Thursday, November 11, 2010

Remember and Thank Our Veterans on this Veterans Day

Today is Veterans Day. As I write this, I'm on my way to work, to do a job
I really enjoy. I own a home, and have the freedom to speak against my
Government if I don't agree with what they are doing.

These freedoms and others didn't just happen. Our veterans fought for
freedom, many giving the ultimate sacrifice. I feel so lucky to be living
in a free country. In other parts of the world, a person like me who is
blind wouldn't be able to go out, get a job, and do many of the other things
we take for granted. They'd be hidden away, and cared for all of their
lives.

In many places around the world, speaking out against the Government can
lead to arrest, imprisonment and even death. Thank you to our Veterans,
that's not so in our country.

As I reflect on this Veterans day, I think about and thank all veterans for
their service to our country. I think about my Father's late cousin, Babe,
who served in what some call the forgotten war, the Korean war in the
1950's. I was listening to the radio just this morning and heard this war
referred to as the war that never really ended. That is so true, for
whenever North Korea wants to attract world attention or get a little more
international aid, they do something to try and provoke South Korea. There
are still thousands of troops serving along the 38th parallel, also known as
the demilitarized zone.

I think about and thank all of those veterans of the Vietnam war, including
my second cousin once removed, Roger and Darrel, a gentleman I used to work
with. These two men, and the others never got the welcome home they so
richly deserved. To paraphrase a Kenny Rogers' song, it wasn't them that
started that old crazy Asian war, but they were proud to go and do their
patriotic chore. Whatever anyone may have thought of that or any other war,
our veterans answered the call of service to our nation. How many others
would have?

I think about the men and women of the greatest generation, the World War II
veterans. Thanks to programs like the Stars and Stripes Honor Flights, and
Honor Flight Chicago, many of them are being given an opportunity to go to
Washington, DC, and visit the World War II Memorial, erected in their honor.
If it hadn't been for these brave men and women, we'd all probably be
speaking German right now.

Finally, I thank and think of the veterans of the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan. I have always supported our going into Afghanistan, but not
going into Iraq. Nevertheless, the men and women who are serving in these
theaters and who have served decided they wanted to serve our nation. They
simply followed orders and went to where they were asked to serve.

I encourage each of us to thank at least one Veteran today for his or her
service. Whether it's someone you work with, a family member, a friend or a
neighbor, take a moment and thank that person for serving, and protecting
the freedoms we all enjoy. May god bless our veterans, and may he continue
to bless the greatest country in the world, the United States of America.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Post Election Thoughts

I've had a chance to let last night's election results sink in a little,
although we still don't know who Illinois' next Governor will be. I'd like
to reflect for a few minutes on what I think the results mean for our
country, and what I think they could mean for people who are blind.

The Republican party, decisively, took over control of the U.S. House of
Representatives. While I, as a Republican, view that as good, I also
realize this is what the Republicans want, so now, they have to govern. The
U.S. Senate still has a Democratic majority, and President Obama is, stil,
the President.

While I hope I am wrong, I foresee quite a bit of gridlock in the next two
years. I hope this won't lead to a Government shutdown, but it could. I
think, by their votes on election day, the American people said a lot of
things. But one thing they said is they want Congress to do the people's
business.

Republicans aren't going to be able to do everything they might want to do,
no Congress ever does. Repeal the Healthcare bill? Yeah as much as some
would like too, President Obama still wields a veto pen and the Republicans
don't have enough votes to override his vetos. I think a lot of emphasis is
going to be on doing things to help spur the economy. That wil likely mean
extension of tax cuts, things that are good for small business, and maybe
some changes in the health care legislation.

For those of us who are blind, there are a couple of things we need to go
after. One is to re-introduce our Pedestrians Safety Enhancement Act, which
deals with quiet or hybrid cars. This bill enjoyed strong, bipartisan
support in the current Congress and I think it will again. I believe the
transportation bil is up for re-athorization in the next year or so, so
we're going to have to advocate for things like Amtrak, operating funds for
public transit and other important things as strongly as ever. We'll need
to talk about the cost benefit of having good public transit and a robust
Amtrak system as part of that advocacy.

It will be interesting to watch the group dynamics in Washington over the
next few years. But before I close, for those of us who are blind, I think
our biggest challenge is in the states where a number of Governorships
changed hands. States are in difficult financial times. Rehabilitation and
other programs that many people who are blind or visually impaired need will
be targeted for budget cuts. We will need to work harder than ever to make
sure our state leaders recognize that strong programs such as rehabilitation
help put people who are blind to work, which allows us to be taxpayers, not
dependent on other taxpayers.