Legacy of the U.S.

Legacy of the U.S. needs to be revived

By Bruce Knipp

Published: Monday, October 27, 2014 at 01:23 PM.To the editor:

Many younger people today are the children of the information age. With all their computers and smart phones, the Internet at their fingertips and with more information than any people before them in history, it seems they don’t have a clue, that they’re lost in a maze of social media. They seem to lack understanding of where they reside or how they got here or what it took too put them in the position of a free people which they now enjoy.

But this freedom will not last if not nurtured. It will wither and die, lost to the pages of history — a once great people who changed the world with their existence.

Now we appear to have those who don’t have a clue and those who tend to listen only to the revisionist history crowd — you know, the America-is-at-fault-for-all-the-world’s-ills crowd.

This started with our so-called college professors — you know them as the America haters, those who never take responsibilities for their actions and always blame others.

And now this garbage has crawled its way up to the very top, where we are forced to hear speeches that apologize for our country’s actions to countries with no clue of how freedom works.

I would implore those people with all the information at their fingertips to look up this country’s history and why we have nothing for which to apologize. And as you look into the history of this great nation you will find that we are a people from every ethnic group in the world — now known as Americans.

Remember, 238 years ago there was not one nation in the world that was free. This radical idea of a free people running their own country was unheard of. American history is one of the greatest stories in the world. The world would be a very different place if this nation were allowed to die on the vine.

Bruce Knipp

Paying Attention

If your looking for answers to what's wrong with the politicians in Washington D.C.

I would suggest looking at us, you and me, and all the generations that came before us.
You see we weren't  pay attention, we had our own life's to live, jobs
to go to, families to take care of, kids to raise, we elected people we thought would
represent us, after all, they were Americans just like us, right.
And then we went on about our business cause politics was kind of boring
and we didn't really understand much of it anyway. And that person you voted for
to represent you, well they really just represented themselves and their political party.
Think of political parties as trade unions, like the teachers union the A.F.T. the
union represents the teachers, not the children, because the children don't pay dues.
Political parties represent congressmen, not us, its all about them and the money.

Lets look at a few things they have been doing that's ether illegal, unethical or just

plain corrupt. Over half the congress are millionaires, nothing wrong with being  

a millionaire, unless their enriching themselves with legislation that favors there stock

portfolios. Some congressmen have there stocks in blind trusts  

others don't, and the ones that do, well their not that blind. So how do you
think a congressman will vote say on the XL pipeline if he as stock in a competing

company to that pipeline.

Sometime ago 60 minutes did a piece on insider trading in congress

where members of certain committees could trade on advanced information
that the public could not, in fact if you did, you could go to jail, but not them. So they
changed the law so it couldn't happen, but they put a loophole in the bill that made it
worse then it was before, these people just love power and your money.
Then theirs this little thing called back door bribery, oh you're going to love this one.
There are about 44 congressmen and senators who have retired over a couple of
years who now have or had jobs with firms and companies they helped out
by slipping in a loophole in a bill that helps a company or firm in someway. This secret
deal between the company and the congressmen is when he/she retires they become
lobbyists for that company for at least a million dollars a year, nice work if you can get it.      

I just ran across this little gem a few days ago. Congress and their staffs have to
have Obama care and the government is paying a big subsidy to help them out, bad
enough, because you don't get that kind of subsidy. But here's the kicker, the weasels
put this in a bill that says when a member retires he/she can opt out of Obama care and
go back to their former insurance, do you think you can opt out when you retire,
somehow I don't think so. First they tried to except themselves from this law, and when

that didn't work they quietly slipped in this loophole. Now the thing that really burns me 

up about this is not one of these clowns stood up and said anything about it. Democrats 

who voted for Obama care or Republicans who appose it, why, because its all about 

them, nothing unethical here right.

Its time to elect people who will vote for team limits, and hold them to it. Team limits
won't happen over night, it will take time, time to replace the old guard, will team limits
solve all the problems, no, but it will go a long way to help. Team limits and us paying
attention to what's going on, we just got to start paying attention.

Bruce Knipp        

Political Parties

In 1796 George Washington gave his now famous farewell address to the nation.
Part of his address was about political parties, Washington was the only President
who had no party affiliation and thought political parties should not be encouraged
and spoke-out against them in the strongest of terms.
From 1774 to 1789 fifty five men of the Continental Congress wrote three major
documents, The Declaration of Independence, The Articles of Confederation and
The U.S. Constitution, all done without a political party in site, their wasn't a
elephant or donkey anywhere in the room. That's not to say the members didn't
argued with each other, but it seems they did it with class. Some will say they used
the art of compromise. I tend to think they used the power of ideas, taking parts of
many ideas from many members and putting them together to come up with a
consensus, for they new their was more then one right answer.
Unlike today, where Democrats and Republicans rarely talk to each other
and rarely have any ideas worth talking about. Today its all about money, how much
money a member can raise for themselves and their party, those who raise the most for
their party get to serve on major Congressional Committee's as a reward, for many its
has become a career. And we the people keep helping them out by reelecting them over
and over again.
Unlike those in the Continental Congress who served for patriotism, who "Pledge to each
other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor".


Bruce Knipp
 

The Legend Of Arlington Ridge

The Legend Of Arlington Ridge

Its has been said that ever since the dedication,
Of the Iwo Jima Memorial on Arlington Ridge,
A ceremony takes place each morning
In the hours just before dawn.
As a low, knee-high ground fog
Sweeps across the Ridge in the cool morning air,
A band is heard playing the "Marines Hymn".
From an unknown distance and very low at first,
The music becomes increasingly louder.
Yet, no band is ever seen.
It is then said,
That out of the tree line of Arlington Cemetery,
A company of Marines clad in dress blues appears from the mist,
Marching through the ground fog toward the Memorial.
Flags at the head of the column stand straight out,
Snapping in the wind, yet not even the slightest breeze is felt.
The Marines march to the Memorial in perfect cadence,
While no orders are heard by those who witness this event.
Like "The Silent Drill Team",
the Marines execute each move in flawless synchrony.
As they reach the Memorial,
They suddenly halt, right face, and "order arms"
As the lights from the monument
Ricochet off of their fixed bayonets.
The Marines possess an eerie transparency
That sends shivers down the spines of onlookers,
Yet there is no fear.
In fact, a feeling of pride and honor
Sweeps over those who gaze upon the apparition.
Four Marines ceremoniously step out from the ranks
And lay a wreath of red and white roses at the base of the Monument.
It is believed that these four men
Are Sgt. Michael Strank, Cpl. Ira Hayes, Cpl. Rene Gagnon,
(three of the six flag raisers on Iwo Jima),
And Medal of Honor winner John Basilone.
Strank and Basilone were killed
On that hellish black sand island in 1945
While Gagnon and Hayes were destined to relive that fateful day
Until mercifully relieved them of their posts.
Two buglers are heard playing "Echo Taps",
But once again, there are no buglers in sight.
The ceremonies conclude just before the break of dawn
As the Marines come to right shoulder arms, right face,
And silently march back to Arlington Cemetery.
It is said that they are from all eras of Marines buried in Arlington,
And they are charged with guarding their Memorial
And the honor for which it stands.
All of this may be difficult for some to believe,
But legends are, after all, only legends.
Yet, ask any Marine if they believe the legend,
That Marines guard the gates of heaven
And see what they say.
The "Legend of Arlington Ridge",
Is no more than the belief in honor.
Marines live it every day of their lives.
Honor is what we were taught when entering the Corps;
Honor is what we took when we left.
Throughout life and beyond,
It is our most cherished possession.

©2001 - L/Cpl Bruce Knipp

The First Amendment

 

The founding fathers of this nation thought that it was so important they put
it in the First Amendment of the Constitution, Freedom Of The Press. They are
the guardians of the Republic, defenders of the truth, champions for the people.
But it seems we the people, have been deceived and betrayed by some of the
guardians of our freedoms. The truth is the American people know that some of
the media is bias, and the media, well, they don't even try to hide it anymore.

And know where else is it more evident then in politics, where the press is the
power behind the throne, the king makers for the left of center candidate of their
choice. A media outlet can indorse a candidate which is fine, being in bed with
said candidate is not. May I remind you it's not your job to doctor video tapes,
report things out of context, or not to report stories at all like they never happened.
Or to report an untrue story and days later recant it on page 33, knowing it will
not be read by those who read the original article.

Hard news should not be about a reporters opinions, or a news papers opinions or
a TV news opinions. Each type of media as its own places for opinions and its their
where opinions should stay. The news media should not take money to print stories
from anyone, like foreign governments who what to look good to the American
people, or the C.I.A. or a candidate, which all have been done in the past.

In closing I'd like to say their are some very good reporters out there, and we the
people are counting on you to help us out by just telling the truth. Check your
facts and your sources have more then one source on a story. Then write, tell or
post the story, and do it without bias, and you will bring honor to yourself and
your profession, which has a great need for some honor right now.

Bruce Knipp

Government Handouts

Millions of Americans are getting free stuff from the government, well it's free for them,
but not for you if you paying taxes. Is this helping the poor, or could this be buying votes.
Will this make people dependent or independent, reliant or self-reliant, or could we be
headed back to the welfare state that once was decades ago. Back when families were
on welfare for generations, with no hope and no jobs, and no incentives to work. On a
system that robbed people of there pride and self -esteem, it took away their dreams
of what they could have been, to what they have become, award of the welfare state,
just waiting for that next monthly check.

And so it seems the welfare state is back, stronger and more determined then ever. Its
goal, get as many people on government assistant as possible, and get the rich to pay
for it. All government programs for the poor are laced with fraud, so you are not just
paying for the programs, your also paying for the fraud and abuses to those programs.
To the government poverty and the poor are just a number, just how much income one
makes over a period of time. Others see it as a state of mind, your only poor if you
think your poor, they have friends and family and churches and other charitable
organizations to help them get on their feet. While the government handouts are for
the long term, with no foreseeable way out.

Bruce Knipp

Sgt. Reckless USMC War Horse

Sgt. Reckless USMC war horse, pride of the 5th Marines. Wounded twice in battle
shielding four Marines from enemy fire and kept going, a great story.