Growing Old Together!

We all work for the best things in life and can’t always afford the most expensive. We want things to go our way and make us happy. We marry and expect it to last a lifetime. (There’s a poignant story linked to this.) We have children that are products of our love and we pray that they are healthy, intelligent, and beautiful. We also hope that their lives would be better than ours and that our grandchildren would continue the tradition. We want to be major contributors to society, our community, and our country. We don’t want to be famous but remembered in a positive way. That’s correct, we want the right job, the right spouse, the right family and the right everything that will make us fit in our own limited world. Well, those of us that have lived long enough knows that not always life will give us what we want. And even if we meet some of those of goals, they don’t always last. If you noticed, I didn’t mention God or Christ until now. That’s what normally happens when we focus on the material things. We’re so busy trying to meet our goals that we leave God out of them. And when things fall apart, then we tend to remember Him. We wait until it’s almost too late. We should be grateful that He doesn’t think like we do. He knows that we change when we think we have control over our lives. We forget about humility and pride takes over. Things fail because we don’t include God in our plans at the offset. As we get older and realize our mistakes and failures, we remember to consult with Him first before we act.  Yes, life happens and we deal with it.  We have to!  We need God more than ever in our lives.  Too bad we wait until we're older when we give Him the honor and praise that is due.

A Proud American Soldier!

The 54th Massachusetts Regiment Storming Fort Wagner

A Blessed Day!!!

My digital camera is not the best. Today had so many things going on and I missed some of the action! The Jubilee Festival of Heritage at the Mann-Simons Cottage was great! Celia Mann was an enslaved midwife from Charleston, SC, who gained her freedom. She walked to Columbia in the 1840s. She got herself a cottage in downtown Columbia, not far from what is now Benedict College. She was able to buy other properties and even rented out to white tenants! Yes, this home is historical and has great significance to African-Americans in this state. The festival is a commemoration of Celia Mann’s achievements and the heritage of her descendants. So they had performers, artisans, and re-enactors that highlighted the black community and represented our traditions. They represented well! There was some great singing from the local black church choirs. Some sang with music accompaniment, some using just the beat of the heels on the floor and hand claps to stay in tune. Yes, it took me back. Benedict Choir is super! Those young kids have a gift. Even the little kids playing the steel drums were awesome. Fatback & the Groove Band did their thing, too. There others, but I didn’t intend to stay all day, I wanted to get to the Latin Music Festival, too, in the middle of downtown. But, my favorite at the Jubilee was talking to the 54th Massachusetts Regiment actors. I sat with them for 3 hours listening to their war stories. Denzel Washington & Morgan Freeman represented them well in the movie “Glory” fighting in the Civil War. After I left there, I went to the Latin Music and enjoyed watching the Salsa dancing and listening to the music. You have to understand that music from the Caribbean, Cuba, Honduras, etc., were derived from the African slaves who were dropped off in route to Charleston and other points in the U. S. What a blessed day!

August 28, 2010

Martin Luther King's son, Martin Luther King III, and King's niece, Dr. Alveda King, found themselves on opposing sides when it came to the Glenn Beck rally.

What an interesting day, today! In DC, there were two marches held in tribute to the 46th anniversary of Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech. One led by Rev. Al Sharpton and the other by Glenn Beck. From what I heard from the news both were peaceful. Thank the Lord! Beck kept to his word and left out politics, he somehow managed to control Sarah, too! Even the protesters kept their level of hostility down. Though when interviewed some used their buzz words and apparently were looking for much more from Beck. Beck used the “God” card and it worked. You can’t act unchristian in the public unless you’re just that evil. It would have been a wonderful surprise had both marches connected and rallied together in unity as Dr. King’s March did. I know there were different reasons then, equality, voting rights, jobs, etc. for black people. Now it seems that Beck’s group were marching for equality, jobs, and returning America to its former state. I’m not sure what that means. I’ve never been privileged or able to go wherever I want. Simply, the color of my skin is still not accepted in certain circles. But, I’m not going to whine over it. God knows what He is doing and I’m special to Him.

By the way, this is the fifth anniversary of Katrina. Unless you’ve been in a cave or just don’t care about fellow Americans, you are out of touch.

Peace & Harmony! (SMILE)

I’ve been holding back on the subject of politics. There’s always something going on. The March on Washington with Al Sharpton and Glenn Beck’s counter march is definitely what this country needs to separate the races. If he was so into M. L. King’s speech, he would actually march with Sharpton. Apparently, Sarah and he would rather expand the racial divide. There’s plenty of conversation about the Muslim backlash that’s happening in New York. Cab drivers being attacked and mosques desecrated. Remember, racism in America is over since the election of a black president. Let’s not forget that the “Maverick” did win in Arizona. It doesn’t matter if he flip-flopped on the issues. He did what was necessary to win. We can talk about Domino’s pizza receipt with "N-Word Don’t Tip." I could go on about local & national issues but I want to stay fairly close to the subject of peace and harmony.

I found this post circulating on the internet and I like it. Don’t question why I posted it here, I did it because not every follow the internet. Besides, I like it. I cleaned it up a little and changed the font. I don’t know who wrote it but I will give the credit to Anonymous. A woman wrote it or at least gave her viewpoint. It’s a little long but it has several good points.  I hope you learn the lesson.

"I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed my college degree. The last class I had to take was Sociology. The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every human being had been graced with.  Her last project of the term was called, “Smile.” The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reactions.  I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway. So, I thought this would be a piece of cake, literally. Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonald's one crisp March morning.

It was just our way of sharing special playtime with our son. We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around  us began to back away, and then, even my husband did. I did not move an inch... an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside of me as I turned to see why they had moved.

As I turned around I smelled a horrible "dirty body" smell, and there standing behind me were two poor homeless men.  As I looked down at the short gentleman, close to me, he was 'smiling'. His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of God's Light as he searched for acceptance...

He said, "Good day" as he counted the few coins he had been clutching. The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I realized the second man was mentally challenged and the blue-eyed gentleman was his salvation. 

I held my tears as I stood there with them.

The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted. He said, "Coffee is all, Miss" because that was all they could afford. (If they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something. He just wanted to be warm).  Then I really felt it - the compulsion was so great that I almost reached out and embraced the little man with the blue eyes.

That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging my every action. I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray.  I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed gentleman's cold hand.

He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, “Thank you.”  I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, “I did not do this for you. God is here working through me to give you hope.”

I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son. When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, “That is why God gave you to me, Honey, to give me hope.”  We held hands for a moment and at that time, we knew that only because of the Grace that we had been given were we able to give.

We are not church goers, but we are believers. That day showed me the pure Light of God's sweet love. I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story in hand. I turned in 'my project' and the instructor read it.  Then she looked up at me and said, “Can I share this?” I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class.

She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings and being part of God share this need to heal people and to be healed.  In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald's, my son, the instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student.  I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn:

UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE.

Much love and compassion is sent to each and every person who may read this and learn how to:

LOVE PEOPLE AND USE THINGS - NOT LOVE THINGS AND USE PEOPLE.

An Angel wrote:

Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.

To handle yourself, use your head.  To handle others, use your heart".

                                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                               Anonymous

Part One

We had a love that was beautiful and

understanding. That was the time

I knew we had it made.

But you told me that you

did

not

love

me

anymore.

So while you cried, I turned my back

because I did not want you

to

see

me

crying,

too.

                                                                                                     Excerpt from "A Part of Things"
                                                                                                                          

The Prayer of Breitbart the Weasel

The Prayer of Breitbart the Weasel

GOP make me a channel of thy fearmongering,

That where there is idealism, I may bring paranoia

That where there is the spirit of forgiveness, that I bring spite and resentment

That where there is harmony, I may bring discord

That where there is truth, I may edit it out

That where there is doubt, that I compound it with

misinformation

That where there is despair, I can convert it to confusion and anger and then fundraise off of it

That where there are shadows, I can hide in them

That where there is sadness, I may add cynicism.

GOP, grant that I may grow wealthy in my bottom-feeding,

By playing victim, rather than taking responsibility

By shamelessly dividing rather than uniting.

For is it by self-loathing that one finds it is so easy to loathe others.

By self-delusion that on finds it so easy to delude others.

Clemenceau

The Mosque Controversy Near Ground Zero

J. Scott Applewhite / AP

President Barack Obama hosts an iftar dinner, the meal that breaks the dawn-to-dusk fast for Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan, Friday in the White House State Dining Room. Obama said the American tenet of religious freedom means the freedom of Muslims to build a mosque near ground zero in New York.

I thought I was getting away from some of the political issues but it seems that another jab was made. Some people just don’t make sense to me. You can’t underestimate what a person thinks. In fact, try not to let it surprise you when they give their opinion. To them it might sound sane and rational and vice versa. Just deal with the flow and make good when you can. I’m talking about the latest controversy which is building a mosque near ground zero. It is our nature to forget or ignore on issues of no interest but we use our nature as an excuse to hold grudges and/or never to forgive. I, personally, am always disheartened by acts of violence towards anyone because it destroys families and loved ones. But don’t be misled how I feel about war. It is a necessary evil to be dealt with in the most extreme way. No, I’m not being hypocritical, just realistic. Simply killing or hurting someone in any way due to anger, rage, or hatred does not justify the need to end another’s life. But protecting innocent people from harm and stopping others who have the sole intent on inflicting harm should be dealt with by any means necessary. If black folks held grudges against all white people because of the Klan killing innocent black men & women, hanging them and cutting out their unborn fetuses, should all white people be blamed? Should bombing black churches and killing innocent black children be a reason to hate all white people for the few? Should Jews hate all Germans for the atrocities made against them in concentration camps? These were terrorist acts made by men against other men, but hate groups do not represent all. Should grudges be held against a whole race for a few hate mongers? Have some of these naysayers forgotten? Loved ones were lost, too! Or do they think because this president is black with an Arabic name and had affiliations with Islam that he is leading the country down the wrong path? After all, didn’t someone say that Blacks are inferior anyway? These seeds of doubt and hate have been sown by some whose only intent is to belittle this man and to show how they really feel about others. Yet, these same critics say that they are Christians and practice the principles of the Bible. The Crusades were fought over religion, too. These opponents of certain religions say it is disrespectful to practice your religion near hallowed ground where others of this same religion killed Americans. To me, hallowed ground is where any innocent person’s life was taken. But business is business! You don’t hear any critics telling the strip clubs, peep shows, liquor stores and bars to leave. Maybe, there’s a grandfather clause somewhere.

I will always believe that whatever this president says, there will always be those same naysayers that will disagree. If he says, “the weather is beautiful”, they will say, “it’s not.” There will always be people that will hate others, we can’t stop that. I guess some people can invoke the 1st Amendment and others are not allowed to. The victims and the responders are paying the price for these partisan politics. What a shame. As for the grizzly momma, no one has should explain a thing to her, she quit her post as governor for stardom. Sarah could not lead a state, wants to lead a country, but instead leads lambs to humiliation. What a scam. She’s a demagogue l who will lead folks down a wormhole of disgust and despair. Some of these chicken shyt Democrats don’t even have the bones to stand up and face the opposition. At least, Representative Anthony Weiner (D) out of New York, not only stood up and but spoke out against the Republicans. He also called out their flakiness, too. I see that the Party of No distraction is opposing the mosque near ground zero so that they can sneak in and defeat the bill to protect the victims and the first responders on 9/11. You look over there while I look over here. What a bunch of hypocrites. The Democrats should have expected the Obstructionists to oppose the bill. It should have been written according to procedure to avoid posturing from the other side. Which calls to mind, was this a futile effort from the Democrats as a political ploy to appear that they’re looking out for the victims? At least the Republicans are united as one, no matter what you might think about them. They have managed to put the fear of the media in this administration.  Our former President George W. Bush, said, “Our nation must be mindful that there are thousands of Arab-Americans who live in New York City, who love their flag just as much as [we] do. And we must be mindful that as we seek to win the war, that we treat Arab-Americans and Muslims with the respect they deserve ... the attitude of this government [is] we should not hold one who is a Muslim responsible for an act of terror. We will hold those who are responsible for the terrorist acts accountable and those who harbor them." This was said 9/13/01. How soon do we forget? Well, so much for my mini-vacation away from politics.

Giving Or Taking The Wrong Advice Can Cause Regretful Situations

I included the link to this article by Mason Jamal about some women giving the wrong advice to their friends.  I thought he was on target but even more so the readers with their remarks.  The truth can sting and as the preacher says, "stepping on some toes."  But a man has to wonder at times, as with some women, why are they involved in up and down, in and out, relationships.  Read the article and make your own opinion. 

Rest In Peace, Mr. Ardis!

Mr. Julian Heyward Ardis, 90, passed away on August 1, 2010 in Auburntown, Tenn. Born October 17, 1919, in Paxville, S.C., he was a son of the late John and Ellen Barwick Ardis. He was a U.S. Army veteran of WWII and the Korean Conflict, and a loving husband, father and grandfather.  He was the father of my co-worker Susan Berry.  She and other co-workers traveled to Anderson, SC to attend my mother's services.  I will always appreciate that act of kindness.

Secure All Of The Borders!

Why Are You Complaining Now?

Let’s face it. I’ve defended Dubya in the past because I thought he was not totally responsible for a lot of mishaps the nation faced. I liked the man. You’re not going to please everyone all of the time, anyway. But we need to be realistic, while the economy was going down the pisser, Wall Street was stripping our pocket, and we were fighting wars, just to name a few. Frankly, we need to bring our military home from Iraq and Afghanistan. The money could be well spent here. But we’re protecting Pakistan & India, since they are nuclear while keeping a squinted eye on Iran. Yes, I’m speculating. I do know that the Russians didn’t beat the Afghans and we won’t either. Whatever the real reason we have so many troops over there protecting somebody’s interest, we should leave a small surgical force and withdraw the majority. During all this time we heard very little from the ultras and far right. It was fine as long as the middle-class, poor and underprivileged were kept out of the loop and the middle didn’t even know we were being screwed. The poor and underprivileged have been so used to unfairness that they have grown numb. Yet, the premise is black folks are on welfare and lazy. Now let’s understand that we had years of immigration problems on all of our borders but that was put under the table. Even “Maverick” & Lindsey" were working on a project to deal with all of these Hispanics crossing America’s borders. But when the elections came up that project was dropped and barely mentioned. You don’t think gaining any Hispanic voters had anything to do with it do you? Hell, we could have hit the businesses that were hiring these undocumented aliens but that would be too right. (Pun?) I suppose they were creating jobs; for undocumented aliens. Where were the voices and Fox then? Nevertheless, worlds of complaints are being directed towards this president for not handling these border problems fast enough. Yet, deportation of illegal immigrants increased under Obama’s watch. Hells bells, we had eight years to deal with it but the voices of discontent are concerned with what’s going on in 20 months. All I have heard is complaining, whining, and criticizing about what’s not being done and what is done is all so wrong. But I have yet to hear any remedies or solutions to approach the problem from either side. I’ve always been fair in assessing racial climates and situations because I did this in the military but it does seem that hate, not just disagreement is coming out of the woodwork. And don’t bother to approach me with the race card! Never in the history of these United States, did anyone expect a black man to become the President of the United States. All Black folks wanted were to be treated equally and fairly and have the same opportunities as any other race. Never in any of our ancestors lives were there thoughts that there would be blacks running for the highest office in this country esp., president. I know that some folks will use the race card as a smoke screen for distraction. And let’s not think that I’m sensitive. Get a life; nobody is trying to take anybody’s world away from them. But remember, while you look in one direction, your real enemy will come in when you least expect it. I wonder what would have been said if the Republicans had won the election. Remember, I’m a RINO, because I’m obviously not ultra enough, hence the name. I could resort to name calling, too, but what would that solve? I lived long enough to see powers that are on top, fall to bottom. I’m beginning to care less about either party. One thinks that enough has not been done while the other’s strategy is to obstruct and disagree. Dayum!! All they do is throw rocks at each other while civility and respect have been exchanged for name calling, complaining and disrespect. Anyway, would the McCain/Palin team have done any better? Would their interests lie elsewhere? We may never know because there is bigger fish to fry. You might wonder if I’m defending Obama, hell yes. I defended Dubya, too, but never Cheney! Like I said you’re not going to satisfy everyone and each of them have/had policies that I do/did not like. But for my part, I don’t believe in kicking a dead horse. What’s done is done. Now what are we going to do about it? We can work on changing it, correcting it, or just stand on the sidelines and complain. But whatever you do, be freaking fair about it! Obama made some great speeches and promises while he was campaigning, but I think he found out that the political machine in the Capital is very stubborn esp., when doing day-to-day governing. You might be a great speaker but operating centuries old machinery and dealing with people who are the same age and want to keep the same old machinery can be a ball-breaker. Still, there were 70 million people who voted for him. We had during the past 8 years a difficult time, two recessions, Katrina, a couple of wars and the worst act of terrorism made by foreigners in the history of our country. Let’s not forget the innocents killed by our own domestic terrorists in the Oklahoma City Bombings, Tim McVeigh and co-conspirators Terry Nichols & Michael Fortier. They did use a weapon of mass destruction. Either Obama is losing his cool or the people that work for him maybe both are gasping for air. It seems to me that they are trying too hard to please everybody, jumping to conclusions, and adding some controversial statements. They have to understand that no matter what they do, so people will never like them! They didn’t vote for you anyway. I won’t address the BS that blacks voted for him because he’s black. Remember, they didn’t think he was black enough! Some even went as far as suggesting that Bill Clinton was the first black president. We all are armchair quarterbacks who sit watching the plays and scream from the sidelines while not playing in the game at all. Those athletes have to focus and be on stop of their game because they might be traded to another team one day and they will won’t to stay fit. If we’re not in the game, playing, contributing, encouraging, or supporting, we need to shut up! I think I’ve written enough on this topic. I’m done. In the future, I’ll just reference this journal.

A Deeper Impact

The movie Deep Impact was on this weekend. I’m in no position to critique the movie because I can relate to some of the scenes which would make me biased. I would rather give my point of view how it made me feel. Deep Impact was about troubled people trying to mend their lives as they prepare for a comet hitting the earth. It was symbolic on so many levels regarding human nature and the unity needed to help many to survive the impact. Of course, it wasn’t simply the impact of the comet catastrophes, it was the impact made in and on people’s lives. Love and sacrifice, was seen all over at the end of this movie. Lives were given so that others would live. The kind of sacrifices we see our military, law enforcement, firemen, first responders, and parents that offer up everyday. Yes, it was a moving moment which will soon be forgotten during our daily rush of taking each other for granted and staying too busy to appreciate these moments of our journey in life. In the movie, as in life, some had a chance to say good-bye and apologize for their actions. We’ll miss those final I love you’s. The movie did bring up some sad memories, but it reminded me that we all are in this world together and that regardless of our petty attitudes towards each other, we will eventually need each other. Are we making sacrifices or fulfilling obligations? You know your answer. Touching, caressing, talking to each other can be taken for granted, yet, easily missed when it’s gone. We should take the time to cherish the moments because they won’t last forever. We might not make the time to reconcile usually because our pride gets in the way. The movie was released in 1998 showing that our President at the time was black. But you have to admit Morgan Freeman is one bad-ass actor, besides he does act presidential. Armageddon was another movie in that same genre, I think Armageddon didn’t have as much emotional tone compared to Deep Impact but it was still a great movie. They both came out the same year in 1998. Don’t forget The Day After Tomorrow, another film of this sci-fi genre. Also, a good movie. I just wanted to give my emotional point of view.

Over Fifty, Get A Colonoscopy!

View of a healthy colon

I’m going to take a temporary break from politics this time. Although this might not be a dinner table discussion, I hope that it will be informative. There is always something political to talk about, but I won’t.

Just the other day, I had my colonoscopy procedure done and without sedation. This is my second after several years and they removed two benign polyps the first time. I was also under sedation and didn’t see or hear anything either. It’s still embarrassing regardless how you look at it. There might be an opportunity to laugh some of the wording. But, I was able to look at “it” being awake through the entire procedure. Believe me, it is not as bad as you think. Well, the process, anyway. Remember, if taking the laxative according to directions prior to the procedure, you should be very clean and pretty well empty. The staff was kind, respectful, and courteous to me, as well as, very professional. They did all that they could to make me feel at ease. There is really nothing new to these folk in their profession. They are nurses, doctors and above all, caring people. They have had hospital experience, hospice experience, assisted living experience and years of experience in the health field. They actually wish more people would come in to prevent and recognize any future problems they might have. So don’t be ashamed to go to your doctor and set yours up.

Yes, I wore the backless gown but they covered my back up with a sheet exposing only the part that was to be reviewed. Of course, I was uncomfortable; certain areas on the body shouldn’t be shared, let alone, exposed. But, the doctor and nurses (2) talked me through it. They explained that the only discomfort I will feel will be the air to open up my colon to allow the camera with a light and built-in snipper at the end of it to move about. They would have to go all the way to the end and retract slowly for observation. Be visual with me.

I’m looking at the monitor feeling blown up like a balloon and getting my blood pressure checked all at the same time. I see something that looks like a dark tunnel and a light going in and around curves. Modern technology! I’m getting a little gassy, but I wasn’t going to say anything. This was the only temporary discomforting moment I had during the entire session. Anyway, as soon as the doctor started, he called me out about using colon cleansers. DO NOT USE ANY TYPE OF COLON CLEANSERS!!! They will turn your colon very dark depending on the years of use. It doesn’t matter if they are all natural. Your colon should be pink just like the inside of your mouth! It’s also very easy to see if there are any problems, too. Well, I’ve been using colon cleansers for about 18 months and a dark colon is a dead giveaway. None of the vendors for colon cleansers even mention the unnatural color of the colon.  Use Miralax if you have a problem with BM, it will not darken the colon. Change your lifestyle, exercise, eat foods high in fiber and get plenty of rest.  All in all, it was very interesting looking at my insides, he did snip a very small polyp that looked like a bump to me. I just hope it was benign. When the procedure was done, they wanted me to pass gas, but I was still hesitant. We know that when you take that cleaning medication, gas won’t be the first thing coming out that’s for sure. That was my major concern. I got copies of the pictures they took, waited until I got home and into the bathroom just to be safe before I committed myself. I’m still glad I waited.

I’m asking anyone that reads this and is over or near the age of 50 to please talk this over with a medical professional. If you have people in your life that cares about you and you about them, please check into this matter. If you just care about your own health still do it.

Here We Go Again!

Senator Graham and Lt. Amy Tomlinson (April 17, 2010) at Blue Angels Air Show in Charleston, SC

“The Greenville Republican Party has rebuked U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham for what it calls his cooperation and support of President Barack Obama and the Democrats' liberal agenda.” This is the same group that wanted Lexington County State Senator Jake Knotts expelled for using an ethnic slur against Nikki Haley, a GOP Gubernatorial Candidate. Senator Knotts said, "we already have a raghead in the White House, we don't need a raghead in the governor's mansion." Ms. Haley is of Middle-Eastern descent and the President is mixed. The uproar wasn’t about the President, even though racism and bigotry will not be tolerated in the Republican Party, so said some of its members. It still sounds hypocritical to me because most of them were former Dixiecrats (States’ Rights Party) and democrats who left when the Civil Rights Act was signed. But still, Senator Knotts meant it as a joke. Anderson TEA Party writers Priscilla Hill and Joshua Finn wrote a short but succinct piece about the SC GOP’s Moral Failure about being hypocritical. What we are now seeing is the direct denunciation of Senator Graham who is doing his duty constitutional duty. He is representing all Americans including many of us dumb ass South Carolinians. They are just short of telling him who he should be representing and I am concerned, it might not be me. Bipartisanship politics have failed for this administration. We stand at the brink of a new political system that favors only those that belong to a specific party 100% regardless of a national bearing. A half of pie is still not a whole one. A half of country is not united. Senator Graham seems to care a great deal about our country but he is considered a traitor to the GOP by working with the Democrats or the President. Moderate Republicans are now called RINOs (Republicans in Name Only), similar to being called a liberal. Some of us are still keeping our Christian and family values which are probably a couple of reasons why we still respect our fellow man. As an ultra-conservative, their allegiance is not to God and country but to the party. The issue is not “taking back our country” but whether you are either for us or against us. One might question if some of these folks want to return to the Jim Crow days. Progress towards a better country is just not on the agenda for some people. We’re not going to live forever and we will have to stand before God one day.