President Trump and the NFL

Yesterday President Trump made a speech and referred to the NFL players who have decided to take a knee in protest for the oppressed in this country. In his comment he said the NFL should respond to the protesters by saying "Get that Son of a bitch off the field!" Well to that I say, SPOT ON, President Trump!

I am amazed that these reporters and commentators are more upset with President Trump saying son of a bitch than they are about the NFL football players taking a knee during the National Anthem. Funny they see them taking a knee as their right to free speech but  yet our President, who spoke what many of us have been thinking for over a year now, doesn't have that right to free speech and is expected to act differently because he lives in the White House. Sorry folks but here is a reality check, President Trump was elected because he spoke his mind like every other American and not like some politician who only shows you what they need to in order to get elected.

I can imagine how these news reporters would be up in arms if they had a live mic in one of these behind the door meetings held by our Congressmen and women. The words you would hear and the nasty comments that would be made would be devastating to your sensitive souls.

After our President spoke his mind concerning these over paid cry babies a statement was released by Roger Goodell in which he says, and I quote, "The NFL and our players are at our best when we help create a sense of unity in our country and our culture. There is no better example then the amazing response from our clubs and players to the terrible disasters we've experienced over the last month. Divisive comments like these demonstrate an unfortunate lack of respect for the NFL, our great game and our players, and a failure to understand the overwhelming force our good clubs and players represent in our communities."

To those of you who read my blog I am sure you understand I cannot let this go unaddressed. Roger Goodell and the NFL players who chose to stand or hold a fist in the air are a bunch of disrespectful morons to the men and women who serve this country, to the first responders and police who put their lives on the line everyday, to every man and woman who shed their blood in order to protect and serve this amazing country so these ungrateful cry babies can play football and make millions of dollars.

I will give you there are a lot of professional athletes, across this country, who give to their communities and pitch in to help with one charity or another. The NFL doesn't have that market cornered but you also don't see those other ball clubs taking a knee or showing disrespect to our nations flag and all those who fought to keep our freedoms.

These million dollar babies want to cry about oppression when they are now walking around with a silver spoon in their mouths. Yes, I am sure some of them came up from some  hard times and football or some other sport helped them make their way up the ladder and improved their lives in one way or another. So instead of these NFL players getting out there and saluting the very flag that stands for them to have that opportunity they choose to insult it and those who fought for them to do what they have always dreamed of. They are living the American Dream of making a better life for themselves and their family but instead of teaching our children it is something we should be proud of they chose to not stand and act the fool trying to teach our youth how wrong people in this country are because we have people who are oppressed and of course they are only people of color.

Well here is a news flash for you NFL superstars, take a look around and notice how many people of color are doing well for themselves in this country. Being underprivileged doesn't just happen to people because of the color of their skin. It has nothing to do with those who were slaves back when this country began. We fought a war to solve that very same problem and guess what the North won and the slaves were freed yet there are still those with that mentality to blame the white people with their inability or drive to pull themselves out of poverty. Funny thing, they were never slaves, they just listened to stories growing up and harvested the anger. Many of those slaves fought on the lines on both sides North and South, they fought for their freedoms, they fought for their families, and they fought for the future of this great nation.

I raised three children and put them through college as a single mother living for most of their lives under the poverty level but I refused to let that bring me down or allow it to pull my children down. They knew we didn't have much but I always made sure they had everything they needed even if I had to do without. They knew how important it was for them to do better for themselves then I ever didn't and how proud I was with every advancement they made in their lives. I taught my children no matter where you come from there is no p lace you cannot go because in America you can do anything you set your mind to as long as you work hard and push to keep doing better. Many times I held three and four jobs but not once did I complain this country was keeping me down or hold a grudge against anyone for what I didn't have.

Goodell you and your players and clubs want to make a difference then get out there on the streets the way it used to be. Walk among the young people and get some positive community action going. You and your players and clubs aren't the only ones who responded to the disasters that happened in this country over the past month. This entire country set their differences aside and stepped up to the plate, not the goal post, and pitched in however they could, where ever they could and asked for nothing in return. So please do not pat yourself on the back for doing what the rest of the country was doing.

When your players take a knee I am offended because I have lost family to war, had uncles held prisoner of war, lost friends in Vietnam, and have had and still have many friends who served or are serving in the United States Armed forces and I am proud of each and everyone of them. I am offended because it is a slap in the face to our veterans and disabled veterans who fought so your players can take a knee in protest. You are all claiming you have the right to free speech but this is their job. If they want to stand on a soap box then take out an ad but do not turn the game into a political arena.

As for President Trump's comment I stand and applaud him because he is right. If you do not stand for this country and all those who fought for it then leave.  You see the problem is you have all been listening to the rhetoric of the Obama administration for so long you actually started to believe his propaganda in which he cried injustice for blacks in America. Where were the cries for the children of color who were shot down innocently in the streets because they were at the wrong place at the wrong time. I remember a story in the middle of all this chaos of his administration of a  young nine year old black girl in her room doing her homework when shots rang out just outside of her home. That poor child, who was minding her own business, doing her homework in the safety of her home, under the watch of her mother, was killed by a stray bullet. Where was the outcry for this child. There wasn't any. No one went out to protest for her lost life but a mother was left to mourn. There are many other stories like that so please if you want to take a knee take in the name of the innocent not the thugs.

I have said this many times, I am the mother of a police officer and a sister to another, I pray every day my son or brother doesn't have to pull his gun on anyone. I pray every day someone doesn't pull a gun on them. I pray every time the phone rings late at night that its not bad news. I fear a uniformed police officer coming to my door with news I don't want to hear. When I hear chanting in the streets for police officers to be killed I hold my breath and pray to God someone finally opens their eyes and helps them to realize we can all work together for a better tomorrow and it doesn't have to be one side against the other, one color against the other. We are in the year 2017 yet I feel we have stepped back in time to the 1960's and are once again fighting a war for civil rights that has already been won by some of the best.

Is everything perfect in this country, hell no! We have politicians who could unite us, fighting to divide us. That is something we all need to look at and when we do, remember the words of Lincoln when he said in a speech to some students at a school in Illinois:

"At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide."

So let the politicians of this country have the last laugh and destroy what so many have fought for. Let them destroy this country from within because by allowing this to go on, by allowing the criminals to be the oppressed, the ones being hurt by the police, by allowing our children to have to grow up in fear of playing outside because of the thugs walking the streets, our senior citizens and disabled practically kept as prisoners in their homes because of fear of being attacked and unable to protect themselves, by allowing the inmates to run the asylum so to speak we are giving in and signing our country over to ruin. It's time folks to pick a side and stand united, not be offended by the words spoken by our President but be focused on improving the situation in this country and standing behind our President, military, veterans, first responders and police. It's time to shed our soft shell and grow a hard shell and fight back to bring this country back to where it was and more. 

To Goodell and the NFL players who feel they need to take a knee I say to you start standing up for what is right and fight for what this country stands for, justice, freedom, values, integrity, and morals, the way it used to be. Take all that energy you have in putting down this country and those who fight to keep us safe and put it into helping the children of this great nation see what an amazing life they can have and encourage them to do better and fix what is broken in their communities by being stronger and better than the generation before them.

May God Bless America and may we all start to realize it's time to stand together for a better tomorrow. 

Disaster Strikes In The Name of Harvey and Irma.

I've been quiet for a while. I think we all need to step back and take a breath from time to time. Sometimes we need a little quiet time to balance ourselves with all the craziness going on in the world. The news just keeps blasting the negative and seems to ignore the positive so they can feed the drama and keep it going. After all, it's all about ratings, not about the people and bringing this country together, standing strong, as it should be.

Mother Nature however, did just that. Over the last two weeks she has taken the opportunity to smack us in the face and give us a wake up call as we watched Hurricane's Harvey and Irma rip apart Texas and Florida. Many of us feeling helpless and the need to run and help our fellowman. Many giving no thought to the dangers they were putting themselves in, in order to save the lives of men, women, children and even animals. We have some of the bravest men and women who just jumped in and volunteered to help wherever they were needed. Not because it was their job but because they wanted and needed to.

These volunteers were far from over helping out in Texas after the wake of Hurricane Harvey and the devastation he left behind when Hurricane Irma took her anger out on Florida. Now we stand, as a country united with one goal in mind, bring these two states back to life. Help fix what damage was done and do not stop for a moment or make it a political issue but keep it a human issue.

Like all others in this country we watched as fires raged through Montana and hurricanes hit our shores, praying for all those who were in their path. It never ceases to amazes me how Americans come together in a time of crisis to help those in need. It doesn't matter if it's to donate money, give clothing, food, water, or their time, Americans find a way to help. When it hits our own shores there is even a stronger need to pitch in and make things right again.

The silent majority stands up and ignores all else as they role up their sleeves and do what needs to be done to get the job done. People from all fifty states find a way to contribute in the aid in one way or another and not once do they stop to ask those they are helping what political party they belong to. Why? Because that is not what it is all about. Mother Nature found a way to remind us we are and have been for a long time, way off track. Too many lost in a world of hate and anger they  have forgotten what is really important in life, family, friends, and coming together as a nation so we can all succeed and live the American dream.

The United States of America, it's citizens, have allowed the drama kings and queens of this world to get in our way, cause chaos on our land, and pit American's against Americans. We can't allow that because we are and always have been united. True over the years our visions have changed but for the most part, for the better. We still have a long way to go but it's a learning experience because there is no other country in the world quite like the United States of America, so there is no other country in the world for us to learn from. As a matter of fact most look towards us and they either love this country and want to be here or they hate it and want to destroy it. Still we have more advantages here, more freedoms, more chances to improve on our lives, then any other country in the world.

When Harvey hit the shores of Texas reeking havoc as he rolled in and destroyed so many lives we witnessed strangers helping strangers, neighbors helping neighbors, and families struggling to stay together in the mist of Harvey's floods and devastation. From day one there were people in boats out doing search and rescue, pulling people out of their homes and helping them to safety even as the storm continued. Harvey hung over Texas for five days and dropped over 52 inches of rain in some areas, less in others. The longest running hurricane in American history Harvey hung on. Now Texas is still drying out and the people are trying to put their lives back together.

There were sone heart warming stories that came out of the rescues as well as some heartbreaking ones. I cannot begin to express how upset I was at the fact people left their animals tied to trees instead of allowing them to be able to at least find their own way out if they couldn't take them with them. I was amazed as I watched a video of rescuers helping a horse who was terrified of the river like current of water running through the streets. The horse was frozen in place near some trees. When the rescuers got her to safety you can see a tear come out of her eyes. It broke my heart but at the same time I was so happy to see she was safe and being well cared for. I watched as cowboys herded cattle out of the water to safety getting them to higher ground. Everyone pitched in the help with all that needed to be done, no seconds thoughts it just had to be.

To see the people coming off the boats and hear some of their stories as the reporters approached them and asked for information concerning their rescue was both heartbreaking and rewarding. To know they were safe was a relief even though I didn't know them personally. Of course they weren't headed for the best situation because now they had to go to shelters if they didn't have any family members or friends who could take them in. Still the people of Texas, the state government and the federal government did great and are continuing working together to help those who have been displaced by Harvey. Our President has promised we will not turn our backs on them as a nation and we will help them to rebuild. We couldn't and shouldn't expect anything else.

When Hurricane Irma hit Florida people were advised to evacuate. Many did and of course like any other time there were those who chose not to heed the warning. The Florida Keys took the brunt of the storm but that doesn't mean the rest of Florida was spared. Once again homes destroyed, water filled the roads making it impossible to get around but she came in fast and moved a lot quicker than Harvey did. Happily once she hit land around Naples she started to lose her strength as she made her way up Florida and into Georgia. Still she packed a punch as she knocked around Georgia ripping up trees and knocking out power with strong winds and rain. So much devastation in so few hours.

Today I watched some of the images from Key West. The destruction, homes and business lost, so much needs to be done in order to rebuild but again we are Americans and nothing is ever impossible. We never say never and we don't give up and run with our tails between our legs. So many Floridians just wanted to get  home and see what was left of their homes and for many there wasn't much. Our prayers go out to them and now the rescue begins and the rebuilding will start as soon as the paperwork gets filled out and the government puts a plan into action both federal and state levels. Florida has a lot of work ahead of them but again, they are not alone for every state that can send people down to help with electric or anything else they are doing just that.

I think one of the stories that broke my heart today more than anything I have seen so far is the story of the nursing home where eight residents died and the others were now being evacuated. What I don't understand is why they weren't evacuated when the Governor kept telling people to evacuate. I honestly was so upset I couldn't listen to the story. I just thought of those people who were living in the nursing home perhaps because they were unable to care for themselves or they had no family to help them. It doesn't matter why they were there all that matters was they were left there under unbelievable conditions when the administration was given more than enough time to remove their patients. I hope they do a full investigation into this and find out how this could have happened and of course who is to blame. Trust me it's not Irma's fault, there is a human or two that didn't do their job.

I also thought it was appalling to see people looting in Florida but very happy to see they were arrested. Way to go to our men and women in blue. I hope the looters get the book thrown at them and are locked up for a long time. I was listening to a news report that said the penalty is doubled because the looting was done during a disaster. I am glad to hear that but in my opinion if you loot anytime you should go away for a long time. People work too hard to build their businesses to just have someone come along and take because they feel as if they deserve it for some inexpiable reason.
So now it's time to not rebuild two states in our Union. To help all we can and to pray all we can for everyone effect by these two storms. It's time to not only put our differences aside but to keep them there. Leave the politics to the politicians and stop being the silent majority, speak up and stand up for this nation, for our beliefs, morals, values, for all American citizens to keep our freedoms and not give in to pressures of the loud mouths. It's the silent majority that does and will get things done the right way, not by hurting, looting, or destroying.  Pray for guidance so we can once again be whole and united without having to have a disaster of some sort to bring us together.

Before all else we are American's proud and true. Before all else we stand united, we stand together, to improve life for ourselves and our children, to ensure this nation will be a stronger and better nation for our grandchildren. If these two storms taught us nothing else we should each have learned just how valuable it is to stand together, work together, and build a better country, bringing America back to what it once was or perhaps an even better America.

May God Bless America and may he help all those who have been effect by these two storms and help the rest of this nation stand together so Texas and Florida has all the help they need to rebuild.