Remember 9-11 Like It Was Yesterday

Today is a day I will never forget and a day no American should forget. It
is September 11, when the most violent attack in my lifetime occurred on
American soil and when our lives were changed forever.

I remember 9-11 like it was yesterday. I had gone to work just as I did
every day. After my wife and I talked as we did each morning, I was
checking my e-mail when she called me and told me turn on the radio cause
they were taking direct news feed from New York.

I turned on the radio in time to hear about the first plane having hit the
North tower of the World Trade center. I remember thinking, oh my gosh,
what a terrible accident.

Then, the second plane hit the South tower. This was no accident, America
was under attack. I remember thinking, this isn't supposed to happen here.
This kind of thing happens in places like Israel. Well, it was happening
here.

I spent most of the day glued to radio coverage. I remember how America
came together after 9-11, with a resolve to do whatever was necessary to
defeat the brutal enemy that was the terrorists who want us all dead.

Sadly, we've lost much of that resolve. People have forgotten what happened
on 9-11 and that's really sad. The enemy is still out there and we must do
whatever it takes to rid America and the world of terrorists.

I took a trip to Ground Zero on Halloween of 2006. In a cell phone call to
my wife from there, I could hardly talk as I was crying so hard. I remember
talking for an our and a half to a fireman who lost many of his brothers in
the rescue effort after 9-11. Afterwords, I shook his hand and thanked him
for being one of the first soldiers in the war on terror.

Today, let's remember the almost 3,000 people needlessly killed on 9-11 in
New York, Washington DC at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania. Let's also
resolve as Americans once again to defeat terrorism and keep it off our
soil.

What's the Big Fuss All About

The title of this entry says it all, what's the big fuss all about? I'm
talking about the furor over the speech made by President Obama yesterday to
school children across the country.

I've read a transcript of the speech, and you can too at www.whitehouse.gov.
As a Republican, I don't like much of what the Obama administration is doing
to our country. This speech is not the thing we need to get excited about.
All the President was doing was encouraging young people to work hard, and
stay in school. He emphasized that while we can have the best educational
system in the world, it won't do any good if young people aren't prepared to
learn, listen to their teachers, and do their homework. His message to
parents was to get little Johnny and Susie away from the TV and Xbox and
doing their homework.

Let's save our excitement for major issues like health care reform. Even
former First Lady Laura Bush said the speech Mr. Obama gave was harmless.
After reading it, I hope all school children get a chance to hear this
speech.

Labor Day, A Salute To the Real American Worker

As I write this entry here on Labor Day, many people are enjoying time off
of work with their families. Many haver enjoyed parades and other fun
activities during a three-day weekend.

Today is about the American worker. No, not the greedy, overpaid union
leaders who pretend to represent the American worker, but only serve to
promote liberal causes, the real American worker.

Today is for the workers on the assembly lines of American auto plants who
produce the high quality vehicles people drive. Today is for the mail
carrier who labors every day through rain, snow, sleet, hail, cold of winter
and heat of summer to deliver the mail to us. Today is for those like my
friends that work on the clock line at the Chicago Lighthouse making quality
clocks for the Federal Government. Today is for the restaurant worker that
works hard, waiting on tables every day. May many of them have today off to
enjoy a break.

For me, today is for all of the workers who don't get the day off. It's for
the condeuctors on our Metra commuter rail system and other employees who
keep the trains running so people can go downtown Chicago and enjoy the
holiday. Today is for the fire fighters and police who keep us safe, thank
you to those of you who are working today.

Today is for the baseball and football players and other sports figures who
have entertained and will entertain us today as we enjoy our time off.
Today I thank the workers at airports and in other places keeping our nation
safe.

No, today isn't about the unnecessary, greedy unions. Today is for the
workers who deserve to be represented by them but are not. To those I have
mentioned, such as the cooks and wait people who served me breakfast this
morning, I say thank you. Thank you all workers everywhere for doing the
hard work that we don't take the time to appreciate as much as we should.
May many of you continue to enjoy a day off to take a break.