Cowboys World!

Cowboys World!

By Cowboy

As I drove to work today I couldn't help noticing that there weren't many American flags on folks' cars. Like there were after 9-11. Where are all the American flags? Have we forgotten? I know that Americans live for the moment but how could we forget what happened on 9-11? We are moving forward pounding Iraq; and we are closing in on Baghdad. By the time you read this we've hit Baghdad and we may well be over this war. But the Express runs every 3-months or so and this is my opinions. You know I used to play scrabble and could never find a word with the letter Q without having the letter U. So now I have a word. Iraq. I will have to remember that if I ever play scrabble in the future, I know Iraq is something I will never forget. But now I'm beginning to see the flags pop up from time to time in vehicles and out in front of people's homes. Yes we have every reason and right to be patriotic at this time. After all we are in a war with crazy people that think we are bad and we are the enemy.

What bothers me is I feel that we are part-time Americans. We are part-time patriotic towards our country. We stand up for something and then forget it. If the situation is right we will be there. Now don't get me wrong I have issues with the system we live in and I have issues with who is in charge of running our country. But I can tell you this, I am damn proud to be American and I wouldn't want to be living anywhere else. Now that doesn't mean because I'm from New York that I love this state and the weather. The taxes are sky high. As high as the skyscrapers in the city and the weather certainly isn't accommodating at times. So on that note I'd say maybe I could live in Texas or Florida for the winter and come back this way for the summer. Doesn't matter because it's all part of our country. Sorry Texas you aren't a country in yourselves. I lived there for 12+ years and they think they are their own country. Believe me Texas is big enough to be its own country but in the end we are all one. We've had our differences between the north and the south and we have issues with other "rules" that other states have. But when the chips are down, as they are now, we all come together and work as one. We support each other. I don't care if you live in Washington or New Mexico, you are an American. Look at the POW's we have in this war? They are a bunch of mechanics. They are scared shitless! And most are from Texas! They went through basic training and they took the oath to protect our country. Who is prepared for this? To be held by a country that has no morals, a country that rapes and kills their own. A country that doesn't care about themselves let alone us. So how are our POW's going to be treated? I hope that they are taken care of and I hope that they aren't being treated in an inhumane way as they could be. Just talk to any POW that you may know and you will get a better look at how they could be treated.

Now I hear, and see, a lot of people are protesting this war and feel we shouldn't be there "picking a fight." Seeing that this is my soapbox and it's Cowboys World here's my take on that. I'm behind my country 100%! I believe that the first President Bush should have finished the job back in '91. I do believe that the current government that is taking care of our country will indeed finish the job that was left undone. There is no doubt in my mind that President Bush is not going to let us down or the Iraqi people that are being tormented by the terrorists that are trying to rule them and us. War is not easy to digest especially when we see our own people being paraded in front of a camera looking scared and disoriented; and seeing them lying dead on the side of the road. I don't like to watch these Iraqi people cheering and burning our American flag. Let me tell you I don't want to see any of OUR people burning our American flag. I will tell you a story that happened last year. I was working security for the Gathering of the Vibes; I was in charge of campground and traffic. That was a lot of work and those that worked with me I commend because they were earning their pay! Anyways I was doing my rounds and noticed this group of hippies that had the American flag flying upside down. There were about 20 of them and me and my son stopped and told them to turn the flag around. They were indignant telling me they had the right to protest our country. I got off the quad and explained to them that they are right, they do have that right. But I proceeded to tell them that it's my right to have you fly it correctly or take it down; and seeing that we were on Indian Lookout Country Club Land (i.e.: home of the Harley Rendezvous). I was going to do it for them if they didn't. They finally saw things my way and took the flag down. So the day went on and I was approached by someone telling me they were flying the flag upside down again. I also was told that they were going to burn the flag later that night! I was right up there, this time with a few other security staffers with me, to see if this was true. It was! Without speaking I cut the flag down, folded it properly and took it! I will be damned if I'm going to let someone disrespect our flag and I would have lost it if that fool tried to burn our flag. Especially on the Rendezvous' property! When I was confronted by some of the "hippies" I told them don't even go there! As I was pulling away I got a round of applause from other hippies, and I'd like to thank some American veterans, for taking the flag from them.

We have the right to protest. That's part of our freedom. I respect other people's opinions. To a point! But then again that's why we are free. We all have different views and different values. I've protested the helmet law for many years. I protest paying my taxes each year. Our forefathers would roll over in their graves if they could see how much we are being taxed by this country. But, like Vietnam, we should be supporting our troops, our sons, our daughters, our family co-workers, our friends, that are over there fighting for our freedom. I couldn't imagine coming home after a war, like Vietnam, and being booed and spit on and disrespected because people here, our people, think that war was all wrong. My father was a WWII vet and he marched through France when those French were yelling obsinities and throwing things at them. Nice! We just saved your ass and this is what we get in return? You want to show your respect? THANK A VET! Come to the wall that's displayed during the Rendezvous and show your respect. Don't come if you plan on protesting it. I have little to no tolerance for that. There is a right way and wrong way to protest. Blocking traffic, causing a problem or not allowing emergency vehicles to pass is not the right way. This is being done as I write this! Show your support for our country. Show your respect for all of our veterans that served and those that are serving us now, today.

That flag that I took from those hippies that were disrespecting it and planning on burning it is still folded and will fly with pride in my new home that I'm getting in the next few weeks. I still have the red, white and blue beads and small flag inside my car. It was there since 9-11 and I do believe it will always be in my vehicle, whichever one I have. I will not forget what they have done to us. I will not let that go. I will remind all my kids what they've done. I will teach them to be good Americans that support our troops and the people that protect our country, in the time of need. I will not forget. Iraq is like a bully. They will keep terrorizing you until you say enough is enough and fight back. How many times are you going to take a blow? America has taken it's share of blows and by God we are tired of turning our cheek! You fear terrorism? I do too. But what did we do to deserve an attack like 9-11? How about the other attacks of terrorism on our country. What did we do to deserve that? So now let them feel the wrath of our anger. They messed with us and now we will finish it. It's not going to be over. Terrorism is going to be with us long after we are gone and it's going to be something our children will have to deal with. Whether we attacked them or not they would still strike like cowards. Strike the innocent people that were going to work that day. Or the ones that were on a plane going somewhere. How about the kids that died from this. Or the parents that will never raise their children. Come fight here and I will fight back. I will defend my country in hopes my children have freedom just like my father did in WWII. He fought for my freedom.

Have you forgotten that fateful day? Where are your flags now? Did you protest when that plane went down in PA? Or when the Twin Towers were destroyed? Did you protest when you say all the dead people that lost their lives on that day? I don't think you did. Look around you; be thankful for what you have. It wasn't just given to you. There were a lot of lives lost for you to have this freedom. A lot of lives. Let me use some of the words we've all experienced during that day and words that you probably related to while hearing about the 9-11 attack, or seeing it: shock, terror, fear, disbelief, confusion, destruction, devastation, chaos, the black cloud, the loss, the reality and we mourned. We supported our country. We were behind our country. Where are you now? My message is simple. Don't ever forget. Always be proud that you are an American. Know your rights and defend them as you see fit.

By the way, I joined about 200 bikes on March 29, 2003 and we rode from the Saw Mill Tavern to Clifton Park where they held a support your troops in Iraq. There were about 3000 people there with many American flags waving in the wind. I had a POW flag. I was interviewed by an Albany TV station and they asked if I had anything I wanted to say. Imagine that, someone asking me if I have an opinion! Ha-ha. I told the camera that I wanted to see all those people that were protesting the war and asked where they were today! I didn't find any takers. But I will say this; everyone was looking at us as we rolled up as a group to support our country, to support our troops that were in a war to protect our freedom. I'm damn proud to be a biker and an American!

Ride free,

Cowboy

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