Duty, Honor, Country

Well summers here faster than a one legged man in a butt kicking competition Antoinette.

Good morning America... not the show, but rather my heartfelt appreciation to all my fellow American brethren who have and are Making America Great. Though Memorial Day is unfortunately more often thought of as an extended weekend, the start of summer🏖 pool opener🏊‍♂️, the beginning of dangerous grilling 🔥practices and a chance to take advantage of sale prices💲 that match other corrupted holidays like Washington and Lincoln's Birthday, Columbus Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and even the 4th... it's important to remember that we have a holiday today because of the many courageous souls that were willing to pay the full price⚰. It's also a good day to remember that Memorial Day was intended to honor a particular type of person...a hero. 

A word that has lost its meaning as many superlatives have, because they're too easily bandied about. Day to day life can be hard, and requires strength, fortitude, perseverance, faith and effort. Those are traits that should be taught and instilled in our young. Virtues that should be extolled in classrooms. And aspirations for all, but they aren't heroic...they should just be S.O.P. Just like Duty, Honor, Country is championed at West Point...it's expected...not over and above the call of duty. Actions like words should be carefully chosen...and the most superlative should be reserved for the deserving. Speaking of superlatives, yesterday also marked John Wayne's birthday. The Duke is the most iconic American to much of the world🤠🇺🇸. When he died the headline in a Japanese newspaper said,  "Mr. America is dead!" 😪John Wayne spent a lifetime extolling the virtues of, and expressing his gratitude for being an American the best way he knew how... through his art...movies📽. He was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal shortly before his death and was also awarded the President's Medal of Freedom by President Carter posthumously...the two highest non military awards...for his unique contributions to the United States. The people who championed these awards came from Hollywood and covered the political spectrum, but mostly as opposites...a far different time. John Wayne attended President Carter's inauguration as, "the loyal opposition."🥂 Hard to imagine these days. However, one thing I feel certain about is that if you asked John Wayne whether he was a hero, he would have given you that trademark look and possibly thought, "I'm not gonna hit you, I'm not gonna hit you... the hell I ain't!" 🤜Now of course he wouldn't have hit you, but he would tell you he's no hero... just doing what he's supposed to be doing... his Duty to Honor our Country by doing what we should without being told or with expectation of praise. Unlike the ridiculous exhaltations of many of today's athletes after a routine play they're paid millions of dollars to make, we need to remember what is our duty. Just do your job. Instead we're creating a culture of floppers, victims, whiners, expectants and those looking for a handout. The term heroic is overused, but effort never is. Toughness never is. Fortitude never is. Courage never is. The reason Michael Jordan⛹️‍♂️ is the greatest basketball player ever is he didn't flop. He took the team he was dealt and made them stronger and better. To win in those days you had to be tough...a virtue...today toughness is replaced by wimpiness. Courage is replaced by victimhood. I'm not talking the false courage of Hollywood movies, but the kind John Wayne extolled when he said,  "Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway." In other words, Do Your Duty to Honor your country. Don't confuse Heroism with duty and in the immortal words of Oddball remember, "A hero [isn't] some kind of sandwich!" If you still don't understand just Google Pat Tillman. He's an American who without "virtue signaling" gave up a multi million dollar NFL contract, fame, notoriety, the comforts of safety and a Twitter handle and joined his brother to enlist in the army following 9/11 because he felt it was his duty to give back because he had been blessed with so much. While serving in the special forces in Afghanistan he was killed. He also received numerous military awards including the Silver Star. Even though Tillman was only doing his Duty to Honor our Country... he is the epitome of Hero because he sacrificed all for what we all get to enjoy🙏. Have a great day my Fellow Americans. Enjoy the fruits of our bounty🥧🌭🍺. Rest peacefully in the safety of our borders🇺🇸. And don't cheapen words by using them too frivolously, nor substitute victimhood for duty😭. Encourage toughness, fortitude, and manliness in our boys, and the equivalent in our girls...life isn't played on the soccer pitch after all⚽️🙈🙉🙊. And remember that Freedom isn't Free! It needs to be protected at all costs and has been by men and women in American cemeteries⚰ around the world by those who paid the full cost. Like John Wayne attending President Carter's inauguration...what's required of Americans isn't agreeing on politics...it's agreeing on the need to fulfill the promises of the greatest political document ever... the Constitution📜... paid in full by the blood of many Americans. Now let's get this celebration started because like the Duke said, "I'm here to kick ass and drink whiskey, and Pilgrim, I'm out of whiskey!" Also remember while you're swimming around in this American Aquarium, Tough times don't last, tough people do...

Where I'm from a man's only worth the weight of his word and
Respect ain't handed out, it's earned
I've been runnin' with my back to the wall for seventeen years now
And if it's one thing that I've learned, it's ...

Life ain't fair
Saddle up, boy, and see it through
Tough times don't last
But tough folks do