Sean, your pride in our country leaps off of my computer screen…it is so profound. And thank you for the wonderful history lesson. How blessed we are to be Americans♥️🤍💙
It is an amazing place to visit for sure. And then you can get into all the museums for free! America is her people. We must never forget the people who went before us to make this the great nation we are. God bless America!
I’m listening to the song birds this morning. They relay a happy note from our Creator.
We fuss and bicker over politics and who makes the best mayonnaise, but deep down we are one nation under God on a very beautiful planet. We just need to pay more attention to what the birds are saying.
I’m a Dukes fan too, especially with vine ripened tomatoes, salt and pepper on (used to be) Colonial white bread! 😁 Sean says to eat it over the sink. 😅
I agree whole heartedly! I was brought up on another brand. But, after Sean did his totally unbiased (?) taste test, I decided to try it. I threw my other brand out and have been sold on Dukes ever since!
My daughter served in the military and so has my son in law and I couldn’t be more proud and having two more grown children who work extremely hard and the rest of my family for working also extremely hard I am so very proud of them all and to answer your question I am proud to be an American this is my home thanks to all the services our amazing military people provide to us and our country and thank you my dear friend God bless all 🙏
We have our moments both good and bad but all in all our country is made up of basically good people who try to do the right things at the right time. My father was in the Navy and away from home during World War 2. He wrote the most beautiful letters to my mother about serving for his country and his family. God Bless the USA❣️🇺🇸
Having visited D. C. last month, this one hits close to home! The Vietnam War Memorial needs no eloquence. It will indeed break you. Thank you for this piece of patriotism!
My grandfather is the third in a line of six brothers. When he turned 18, he enlisted in the National Guard at request of his mother because her older two sons were already in Vietnam and a third son there would have done her in. The stories they have told came to mind while at the memorial. There is a solemnity there unlike any other place!
I was in my 20s when I visited the memorial. I had absolutely no connection to anyone in the military. I knew no one who served in Vietnam. Yet, there I stood with tears streaming down my face as I walked past all those names on the wall. It was a profound moment for me that I will never forget.
Thank God for Trump, he is STRONG and believes in Vo Tech schools, so do I although I did attend college. Where would we be in this country without electricians, plumbers and all those others who install and repair everything we use today. They make our country great too, Covid proved that when we had to stay in place and things broke down.
Please don't, Zelda and Joe. Let's not bring politics into a lovely place online where we're reminded of the little -- and big -- things that remind us of how beautiful our world is. Blessings to you both.
My message was not a political message , it was simply praising the current president for recognizing those who may not have college degrees but went to trade schools to support our nation with necessary talents that normally go unrecognized. I would have said the same thing no matter who the president was if they had said and done the same thing. I am sorry if it was taken in any other way.
Because of him we are rapidly becoming a fascist regime. The freedoms we love are disappearing. I just read about a reporter who was deported because she dared to criticize the actions of our “leader.” No, I’m not proud of THAT America.
Hell, no. Joe, there are none so blind as though who will not see. It's amazing to me how many military families revere Trump. He has called John McCain a loser and a sucker and told his Chief of Staff, John Kelly, last time he was president that he wanted a parade just like the one that he went to see in France, the Bastille Day parade. John Kelly said he told him, "we don't do things like that in America. we don't show off military might. I think he even mentioned it would tear up the streets. Trump ignored him and said but one thing I don't want is I don't want veterans in wheelchairs in my parade. Trump said, that would be a bad look for me. John Kelly was stunned. And then when they went o go visit the cemetery at Arlington, we're a lot of our servicemen are buried, it was raining and Trump didn't want to get out of the car and said to John Kelly why would I go visit that. It's full of suckers and losers.
Thank you, Sean, for putting into words what so many of us feel. I love my country, and you are right. It is not the land, it's the people. I may not agree with all of them, but I thank God and all the brave people who have worn military uniforms, for everyone to have the right to say what they believe. Many died to give them that right. My father and his siblings had over 150 years of active duty military service that ranged from WW2 thru VietNam. Can you imagine their parents,
waiting for infrequent letters, and knowing they might never see them again? War is hell, for everyone. Not fighting for your rights can lead to slavery or death.
I am also proud to be a Southern born patriot. There were never any USA flags burned when I grew up here. And you still won't see that happen in this area. You may be shocked, however, to see how many flags are on graves of veterans in every local cemetery around here. We all know freedom isn't free.
So many emotions surface while reading this. I’ve been to these memorials, read the plaques and moved on to the next. However, do yourself a favor and take the time to feel what they’re really about. Let them speak to you. Observe the others around you - the old soldiers who were there, the families who are looking for a certain name on The Wall, the tears, salutes, hushed voices. Then, look around and see the Freedom, the beautiful country we call Home. God Bless America 🇺🇸
Suppose we couldn’t get over the ‘evil’ Saul of Tarsus, devout Jew and a Pharisee. He actively persecuted the early Christian church, even participating in the stoning of Stephen. We’d fail to see the good of Apostle Paul after his conversion through God’s forgiving grace.
I’d sure hate to be identified by my past mistakes instead of where I am today. Some might. God doesn’t.
I'm not proud of today's America but I am proud of the America commemorated on the National Mall. And no I am not blaming Trump, although I am not MAGA. America's problems started long before him and involve both political parties.
This a lovely piece. However, I wish you had remembered to mention the Viet Nam Women’s Memorial, vietnamwomensmemorial.org. It is the only memorial on the National Mall dedicated to the contributions women have made to our country.
If you haven’t already read it, check out Kristen Hannah’s novel The Women. Though technically fiction, it is a wonderful tribute to the women of Vietnam.
I loved the Kristen Hannah book. It tells the story of women nurses who came home from a tour in Vietnam and were told that there were no women in Vietnam -- even by the VA!
MJW, ya notice the women are left out. As per usual. Notice they are not even mentioned in the Constitution. We have come a LONG WAY, GALS, AND WE'RE NOT GOING BACK.
I’m a Canadian. Speaking personally, I find much of the demonstrations of love of country in the US to be mawkish and odd. There’s no doubt that the US has done many great things. But too often, patriotic sentiments seem to seek to ignore anything negative in your nation’s past or present. I think historian Timothy Snyder captures the nature of patriotism quite well in his book “On Tyranny.”
“The president is a nationalist, which is not at all the same thing as a patriot. A nationalist encourages us to be our worst, and then tells us that we are the best. A nationalist, 'although endlessly brooding on power, victory, defeat, revenge,' wrote Orwell, tends to be 'uninterested in what happens in the real world.' Nationalism is relativist, since the only truth is the resentment we feel when we contemplate others. As the novelist Danilo Kiš put it, nationalism 'has no universal values, aesthetic or ethical.' A patriot, by contrast, wants the nation to live up to its ideals, which means asking us to be our best selves. A patriot must be concerned with the real world, which is the only place where his country can be loved and sustained. A patriot has universal values, standards by which he judges his nation, always wishing it well—and wishing that it would do better.”
Here in Canada, we’re approaching our national day on July 1. I take that day to celebrate the immense good luck I had at being born in a rich and free country, to recognize the good things in my nation, and to also acknowledge some of the dark corners and chapters in our history. And I’ll also likely ooh and ahh at some fireworks on a beach. There are many things I am proud of in my country: our public health care system, our generosity towards immigrants and refugees, our military history, our cultural creators, from artists to writers to musicians, and our growing willingness to look with clear eyes at the historic and recent treatment of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit by mainstream society and institutions.
Three of my four grandparents trace their roots back to Canada. 🇨🇦
In doing research on my paternal grandmother’s family, I discovered that a great-great-great etc. grandfather - born in Scotland, raised in Ireland - came to America in the 1700s. Settled in the Boston area. Served in the militia.
As a reward for his service, he was given a large piece of land.
Sean, your pride in our country leaps off of my computer screen…it is so profound. And thank you for the wonderful history lesson. How blessed we are to be Americans♥️🤍💙
It is an amazing place to visit for sure. And then you can get into all the museums for free! America is her people. We must never forget the people who went before us to make this the great nation we are. God bless America!
Thank you Sean for honoring our heritage. ❤️
I’m listening to the song birds this morning. They relay a happy note from our Creator.
We fuss and bicker over politics and who makes the best mayonnaise, but deep down we are one nation under God on a very beautiful planet. We just need to pay more attention to what the birds are saying.
Mayonnaise, there is only one! DUKES!!!
At least down here in the South! LOL
It is fine if you like another brand, no problem!
That just leaves more for me!
I’m a Dukes fan too, especially with vine ripened tomatoes, salt and pepper on (used to be) Colonial white bread! 😁 Sean says to eat it over the sink. 😅
Yep, that wonderful juice does like to dribble everywhere!
I agree whole heartedly! I was brought up on another brand. But, after Sean did his totally unbiased (?) taste test, I decided to try it. I threw my other brand out and have been sold on Dukes ever since!
Welcome to the club girl!
My daughter served in the military and so has my son in law and I couldn’t be more proud and having two more grown children who work extremely hard and the rest of my family for working also extremely hard I am so very proud of them all and to answer your question I am proud to be an American this is my home thanks to all the services our amazing military people provide to us and our country and thank you my dear friend God bless all 🙏
Thank your kids for serving, you must be so proud.
God bless them all ! Thank you.
You did a good job rearing your children.
”If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you do matters very much." (Jacqueline Kennedy)
So true!
I did well, made mistakes, but must have done a lot of good too!
They are awesome men.
If they are awesome, Donna…then you did not bungle. Mistakes made it real. And Jackie would be proud!
We have our moments both good and bad but all in all our country is made up of basically good people who try to do the right things at the right time. My father was in the Navy and away from home during World War 2. He wrote the most beautiful letters to my mother about serving for his country and his family. God Bless the USA❣️🇺🇸
Having visited D. C. last month, this one hits close to home! The Vietnam War Memorial needs no eloquence. It will indeed break you. Thank you for this piece of patriotism!
Mae, I must admit, I lost it at the Vietnam Memorial. I wept openly looking at that wall. That was my generation's war. So sad.
My grandfather is the third in a line of six brothers. When he turned 18, he enlisted in the National Guard at request of his mother because her older two sons were already in Vietnam and a third son there would have done her in. The stories they have told came to mind while at the memorial. There is a solemnity there unlike any other place!
My generation also.
Have you read THE WOMEN by Kristen Hannah. ? You will REALLY WEEP!!!!!
No, I have not but will look it up. Thanks.
I was in my 20s when I visited the memorial. I had absolutely no connection to anyone in the military. I knew no one who served in Vietnam. Yet, there I stood with tears streaming down my face as I walked past all those names on the wall. It was a profound moment for me that I will never forget.
So sad what has become of our so called leaders …..
Thank God for Trump, he is STRONG and believes in Vo Tech schools, so do I although I did attend college. Where would we be in this country without electricians, plumbers and all those others who install and repair everything we use today. They make our country great too, Covid proved that when we had to stay in place and things broke down.
Thank God for Trump?
Please don't, Zelda and Joe. Let's not bring politics into a lovely place online where we're reminded of the little -- and big -- things that remind us of how beautiful our world is. Blessings to you both.
My message was not a political message , it was simply praising the current president for recognizing those who may not have college degrees but went to trade schools to support our nation with necessary talents that normally go unrecognized. I would have said the same thing no matter who the president was if they had said and done the same thing. I am sorry if it was taken in any other way.
You are absolutely right and I apologize.
Because of him we are rapidly becoming a fascist regime. The freedoms we love are disappearing. I just read about a reporter who was deported because she dared to criticize the actions of our “leader.” No, I’m not proud of THAT America.
Hell, no. Joe, there are none so blind as though who will not see. It's amazing to me how many military families revere Trump. He has called John McCain a loser and a sucker and told his Chief of Staff, John Kelly, last time he was president that he wanted a parade just like the one that he went to see in France, the Bastille Day parade. John Kelly said he told him, "we don't do things like that in America. we don't show off military might. I think he even mentioned it would tear up the streets. Trump ignored him and said but one thing I don't want is I don't want veterans in wheelchairs in my parade. Trump said, that would be a bad look for me. John Kelly was stunned. And then when they went o go visit the cemetery at Arlington, we're a lot of our servicemen are buried, it was raining and Trump didn't want to get out of the car and said to John Kelly why would I go visit that. It's full of suckers and losers.
Trump also made fun of gold star families in speeches.
Thank you, Sean, for putting into words what so many of us feel. I love my country, and you are right. It is not the land, it's the people. I may not agree with all of them, but I thank God and all the brave people who have worn military uniforms, for everyone to have the right to say what they believe. Many died to give them that right. My father and his siblings had over 150 years of active duty military service that ranged from WW2 thru VietNam. Can you imagine their parents,
waiting for infrequent letters, and knowing they might never see them again? War is hell, for everyone. Not fighting for your rights can lead to slavery or death.
I am also proud to be a Southern born patriot. There were never any USA flags burned when I grew up here. And you still won't see that happen in this area. You may be shocked, however, to see how many flags are on graves of veterans in every local cemetery around here. We all know freedom isn't free.
So many emotions surface while reading this. I’ve been to these memorials, read the plaques and moved on to the next. However, do yourself a favor and take the time to feel what they’re really about. Let them speak to you. Observe the others around you - the old soldiers who were there, the families who are looking for a certain name on The Wall, the tears, salutes, hushed voices. Then, look around and see the Freedom, the beautiful country we call Home. God Bless America 🇺🇸
Beautifully written, Sean. 🇺🇸 Thank you.
America. Perfect? No. Good? Yes
Suppose we couldn’t get over the ‘evil’ Saul of Tarsus, devout Jew and a Pharisee. He actively persecuted the early Christian church, even participating in the stoning of Stephen. We’d fail to see the good of Apostle Paul after his conversion through God’s forgiving grace.
I’d sure hate to be identified by my past mistakes instead of where I am today. Some might. God doesn’t.
Perfect? No.
Striving to be good? Yes.
I'm not proud of today's America but I am proud of the America commemorated on the National Mall. And no I am not blaming Trump, although I am not MAGA. America's problems started long before him and involve both political parties.
I agree with your first sentence.
This a lovely piece. However, I wish you had remembered to mention the Viet Nam Women’s Memorial, vietnamwomensmemorial.org. It is the only memorial on the National Mall dedicated to the contributions women have made to our country.
If you haven’t already read it, check out Kristen Hannah’s novel The Women. Though technically fiction, it is a wonderful tribute to the women of Vietnam.
I loved the Kristen Hannah book. It tells the story of women nurses who came home from a tour in Vietnam and were told that there were no women in Vietnam -- even by the VA!
I cried through about 26 chapters!
I have not seen that one, yet, MJW. It will be on my list for the next trip!
MJW, ya notice the women are left out. As per usual. Notice they are not even mentioned in the Constitution. We have come a LONG WAY, GALS, AND WE'RE NOT GOING BACK.
Thanks for bringing that one up. Sadly, I missed it on my visit to Washington, dadgummit!
I’m a Canadian. Speaking personally, I find much of the demonstrations of love of country in the US to be mawkish and odd. There’s no doubt that the US has done many great things. But too often, patriotic sentiments seem to seek to ignore anything negative in your nation’s past or present. I think historian Timothy Snyder captures the nature of patriotism quite well in his book “On Tyranny.”
“The president is a nationalist, which is not at all the same thing as a patriot. A nationalist encourages us to be our worst, and then tells us that we are the best. A nationalist, 'although endlessly brooding on power, victory, defeat, revenge,' wrote Orwell, tends to be 'uninterested in what happens in the real world.' Nationalism is relativist, since the only truth is the resentment we feel when we contemplate others. As the novelist Danilo Kiš put it, nationalism 'has no universal values, aesthetic or ethical.' A patriot, by contrast, wants the nation to live up to its ideals, which means asking us to be our best selves. A patriot must be concerned with the real world, which is the only place where his country can be loved and sustained. A patriot has universal values, standards by which he judges his nation, always wishing it well—and wishing that it would do better.”
Here in Canada, we’re approaching our national day on July 1. I take that day to celebrate the immense good luck I had at being born in a rich and free country, to recognize the good things in my nation, and to also acknowledge some of the dark corners and chapters in our history. And I’ll also likely ooh and ahh at some fireworks on a beach. There are many things I am proud of in my country: our public health care system, our generosity towards immigrants and refugees, our military history, our cultural creators, from artists to writers to musicians, and our growing willingness to look with clear eyes at the historic and recent treatment of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit by mainstream society and institutions.
I wish you a happy Fourth of July.
Three of my four grandparents trace their roots back to Canada. 🇨🇦
In doing research on my paternal grandmother’s family, I discovered that a great-great-great etc. grandfather - born in Scotland, raised in Ireland - came to America in the 1700s. Settled in the Boston area. Served in the militia.
As a reward for his service, he was given a large piece of land.
It became Nova Scotia!
Wow, Sy Anne! Very cool. Does any of your family have a place there??
No. 😢
Eventually some of the family moved to PEI.
I do have lots of family in Newfoundland, though! That’s from my mother’s side.
This is beautiful Sean. You've made me cry again with your beautiful way of saying things. Thank you!💜💙🇺🇸🙏
🎵
… And I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free
And I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me…..
"God bless the USA."
Don, we are losing our freedoms each day with the man who would be king.