Someone said that society is made of 98% sheep and one percent wolves. I agree with him. Most of society is just happy to be lead by the nose without ever thinking what dangers are around the corner. As a defense mechanism, we tend to block away bad news, we tend to belief that bad news happen to everybody else, but when they happen to us, we can not believe it. And the sheep are scared of the wolves. Oh, how they tremble when they hear the howling. There is a chilling feeling that starts on the base of the skull and goes down the spine when we hear the pack and realize that they are getting closer.

Oh, wait. That wise man said that society was 98% sheep and 1% wolves. That makes 99%. We are missing something.

Did you notice in the video of New York City on September 11, 2001 how almost everybody was running away from the World Trade Center? Did you noticed, how scared everyone was? But did you notice that there were some who were going against the sea of people running toward the falling towers? What was wrong with them?

Let’s see, it is easy to realize who the sheep were. And no, I am not putting them down. Fear is normal and healthy. It keeps us alive, and we have to consider that if you die, who will care for your children and the elderly? It is important that you survive. There is nothing wrong with the thousands who rushed to safety.

What about the terrorist that commandeer the planes and killed so many of our friends and families? Those are the wolves that feed on fear and death. Those are the ones who kill indiscriminately under the pretense of reasons that many can relate to. Under the guise of religion, of social justice, of righteousness, they hurt, maim and kill the innocent sheep that goes about their business not expecting the calamities around the corner.

In almost every disaster, there are those who rush toward ground zero. It is not that they are not afraid. It is not that they are insane. It is not that there is faulty wiring in their brains. On the contrary, their wiring is done correctly. Those are the sheep dogs who, misunderstood by the sheep, risk their lives to protect the defenseless. Those are the firefighters and police officers who rushed the stairwells of the World Trade Center to rescue the remainder of people trapped inside. Those are the likes of the female security officer who at the New Life Church in Colorado rushed the shooter even though she was outgunned. They are the police officers like the one in the Utah mall that while attempting to have dinner with his significant other, heard shots fired and immediately rushed the assailant saving countless lives.

I am a Soldier. I am one of those sheep dogs. The sheep fear those who are charged with their protection. There are some in the community who fear and even hate the sheep dogs. Look at the protesters in California who “camp in front of the Marines Recruiting Station” just because they do not like them. Or how about those Hollywood activists who defend, praise, and idolize the likes of Mumia who, in cold blood, killed a courageous police officer. They go as far as allowing him to have his own talk show and reap the benefits of writing a book.

But, how about the crooked cops, or, the psychopathic Soldier? Those were never sheep dogs. Those were wolves in disguise. And for every one of those, thousand more serve their cause with honor and courage.

Like my beloved wife likes to remind me, “ignorance is bliss”. We can only hope that more sheep wake up and realize that those Law Enforcement Agents, CIA men and women, those in the Military, or the Border Patrol Officers, they get up every morning and put on a uniform and go out risking their life’s to protect the innocent or the defenseless. They do it because is the right thing to do. They show uncommon valor and honor in their service. And when one of them falls, is like we lost a brother or a sister.

Let’s render honor to my brothers and sisters in arms, whether they are police officers, or firefighters; military, or security, Border Patrol, or DEA. All of them are there to serve and protect. You might never know how it feels to get up in the morning and while getting dress come to the understanding that you might not come home again, or be crippled in the pursuant of your duties.

Brothers and sisters, I salute you.

And yet, how much difference does a few weeks or months can make.

I have followed the big line up of candidates for President of the United States on both sides of the proverbial aisle. I consider myself to be fairly conservative so I follow the Republican closer. Being no real fan of Senator McCain, I expressed my opinion about him and about everybody else respectfully, but in strong terms.

Months ago, most people would not have given him the benefit of the doubt on him being a viable contender.

I am a veteran and respect the courage and honor demonstrated by Senator McCain as a Soldier in my Army. I just was not sure of his ideology and what path he would follow if he won the nomination.

McCain-Feingold, McCain-Kennedy, and McCain-Lieberman come to mind. When most see these pieces of legislation as a plus since he was “reaching across the aisle” to our Democrat brothers, I see them not as positions in which the Senator was willing to compromise, but positions that go against most of what being a conservative American means. There are topics that we can compromise on in order to move forward, granted. But there are concepts and principles so important that even though we can look at them, we should remain steadfast because they are a matter of principle.

Now my candidate endorses Senator McCain. I understand where Governor Romney is coming from. He wants to unify the party. As much as I am passionate about my conservative principles, being a twenty one year veteran of the Armed Services, make me pragmatic. McCain will win the nomination.

Now we have one thing to consider. Senator Obama is the most charismatic politician in recent history, possibly overshadowing President Clinton. Senator Obama is running on a platform of hope and change. I can understand and sympathized with him since I am an idealist also. But again, I am also very pragmatic.

As an old salesman, I was an insurance and encyclopedia salesman a long time ago, I was taught to look for the needs of the prospected customer and verbally prove to the customer how my product could fulfill those needs. So, using reverse engineering, I can go back and analyze Senator Obama’s message. The bottom line is very simple. He is promising everything that is required to make him the Democrat candidate for president; he also not telling us that we do not have the money to pay for what he is promising, and that all his promises would sink the United States in the greatest economic depression since the 1930’s.

Unfortunately, Senator Obama is a great salesman. If he wins the nomination, Senator McCain will have one heck of a fight in his hands. And the problem remains that Senator Obama’s promises are based on faulty economic promises, and that he is farther to the left in his ideology than even Senator Clinton.

The bottom line is that we need every fighting chance that we can get. Even that, in my opinion, Senator McCain could be called a Pseudo Democrat, he is still a Republican. And again the Constitution of the United States brings us to the answer: “We the people…” we need Senator McCain to win the Elections and become our President. And all our voices, the voices of “We the people…” should guide our Nation to a fairly speedy recovery.

Yeap, that’s about right. Like Glenn Beck likes to say, “I have blood shooting out of my eyes.”

Let’s start with the economy.

1.      Instead of touting plausible solutions (real solutions) the media just keeps tying to scare us and tell us what we already know and did not do: don’t spend more than you have, save money if you can, ride the market, and hopefully you will be ok.

2.      How about try to get out of welfare? Get a job, try to pay your bills, do not create new bills, try to balance your budget, stay off drugs, alcohol, Starbucks, pedicures, manicures, and cigarettes, etc.

The New York Times. Hey editor… I know you caught a lot of hell for the article about killer Soldiers, next time, read the article and ensure that at least makes sense.

My peers, Soldiers and military at large, yes I do not want to go to Iraq again, I have being there three times, but if it is needed, we have to go. If you have not deployed, quit whining. We are doing a lot of good things over there, the news just don’t like to give us credit. So what, if they do not have the guts, we do. Let’s prove it by doing the right thing. Before criticizing our Government and Chain of Command, read your oath of enlistment. If you do not like it, request to get out of the military.

Politicians: here is my two cents, yes I belief I earned the right to speak my mind. I fought for our Democracy. Stop the double talk. Let your “yes” be “yes” and your “no” be “no” (quote from Marshal Sylver). Take responsibility for your opinions and beliefs. Tell us what is really in your heart and stop trying to be a motivational speaker. Tell us your plan, we will decide whether it would work or not. By the way, raising taxes does not work. Giving money away does not work. Not enforcing our sovereignty does not work. Not protecting our Nation does not work. Not protecting our borders does not work. STOP PANDERING TO THOSE WHO HATE THE UNITED STATES. You swore to protect and defend the Constitution just like me. Just do the right thing.

Democrat party. If you continue spouting socialist doctrine, then change your name to Socialist Party. Otherwise, same thing applies, defend the United States at all cost, or present your resignation, go live somewhere else.

Republicans. Defend our Nation. You made an oath to this Nation. Do not sell us out. Go back to the Conservative Values that work. I am sure that Hannity or Rush or Levin or my favorite Ann Coulter would be more than happy to remind you if you have forgotten. Or just review my blog often, I will remind you.

Fellow citizens, go to the Heritage Foundation web site (the link is to the right of this posting). Request your FREE copy of the Constitution and read it. Do not skip voting this year if you are eligible. Ensure that you know what the basic beliefs of your candidate are and also what their track record is. If their track record does not support what they are saying right now, chances are, they are just pandering to the voters, pandering to you, and when they get elected, as most of them do, they will forget their promises and do whatever.

Think, research, study, and act. “We the people of the United States…” is who can fix this Nation of ours.

Let’s do it… “Let’s roll…”

A long time ago, before cell phones, DVDs, CDs, and even before Beta video recorders, a man challenged the imagination of the United States to achieve what could be considered “an impossible dream”. His name was Martin Luther King, and his challenge was in the form of a speech in which he described his dream that we all live together in harmony. Today, even though we are not perfect, schools are integrated, black and whites work together for the common good of our Nation, and the first viable African-American candidate for President is winning the primaries with a majority of votes from whites.

A few years later, another great man, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, challenged our Nation to another “impossible dream”, He challenged the United States to put the first man on the moon. I remember, while still living in the mountains of Puerto Rico, watching an old black and white TV with rabbit ears. I was ten at the time, that night, a lunar module from an Apollo mission, landed on the moon, and a very proud man pronounced the immortal words: “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” (Neil Armstrong). I remember thinking to myself, how is he going to get back to Earth?

Fast forward in time and an actor turned politician raised the hopes of our Nation with his “shinning city on top of the hill” analogy.. Later on, he challenged the Soviet Union with these words “General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” (http://www.reaganfoundation.org/reagan/speeches/wall.asp 20 February 2008)

On the 9th of November 1989 I was in Hoenfehls, Germany participating in a military exercise when the Berlin Wall came down. The Cold War was soon declared over.

On December 1989 I boarded a military transport that landed in the city of Daman, Saudi Arabia. Images of the back of the plane filling with smoke come to mind, we all rushed out of the plane fearing that burning inside the plane, while at the same time, slowly realizing that we had just landed in the Middle East. While the world was celebrating the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Middle East was trying to figure out a character that seemed to come out of a comic book. He thought that he could travel down from his country and take over Kuwait. My friend Tarek told me that he was ten at the time, and he was happy because the schools were closed. But when he made it home, he found his father gone. For almost a year he thought his father had being killed by the Iraqi troops. They ransacked the riches of the country, tried to destroy local monuments, even today if you go to the Kuwaiti Towers, you can see pictures on the wall of the damage inflicted and the hard work to reconstruct them. Today, they stand proud and tall. Along with my brothers and sisters of the United States Military, the French Army, the Egyptian Army, and many others, our coalition took on Saddam Hussein’s Army, and forced him back to his own country, effectively liberating the country of Kuwait, and preventing him from invading Saudi Arabia next.

On September 11, 2001, like many other Americans, and citizens of the world, I cried when terrorist infiltrated our land and brilliantly but cowardly executed the plan that destroyed the World Trade Center. And I was one of millions that wanted to show that our Nation would not capitulate because of some people that were stock in the 17^th century and refused to join the modern world. I was proud of our Nation’s response. We were brothers and sisters united.

A few months later, and even though many think that the only reason we (the U.S. Army) went to Iraq was to try to find weapons of mass destruction, that was only one of the few reasons we went (H. J. Res 114: Armed Forces Against Iraq) we flew over to the Middle East and deposed another dictator.

In 2005, I was in the city of Tal’Afar when Iraq had the opportunity, for the first time in decades, to freely elect their officials. At 6:00 a.m. over 900 Iraqis were lined up in one of the polling stations even though Al-Qaida had threatened violence on those who dared vote. That alone let me know that our cause was just.

What does all of this ranting proof? That I’m old? Maybe. But in 48 years on this Earth, and being an American, I have seen history happen; I have been a part of history while it was happening, and I can say that I have been proud of our Nation, of our people, of our courage. I might not be proud of some of our politicians, but I am proud of our Democracy. It is ok to be proud of our Nation.

We are not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. We still have a long way to go. But Rome was not built in one day. Our Nation is in its infancy. We continue to go forward. If we continue following our heart, guided by our principles, and governed by our Constitution, we will be ok.