“Get out there and cast your vote….you count!!!” Part II

2010 US election results
Democrat | Republican
US House 108 153 seats
US Senate 47 seats* 42 seats

Well it seems the seats are filling up and what did it matter? To most of us, we’re hoping the candidate that won, has the American people at heart. We’re hoping this person does what matters to us and not the selfish reasons they have had in the past. Maybe it’s just the circle of politics that just happens. I was thinking about a few things tonight as I watched the election totals came in and the news switched back and forth to the delegates headquarters. Of course there was a party in some places and there was disappointment in others. So I did some research on one in particular, they charged $250 per head to be there. WHAT?!!! Now this place was PACKED!!! I know some had to be higher than that but I just paid attention to this one. I know some had to be around $2000 a head easily. So what was I thinking? I think most politicians start out honestly, investing their own money to just get started. This is the low level politicians who have the knack, or the voice, to look/act like they know what politics are. They may do at that level because at that level, they are really taking care of their friends from the local lodge or card playing group. Places where they sit around the table and say the city needs to do this for us. You should run for office type friends. These friends invest in this person’s campaign. You know it’s pretty cheap at that level. You throw a couple parties and serve pigs in a blanket with bottled Budweiser in a metal tub field with ice. You’re successful at this level and you catch the eye of a local power mover who is friends with another power mover at the state level. They get introduce and another dream is launched, you should run for state office. This state prime mover provides you with the platform to run for state office and starts introducing you to even more movers at the state level. You are now being transferred from one pocket to the other as the level of office you’re running for becomes a reality. You’re now a state senator or congressman. I use small caps in describing this group of people for my own reasons. To me, they have lost there way because when they turn around to see who’s supporting them now, it is not that local friend who said you should run for city councilman, it is now big business that needs you to run road block over the American public so they can make more money. Start doing some research on some things. You’d be surprise and some of the things you will find out about your candidate. Now not all candidates follow this golden rule of politics but the majority of them who represent us do. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. People like me will not be good candidates. I’m too honest at times and I really don’t like politics. Can I be bought, yes but the question is can my integrity be bought? That is a no. That would be my down fall in office. I can hear the question now that would get me in trouble. “Stretch, how do you feel about religion and how it plays with abortion rights?” That is the toughest question every candidate faces. I know a lot of you reading now are saying so what is your answer? Here’s what I would say.

I love this country because you have freedoms those
other countries try to emulate. The freedom of religion
is a right to believe and serve your god the way that
you want to. That freedom does not give you the right
to judge. Although I’m against abortion, there are times
when a woman has the right to choose. Victims of rape,
molestation, and emergencies where a mother has to choose
to continue pregnancy and risk death. There are other
cases to mention but I cannot look into the eyes of one
of these women and say you must keep this child. For
those who have non planned pregnancy, there are ways to
reach them to think about other means but in the end, it
is still their choice. Religion has a place for everything
but it’s place is not to judge but to forgive.

Uh-oh Stretch, you just lost the race. You are going down in flames. You just put down religion. All I can say to that was at least I was honest and I don't think I put down religion. Think about some of the answers you’ve heard about this topic and ask yourself was I honest or was I pulling your leg. So back to the political race that’s finalizing its tally of votes. Did your candidate win? I hope so. If you look at the stats above on the house and senate seats, all I can say is here we go again. It’s pay back time. A friend of mine who is a political blogger wrote, did we have a political tsunami or tidal wave. I’m not going to quote him word for word because I did not gain permission to first. I’m that type of guy. I have to clear something first before using. You should stop by and read his political blogs. He can open your eyes on a few things. His name is Kenneth "Augustus" Walker and he runs “The Augustus Blog”. If you Google that, you will find it. Become a follower as I have but remember one thing, these blogs are just our words and our views. We don’t want to convince you of something and you become a band wagon jumper, we just want to show you another side in hopes that your mind is open and willing to accept another’s opinion on things. You won’t be disappointed with his views; he actually does a lot of research and gives you his heartfelt opinion. My blogs, I just write from the heart. Thanks for stopping by Stretch’s Corner and these are just my thoughts.

“Get out there and cast your vote….you count!!!”

Over the past six months, the airways have been saturated with slogans and promises of everyone campaigning for office. You see the back stabbing and enough mudslinging to last you a life time. Over the years, it has seem to progress to more mudslinging than pointing out issues that need to be addressed. After the mud has been slung at a candidate then you hear, get out there and vote. Your vote matters. Yes it does and the American public knows this. I’m not a politically savvy person by any stretch of the word. I’m just like other typical Americans who are just waiting for the one candidate to come along that just tell the truth. Doesn’t get out there and slang mud towards someone and just addresses the needs of their constituents. What are our needs? I don’t even know anymore because of all the props this and props that that we have to vote on if we want to keep schools going and whatever else going. There are even propositions out there that will tax only the wealthy. Yeah right, you know that’s not happening.
I was watching 60 minutes news show and it’s probably the only news that I can watch without gagging. At least these guys try to ask the questions the average American wants to know. They try to make it accessible to all and not just the few who understand politics. Let’s face it. Politics this day and age requires at least a master’s level education to truly understand it. At that point, it still requires your 100 percent attention to truly follow the ever changing world of politics. That’s why the average American, like me, truly relies on those who do follow or run for office to tell us the bottom line up front and be direct and honest. It was refreshing to hear someone finally ask the real questions to the average American. What was unique about this program was the town they decided to do a story on reminded me of “my hometown”. This town had a population of 15,000 people and used to be the home of Maytag manufacturing company. It was a bustling business there providing over 2500 jobs for the locals who lived there. Of course this provided a stable economy there and other businesses started booming as well. Then the recession hit and it hit America hard. This town has lost so many businesses that it is on the verge of bankruptcy. The town is so close to disappearing that all the people that live there may have to move somewhere else so that they can just get a job.
So what have we heard focus on this election year? This person voted for Obama Care. This person wanted people to boycott AZ. This person didn’t want to protect the border. Not once did I hear anyone talk about big business and how they move jobs out of country because of the labor laws. How big business find it cheaper to pay for labor outside of this country. You ever wonder why you pick up an American flag and it says made in China yet still costs the same as if it were made here in the states? Cheap labor and yet people come here to find the dream. It’s funny how those that have lived here all their lives just want to find a job. What did fade to black was the War on Terrorism. Did not hear one candidate mention anything about veteran’s of our military. We’re simple Americans. We just want to provide for our family and send our kids to college so they won’t have to work as hard as we did; funny how that’s the problem now. Ever since that slogan made its way into the vocabulary, labor laws made it harder for big businesses to conduct daily business in order to make a dollar. We’ve made our way to just getting lucky and hoping to win the lottery.
We have taken all this time to taking the easy way out that those in power have pulled the hood over our heads and we didn’t know it. From where I sit and gaze into the eyes of every politician out there, it is you who’s the blame for this economy because of your petty disagreements. It is you that has taken the money from the hands of every hardworking American and put it in your own. You’re set for the rest of your life because you voted it that way; that by serving one term, you have served yourself instead of the people your represent in this great country. Just once we would like for you to stand up yourself and say it out loud, this is what I did wrong in office instead of what you supposedly did right. My guess is if you did do something right, would this country be in the condition it is in? I leave you with this. Every time I spoke with a Soldier who is always blaming the system, I ask them to look at the reflection in the mirror. If you can look at yourself and say I had nothing to do with what I’m going through, don’t you think you wouldn’t be in the position you are in now? Thanks for stopping by Stretch’s corner. Remember these are just my thoughts and may the candidate you voted for today, represent you well in their term in office.

"MY HOMETOWN"

There is great joy in being a kid. You do everything without a care in the world. Kids go to the playground and just play. They’re not looking at skin color or nothing. All they see is another kid and automatically just want to start playing. When they finish playing and leave to go their separate ways, they notice something different but not quite sure what to think. At that point it happens. They ask that one question that can shape them for the rest of their lives. The only reason they ask that one question is because they’ve either led a sheltered life or they’ve only hung around people of the same kind. “Momma, why did the kid I was playing with look different than us?” *PAUSE AND HAVE A TWIX CANDY* that’s a commercial and it’s a good one because people, in my opinion, should pause before they answer that question. I was asked that question and my response was, sweetie, she’s an American just like us. I can hear the screams now from the congregation. You’re wrong you should tell your daughter she’s a strong black woman because she’s going to face challenges that will be different from others. WOW! I guess I’m wrong then. God forbid I teach my child to accept people for who they are and not judge them by the color of their skin. Why am I writing about a strong topic such as race? Well, I’ve been contemplating this topic for a long time and it was driven further from a conversation had with my close circle of friends. We talked about my home town.

Even though I call it my hometown, I wished I truly felt it in my heart. I only use the term because my family is still there and if it weren’t for them, I probably wouldn’t go back. I’m not running from anything there, I just hate dealing with stupidity. Those are harsh words and I know that but if you saw things from my eyes, you’d agree. Growing up there was great and I can’t take anything from that. I learned a great deal about people and developed a talent to read people for who they are and blend with the environment. I accepted people for who they are. On many occasions that ability backfired and I ended up in situations where I was told niggers aren’t allowed here. Then there were situations where I was told you’re not welcomed here. The other situations were actions were golden, door slammed in the face. All I walked away unharmed. I have the gift of gab to talk my way out of anything. I saw things and experienced things that really shaped the way that I think. My parents treated me differently than my fellow siblings. I never heard negative words about another race come from them. Now if you ask my older siblings, they can tell you some things that would shock you if you knew my father. I was never privy to those conversations because lessons he taught me were hard work and putting your heart into everything you do. No one will do them for you. Eventually, it will have to be recognized that you are a force to get behind because you will get the mission done. I want you to see people for what they bring to the table not the color they show up in. That lesson has stuck throughout my entire life. So I look back on my lessons learned and look at my “hometown”. Why do I still see a house divided?

I was coming off the trail as a Drill Sergeant in the Army and I made a call to home. I was talking with my mother and she said some words that truly made me laugh. She said your brother is running for mayor. I almost dropped my phone. So I called him up and asked that question, did I hear mom correctly? You’re running for Mayor? He confirmed her statement. So jokingly I said to him, brother if you get elected, I will move back home. Well I be damned if he didn’t win. It truly shocked the crap out of me. His first words when I called to congratulate him were, so when you moving here? I laughed and told him at that time, brother, I really mean this; there is no way I am moving back there. The city has no growth potential because the town is too historical and because of this, it won’t grow. It’s a southern town with old values embedded. Everyone has a place there and it is seen every time you drive through it. There’s a definite line right through the heart of it. A step forward may have been taking since you’ve been elected but it is only the beginning of a long road to true equality. This is not a one sided look either; it’s on both sides. While setting in his office one day, I noticed a news article with “Black Mayor’s Conference” in the title. No other words stuck out but that. So me being me I had to ask, why is there a Black Mayor’s Conference, its 2010? The response made sense because it is true; a non black mayor will not go through the same type issues. It made sense but can be argued. If you’re looking for equality why separate? Most people will scream out because of all the trials and tribulations encountered during the growth of America. I still say those fights were for equality and many men died during that fight and we still continue to separate ourselves. I’m curious now though. I’m wondering if there’s such a thing as the White Mayors Conference. Probably so, I’ll Google that later. That’s a whole different debate there anyway. The reason I brought that up is because people, other than black refer to him as “that black mayor”. I’ve never heard people refer to previous mayors of my “hometown” as that white mayor. I just found that odd and with serious racial overtones to it. Even with what he’s going through now I’m wondering if it were a white mayor in office, would that person have the same issues. Some people who will read this would probably say, no they wouldn’t because they would’ve made the proper decision. That’s funny because I read somewhere that the mayor doesn’t have absolute power, he’s just a tie breaker in the vote for anything proposed to the city. As any official in an office where the title makes them “the man”, they also assume the position of the fall guy. It’s unfortunate that the fall guy is “that black mayor” This type of behavior is rooted in my “hometown” even with my class, which was the first integrated class to start together.

On the surface of it all, we were a tight knit group of students. I’m not going to say we never saw color the entire time together, but during the school hours, everything operated normally. You had your select groups that hung together; you know the football jocks hung together. The band geeks hung together. The drama club, 4H club, and so on and so forth. When did the color show? I’m not saying it had a part and I do not know what transpired because when I left my “hometown” I left. When I hear the stories about the class reunions that took place, it sounded as if there was a white reunion and a black reunion. Can I confirm this by saying I saw this with my own eyes? No I cannot. I can only go by the stories I heard. When it came time for the 25th class reunion, I was asked to come. So I asked, is the entire class going to be there because I would love to see everyone. Dead silence was heard over the phone. My response then was so we are doing a black reunion and a white reunion. Of course back tracking statements and a lot of stuttering took place. I’ve heard it all that “they” don’t want to work with us and “they” this and “they” that. How do I see this? It is a reflection on embedded old time values that has made its way into a class that all started together. Maybe I am seeing it wrong. So I was asked by another classmate, there are some people who would love to see you, can you come home and we will be on your time because we all know you’re serving in the military. Since I was asked, I came. Other times when I was asked, I wish I could say there was sincerity there but I felt like they wanted money more than they wanted to see me. I thought that’s what reunions were all about; to see one another and reflect on your days in school. I met with that select group and I tell you that I felt a real disconnect. The places that I’ve been and the things that I’ve seen really changed the way I think and see the world. I’m still the same clown as I was but a more direct person. So what do I want people to do from this? I want people to see that seeing color first and separating is not where we need to be. It seems we have fallen back into that old world again but at a more dangerous level. This is the electronic age and you can harm a person in a matter of milliseconds. So why bring harm to a person based off the skin they’re in. The whole story has to be told and I’ve learned that the people we think has our back are the same people who say differently when they’re behind closed doors. I may be too paranoid but a good thing is never a good thing. There’s always something lurking in background waiting to jump out and bring the whole thing crashing down.

As I read this, I can see a lot of people shut themselves off. They’re not going to take a bite of that Twix and pause. They’re not going to take the time and see it. They will automatically jump on that pro race wagon and ride out into the sunset and not believe it. They will scream out this is not true. All you will do is confirm that you’re not seeing me for who I am but seeing this as a black man mouthing off about race. I’m not mouthing off about race, I’m just making note that sometimes when we think we’re treating people equally, we still separate. Not all of us but the people who can influence sometimes do. Thanks for stopping by Stretch’s Corner. Just remember, these are just my thoughts and how I see it. Try to see it and tell me what you think. This is the one thing I do know, the world can’t be perfect but understanding one another is a start.

SHHHHH.....You Better NOT Tell!!!

Shhhhhhhh……if anyone finds out about this, you’ll be kicked out.

I’ve been asked on many occasions, how I feel about the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. Truthfully, I’ve never really concerned myself with it. I’ve held every leadership position one could hold in the military and I would think each position held, I always did the right thing. I’ve made those decisions that weren’t popular at all but someone had to be the enemy. As far s using this policy to kick a Soldier out the military, I’ve only used it when the Soldier wanted to leave the military. I’ve never had an investigation launched to pursue kicking a Soldier out under this policy. I’ve always been one to not look at a person for who they are but for what they bring to the table. I’ve always been the type of leader that your personal life is your personal business and not mine to intervene in unless circumstances dictated otherwise. A case of domestic abuse is one of those reasons but there are quite a few other issues that may arise which will cause that. All of them involve the military or local police.

So let us break down the policy. In a nutshell, if you’re gay, you cannot serve. Most Americans will look at this and throw the bullshit flag every single time. So will quite a few leaders in the military. It is sometimes obvious and in your face a Soldier’s sexuality but it was not mine to question. Does it interfere with the good order and discipline of the unit is what I look at. Are Soldiers coming to me and complaining about this Soldier’s behavior? Is the Soldier in imminent danger regarding their behavior? Does it look like Soldier’s really care? If there are no red flags, why will I dig deeper? Those that do dig will find something and violate the entire meaning behind DADT. That’s just my interpretation behind the policy because every policy is how you read it. Sometimes leader take the route to find a way to kick the Soldier out of the military. I never liked that style and always called them on it. I’ve been told not my unit and not your concern on many occasions regarding a myriad of issues and not just what I consider obvious biased towards a Soldier. So now America has grown into such a country of understanding that all corporations need to adapt. Yes I said corporation because the military organizations for all purposes are corporations now. It is a big business that can be seen from all the advertisements you see. We go after recruits the same way as big corporations do. We are competitive and will do what it takes to get people to sign up. With that, we have to adapt as those businesses do. Now the DADT needs to adapt. Here’s only my perspective as to why it hasn’t been completely abolished to open a few eyes.

As I’ve stated, the military is a corporation. Money moves things. The only difference between us and those civilian corporations, we have to have a budget that is approved by the House and Senate to ensure proper spending. When you look at the dollar value of a company, we surpass all by billions. With that in mind, what will have to be added to the spending bill and how we’ll have to arrange regulations that govern the military to read? This may seem trivial to you but every document that a Soldier signs now have to have the following statement or something similar, Are you gay or lesbian? I know a few of you are saying, you’re kidding me? Well unfortunately no. This will tie into a lot at the end and hopefully I won’t leave any uncovered. All enlistment documents will now change. The reason for this statement leads to housing. Basic training is the first step in the line. Here’s the question. As a “straight” Soldier, are you going to make me live with a “gay” Soldier? Well unfortunately we can’t because now the regulation has to change and admit a clause regarding living situations. In basic training, these Soldiers are not always housed in dorms; they are sometimes housed in open bays; anywhere up to 40 Soldiers are housed in these bays. Now I have concern for the Soldier or Soldiers who answered yes to the question. We cannot deprogram stupidity in a day. This will not only be an apparent issue just in basic but will continue through initial entry training for their job skill all the way to permanent party position. The housing situation will just change. I know you’re saying Stretch, you’re just barking at your obvious reasons for keeping the DADT policy. Well it’s not the case and refusal to look at this, you will continue to what we call stove piping. Failure to look at all things involved in a decision will result in stove piping causing the issue to be hotter than it is. You get burned making a stove pipe decision. So now I have this brand new private in the military that says, I do not want to live with a gay person. Oh come on Stretch that will never happen. Don’t stove pipe and trust me, it will. So what do we do now? Well I guess will have to have separate billeting for those who are gay and those who are not. No you can’t. That’s called singling Soldiers out because of sexual preference and is a big time EO complaint therefore leading to relief of command. Yes, now you’re in trouble for thinking you’re looking out for the health and welfare only to violate a Soldiers equal opportunity right. Okay now I’m caught. What do we do now? Do we rewrite the entire EO policy? I’m stuck and don’t know what to do. Is there some kind of special circumstance I can look at to protect these Soldiers? As you can see by now, this one issue has dominated my entire role as a leader. More than likely, the leader will just say to hell with it, you guys are adults; solve your own damn issues. This one little issue is dominating my day. Unfortunately, it is not a little issue. It is a big issue. Allowing Soldiers to solve the issue on their own will result in someone getting beat. The after action to all of this will once again result in, relief for cause.

So let us continue on to IET for their job skill. In most cases, now these Soldiers are living in dormitory style rooms. These are two Soldier rooms with a bathroom. A Soldier goes to his leader and says, I do not want to live with this Soldier because he/she is gay. So now coordination has to be made to do the shift in rooms to get Soldiers in rooms with a “proper” roommate. Uh-oh, once again I’m about to violate EO policy and singling Soldiers out. Now Soldiers understand the inspector general (IG) system and lodge a complaint against the chain of command saying I’m singling them out. Well I can’t make a Soldier live with a gay Soldier or can I? No I can’t. Now I’m violating that Soldiers rights to be in an environment that he/she feels safe. WHAT?!!! Yes folks. I have to look out for that Soldiers health and welfare. You want to talk about damned if you do and damned if you don’t? You will look at this is say that is so stupid. By what reason is that stupid? Because this Soldier doesn’t like gays he’s stupid? Some people are not going to accept it, let’s just face that right off the bat. You cannot change the way a person thinks but to open their minds to change at this point when they come in the military. In most cases you can say you will in the military but this will be one of those cases you cannot. So now we’re in the permanent party situation. Soldier arrives to his/her new duty location. Remember those documents you filled out when you joined the military, now there’s a new form because the units are no longer responsible for housing their own Soldiers, the installation is. So now you feel out a document that says are you guy? Wow, again? So now the housing installation gives you a room that the Soldier living there is a straight Soldier. You know the cycle folks. Now this Soldier goes and complains that he does not want to live with a gay Soldier and the cycle repeats itself. Now the perception of the command doesn’t fall on the lowest commander, it will fall onto one of the higher commander’s that’s in charge of garrison. This person will have to carefully write their policy as to not to offend or violate a Soldiers right. So now that we’ve run into this situation what are we to do? Well I guess we will authorize the gay Soldier population the opportunity to live off post. WHAT?!!!! You can’t do that because now you’re singling out the straight population where they don’t have that opportunity.

I know a lot of you have read this and have stated that this is too far fetched. Well it isn’t. I can guarantee that this is the very foundation there is a hold up on the abolishment of this policy. Big money drives every corporation and even the military. If you have spent an inkling of time in the military you can see this. If you’re failing to see this, then you’re letting your passion blind you from the complete truth. Yes I admit there are a lot of people in the military who truly detest someone because of their sexual preference and that is a shame. There are also a whole lot of people who never liked this policy and really don’t enforce it. Here’s my take on all of this and the bottom line to how I think. I believe that every application in the United States should have race removed. We’re Americans and that’s all that matters. Maybe I misunderstood the words of the great Martin Luther King. I’m not going to quote him word for word or maybe not in the exact order but, when all White children, Black children, Asian children, all gods children can play together regardless of the color of their skin. So what does it matter? If you’re willing to put your life on the line in order to defend the Constitution of these United States, whatever you are is immaterial. Hey thanks for stopping by Stretch’s Corner. Remember, these are just my beliefs.

PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES, THEY PLAY A GAME

Football season is upon us and everyone is gearing up to cheer for their favorite team. As always, you have the pre-season hype going about who’s the best and worst team, what veteran is calling it quits, and who’s holding out. When Fall Season rolls around, you can literally smell the pig skin in the air. It just feels like rough and tough road ahead to make it through the winter. Nothing warms the heart more during that time than to see your team win the Super Bowl. Seems you forget all your troubles and you have bragging rights for the year until the next season begins. Your social circle has to bear the brunt of your words talking about your favorite team. I, myself, am an avid fan but I’m not a fanatical. I guess I look at real life too much to really get into the rigors of my favorite team. I don’t know stats of players. I don’t know the teams winning percentage through the years. I can only tell you how many championships they’ve won. Funny thing is I’m not even from the state my favorite team plays. Everyone asks how that had happen and my reply has always been, because of the colors I started following the team and became a fan because of their tenacious defense. I know you’re trying to figure it out now and I won’t let you off the hook. I’m not here to talk about my favorite team. I’m here to talk about professional athletes in general.
Through the years, media has been allowed to places and report on things we didn’t know about in the early years of professional sports. You never heard about contract disputes. Nowadays, it’s all you hear about, nothing positive about other players who are donating to children organizations or teams adopting a wounded veteran to come in and sit the sideline to coach a game. I guess it’s because media is trying to reach the player and make them understand that your issues are not even close to the problems of the average American who spends an ungodly amount of money supporting you. Less than one percent of Americans play professional sports. Kids these days spend their days dreaming of one day, paying in front of millions of people emulating their favorite star while they play the game they love. Game they love huh? I heard one professional athlete proclaim, “I love this game and will do anything to play it.” Really? Then why was this very same player complaining about he’s not being paid enough so I’m holding out until they redo my contract? My response when I heard this you might ask? YOU PLAY A GAME!!! Are you kidding me?!! Everyone’s argument to this seems to be; well the owners are making money so why can’t they get some of that? Good point to the argument. But he is playing A GAME. Is it real work? Give me a break. He’s got to study because of all the complex offensive and defensive schemes they run. Wow….that is soooooo difficult. Here are the two key elements of being a professional athlete. 1. Instincts 2. Agility. Let’s really boil it down. Think back to when you were a kid. For some of us, like me, shouldn’t be too hard since I already act like one anyway. Was it that difficult playing the game you loved? Can you imagine getting paid to do only that? I am getting paid better than 80 percent of Americans to play a game. Please, professional athlete, reconsider your position of not being paid enough. I do feel sorry for the injuries as a result of your professional game and you should be compensated for those injuries but I will not feel sorry for your paycheck.
Draft day come for your favorite team and I used to follow that until some of these so called athletes held out because they wanted a bigger contract. WHAT?!!! You haven’t even proven yourself at the professional level yet. Greed is going to take this game into bankruptcy. This is what professional athletes fail to see. They are affecting the fan base when they ask for all this big money. Regardless of what you believe, the owners are going to get theirs because they know, the fanatical will support. I looked at tickets for a professional football game and the seats were the 50 yard line halfway up the stands. These tickets cost $350. Guess I’m not going to see that game where my favorite team was playing. I can just as nicely watch it from my couch. I started to purchase the Sunday Ticket until I saw the end price. I was thinking, wow what a deal; $65 for the Sunday ticket. Yeah right, I was totally lost on that one. That’s what you pay over a period of 4 months. You do the math. A sport is not THAT important. A lot of my friends have that and I’m sure some of you reading this have it to. You go. I can think of a lot of things I’d rather spend money on that I can actually claim to be mine and see it year round. Learn to separate a want and a need. I don’t need the Sunday ticket to survive life and that’s for sure. With the way things are going, we’ll be paying to see Sunday highlights on ESPN pretty soon. Guess what America? You will buy it. Guess where this all boils down to; the professional athlete demanding more money which in turn drives the price up on other things affecting the consumer. Get a grip world. We treat athletes better than God in this country. We let our kids fantasize when they’re playing their favorite game of being that athlete. I overheard my daughter talking amongst her friends one day while they were playing a game. All the other kids were calling out famous people they wanted to be like. My daughter told them, I’m going to be like my Dad because he does cool stuff. I started laughing. It’s comforting to know she is grounded and that there’s nothing she cannot accomplish with hard work. She even asked why athletes are so greedy. What do you know about greedy I ask, you’re only eleven? She responds with because I look at the cars they drive and the starving kids in America could use the money they spent on that car. Of course my mouth dropped hearing this because my daughter is a clown like me but pays attention to her surroundings.
Athletes and their paychecks have gotten way out of control. There’s more to life than a game and you should really appreciate the fan base that supports you. It shows you don’t care when the ticket prices go up because of your negotiations. Everything is affected by your actions when it comes to fan base support. When you’re out on the town, we treat you with royalty and stand with jitters just to get a photo of you. Well the fanatical does. I could care less if you’re standing next to me. You’re just another American who gets paid a lot more money than I do. Looking at it, I guess the true answer is money is power and those who worship it, could care less about who they step on to get it. When you see those kinds of dollar signs, I guess it’s hard to feel what you’re stepping on. It’s just a game and it’s full of people who haven’t grown up. I’m not going to lump every athlete in this category because there are a lot of awesome athletes in the world who give their time to worthy causes. To them, I give you my best military salute and a hearty drive on. As I used to tell Soldiers when they did an awesome job, keep pushing big time and make it happen. Thanks for stopping by and checking me out today. Remember, this is just MY opinion. I’m just sayin!!!

You want me to recite what?!!!

I Pledge Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America
and to the Republic for which it stands,
one Nation
under God,
indivisible,
with liberty and justice for all.

Remember back in school when you recited this? You probably made fun of it as well. Trying to do your best Elmer Fudd imitation to make others laugh. But every morning during homeroom, you said it without question when the first bell sounded and right before role call. Did we take this action for granted or something? Why all of a sudden these 32 words are offensive? Oh excuse me, the one word is offensive? It says God. Well if you're that offended by the word, why are you touching money and spending it? It should burn your hand since the word God is written all over it. As a matter of fact, the coins in your pocket should burn a hole since it has the word God on it as well. Could this be the reason why some Americans have forgotten it as well? What reasons DO we have in forgetting the pledge?

I can see the confusion in all this and understand all arguments that some families have against this pledge, they teach there own the belief of no God. How dare they you're screaming. There is a God. Well thats the great thing about this country, freedoms. If they choose not to believe there is a God, you let them and leave them alone. Well it's interfering with our way of life, you're screaming out now. This country was founded on the belief in God. Oh that is so true, and trust me, I believe that, but I'm not going to lose sleep over it either when someone chooses not to recognize. Neither should you. There is one thing that makes me boil though, the misrepresentation of what the pledge is. It is not a prayer or any attempt to get someone to follow the teachings of God. It is a simple pledge that states the facts.

We were created as one nation under God by the forefathers of this country. The one key word to focus in on from all this is "I-N-D-I-V-I-S-I-B-L-E. It's not invisible, there is a "D" and an "I" between the letters "N" and "V". We're supposed to be together in all that we do as a country. Here we are at the cross roads again. This time a school won't let the kids VOLUNTARILY say the pledge. It is because they can't find teachers to recite it. Time for the irrational outburst....ARE YOU F'ING KIDDIN ME?!!!! For once in a long time, a group of students came together, indivisible, and stated as one, we would like to say the pledge. Hmmmmmm.......hate to make note of this but this is where we're at, I guess thats okay for the school not to allow this since the President of these United States can't salute or place his hand over his heart when the National Anthem is played is a sign of the times. Just so you know, God is not mentioned anywhere in the national Anthem. Just an example of the freedom of expression and how divided we've become as a nation.

I applaud the kids of this Massachusetts school who wanted to say the pledge, you're great Americans. When you look back on things, when I grew up, we were taught ot be Americans. Even through the struggles of racism, we were taught to stand proud and along side all other races. We were all equals in this country and it's enforced by the one word that unifies the nation...INDIVISIBLE. All people, regardless of how they feel about God, stand under one flag and should make a pledge to it. When it gets to the "G" word, just don't say it. What harm could it do? Now here we are at a different road where teachers do not know the pledge. WOW!!! Has it been this long since we've kicked it out of the classroom? Maybe those educators don't know it because it was their generation affected by the ban on saying the pledge. Anyway, enough of my jibber jabber about something I clearly do not know nothing about. I'm not an educator. I was just a plain ol simple Soldier who's trying to understand where it all went wrong. Through writing and your response, we all can learn something. Until then, try reciting the pledge and see if you remember. Thanks for stopping by Stretch's Corner. These are just my thoughts.

This is It!!!

I'm gonna make a change, for once in my life
It's gonna feel real good
gonna make a difference
gonna make it right......

When I first heard the words of this song, it became my anthem to change and making a difference in lives of Soldiers. The mirror holds the key to change and it’s always there every morning reminding you that the reflection you see is the person you are. It’s funny how music can influence your life. It can pep you up when your energy is low. It can heal your heart when you’re feeling sad. It can bring a smile as it reminds you of a funny moment from your past. The “King of Pop” Michael Jackson had that knack to create music that inspired generations and it continues on even though he’s gone. I was asked by a good friend to blog about MJ and I think we’re off to a good start. To describe his career, one word sums it up…..WOW!!!! No matter how much you despise, loath, feel sorry for, there has to be one of his songs you listened to. By some standards, many Americans would say MJ was a weird fellow. The tabloids labeled him “Wacko Jacko”. Harsh words about a man who people failed to really try and understand. It was impossible to understand the man because no one can get near him to try. He lived his whole life protected from everyone. To say he lived a sheltered life is really an understatement.

At the tender and influential age of 5, MJ was thrust into the limelight of performing for television shows and concerts. He immediately went into witness protection as I call it, by his father to protect him from crazed fans who wanted a piece of him and his brothers. I can’t imagine what that was like. As a child, I could come and go as I pleased. I had a lot of other young kids to play with in the neighborhood. MJ couldn’t make friends like you and I because of a paranoid over protective father. All he had was music to channel his emotions. If you listen to his early music, you can hear in the lyrics how he aged through the years. There was no other release for all those childhood inhibitions. All that energy he had was channeled into performing. He went through the early years longing to be child and growing up like you and I but fame robbed him of this. On the 20th Motown Celebration, he broke free of the family and he was off on his own.

MJ was young and had a lot of money to do whatever he pleased. Think back to when you were a child; did you have weird obsession of animals you would like to have for a pet? Tell me you didn’t think once while visiting the zoo as a child that man, monkeys are so funny and cool, wish I could have one. Don’t lie to yourself. You know you thought that. What was the first thing MJ bought? He bought a damn monkey. As adults, we don’t see those childhood fantasies we had anymore because we are molded to think rationally as we get older. MJ didn’t have that. Although he was now a young man, his thoughts were still that of a child and the adult only came out in performing. The older he got, it appeared to me that the child was trying to break free and control MJ’s off the stage persona. Never Never Land theme park in his back yard and the zoo was put in place for him to excise that child in him. You could see the conflict in his world through his videos. The crotch grabbing became more of his signature mark than his leg kick and the moonwalk. The one video where he went off on a tirade of smashing a car to pieces was a defining moment in his career.

Those families that brought their kids over saw an opportunity and seized on it. This is why I’m so direct in saying this. If we’re adults and we’re taught through life to think rationally, would we leave our kids with a man who we feel is unstable? I’m not making a plea for MJ’s innocence; I’m just stating a common sense moment. I could take someone I know who loves MJ to death and ask, would you leave your kids with MJ? Her answer would be HELL NO!!! The first case is an obvious one where claims were made. The family took the money and ran. You’re probably telling yourself that this action of paying makes him guilty. Rewind, you’re thinking as a rational adult, MJ is a child in mind, remember. That will always make you look guilty to the public as well as the legal system. Instead of going through a courtroom disaster where all of your world will be displayed even more to the public, MJ chose the right route. The second time however, the adult in him was screaming enough is enough. No one’s getting any money and I’m going to make my case. Now if you don’t think MJ was a child in mind, think back to his pre-courtroom out on the streets. Jumping on top of his limo and doing impromptu performances. Normal people would’ve just waved and walked into the court house. Even through his obvious illnesses encountered through the trial, he played them up as a child would. Think about kids and how they act around adults. They always try to get your attention and gain your love by doing something stupid. They jump up and give performances at any given moment during the family gatherings, BBQs and things of this nature. There’s no excuse as an adult for his behavior but you cannot dismiss what you have now read as I saw MJ.

I do miss his music and I do miss him performing. I’m not ashamed to say that I loved his music. I loved his performances because you were always going to get a show. I went to one of his concerts in Europe and let me just say this; I have never seen a concert that could match his energy and attention to detail. So as I put on my one glove with the rhinestones for sparkle, my piano keyboard T-shirt with the notes waving above them, and my red zipper jacket I say thank you MJ for assisting me to change the man in the mirror. Now MJ, I will be honest, there’s no way I’m wearing this in public. I have a reputation to uphold. Thanks for stopping by Stretch’s Corner. These are just my thoughts.