Taps

Sleep well Tonight

Taps is perhaps the most solemn of our patriotic songs. Also known as “Butterfield’s Lullaby” or as “Day is Done” the tune of Taps is actually a variation of an earlier bugle call known as the “Scott Tattoo.” Around 1860 Taps was arranged in its present form by Union Army, Brigadier General Daniel Butterfield to replace a previous French bugle call used for lights out. Hence the name Butterfield’s Lullaby. Interestingly both the Union and Confederate forces used Taps as their signal for lights out throughout the Civil War. To this day Taps is played every evening as a signal for end of day or lights out on non-deployed military installations. Taps is also played at military funerals, flag ceremonies and at each of the 2500 military wreath hanging ceremonies conducted each year at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. So sit back and enjoy the rich and somber sound of the bugler playing one of our nations oldest and most revered patriotic songs. Warning!! This version of Taps although beautiful does not conform to Army Regulation 220-90 Paragraph 2-5h(1) where it states the following: “Echo Taps” or “Silver Taps,” the practice of performing “Taps” with multiple buglers, is not authorized. “Echo Taps” is not a part of Army tradition and improperly uses bugler assets.    

"Taps"

Day is done
Gone the sun
From the Lakes
From the hills
From the sky.
All is well,
Safely rest.
God is nigh.
Fading light
Dims the sight
And a star
Gems the sky,
Gleaming bright
From afar,
Drawing nigh,
Falls the night.
Thanks and praise,
For our days,
Neath the sun,
Neath the stars,
Neath the sky,
As we go,
This we know,
God is nigh.

I hope you will leave your comments as you see fit. And remember our fallen soldiers next time you hear this wonderful song.

Open Your Eyes

And know the things that are important


I don’t normally write about my faith on this blog because I don’t want people to think they need to share my theological beliefs in order to benefit from living life as a responsible activist. But from time to time my pastor shares a story that fits so well into the concept of responsible activism that I must share it with you. This last week’s sermon was one such time.

He first read and talked about Luke 17:11-19 where we learned how on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus met and healed ten lepers. The lepers stood off from a distance and yelled “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” Upon hearing them Jesus told the lepers to go prove to the priests that they were clean. As the lepers turned in faith to go prove their cleanliness unto the priests they were healed. Only one former leper upon realizing he was healed turned back to glorify God and give thanks for what Jesus had done for him.    

My pastor then told us about some of his experiences in Operation Desert Storm as a US Army Chaplin. He described how while the families of those serving overseas are left at home to worry over and pray for their loved ones in harm’s way, every soldier so far away does the same for family they left behind. He shared how hard it is on most soldiers to be away from their family, and how utterly helpless they feel not knowing if they are ok or how their children might be dealing without mom or dad for so long. Because of all this, war often becomes a time of becoming closer to God. In all the horrible things that make up war my pastor was privileged, honored and humbled to have a full tent every Sunday and to see so many young soldiers profess their faith to God. Many of those soldiers were even baptized out there in the sand having all their sins washed away and in a very real way were reborn in a loving personal relationship with their God and savior.

Lastly our pastor described the wonderful relief and happiness everyone felt when the war ended so quickly and everyone could go home. Spirits were high as everybody high fived and joked around while they readied themselves and their equipment for what seemed a short ride home. There was an almost festiveness in the air as everyone rushed to be the first ready to depart. As their Chaplin, my pastor decided to give one more sermon in the sand. They would thank God for all his guidance and protection, they would praise God for looking after their families, and they would exalt God for allowing a war expected to last so much longer and with many casualties to end so soon and with but a few fallen. But it was a sad day for my pastor as he gave this last sermon. His tent was not full as was normal. Only a small percentage of those who attended regularly just the week before were in attendance.

As a former soldier who later served in the same region I can attest to the truth of his observations. I saw a very similar set of events unravel when coming home from Operation Iraqi Freedom. Now as a man I must admit that I was One of the Nine. In my happiness and relief I turned my back and forgot who it was that protected me. I left God in the sand as easily as spitting out a piece of bitter fruit. I abandoned Him as though He was never needed.   

Why do you think I would share this set of stories on a blog about responsible activism? What parallels can we make? I told you in the beginning that it would fit very well with the concept of responsible activism. It does. You see God isn’t the only thing we tend to forget when times are good and worries are few. God isn’t the only thing we cast to the side when our need isn’t so obvious. Why do you think there are so many more people being politically active right now? Why is it that the Tea Party, so many independent groups of regular citizens and lone individuals alike, are making their voices heard for the first time? It is because they see the need. They understand that by remaining neutral they risk watching the dream that is America drift away piece by piece until all is lost or unrecognizable. But why is it that our country finds itself in such a condition? Why must we fight to maintain our greatness and our freedoms? Why are we just now reacting to a situation that took decades to happen? It is because all those people you see getting involved now were complacent when times were good. They were too worried about what was on TV or what Britney did last week to see the world around them. They were too preoccupied living the dream to see the nightmare forming in their midst. And they were too blind to care what Washington was doing and becoming. So was I.

I challenge you to do all you can to be the best example of responsible activism. I challenge you to never give up on our country. And I challenge you to never again forget.   


Feel free to leave any comments about this post you like. I really enjoy hearing what you have to say. As always I am also up for any criticisms you may have as well.      

What is American Exceptionalism

And does it still exist

What is American Exceptionalism? Some people might say that it is a theory. Others like the American Communist Party use the term to describe how our natural resources, industrial capacity, and absence of rigid class distinctions might for a long while help us avoid some eventual and inevitable crisis that must befall every capitalist societies. In the 1960’s many post nationalist scholars began to reject American Exceptionalism on grounds that they claimed we had never really broken from European history and had in fact retained class inequalities. And yet others believe that American Exceptionalism is the claim that we are somehow better than other countries. This meaning has been twisted by many to be an example of American prejudice against other countries. But none of these definitions come close to answering the question at all.

So let’s ask the question a little more clearly. What is American Exceptionalism to you? I think this is a much better question as it bypasses all notions of what other people would like you to think American Exceptionalism is. I cannot answer this for you, but I can tell you what it means to me. However first I think some personal history is in order so you understand where I am coming from.

I was born on May 20’Th 1980, in Northern Michigan to a family who was so poor that we spent close to half my childhood homeless. My family never brought in more than $3000.00 in any given year and we had five hungry kids to feed. We saved money by living in the woods on government land and by eating local game and vegetation. I quit school after the eighth grade to help support the family. And when I turned 16 I left my family to go out on my own. With this said I must say that my childhood wasn’t as unhappy as you might think. My happiness was possible due to the fact that when it’s all you know it’s normal and there is nothing to miss.

Now that you know some of my background up until the age of 16, you might be wondering how I could believe in American Exceptionalism. My thoughts on and beliefs in American Exceptionalism were formed after I left my family and on the foundation of my childhood. You see after I left home I wandered for a while. It was not legal for me to live on my own and it was hard to make a break. But when I turned 17 that all changed.

At the age of 17 I found myself in Southern Michigan working two jobs and going to ground school to be a pilot. But that soon changed and as one opportunity closed another opened. I now found myself in Tennessee where I made far better money as a roofer for the next three years and started taking classes through the mail to be an electronics technician. When I was Twenty I decided that I needed a little more adventure in my life and joined the Army. I spent the next Seven years in the Army as an airborne meteorologist in the 82^nd Airborne. I also simultaneously served as an electronics specialist who kept the meteorological equipment running. I would still be in the military if not for the fact that I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and med boarded out under honorable conditions because of my disability. I just couldn’t perform my duties as I once did. Upon leaving the Army I soon got married to my wonderful wife and spent the next couple years mostly just feeling sorry for myself. But then our son was born and I decided enough was enough and started Metis Web Technologies with no money and a whole lot of unpaid bills. Now at present day I have a beautiful wife and an awesome son who adores me. My business is doing better every month despite the bad economy.  And I can see nothing but great things to come. My wife and I are already planning our next child and we could not be happier. 

After reading my extremely brief personal history I hope my vision of American Exceptionalism is starting to appear. You see I don’t think America is exceptional because of government or because someone told me it was. I don’t think America is exceptional and therefore somehow superior to other nations. And I certainly don’t think our exceptionalism is based on flaws that will cause our inevitable collapse. I know America is exceptional and I believe whole heartedly in American Exceptionalism because of possibilities. Because I know firsthand that if you live in America and you’re willing to work hard you can make whatever dreams you have a reality. It doesn’t matter what hand you started out with. It doesn’t matter what lineage you come from. It doesn’t matter what obstacles are put in your way. And it doesn’t matter how big your dreams are. All that matters is that you stop listening to the naysayers and grab life by the balls. You have to work hard and not get distracted by what you don’t have now. You have to give a deaf ear to the word no. And you have to fail a few times before it all sinks in.

Imagine if everyone saw the possibilities that being born an America brings us. Imagine if everyone thought of American Exceptionalism as I do. It would not mean no one would fail, or that everybody would be happy. But if we all saw American Exceptionalism as I do we would all at least have a fighting chance. And for me at least it’s that fighting chance and the freedom to seek out my own personal possibilities that makes American Exceptionalism a reality.

I challenge you to ignore your peripheral vision and seek the possibilities in front of you. I challenge you to ignore anyone telling you the road is too hard. I challenge you to risk absolute failure in hopes of something grand. And I further challenge you to teach your children why American Exceptionalism is a vibrant and clear reality.      

Please share with we your thoughts on American Exceptionalism. Feel free though to comment as you like. I would really like to know how your idea of American Exceptionalism may have change over time.