awesome results. Please take a moment to read the comments, it is heartwarming to see people making sure it's known.....we live in America, hence we fly American flags, and go to another country if you don't like it. We certainly aren't going to start flying any other flag here just to rub someone's ego so they feel good.

2) A small town outside of Portland, McMinnville. Their city council (I can't find a news link for this, so I am going by memory here) couldn't decide for weeks if they could or should recite the Pledge of Allegiance before their meetings convened. They sat and mulled it over for several meetings before finally coming to a consensus that this was okay, and if I recall, had the Boy Scouts come in and recite it in a kind of ceremonial way. And why would elected government officials, who represent the very best we have to offer in our democracy and that is representation of the people by elected vote, need to be reminded that they represent the government and the freedoms we have....why do they need to stop for one second and think if this is okay to do? Why are they even in office representing the government of America if they have to think twice about the Pledge of Allegiance? Who else were they thinking they need to pledge what allegiance to?

Both of these stories finally had common sense prevail. Flags are flown at the apartments and the Pledge of Allegiance is not in question in McMinnville. This talk show host brought up all kinds of questions about this. Whenever there is a skirmish like this, who always wins? Why do people even have to stop and wonder who will be offended? What are people so ashamed of?

Here is what I want to declare, with no apologies and no shame. I hope you share it with me.

My blood runs red, white and blue.

I am the daughter of a decorated Air Force Officer who served 22+ years in the Air Force.

My dad served in the Air Force when radar intelligence was just an embryo. He was a key member of what made Norad great. Norad? Seen the 80's movie "War Games"? Yes, he was one of the pioneers of that great technology that made sure Russia wasn't getting too close.

Norad was also the same technology that made sure Saddam Hussein didn't have anything bigger than a scud to huck over the Pacific at us. When everyone was freaked out that after Desert Storm might incite Hussein to bomb us, my dad said with a chuckle, "he can't shoot that far." So instead he hucked rocks (okay, scuds) over to Israel. What technology shot those out of the sky? Radar, laser technology. Huh.....yep, dad was a part of that technology too. Interesting that as the years went by, Saddam sure was looking for something to huck over here. And yes, he had WMD's, we know this for a fact. NBC doesn't, but everyone in the intelligence community was scared to death, including my dad. Why? Because we knew he had the technology, and he would use it. Too bad no one could get past their dislike of Bush to realize he was right.

My dad was an officer during key times in intelligence in this country. He served in the Middle East during the late 70's when Carter had no idea what a mess he was dealing with. My dad was there, and we had no idea when he was coming back.

My dad served during the 80's when the Russians were still a menace. As much as the cold war is glorified in movies, it was scary for those involved. And I mean scary. Ask anyone who was there, the Russians were a constant, ever present threat. My dad was there. He was a key pioneer during the development of Stealth technology. You know, that technology that makes it so that our planes can't be detected by radar and shot down. The technology that was developed under Reagan, thank God, because it wouldn't have been had there been a democrat in office. Certainly Carter would not have built up the necessary military needed a the time.

And you know what, that technology, that my dad was a pioneer of saves lives daily right now in Afghanistan and Iraq.

My dad retired from the Air Force and continued the same job in the private sector working on government contracts. Now ask me what he did truly in the military and private sector. I have no idea truly. I know what I am allowed to know. Yes, he is one of those people that never saw combat, but has stuff in his brain, and has seen stuff he will carry to his grave because he knows stuff. Even now, being retired from his private sector job, he is still protected by our government. Because he knows stuff. Yes, picture all the 80's espionage movies (ie Patriot Games, War Games, Hunt for Red October). Trust me, as his daughter it wasn't that glamorous. He was never directly threatened but the threat was and is still constant. What he knows makes him a marked man. The enemy is just different these days.

Aside here, talk to men like my dad, they will tell you not to take your eyes off of Russia. The cold war is not as "over" as you think. Read the international news recently? Go three or four pages into your paper, look at the tiny articles. Seen who Putin has been dining with lately? Keep your eyes on that. We may not be chasing MiG's with Tom Cruise. It will be worse than that, I am afraid.

I was born on a military base. The sound of fighters taking off from the airport doesn't bother me like it does others. It makes me feel safe and I love the rumble of it I feel in my gut.

So maybe I don't have a son in Iraq. Maybe I haven't served in the military. Maybe I don't make red, white and blue cupcakes for every Fourth of July.

I can tell you this. When I see footage of soldiers coming home and grasping their kids with joy, I cry.....hard. When I see soldiers in khaki green flight suits, I cry. When I see pictures of MIA pilot Scott Speicher in his green flight suit, my heart jumps a bit and hurts.

Why? Because I was that little kid who's parent grabbed them for dear life after being gone for 8 months. Why? Because when my dad came home from work every day, he wore that green flight suit. I have washed those green flight suits. I was the little girl crying her eyes out when she heard her father packing to leave for a long TDY (temporary duty something) and Christmas was two weeks away. No he didn't see combat, but my family sacrificed.....my dad sacrificed for this country.

So before anyone goes and wonders whether it's "okay" to raise a flag or say the Pledge. Just by wondering in that split moment, you dishonor a whole brigade of people that gave all of us the freedom to think that freely for a moment.

Freedom comes at cost, a very high cost. Do not cheapen it. Do not presume it will always be there either. As long as there are doubters of who we are and what we stand for and what we have fought for over the centuries, our freedom is in jeopardy. If anyone has to question for one moment where they are and what we stand for, then hit the road Jack and find somewhere else. I am sick of the sacrifices of our military being casually dismissed.

It starts from the top. Obama needs to stop going on Apology Tours and quit saying things like, "Our country has made mistakes." Let me blunt-- if Obama wonders if he can be loyal to America, why did he run for office? If he can't defend it and be proud of it, whether he agrees with it or not, he shouldn't be in office. Whatever he personally doesn't agree with, as our Commander in Chief, he needs to shut his mouth. We are at war, Mr. President. Be proud, out loud. Any doubt he shows is an insult. He shouldn't have run, and he shouldn't be calling himself the president.

If he isn't careful what he is doing in Afghanistan right now, it will be blood on his hands, and will he make apologies then? This flag waving girl thinks not.

So when you see pictures like this one I saw recently, and cried my bloody eyes out when I saw it, think of me. Or the video where the kid is aching to see his father, think of me, and my childhood friends who didn't know where their dads were and when they would be home. I was the little girl about so many umpteen years ago. Don't you dare question what that soldier and his family are doing for all of us. And don't you dare think for a second that any little girl in that position wonders if this might be the last time she sees her daddy.

Wave your flag and say your Pledge, out loud, proud. I do and I will if I have to die to do it.