Quadsville

    There's something that's been digging in my backside for a pretty long time. All the times and hours that I've spent in VA clinics and hospitals, talking with my fellow vets, we've all come to an inclusive thought, that all in all, we live in a country full of ingrateful #####s. Pretty tough words, right?

    Until 9/11 2001, who really gave a living crap about this nations military or it's veterans? C'mon, be truthful to yourselves. No one really gave us a second thought. That poor homeless shmuck huddled in a doorway on 2nd Street? He's got a Bronze Star with oak leaf clusters for valor but he stinks and looks funny. How about that guy that has that goofy gimp and he talks it's halting sentences? He has two Silver Stars and a Distinguished Flying Cross. Oh yeah, he gets his meals at the old Runge Mortuary on 3rd Street.

    I walked into Hy-Vee on Rockingham the other day in a sleeveless shirt with my old Army tatoo showing and was almost knocked over by some lady trying to thank me for my service. Twenty years ago when it mattered, I would have been grateful. Now, it's a joke.

    For those of us that have served and now serve, we did and do it because we have a sense of honor. We did and do what we had to do because no one else would do it. We did what we had to do so you could have the freedom and liberty that you live with. I was thanked three times in one day not long ago. That was three more times then I was thanked in 1988 when I was discharged. This was after Viet Nam, the Iranian hostage crisis, Grenada, the Central American drug wars and chasing Khadaffi all over Libya.

    If I sound like I'm a bit off kilter, I am. If I sound like a bitter old #####, I am. Only because I'm sick of a hypocritical society that makes heroes out of steriod abusers, pedophiles, thieves, biggots and idiots that should've been in jail years ago.

    Not long ago, we were under an adminstration with a President that went AWOL from the Air Guard with a VP that had FIVE deferments from Viet Nam. God, what an honor that was. And the best thing was, they weren't scared one bit about putting our military in harms way. Guys that were scared witless about their own butts, but didn't give a crap about the kids they threw to the lions.

     I know I went off on a tangent here and I'm sorry. I think the bottom line that I'm trying to get out is that there are many, many veterans among you, and unless you can thank each and everyone of us individually, which you can't, we'd appreciate it you'd hold it for Veterans Day, when we all know that day is OUR day. I know I don't speak for all veterans but in my own mind, it's just getting to sound so facetious.

    In other words, don't thank me to make yourself feel better. If you want to make yourself feel better, volunteer at a VA clinic or hospital, or help put together care packages for those guys and gals that are protecting our freedom today. Or, if you got the guts our last adminstration didn't have, join the military and stick it out. :-}      

    The week of June 23rd brings the dreaded three celebrity death tangent: Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett & Michael Jackson. Any death is sad, for any reason and for any family. For many of us, these three people brought to us great times and many memories.

    While sitting here and reminicsing about this past week, it came to me that as a country and a population, we've become to entranced with the "celebrity" of entertainers and athletes. As a people, we've put more hero worship into people that need Brinks armor cars to haul their paychecks, while we've completely forgotten about our real heros.

    Those teachers that educate our future leaders. Woefully underpaid while administration accepts six figure salaries. Our military, sometimes having to accept foodstamps to feed their families and then make multiple combat tours. The social workers, also underpaid but the first to get the ax when states go above budget. This list could go on and on, but these are the real heros. These are the people that make a differance in peoples day to day lives.

    These deaths are tragic, yes. But just as tragic is how we've put certain people on a pedestal and keep forgetting aout the people that transform our young, protect our interests and care for the lame and old. To me, that's the tragedy.

     Over the past few (dozen) years, more and more people come up with ways to fix or make more presentable our beloved Credit Island. The politicians hem and haw, the enviromentalists hic and cup, the golfers duff and cuss and we all watch Credit Island turn the worse for the wear. The newest and costliest measure is a foot/bike bridge from the southern tip to Concord Ave. Has our Mayor and City Council lost their frigging minds? Is this the great response for boosting our economy? I sometimes think that when our elected officials take office, they leave their minds at the door, swallow their idiot pill and then conduct business.

    Just for the heck of it, lets kill the bridge plan. At the same time, lets seriously consider the new harbor plan that was submitted not too long ago. When a new harbor is dug, that dirt needs to be moved. How about moving it to Credit Island and build up some of the lower areas. At the same time, build a bridge next to the causeway so that when all the dirt has been moved, the causeway can be torn down, and Credit Island can once again be a real island.

    Doing these two things at the same time would open up new jobs, help the economy, give Davenport an outstanding harbor and in all probability, lessen the flood damage to Credit Island because the causeway would be gone allowing the water to flow the way it's supposed to flow. Environmentally, this would also help not only the wildlife, but the fauna that is natural to our riverside.

    Now, I'm no genius, far from it. But even I could see this through my med induced haze that encompasses my every waking hour. Course the ONE big problem with this, those slick politicians and DavenportOne will have to get their grubby fingers on the money end of this and screw it up. Meaning: if money can't be siphoned off at the beginning, they don't want anything to do with it.

    My vision: A beautiful harbor that brings boaters from miles away for food, gas and the amenities. And a reconstituted Credit Island that could once again be host to boat races, little league, horseshoe tourneys and maybe even an 18 hole golf course. If the golf course is found to be unviable, then build an RV park and tenting area. As the mantra from Field of Dreams went---build it, they will come. Just quit wasting taxpayers time with far-fetched idiot ideas that allow about 2% of the population to enjoy something that's going to cost a million plus. 

    It seems like yesterday that we lived in a society that could accomplish anything. A society that upheld the moral terpitude of a planet. A society that that didn't look down on but helped boost up the down trodden. A society that asked not what a country could do for us, but what we could do for our country. A society that was the envy of the free world.

    Times change and with it, the common sense of living together in harmony. When and why did it happen? Why is it easier to call someone a name or disparage them in a story, then to find out the facts? Why is it easier to point fingers and blame then to work on finding a common working goal? Why is it easier to trash anyone with a differing viewpoint, then to have a decent debate?

    We, as American citizens, all have our rights and the freedoms that our Constitution grants us. This is not for certain Americans, but ALL Americans. The same rights and freedoms you have, your neighbor has. If I want to live a religious backed life, that's my choice. If I want to live a Godless life, that's my choice. The same as being gay or straight, it's my choice. Laws are in place to protect our lives and the choices we make. Laws that don't differentiate because of sex, creed, race or religion.

     Lately, I've been appalled at the hatred that has spewed forth because of a myraid of different reasons. Gay marriage, politics, abortion, the Christian/Muslim debate. The hatred isn't on one side of the spectrum either, BOTH sides have had their time in the sun and none of it is pretty. As an example, if I was as Christian as some claim but could condone the murder or torture of certain people, am I really a Christian? In my eyes, only if I could live with my hypocritical self. Another example, if I was disillusioned in God enough so that I had to hire attorneys to have In God We Trust taken off our legal tender, am I still a patriot? In my eyes, only if I can reconcile the fact that this country was founded on a pack of lies and deciet.

    This country lost it's common sense when people started to do things in the name of "whatever" but in reality, did it for themselves and the name recognition. This has carried over into our mainstream and hatched both the left and right "talking" heads that know the crap they spew is just that. Crap that a disheartened populace will take as gospel and in turn, not only make the talking heads rich, but keep a populace at each others throats. 

    I remember a time when news was news and entertainment was a song and dance show. These days, news and entertainment are said in the same sentence and used as an excuse for a talking head to get out of a scrape. Thanks just the same, I'll keep my common sense and think for myself. It's too bad that not enough people do.