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Rare home video footage of 9-11.
It's for others. The Brits, the Aussies, the good hearted and faithful people of the world who saw this and knew that evil had been brought to the US. Their first thought was sorrow, for the victims, and then support, for the survivors. Across the country, fire brigades and volunteers and regular people did what they could, from driving to New York to donating money to donating blood to simply putting a flag on their car to say "we get it, we know this was an attack on all of us." The worshippers of the death cult known as Al Qaeda hoped to break us. Instead they broke themselves on the rock that is the American public. They hoped to goad us into attacks on American Muslims, or on each other, but the nation would not sink to their level. We supported a good man, George W. Bush, who rose to the challenge and did what was needed to keep us safe for 8 years. The day of the attack, I believed we were going after Saddam Hussein. 13 months later I swore an oath of enlistment, like my father and stepfather before me. Physical injury prevented me from serving even a year, a harsh lesson that time catches up to all of us. That lesson matured me like none other. I knew you had to prepare yourself to serve as best as you could. If you did not prepare, you could not be ready. Discharged from the army, I remained committed to serving the republic. I have done so since then with words both written and spoken. I have done so with community service, hard work, starting a family and a business, and most important, a lot of prayer. And in February, I went down to the Arch for what was called a Tea Party. I didn't know anyone down there, except a few bloggers by name. The citizens on those steps shared my concerns, and most important, my love for this country and a willingness to step outside of ourselves and protect its most basic principles. Since then, I have done what little I could to help the organizers, those crazy constitution loving, classically liberal average citizens of St Louis who found themselves thrust on a stage at a critical time. Every person you read about is risking their jobs, their careers, and their families to give back to this great nation. Each one of them has been attacked by the press, by left wing rabble, and even by crazed people who write, call, and even show up to physically intimidate and sometimes attack us for simply speaking our minds. These people I call friends, they are patriots and heroes, and every person who has come out to the Tea Party can claim that same title. This country is not run by politicians. It is run by us, and after decades of slumber, the public is finally awake. I'll be going to Quincy tomorrow, for the 9/12 rally. It is not the same as serving overseas, and it's not the same as the work that Dana and Bill and Gina and all the rest have put into these events. But it's my part. If you are going, I want to meet you. Pull me aside and introduce yourself. If you can't go, read the accounts on the blogs and look at the pictures and video and leave comments and tell your friends and make a vow that you will get involved. The Tea Party is not an organization - it's a movement. It's not anti-Obama, or anti-Democrat, or even anti-politician. It's not anti-tax or anti-healthcare. It's pro-America. We are not fighting for our freedoms - we are exercising them. Exercise yours. Get involved. Democrat or Republican or Independent or other - if you're not involved, you won't be prepared when you're needed. I did that once. My country needed me, and I was unable to be there. It won't happen again. Let's Roll.
It's for others. The Brits, the Aussies, the good hearted and faithful people of the world who saw this and knew that evil had been brought to the US. Their first thought was sorrow, for the victims, and then support, for the survivors. Across the country, fire brigades and volunteers and regular people did what they could, from driving to New York to donating money to donating blood to simply putting a flag on their car to say "we get it, we know this was an attack on all of us."
The worshippers of the death cult known as Al Qaeda hoped to break us. Instead they broke themselves on the rock that is the American public. They hoped to goad us into attacks on American Muslims, or on each other, but the nation would not sink to their level. We supported a good man, George W. Bush, who rose to the challenge and did what was needed to keep us safe for 8 years.
The day of the attack, I believed we were going after Saddam Hussein. 13 months later I swore an oath of enlistment, like my father and stepfather before me. Physical injury prevented me from serving even a year, a harsh lesson that time catches up to all of us. That lesson matured me like none other. I knew you had to prepare yourself to serve as best as you could. If you did not prepare, you could not be ready. Discharged from the army, I remained committed to serving the republic. I have done so since then with words both written and spoken. I have done so with community service, hard work, starting a family and a business, and most important, a lot of prayer. And in February, I went down to the Arch for what was called a Tea Party. I didn't know anyone down there, except a few bloggers by name. The citizens on those steps shared my concerns, and most important, my love for this country and a willingness to step outside of ourselves and protect its most basic principles. Since then, I have done what little I could to help the organizers, those crazy constitution loving, classically liberal average citizens of St Louis who found themselves thrust on a stage at a critical time.
Every person you read about is risking their jobs, their careers, and their families to give back to this great nation. Each one of them has been attacked by the press, by left wing rabble, and even by crazed people who write, call, and even show up to physically intimidate and sometimes attack us for simply speaking our minds. These people I call friends, they are patriots and heroes, and every person who has come out to the Tea Party can claim that same title. This country is not run by politicians. It is run by us, and after decades of slumber, the public is finally awake.
I'll be going to Quincy tomorrow, for the 9/12 rally. It is not the same as serving overseas, and it's not the same as the work that Dana and Bill and Gina and all the rest have put into these events. But it's my part. If you are going, I want to meet you. Pull me aside and introduce yourself. If you can't go, read the accounts on the blogs and look at the pictures and video and leave comments and tell your friends and make a vow that you will get involved. The Tea Party is not an organization - it's a movement. It's not anti-Obama, or anti-Democrat, or even anti-politician. It's not anti-tax or anti-healthcare. It's pro-America. We are not fighting for our freedoms - we are exercising them. Exercise yours. Get involved. Democrat or Republican or Independent or other - if you're not involved, you won't be prepared when you're needed.
I did that once. My country needed me, and I was unable to be there. It won't happen again.
Let's Roll.
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