Thanks for Twenty Great Years

With the same grace and quiet dignity displayed in his game for twenty years, Nicklas Lidstrom announced his retirement today, bringing down the curtain on what could have been the greatest positional hockey player in history.  As Adam Proteau of The Hockey News wrote, "Lidstrom was the ultimate low maintenance, high performance superstar.  Not even blindly devotional fans of other teams could accuse him of whining to the officials or underhanded play.  In fact when you look at his penalty numbers over the years--including a two year span from 1999-2001 when he combined 36 penalty minutes (and 144 points) in 163 games--you see a calm and focused superstar in complete control every time he jumped over the boards."

Not too often we can watch a master in his craft.  Thanks for the Stanley Cups and the classy leadership.

A Memorial Day Man

It was fitting that he would pass on Memorial Day, a time when we pause and remember, and we thank those who have served and are serving their country.  But this man was a genuine hero—whether it was his distinguished service in World War II or his equally distinguished service to his community.

 On Memorial Day, two years ago,  Jack C. Curtis, of Battle Creek, Michigan, passed away at age eight-five, after living a life that epitomizes what Tom Brokaw called “The Greatest Generation”.

Residing in Battle Creek since 1923, Jack was graduated from Lakeview High School in 1941.  He enrolled at Western Michigan University and took night classes while he worked. 

World War II was raging and in December of 1942, Jack enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps.  He flew thirty one missions over Europe, until he was shot down over then Yugoslavia.  He spent the next eight months as a hospitalized prisoner of war.

After the war, he spent two more years in military hospitals including one in his hometown of Battle Creek, The Percy Jones Hospital.  In Robert Dole’s One Soldier’s Story, Jack appears in a photograph with several other convalescing soldiers, including a young war hero by the name of Daniel Inoue.

After his recovery, Jack retired at the rank of Captain.  His excellence in service to his country was evidenced by the Purple Heart, the Air Medal with six clusters, and a whole garden salad of other decorations.

He returned to civilian life as a student at Albion College.  He then joined the Kellogg Company where he would spend the rest of his work life in numerous corporate positions until his retirement in 1981.  Jack was active in the community as a Kellogg executive, but the time afforded an opportunity where he would take community service to the same lofty level as his wartime service.

Thus launched an era, when this man, always involved with his church, would serve in so many different civic, charitable, and community causes that space limitations make it impossible for me to name them all.  I knew him through our service as Urban League board members where he proved to be a ferocious champion for equal opportunity.  His crowning moment in community service came when he, along with two others, founded the Food Bank of South Central Michigan. Again, I was privileged to work with him as the Food Bank rapidly grew in size and stature.

 I bring all this up because we are losing large numbers of the Greatest Generation every day.  I recall family stories and how they involved struggling through a Great Depression and then, sacrifices everywhere, here, at home, in the form of rationing and other limitations, while brave men, like Jack Curtis confronted totalitarianism overseas.  I remember my mother, consistently through the years, telling me, “You have no idea what we went through.”

She was right.  I have no clue.  To put things into a comparative perspective, while the Greatest Generation knew nothing but sacrifice, a whole generation of Americans was told to go shopping in the immediate wake of the worst attack on American civilians in our history.  And now, we have the Entitlement Gneration.

As I tally up the triumphs of the Greatest Generation, their contributions to their country and community defy calculation.  For these brave people, returning from the horrors of war, quietly assumed their places back in peacetime America and used their wiles to create great American communities.

It is important to remember people like Jack, not just on Memorial Day, but everyday.  When the call came for service, they answered.  When the call came for sacrifice, they paid the bill.  When the call came for them to reintegrate into civilian life, they did so with great purpose and quiet dignity despite the horrors they must have known.

I will never see another like him.  I honor and salute him.  I thank him from the bottom of my heart for what he did for his country and his community.

Fibahontas is Outed

There is in Massachusetts a nice lady who is running for the U.S. Senate against the incumbent, Senator Scott Brown.  The nice lady's name is Elizabeth Warren.  To look at her, you would think she was the progeny of a marriage blessed by the Third Reich rather than the Cherokee bloodlines she has claimed to have.  Ms. Warren has steadfastly claimed Cherokee heritage and has used it in academic settings (I wonder why!!), and was utilizing her heritage in her campaign for the U.S. Senate.  A normal person could be excused for wondering why her bloodlines might be more important (to her at least) than how she stands on wind turbines off Martha's Vineyard.  But group identity and perceptions of victimization have proven to be very lucrative pursuits in the political circles, and the Nordic nice lady should be excused for attempting to cash in.
It is bad enough that Ms. Warren claimed Cherokee ancestry, but it is worse for her now that genealogists have uncovered the probability that the would be Senator had a great, great, great grandfather who was a member of a militia that actually rounded up the Cherokees and sent them on their way to the horrific Trail of Tears.
But let us assume for the moment that Elizabeth Warren is, in fact, Chief Tells No Lies.  The Cherokee nation declared war on the union during the Civil War.  The Cherokees fought bravely and side-by-side with the Confederates.  Speaking of Confederates, the Cherokees, like most Native American nations and tribes had their own slaves and trafficked in the business.
So a couple of questions for you, Ms. Warren:  Do you share the animus of the Cherokee Nation toward the centralizing Federal Government?  Would you shed blood in opposition to the centralizing policies of Washington, DC, as the Cherokees were willing to do?
Trivia question:  Who was the first Native American General?
Answer:  Stand Watie of the Cherokee Nation so recognized by the Confederate States of America.

Yikes!  I continue to be embarrassed by the Democrats' attacks on Mitt Romney.  This Bain Capital stuff, as somebody said, is designed to seize an advantage in the vast store of economically ignorant Americans.  But if Americans are that economically ignorant, they won't think that the government takeover of GM and Chrysler which cost 142,000 jobs, put several thousands of small businesses out of existence, and ripped off the investors was any different from Bain.  Now tell me--what is the big difference?

The Rich and Their Buddy, Obama, tick me off

I wonder how long one can fool Americans.  We're are certainly on the precipice of a "new frontier" in being able to fool all the people all the time.  Let's see, now, we have a President who militantly proposes to tax the rich and advocates "fairness", but Thursday night, that very same President was the subject of a fundraiser where the attendance cost a mere $40,000 per person.  ON ONE NIGHT, well heeled Presidential fawners put more money on the table, per person, than most Americans earn in a year!
Do you think, Mr. President, in the name of transparency, that the tax returns of the attendees might be released for public inspection?  People like George Clooney makes upwards of $30 million for a single movie.  Why is it okay for Clooney to "earn" this kind of money, why is it okay for Prince Fielder to earn the salary he is being paid, but there are hundreds of thousands like me that have worked all their lives for a little retirement comfort and we're AFRAID to attempt to earn more than $250,000 a year, even if we could in the present economy.  You and your gang of elitists will feed on us like buzzards on roadkill if we try to improve our own economic conditions.  This is "fair?"
We want to see those tax returns and we want to know how they live and whether they struggle like those of us you say you represent.
Warren Buffet, the genial lapdog of tax hikers, and a favorite prop of the economic elitists, wants a different tax bracket for the rich.  But as I have written before, as soon as they get what they SAY they want, out comes the battalion of accountants, tax barristers, and other card trick artists to protect the fortunes of the rich, Mr. Buffet's notwithstanding. Berkshire Hathaway owes the Federal Government $235 million in back taxes.  Are they paying these taxes?  Of course not, they are in court fighting with taxpayer funded government lawyers, etc.  Come on, Mr. Buffet, "do the right thing."

Hope and Change has become phoniness and flim flam.  Is that progress?

When Does "Flip-Flopping" Become "Evolving" thinking?

For the record, I am in favor of gay marriage, civil unions, and whatever other kind of relationship two loving human beings wish to conduct.  Furthermore, I strongly favor the idea that gay couples should be able to adopt and raise children.  Moreover, it is none of government's business.  The issue of gay marriage, to me, translates as the late Christopher Hitchens noted--gay marriage does not representI a radicalization of society, rather it is the embourqeoisement of the gay lifestyle. I live in an area where there is a strong concentration of gay people and the area is hardly suffering. 

I am not gay, but if I was, my political instincts would be on high alert when it comes to President Obama.  How is this for conviction:
1996: Obama in favor of gay marriage
1998: Obama uncertain
2004: Obama says he is not a supporter of gay marriage
2006: Obama remains open to the idea
4/2008: Obama says marriage can only be between a man and woman
11/2008:  Obama not in favor
2009:  Obama wants to repeal DOMA
2010:  Obama makes first reference to "evolving" thinking
2012:  Obama says he favors gay marriage, but that the issue should be left up to the states.

Huh? 

If we changed names from Obama to, say some other name, would it be "flip-flopping" or "evolving" thinking?