As a baby boomer, I grew up surrounded by World War II veterans. My dad and most of my uncles on both sides of the family enlisted and served, many of them in combat. One uncle was with Patton and helped liberate the concentration camp at Buchenwald. One of my dad’s brothers was a navigator on a B-17, the famous Flying Fortress, bombing Germany, and another was a Navy pilot flying in the South Pacific. My mom’s brother Chuck was an infantryman who was killed in North Africa, and my dad and other uncles were in island hopping campaigns in the South Pacific. None of them talked much about it, at least to us kids when we were growing up, but I heard enough to know they were all everyday men who stepped up to the plate and did their duty.
For the last couple of days, Terry and I have been watching documentaries on 9/11 and the sacrifices so many first responders and civilians alike made as they came together to help others survive. Then I started thinking about all of the division and hatred in the country today, and I have to ask myself which day is worse? What happened to us?
1941 – My country needs me. I will enlist and sacrifice my life for her if it comes to that.
2001 – My fellow Americans are in danger. I will run into those burning buildings to save them, even if it costs me my life.
2021 – I WILL NOT get a vaccination that can end a pandemic that has taken more than twice as many American lives as World War II and 9/11 combined.
These last few days, my heart has been heavy with the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that we suffered, and even more heavy that while we all came together in the aftermath to act as one, as Americans have done throughout our history, now we have people storming the Capitol because they didn’t like the results of a free and fair election, and trying to overturn the legal process of certifying the election. People making the simple act of getting a vaccine into a nonsense debate about their rights. What happened to us?
And finally, here’s a chuckle to start your day from the collection of funny signs we see in our travels and that our readers share with us. Knowing what I do about my imaginary friends, they might regret this.
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Thought For The Day – People want to take your spot until they realize what it takes to play your position.
Nick Russell
World-Famous, New York Times Best Selling Author, and All-Around Nice Guy!
As a veteran,I too struggle with,what happened to us? Seems we have become the Divided States of America.
What happened to us indeed…..Great post. Thank you!
Fantastic post Nick. I enjoy reading you every day!
Thank you for those words.
As usual Nick, you find the words to get straight to the heart of the matter. I love you for that. I would just make one little tweak – instead of “my fellow Americans are in danger” I would say “people are in danger”. There were many nationalities of people in the World Trade Center that day. First responders never stopped to ask, “Are you an American” before they risked their lives to save them.
Do you think all the people coming across the south border should be getting the shots and the ones flying in from Afghanistan and the postal workers. I have had my shots.
I SO agree with your post and Chris’s comment.
I don’t understand why anyone would object to receiving a vaccine that could help defeat this virus but I do think foreign actors are involved in fanning the anti vaccine flames on social media. My bet is that our enemies are using the various social media outlets to post divisive rhetoric in order to further weaken our country and many people are falling for it.
Nick I agree. I believe trying to tear down the separation of church and state is the real underlying cause. As a retired USAF vet with 23 years active duty and four reserve time during a break in service for college, I am shocked at the messages coming in to christians! Nick, I am not raising any anti church issue, just the anti hate churches, and political churches who are in violation of the Johnson amendment, and know it. and they know who they are. Law breakers are always in for a penny in for a pound. Render unto Caesar . . . which are taxes if he church wants to be a non-profit tax exempt entity. The solution is not to become a theocracy, but back to Americans – not Nazis, Southern racists and civil war apologists, nor white supremacists of any stripe. Christian Nationalism is also siding with white nationalists inciting violence and even saying empathy for their enemies is a sin. What happened to turn the other cheek? The cowards who need a gun to go to the grocery store are incited to those fears. The fearful can’t seem to get enough and then go off the deep end. The politicians and preachers doing this are not being held accountable.
So well said, Nick! Thank you! Unfortunately, the folks that need to be convinced are unlikely to read your wise words. Nothing patriotic about refusing to be vaccinated.
I couldn’t agree more Ray, it makes sense. But why are people falling for it? People in my own family, who are intelligent humans. It breaks my heart.
Outstanding post, and thank you for writing it.