6 ½ Minutes of Perfection

Texas has a lot to be proud of, and so do Texans. Our sports teams are not always the champions when the final whistle blows, but if they want to stay in Texas they know they have to give 100% every time they step on their field of play. Texans will go along with a “wait until next year” attitude as long as the players provide the good entertainment of playing to their best potential.

This is true whether the sport is football, basketball, baseball, softball, tennis, hockey or any other sport at any level. Friday nights in Texas are a good time to run a red light in small-town Texas. Everyone, including the police department, is probably at the local high school football game.

There is a pride that comes with being a Texan. Even for those who were not born in Texas but got here as soon as they could. We are one of the most diverse states geographically from the Panhandle to the Gulf Coast; from mountain to desert; from the evergreens in East Texas to the mostly barren land of West Texas.

We take a great deal of pride in knowing that our flag flies in freedom – the same freedom our Texas forefathers fought to preserve at the Alamo and San Jacinto. The Lone Star State is just that – we ARE the lone star on the Texas State Flag.

God is number one priority for many Texans with our families running a close second. Our State pride extends to our nation and the Constitution paid for by the very blood of the patriots who fought for our independence from the king. From that time to this, we support our military on whatever battlefield they may find themselves.

We have little patience for those who don’t support our military and go so far as to protest everything from their uniforms to their goals. Some people are wimps, and in our eyes, if you don’t support our military, you fit in that category.

Supposedly, we find out Tuesday night just how big a wimp Obama is. He is scheduled to announce his long overdue decision on sending the additional man-power our troops in Afghanistan need to make headway toward the victory they are determined to win. Most Texans would very much appreciate it if Obama would say the word “victory” much less admit that our troops – the greatest military in the world – will win that victory.

The world around us seems to be going to hell in a handbasket, but Obama sits there in the People’s House trying to make “the right decision.” It should have been a simple one for him. It would have been a simple one for him if his heart was set on supporting our military and our nation.

Among all the differences between Sarah Palin as chief executive of her State and Obama as the supposed chief executive of our nation, apart from his Socialistic policies, is the support Sarah Palin shows for our troops. As Governor, she attended many deployment and return ceremonies for Alaska troops and never neglects to voice her thanks to our military with every opportunity. Obama, on the other hand, was busy and couldn’t get to Fort Hood after the massacre they (and we by extension) endured at the hands of an Islamic terrorist.

At least two of the stops Sarah Palin is making as she travels America promoting her book were set for military bases, Fort Bragg and Fort Hood. At all of the stops she has made to this point, there can be seen military uniforms. I have seen some photographs that seem to show her face softening just a bit as she shakes hands with a military person and says thank you to them.

Thanksgiving is a big event in Texas as a time for families to get together over turkey with all the trimmings to give thanks for our blessings after which most Texans flock to their televisions for the Texas – Texas A & M football game.

Tradition? You want to talk about tradition? There you have it in burnt orange and maroon.

Even if your degree came from one of our other fine institutions of higher learning, during that game you are on one side or the other. This tradition may be the only thing that can divide a Texas family even for only a few hours.

Even those who lean to the burnt orange admire and respect the traditions of Texas A & M. Especially the band.
Here is a military-based organization exhibiting with every performance the pride and precision of the best of our nation – our military in uniform. The Fighting Aggie Band is as close to perfection as exists in the United States. Every time I watch them perform, I think about our military men and women fighting even today for our freedoms on far-away battlefields.

From the band Seniors with their distinctive boots to the drum majors standing at attention, their uniforms tell you immediately that many of these young men and women are the best Texas has to offer and may be the generals and commanders of future military operations. Even in their tightest marching formations, the music they are playing reverberates through the stadium much the same way our hearts swell with pride over the men and women serving in the various military branches of the United States today.

Obama, this is just for you. You need to see what 6 ½ minutes of perfection looks like. You need to see the determination and pride it takes to come together as separate and diverse individuals to form a cohesive unit in military fashion. You need to know that America supports our soldiers – even before they take the military oath. So sit back in your easy chair, Obama, and watch what the people of Texas think about our military.