War

Tonight, I was watching a movie. It was a movie based on a book I've read. The movie was "We Were Soldiers...". The book title continued "... And We Were Young". And the entire time I was watching and through the entire book, I kept asking "WHY?" "For WHAT?". The American People were no safer after the war than they were before. So, Why? Lt. Gen. Hal Moore has said that the men in Viet Nam didn't fight for freedom, or thier country,but for each other. I believe that speaks volumes.

Which brings me to what is really on my mind. My best and only friend in the world, that isn't my wife, is a man I consider my brother. His son, who is my nephew, is going to graduate from basic training this month. He has taken an oath, a solemn promise, to protect us from any enemy, foriegn or domestic. And it is our responsibility, our duty, to protect and defend him and young men and women like him from coming into harms way when it is not neccesary.

Is 10% hike in gas prices worth even one life? Is it OK for American soldiers,marines,sailors and airmen to risk their lives so Exxon/Mobile can increase profits?

Do I Believe there is a reason we should go to war?
Yes.

Whenever there is a wholesale slaughter of a part of the population.
Whenever we are attacked by a nation.
And, no, wait, that's it.

My Grandparents

This is my memorial to my Grandparents.

Louis and Jesse V Brown loved each other as much as any two people I have ever known. They fought. They bickered. They got as mad at each other as anyone I have ever seen. They both told me what a pain in the ass the other was. But if you said a bad word about either one of them, you had better be ready do defend yourself. Because neither one of them would have it. If you said something dis-respectful of Grandma, put your dukes up, cause you were going home with a black eye. If you bad-mouthed Grandpa, you got a lump from a cast-iron skillet.

The things I learned from my Grandparents are:

Always test your fishing lures in the tub before the lake or river
Make cornbread in a cast iron skillet.
Your sons should ALWAYS protect your daughter
Men should be able to fix stuff
Always look out for the little guy
Always be helpful
Earn your way
Family is evereything
Hug and kiss the grandkids whenever possible
Do it right the first time
Appreciate your Mom, because she loves you.
The best walleye dinners are caught in the morning, filleted in the driveway in the afternoon, and fried in the evening. Witn some watermelon and home-made ice cream for desert.

I miss them terribly every day.
My grandma..... There has never been a more selfless person to walk among us. If she had something that you could use, it was yours.
She gave away more than we could ever hope to have...what you needed more than her. Whayever it was.
Her whole life, she did without so that her loved ones would have. She ate less so her children couldd eat more.
Hers was a life trying to enrich the lives of those that she loved. A fried chicken dinner, a twenty dollar bill stuffed in a pocket, she always gave so much more than she accepted.

I want nothing more than to make her proud. And while for a long time I didn't, I believe that Grandma and my wife Amy would get along famously. They both believe that a man isn't worth his salt if he couldnn't fix some stuff. I only wish Grandma could have taught her to make bean soup and corn bread. Oh, yeah, and skillet fried chicken.

As for my Grandfather, I haven't been able to enjoy trollin' for walleye since he left us.

He's been gone over 25 years and I still miss him every day.
He taught me to hunt worms, fish walleye, do a brake job, and change spark plugs.
He was also the man who taught me to respect my Grandmother and my Mother.
It was painful, but to this day, I wouldn't even consider disrespecting my Grandmother.

But most important, He was the the man that began my education as to how to become a man.