AWRIGHT, you lazy goldbricks!!! We've been goofing off long
enough!!! Fall in & listen up!!! We have a mission!!! Mission
Statement, as follows: to inform, alert and educate the somnambulant
populace about the perilous times now and ahead, but more on that,
later. I am your NCO, in charge, Sgt Mack. Let's be informal, since
we are going to be working together. You can call me by my first
name, Sgt. I'm going to be writing a column, here, in which I hope to
inform you and alert the public about people and events that affect
our community, state, nation and the world, with as much humor as
possible, given the situation. Your job will be to read it and call
me on anything that you find in error, or even questionable. In other
words, if you can't agree that I have the facts straight, question me.
We may not agree on the conclusion, but that may be a matter of
opinion. We can respect each other's opinion, as long as we are clear
on the facts. Once we have clarity, your job will be to forward the
column to whomever you believe needs to see it, along with your
comments, if you wish. I would welcome an opportunity to see those
comments, particularly if you disagree with my conclusions. It might
be helpful to communicate any disagreement, before forwarding the
column, as your view might show me a different perspective and cause
me to re-evaluate my conclusions.
By way of introduction, I am a 62 year old (or young) refugee from
federal service, with a combined active and reserve military time of
19 years. I should be a Sgt Major by now, but the cards fall how they
fall. We'll talk more about those kinds of situations, later.
I like fishing (not as much as if I were good at it), boating,
motorcycling, target shooting, drilling my troops (de facto
drillmaster of my unit) and teaching a variety of military subjects.
I was also President of Porterville REACT for 12 years and served a
term (each) as Vice President and President of the Central California
REACT Council. Discovered at 60 that I could still swing a 12 lb.
sledge-hammer and hit my target, hard, so health isn't a concern, yet.
I am married (almost half my life) to a refugee from state/federal
service, and we are singers/songwriters. I have several copyrights,
but only 2 recorded songs, and my wife has 1, which isn't bad for her,
since she started singing comparatively recently and has come far and
fast. We did a "mini-gospel" tour, last year (6500 miles), singing
16 times in churches, retirement homes, convalescent facilities
(focusing on those under-served by the local communities) and 1
community center. We do an eclectic mix of contemporary, classic, and
gospel, and must have done something right, because we were invited
back, everywhere, and in Warren County, Ga, they said we should take
over the community center, for a night and charge admission. Planning
it for our next tour, once we have an air-conditioned Toyota Chinook,
pop-up camper.
It has been my honor to sing The National Anthem, several times,
which, to a singer, is equivalent to a baseball player playing in "The
Series." I'm also an inventor, with 2 patentable inventions, but
someone else beat me to it.
I spent my formative years in the "Bay Area," so by all logic, I
should need a crutch under my left arm, to avoid falling over.
Additionally, most of my family (and my co-workers for 37 years) were
Democrats. I might have been a "Dem.," too, but would have been a
"JFK Dem.," which would have ensured the retention of some reasoning
faculties. Anyway, the earlier years of my misspent youth (which I'm
still misspending in other ways), involved a lot of drinking,
partying, mistakes and accidents, but very few serious consequences.
Then, one day, I started tallying: A sports car off a 30 foot
embankment, barrel rolled 3 times (in the air) and came down on the
wheels: stepped across a log and almost on top of a rattlesnake,
which missed me; walked out on a limb, which broke, dropping me about
8 - 10 feet to rocks, between which (on grass) my extremities landed,
emerging without a scratch, etc., etc., ad infinitum, ad nauseum. I
was a very (unquestionably) stupid, very lucky guy, or was I? How
many co-incidences does it take to make a pattern? How much "good
fortune" does it take to make someone realize that there must be a
plan? Talk about an epiphany! I should be dead!!! I'd heard the
preaching and the persuasion, but I guess I'd been ducking, so it went
over my head.
Someone was looking out for me. Couldn't have been Satan. He'd have
just let me die, so he could drag me down to his level. Besides, I
guess somewhere in the back of my mind (soul?), I knew. Once in
awhile, I'd get out of another scrape and look up and say, "Thanx,
Boss," but never really, consciously, gave Him the honor and credit
for my survival. Then, I got to thinking, one of these days, He might
tap me on the shoulder and say, "Boy, you owe Me, big time," so maybe
I should shape up and start paying back, now. Now I know that there is
nothing God needs me to do. But, there are probably things He would
like for me to do, if for no other reason than that He could call
Satan up and say, "Look at that," or "Listen to this, that's one of
Mine, there." One of the ways to do that is to use the voice He gave
me, singing His praises, or entertaining "...the least..." of His.
Another way is to use the facility He gave me, with words, to try to
help others to see what He gave us, as a country, a form of government
and a society. In keeping with that mission, I have run a
constitutional study group, spoken with any and everyone who has shown
an interest in the truth about our God-given rights, responsibilities
and (hold on, this is VERY politically incorrect) American
exceptionalism, and stand ready to do so, again, any time I'm asked,
schedule and obligations permitting, but I'm very flexible.
At any rate, I have a deal with the editor, that I will submit what
and when the spirit moves me to and he will publish, edit or reject,
as the spirit moves him. Fortunately, I'm familiar with rejection, so
my self-image is safe. My commitment, to the reader, is that I will
endeavor to write, clearly and factually, about what moves me and hope
that it will move you. I will, as does Dennis Prager, value clarity
over agreement and hope that I may, as he does, learn from you as much
as you learn from me.
In closing, let me be very politically incorrect,as usual. May God
bless y'all and may God bless America, especially our troops, who are
in harm's way. May He bring them home safely, with their missions
accomplished and a minimum of civilian casualties, which they avoid as
best they can. May He bless our new administration with understanding
of our place in His grand scheme and our responsibilities, to Him, so
that America can be the shining city on the hill!!!
And all of God's children, who are in their right minds and thinking
rationally said (loudly and with feeling), "AMEN!!!"
Sgt Mack out, leaving the air and securing the station.
