This is my 6 month old Grandaughter.

I want her to grow up in a country that is as free as our constitution PROMISES our Nation is to be.

Many people will tell me that I am dreaming and that the country was never really free.

Well, I am only 54 years old and I remember being a lot more free than we are now.

I can remember that as a 12 year old boy I could walk around in suburban Southern California with a 22. rifle, on my way to the "wash" to shoot rats, rabbits ground squirrels. If a city cop or sherrif's deputy drove by in their squad car they waved and went on their way in search of criminals or someone to help.

I can remember that the whole country was a "FREE SPEECH ZONE".

I can remember using 90% SILVER coins to buy candy and pop and not caring, or wanting to hoard them, because all coins, except pennies and nickles, were silver and it was no big deal.

I can remember a U.S. president being ASSASSINATED.

I can remember people joining together to try to end injustice and racism.

I can remember some of my older peers being drafted and others protesting an unpopular war.

I can remember another U.S. president being thrown out of office for CORRUPTION.

I can remember running around the neighborhood from morning till night with my friends, none of us checking in with our parental units unless we were hungry or needed a bandaid.

I can remember unlocked doors of homes, cars and churches.

I can remember jet aircraft leaving contrails behind them in a smoggy but otherwise cloudless sky.

I can remember drinking water from the tap with no filter and it tasting really good.

I can remember that most of my friends parents were married.

I can remember when at least half of the mom's were either at home or at the neighbors house and you knew you could find them if you needed them.

I remember Trick or Treating all over town till 10pm with no worry of being assaulted, molested, poisoned or killed.

I can remember that you could pray in school, at a graduation or sporting event, you did not have to, and nobody cared if you did or didn't.

I can remember getting paddled by the principle for sassing a teacher or bullying a kid, and thinking twice before doing it again.

I can remember when you were not allowed to kill babies before they were born.

It may be true that we only want to remember the good things or that these are someone elses "good old days".

Was it all good? Of course not. But...

I wonder what that baby at the top of the page is going to remember in 53 and a half years.

I also wonder what you and I are going to do to make sure she grows up in a country that is more FREE than the one she was born in.

God bless you all.

Fireguy 12/10/10