9/11 A Decade Later

What is an American?

"An American is English, or French, or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek. An American may also be Canadian, Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or Pakistani or Afghan.

"An American may also be a Comanche, Cherokee, Osage, Blackfoot, Navaho, Apache, Seminole or one of the many other tribes known as native Americans.

"An American is Christian, or he could be Jewish, or Buddhist, or Muslim. In fact, there are more Muslims in America than in Afghanistan. The only difference is that in America they are free to worship as each of them chooses.

"An American is also free to believe in no religion. For that he will answer only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God.

"An American lives in the most prosperous land in the history of the world. The root of that prosperity can be found in the Declaration of Independence, which recognizes the God given right of each person to the pursuit of happiness.

"An American is generous. Americans have helped out just about every other nation in the world in their time of need, never asking a thing in return.

"When Afghanistan was over-run by the Soviet army 20 years ago, Americans came with arms and supplies to enable the people to win back their country!

"As of the morning of September 11, Americans had given more than any other nation to the poor in Afghanistan.

"The national symbol of America, The Statue ofLiberty, welcomes your tired and your poor, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores, the homeless, tempest tossed. These in fact are the people who built America.

"Some of them were working in the Twin Towersthe morning of September 11, 2001, earning a better life for their families. It's been told that the World Trade Center victims were from at least 30 different countries, cultures, and first languages, including those that aided and abetted the terrorists.

"So you can try to kill an American if you must. Hitler did. So did General Tojo, and Stalin, and Mao Tse-Tung, and other blood-thirsty tyrants in the world. But, in doing so you would just be killing yourself. Because Americans are not a particular people from a particular place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, is an American."

This has been around the net for some time now but then the attack on the USA was 10 years ago today, September 11th. I'm posting it on my blog because it "touches" me. And it also touches me because it was written by an Australian dentist as an editoral (supposedly and I have hope that is true;).

In honor and memory of those who were lost, all who lost loved ones, and all those involved, we won't forget and our prayers are always sent and at the ready.

Thank you to all who are allies, friends, and willing associated with the US who have supported and prayed.

Something to Share

I'm sharing the following with you because it's something that has been "dear to my heart" all my adult life! I boycotted some things over the years where I felt injustices were being done. I was told what I was doing was "dumb", "won't make a difference", "waste of my time" (being their time and mine), etc. FINALLY, people are realizing we need to support American products and American workers if we want to have quality products to buy and an economy that isn't like we've been experiencing the last few years. So do as you choose with it, but I'll continue to try to choose American products and keep jobs. I can't do it alone so thank you to those who choose to join in. Also, please remember that even if we pay a couple cents more for American made, it will be a better quality, last longer or get repaid to us by an improved economy which will improve things for all of us.

"A physics teacher in high school, once told the students that while one grasshopper on the railroad tracks wouldn't slow a train very much, a billion of them would. With that thought in mind, read the following, obviously written by a good American. Good idea . . . one light bulb at a time.

Check this out. I can verify this because I was in Lowe's the other day for some reason and just for the heck of it I was looking at the hose attachments. They were all made in China. The next day I was in Ace Hardware and just for the heck of it I checked the hose attachments there. They were made in USA. Start looking. In our current economic situation, every little thing we buy or do affects someone else - even their job. So, after reading this email, I think this lady is on the right track. Let's get behind her!

My grandson likes Hershey's candy. I noticed, though,that it is marked made in Mexico now. I do not buy it anymore. My favorite toothpaste, Colgate, is made in Mexico now. I have switched to Crest.

You have to read the labels on everything. This past weekend I was at Kroger. (Can be true for any store.) I needed 60W light bulbs and Bounce dryer sheets. I was in the light bulb aisle, and right next to the GE brand I normally buy was an off brand labeled, "Everyday Value." I picked up both types of bulbs and compared the stats - they were the same except for the price. The GE bulbs were more money than the Everyday Value brand but the thing that surprised me the most was the fact that GE was made in MEXICO and the Everyday Value brand was made in - get ready for this - the USA in a company in Cleveland, Ohio. So throw out the myth that you cannot find products you use everyday that are made right here.

So on to another aisle - Bounce Dryer Sheets . . . yep, you guessed it, Bounce cost more money and is made in Canada.The Everyday Value brand was less money and MADE IN THE USA! I did laundry yesterday and the dryer sheets performed just like the Bounce Free I have been using for years and at almost half the price!

My challenge to you is to start reading the labels when you shop for everyday things and see what you can find that is made in the USA - the job you save may be your own or your neighbors!

If you accept the challenge, pass this on to others ... so we can all start buying American, one light bulb at a time! Stop buying from overseas companies! (We should have awakened a decade ago .) Let's get with the program . . . . help our fellow Americans keep their jobs and create more jobs here in the U.S.A.

America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."--Abraham Lincoln "

So folks, this wasn't me but could have been. Thank you for reading it. You're welcome to share it as I've done. We can't wait and expect the gov to do everything to improve the economy and country. We have to step up where we can and do something ourselves. Fortunately, we can all choose what we will step up to do. Maybe we won't all do the same thing, but if we do something that aids in progress then we're doing something!