Dear America,

I would be remiss if I didn't bring it up; for I am just a girl, her name is Gretchen, a day in the life of an American girl...

So how about that Miss America last night?  What a beautiful flip of the hair to the irony of the times, no?

Never mind Miss Colorado, and the return of pageant's past in flubbing the dreaded question portion of the evening, for I have no idea what she said. Let's just race to the finish and the first nationalized, Arab-American girl, Rima Fakih -- from the state of Michigan, no less -- being crowned our nation's most beautiful girl in the world.

Now think back fifteen minutes.

There she was, Miss Morgan Woodland of Oklahoma, answering the most controversial question of the night -- judge, Oscar Nunez, could barely get the question out of his mouth before a bevy of boos came at him from the crowd of commoners in the background...he's like, 'now hold on...you haven't even heard...' 

It didn't matter where Nunez was going with it -- the audience wanted no part of it; he asked it anyway.

And without skipping a beat, the poised American maiden replied,

"I'm a huge believer in states' rights.  I think that's what's so wonderful about America.  So I think it's perfectly fine for Arizona to create that law,"

adding also, that she doesn't approve of illegal immigration and her concern for racial profiling.  In less than a minute, she honestly maneuvered around the most volatile subject of our day with compassion and rare American-girl guts, grasping the founder's intentions without blinking an eye, but quite possibly, with a wink.  She nailed it and she knew it.

Tell us what she won, Johnny?

Little Miss Morgan from Oklahoma got first runner up and was beat out by the only immigrant in the bunch -- for the baby girl born in Lebanon, a far cry from one of our fifty states, took home the prize; and with a twist of immigration nation kicks and giggles it was over. (Rima's question, if birth control should be covered by insurance...please, and you call that equal billing with immigration reform, coupled with protests and boycotts, but I digress.)

Truth be told, Rima is actually the second "Arab-American", but who's counting anymore right -- for the first was a California girl back in 1983 -- Julie Hayek; this born and raised American girl's father came, too, from Lebanon, fleeing from a country taken over by radical Islamic terrorism.

But in the spirit of this fine nation, in the spirit of this nation's LEGAL immigration policy, in the spirit of this nation's open door to all who wish to come through the front door and maybe end up center stage at any one of our umpteen venues displaying the best and the brightest, the fastest or the strongest, the prettiest and the luckiest, play out their live long dreams -- it is here, only in America! for God Bless the USA!

Baby Rima was not even born here and she is now Miss America -- she couldn't be President, so she decided to go for Miss USofA.  Is this not a beautiful country, or what?

Sure, one could make other noteworthy claims after this year's extravaganza -- like how many girls get boob jobs now, or how the more things change, the more things stay the same, when watching a spectacle of this sort.  It still gets down to girls prancing around in bathing suits and evening gowns with pasted white smiles across their well-spackled faces and bouffant hair dos.

This year is no exception -- except for that itsy-bitsy minor error in sound judgement, allowing the girls to masquerade around in their undies, and shoot artistic stills in black and white for cover.  We somehow went from poo pooing any suspect modeling backgrounds, frowning upon any display of sexual deviation from the dignified and reserved head shots and completely clothed portfolios, to a new era featuring the Guess model -- fifty of them.

Interesting that the pictures came out of nowhere, just days before the televised event...hmmmm...and who says sex doesn't sell...

Interesting to note further, even though the Maine girl fully approved -- by the likes of her answer anyway, while still  in the top five -- the photo shoot wasn't something where the girls had a choice.  If they were in it to win it they did it, no questions asked.  I mean seriously, can we really expect Maine to say, you trashed the contest in front of millions of Americans and be able to live to take first place?

So what kind of litmus test is in the future for contestants coming of age down the road?  Or have we broken that barrier too? Does Miss America become just a stage of talking tits, I don't know -- or is that just the way it's always been...hmmm....time will tell... at least it use to...for we certainly don't wait until we are deep into middle age to get a boost anymore, now do we. (not me, of course)

The genuine American girl is becoming a thing of the past -- it may not matter where you are born -- or even if your boobs are real -- but one thing's for sure, if the next Miss America is an illegal alien from Tijuana, you know we've got problems.

Make it a Good Day, G

and go world peace.

Dear America,

Let's be honest here.

Racial profiling may be taboo, may be politically incorrect, it may even be wrong, but the truth is, we all do it in some way, shape or form every moment of the day.

Matter of fact, I even did it with a fish just last Friday.

Picture this, there I am, face to face with the fish monger, awestruck by the sight of about a dozen flaming red fish filleted and lined up all in a row, just waiting for me to come 'round and pick one off. 

They were beautiful, I tell you, just beautiful. It was like the unmistakable call of the sirens luring me in, calling out for my gaze, for they knew -- just one look, it would be all over.

So with my rabid appetite leading the way, I said to the guy 'I'll take some of that salmon right there', as I stared at them, quite possibly with drool rolling out of the corners of my mouth.

Then he looked at me funny.  And I'm like, what? Is there something between my teeth? Was it something I said? What?

Ahh, Mame, "did you want salmon? as the salmon is over there" -- pointing to a rather pale by comparison specimen... I guess that's fish trying to look like salmon... clear on the opposite end of the case. 

"This is trout" as if it were the hundredth time he's had to say it.

Seriously?
No way.
Way.

How could I -- and with so much as just one look have sized up this fillet so terribly wrong?  How could I have jumped to conclusions like that without giving any other type of fish a chance -- equally and fairly -- as one fish to another?

Oh, but I got the trout.  I had it swaddled up in paper so fast...I took it home, alright... it was mine, all mine.
   
Truth is, no matter who we are are, automatic deductions as to what or who we are dealing with, from the trivial assumptions to mass generalizations, come uniquely to each and every one of us from the schooling of our experiences coupled with the jewels who raised us.  We automatically size up everything -- every person, every situation -- with on the fly reactions every day, whether they be good, bad, or indifferent.

The thing is, in this morning and according to natural law every morning, the first cause to everything under the sun and in the big wide ocean blue is a thought.

While many of us endeavor to understand this law of cause and effect, action and reaction, as we go about our days knee deep in whatever life seems to throw at us, the common thread that unites us is that this law is always at play -- whether we accept it or not; while if we expand our understanding of it as a people, we may actually find ourselves wrangling with a very big fish indeed.

As a people, we always seem find on the line at any given moment a judgement or an acceptance, a question or an answer, a wide divide or an opportunity to unite as one; for even in opposition and protest we have cause to unite; even as a means to an end we have reason to come together; even as one judgement against another gives license to attack. 

If anything be more true -- after a history of racial animosity and blame, of dividing and uniting and dividing again -- we must train our eyes to see beyond the color of our skin.

Going off on another tangent, what comes to mind all of a sudden is a situation from a difficult movie to watch, "We Are Soldiers" -- and one particular scene found Mel Gibson giving his men some final words before entering into battle (Vietnam war).  He reminds them of a lesson from Crazy Horse -- every woman in the village nursed every child born of the Sioux Indians.  Referring to a era when the village actually did raise a child, he made his point quite clear; every Indian boy went into battle watching out for the back of another -- brother to brother -- because in essense he was.

Gibson was speaking directly to the racial divide of the day, for it was the sixties -- it was a time for war, and there was no room for racism of any kind.  In that moment, there was no spirit more worthy of enlivening than that being we are all connected, trusting in the brother next to us, no matter what the color of the skin; that trust and confidence, that unification, would be what saved lives. 

We are soldiers and we are one was the only thing that mattered, the only command he gave(and he really meant it to).

So let's spin this one more time.

With the jingle for the census still ringing in my ear, and tweaking it just a bit -- as Americans one and all, we must recognize that we cannot move forward until we know you have our back...and that means all of us.

And we will never be able to do so until we let go of that which does not serve us or serves us well; it is all in the release!

Like any other negative which happens to have it's way with us in life -- whether it be personal grudges with our family and friends -- economic challenges, job loss or a loss of our home -- political rhetoric and belief systems which challenge the very framework of our country -- individual or collective thought which keeps a person, if not an entire group, waded down in false assumptions and limited thinking -- we can never be, do or have the something better until our thought changes first; we must believe.

Which is why so much of the Christian faith centers around this very idea...be still and know that all things are possible with God.

From the father of the Science of Mind, Earnest Holmes, he gives us this:

"To live in conscious communion with Life, even for a short time, will convert our fears into faith, our doubts into certainty, our hurt and sense of failure into something triumphant. There is a sublime and a divine hope for everyone who is willing to surrender himself to the great Good; to the warm embrace of the "Over-Soul" in whose lap, Emerson tells us, we lie as in the lap of an Infinite Intelligence.  Every man has a subliminal depth to his being .  We can plant our feet firmly on this faith and realize that we are divine beings now, the choice is ours.

There is but One Creative Principle.  It is always responding to us. There is but One Power and we are using It either negatively or affirmatively."

You just can't convince me that Chicanos, or African-Americans, or italians or Jews are any more or less immune nor predestined to making a racial profile than the white man; for the responsibility is there for all of us to understand and recognize how our assumptions shape us and ultimately create the society in which we live, and to live by a code of honor in peace time or conflict.

We all do it; one fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish we all do it. Some of us just do it better than others.

There are good cops and bad cops.  There are good citizens and bad citizens.  There are those here legally and those here illegally.  But I believe, for the most part, the majority of us just simply want to be surrounded with good Americans -- we would be happy with that. 

For the most part, some of us just want all Americans to be productive, courteous, law abiding, family oriented, village affirming, all for one and one for all American citizens.  We expect everyone to have our back.

The majority of us believe it is a crime that our jails are full to capacity;  that it is a crime that so many of our child are molested and abused throughout their entire life; that it is a crime to wish harm on another human being just for the color of their own skin -- or for any reason; that it is a crime to enter into America illegally and, of all things, stay here, committing crimes of robbery and burglary and rape and murder upon the innocence of American citizens.  It is a crime.

• 95% of warrants for murder in Los Angeles are for illegal aliens.
• 35% of all inmates in California detention centers are Mexican nationals here illegally
• 75% of most wanted list in Los Angeles are for illegal aliens.
• Less than 2% of illegal aliens pick our crops, and 29% are on welfare.
• 70% of the US Annual population growth results from immigration (2/3rds of all births in the state of California are to illegals on Medi-Cal, and paid for by taxpayers.)

Americans today -- more than ever -- find themselves in a position of having more loyalty to this country than they are to their family/spouse or even to their job, as uncovered in a Reuters article from last week highlighting the author of the poll and book, "Why Loyalty Matters," by Timothy Keininghan. I mean, we're talking 70% of Americans questioned said they were most loyal to their country!

Even our dear President, upon his inauguration day, said this:

My Fellow Citizens,

"...At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our fore-bearers, and true to our founding documents...

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things.  The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward a precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from one generation to generation; the God-given promise that, all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given.  It must be earned."

Amen to that.

And I wonder, do you think our dear Obama has a copy of this speech out every morning to remind himself of the ideals and convictions of a true American President, recollecting the first cause for his blessed lot in life today?

Little does he give us credit as he sits denouncing the actions of Arizona, for We the People had "chosen hope over fear...with unity of purpose...to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history..."

Yes, majority rule -- the village was in unison.
We thought we did just that.
We thought he was just the one who could take us there.

I guess, sometimes -- as a little fish once told me -- our first thought may be a wee bit misguided.

Make it a Good Day, G


"...This is the price and the promise of citizenship. 

This is the source of our confidence -- the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed -- why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath." 

Just a little more lip service, I mean, Inaugural speech. 

click back on Dear America...turn up the music and dance to a brighter day...
I BELIEVE a brighter day is ours to make today...even on a Monday. 
God bless you one and all.

Dear America,

"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom

 by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. 

What one person receives without working for,

another person must work for without receiving. 

The government cannot give to anybody anything

 that the government has not first taken from somebody else. 

When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work

 because the other half is going to take care of them,

 and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work

because somebody else is going to get what they work for,

that my dear friend,

 is about the end of any nation...

YOU CANNOT MULTIPLY WEALTH

 by DIVIDING IT!"  

 Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931

And this principle pretty much works with anything.

Take for example, we cannot increase our unity by dividing it.

We keep going round and round on this one; while if we continue to fail, all of us will fall down dizzy and go boom.

"You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. 

You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. 

You cannot help the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer. 

You cannot further brotherhood of man by encouraging class hatred. 

You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. 

You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn. 

You cannot build character and courage

 by taking away man's initiative and independence. 

You cannot help men permanently by doing for them

what they could and should do for themselves." 

Abraham Lincoln

Once a sound principal -- whether for economics or the brotherhood of man -- is always a sound principal; the only variant is our ability to stay clear and true to it's value, and remain responsible in our ability to understand it, respect it, and most definitely, uphold it, teach it, and of course then, multiply it.

"And so, my fellow Americans,

ask not what your country can do for you;

ask what you can do for your country." 

John F. Kennedy

It doesn't get much easier to understand than this.

"Ask nothing of men, and in the endless mutation, thou only firm column must presently appear the upholder of all that surrounds thee.  He who knows that power is inborn, that he is weak because he has looked for good out of him and elsewhere, and so perceiving, throws himself unhesitatingly on his thought, instantly rights himself, stands in the erect position, commands his limbs, works miracles; just as a man who stands on his feet is stronger than a man who stands on his head...

So use all that is called Fortune.  Most men gamble with her, and gain all, and lose all, as her wheel rolls.  But do thou leave as unlawful these winnings, and deal with Cause and Effect, the chancellors of God.  In the Will work and acquire, and thou hast chained the wheel of Chance, and shalt sit hereafter out of fear from her rotations.  A political victory, a rise of rents, the recovery of your sick, or the return of your absent friend, or some other favorable event, raises your spirits, and you think good days are preparing you.  Do not believe it.  Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.  Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles."  

                                                                Ralph Waldo Emerson

In the good ole days, we taught our children, and welcomed our immigrants to our shores, on the very principle of multiplying our wealth; our country's foundation grew stronger; while even though our prosperity ebbed and flowed, we remained steadfast to the principles in which we were made and it worked, triumphantly. Our own self-reliance was the key from which all American doors entered or closed.

Our abundance never truly faltered, as our true wealth was never really in question, for it rests intangible within the hearts and minds of all of us; sure, we could catch glimpses of it as it materialized on Wall Street, or made manifest in a bevy of things we choose to surround our self with -- but that's really not it, is it? 

Our true wealth has always been found deep within the finer, more ethereal dimension of ourselves, keeping a constant and dynamic companion with us at all times, and recognized as none other that the absolute and indelible individual spirit.  This spirit is pure Americana working at it's best; it is a life force in of itself, in God's image (or not), with all the character and will back behind it to prove it.   It has been this spirit, unwavering and multiplying, in good times and bad, that has made America -- and has made America pretty great.

It saddens me, this unrecognizable spirit of discontent permeating throughout our lives and within the sanctity of our homes and the security of our children, as if something so profound is really lost for good.

It saddens me, in this toxic partisan environment, that the principles we have long welcomed and understood, as a whole are somehow under attack; while the idea of melting into one, firm and unified body of Americans seems so far gone and out of reach.

Creating division on purpose?  Not recognizing what is best for the whole over the demands of a few, ignorant to the principles from which we were made, and jeopardizing any chance of peaceful coexistence in our future?

President Obama boldly drew the line in the sand from which he now stands.  He has called out to his people, "young people, african-americans, latinos, and women" recently, as if the respect for the whole of America is none existent, respect for the foundation unwarranted.  That not only sends us back a hundred years, ceasing to move us forward by reaching for commonalities first, searching for the values that bind second, it is purely un-American.

It saddens me, this government shape-shifting the very foundation from which we stand. I refuse to let the values of America's melting pot molt into vulgar protests, and rampant disrespect of the very thing we all strive to uphold and honor -- ONE NATION UNDER GOD (no, I'm not ashamed,org)-- unified in our differences, compassionately listening to one another and supporting open dialogue, standing together firmly to protect everyone who can proudly call themselves American.



It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; the duality of everything under the sun haunts us and favors us within every moment of the day.

"it [the border] is as secure as it's ever been"

Janet Napolitano, said yesterday

Current Director of Homeland Security

Former Governor of Arizona,

the same governor who asked for national guard troops in 2006,

as times were so good,

right...

Hispanics -- along with everybody else -- have come to this country legally for centuries.

Like everybody else, they have come for the opportunity to make something of themselves and to provide for their family under the rule of law -- a law that protects all citizens, equally and fairly, allowing for each individual to prosper, in direct proportion as to what you do for this country.  We reap what we sow; the principle works every time -- and don't even get me started on the loaves and the fishes...there is more than enough for everybody...but I digress...or is it progress...hmmmm

Some people choose to come here illegally.
The Fed says it is against the law.
Now Arizona, says it is against the law -- conforming to the direct language of the Federal Statute, fair and square, and under the law.

You would think all Americans, and especially those who fought tooth and nail to get here -- applying for citizenship, waiting their turn, taking the test, and holding their right hand over their heart reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to which it stands, would be a bit upset, too. 

For if in fact, there are those not only here illegally, but also unfortunately for them, in the midst of breaking any one of our fine laws -- as only that would predicate ample information for which to stop and ask for I.D. in the first place -- creating an opportunity to arrest them -- what part of that seems unreasonable?

And with all that being understood, since when is that a crime?

The true high crimes and punishment happening here, is the unmistakable lack of reverence to this country's founding principles. 

We've stopped teaching it. 
We've stopped doing it.
We've stopped keeping to our individual responsibility to make it, day in and day out;
for if we did, all that would surround us would be peace -- making it possible for the only thing that really matters to be equally distributed amongst us all.

Make it a Good Day, G