Wednesday, March 28, 2007

The Demon Cancer

I was totally saddened when I heard on the news that Elizabeth Edwards, wife of presidential candidate John Edwards, and White House press secretary Tony Snow both have suffered recurrences of their cancer.

I'd actually been wondering how Elizabeth Edwards was doing. I figured she was doing fine since her husband had decided to run for president again. Boy, was I wrong. And I was wrong about Tony Snow, too. He seemed the picture of health. I remember Mr. Snow proudly proclaiming himself cancer free when he was first chosen to be White House press secretary, and now we find out that not only has his cancer returned, it's spread to his liver. Ms. Edwards' cancer has spread also, to her bones.

I don't care what Ms. Edwards' or Mr. Snow's political, religious, or social beliefs are. My heart goes out to both of them and their families. I've seen two beloved family members die painful deaths because of this demon called cancer and I feel that you can't have anything but sympathy for anyone stricken with this killer. Elizabeth Edwards and Tony Snow are in my prayers. Please put aside your partisan differences and put them in yours, too.

Thursday, March 08, 2007

Don't Close Your Blinds

This was e-mailed to me by a friend. I'm sharing it with my readers because it gets to the heart of why we are at war in Iraq. Read and learn.


WAKE UP AMERICA!

Don't Close Your Blinds

The other day, my nine-year-old son wanted to know why we were at war. My husband looked at our son and then looked at me. My husband and I were both in teh Army during the Gulf War and we would be honored to serve and defend our Country again today. I knew that my husband would give him a good explanation.

My husband thought for a few minutes and then told my son to go stand in our front living room window. He said, "son, stand there and tell me what you see."

"I see trees and care and our neighbor's houses," he replied.

"OK. Now I want you to pretend that our house and yard is the United States of America and you're President Bush." Our son giggled and said, "OK."

"Now, son, I want you to look out the window and pretend that every house and yard on this block is a different country," my husband said. "OK Dad, I'm pretending."

"Now I want you to stand there and look out the window and pretend you see Saddam come out ot his house with his wife. He has her by the hair and is hitting her. You see her bleeding and crying. He hits her in the face, throws her on theground, then starts kicking her to death. Their children run out and are afraid to stop him; they are screaming and crying. They are watching this but do nothing because they're kids and they're afraid of their father. You see all of this. Son, what do you do?"

"Dad?"

"What do you do, son?"

"I'd call the police, Dad."

"OK. Pretend that the police are the United Nations. They take your call. They listen to what you know and saw but they refuse to help. What do you do then, son?"

"Dad.....but the police are supposed to help!" My son starts to whine.

"They don't want to, son, because they say that it's not their place or your place to get involved and that you should stay out of it," my husband says.

"But Dad....he killed her!" my son exclaims.

"I know he did, but the police tell you to stay out of it. Now I want you to look out that window and pretend you see our neighbor who you're pretending is Saddam turn around and do the same thing to his children."

"And Daddy...did he kill them, too?"

"Yes, son, he did. What do you do?"

"Well, if the police don't want to help, I will go and ask my next door neighbor to help me stop him," our son says.

"Son, our next door neighbor sees what is happening and refuses to get involved as well. He refuses to open the door and help you stop him," my husband says.

"But Dad, I NEED help!!! I can't stop him by myself!!"

"WHAT DO YOU DO, SON?"

Our son starts to cry.

"OK, no one wants to help you. The man across the street saw you ask for help and saw that no one would help you stop him. He stands taller and puffs out his chest. Guess what he does next, son?"

"What, Daddy?"

"He walks across the street to the old lady's house and breaks down her door and drags her out, steals all of her stuff and sets her house on fire and then...he kills her. He turns around and sees you standing in tehwindow and laughs at you. WHAT DO YOU DO NOW, SON?"

"Daddy...."

"WHAT DO YOU DO?"

Our son is crying. He looks down and whispers, "I'd close the blinds, Daddy."

My husband looks at our son with tears in his eyes and asks him, "Why?"

"Because Daddy...the police are supposed to help people who need them and they won't help. You always say that neaighbors are supposed to HELP neighbors, but they won't help either. They won't help me stop him. I'm afraid. I can't do it by myself, Daddy. I can't look out my window and just watch him do all these terrible things and do nothing so...I'm just going to close the blinds so I can't see what he's doing and I'm going to pretend that it's not happening."

That's when I started to cry.

My husband looks at our nine-year-old son standing in the window, looking pitiful and ashamed at his answers to his Daddy's questions and he says, "Son."

"Yes, Daddy."

"Open the blinds because that man is at your front door. WHAT DO YOU DO?"

My son looks at his father, anger and defiance in his eye. He balls up his tiny fists andlooks his father square in eyes and without hesitation says, "I DEFEND MY FAMILY, DAD!! I'M NOT GONNA LET HIM HURT MOMMY OR MY SISTER, DAD!! I'M GONNA FIGHT HIM, DAD!! I'M GONNA FIGHT HIM!!!!"

I see a tear roll down my husband's cheek. He grabs our son and, hugging him tightly to his chest, says, "I'ts too late to fight him, son. He's too strong and he's alread at YOUR front door. You should have stopped him BEFORE he killed his wife, his children, and the old lady across the street. You have to do what's right, son, before it's too late, even if you have to do it alone," my husband whispers. "Son, the scenario I just gave you is why we are at war with Iraq. When good men stand by and let evil happen, THAT is the greatest atrocity in the world. YOU MUST NEVER BE AFRAID TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO DO IT ALONE!"


BE PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!! BE PROUD OF OUR TROOPS!! SUPPORT THEM!! SUPPORT AMERIC SO THAT IN THE FUTURE OUR CHILDREN WILL NEVER HAVE TO CLOSE THEIR BLINDS!!


This should be printed in every newspaper and posted in every school in America. Of course, that won't happen so let's fly this over the Internet for the whole word to understand why we fight for freedom!

If your blinds are closed do nothing with this e-mail. If they are open I do not need to tell you what to do.

GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!