| Sunday, July 22, 2007 |
| Cinderella's Ball |
I love being a Daddy. It is one of the most wonderful adventures a man can experience. But, when you are a Daddy to a Princess - life can take an entirely different direction.
Ariel (my daughter) is four years old and growing older every day. To her, I am the smartest and strongest man in the world. There is nothing that I can not do in her eyes. I am her everything. I am the man that she "is going to marry." In her beautiful, innocent eyes I can do nothing wrong because I am "DADDY!!!"
However, I know that in a few short years she will wake up and I will no longer be that wonderful man. One day she will be embarrassed that I am her Dad. I won't be able to do anything right and I will be the last person she would come to if she needed anything... this is the day that I fear and wish will never come. This will be one of my saddest and darkest days...
Ariel, like all little girls, loves to dress up like Disney Princesses. She loves to pretend that she is going to the ball to meet her "prince." Today, that happened!! Allow me to share this moment with you...
While Ariel was taking her nap, Jenny (my wife) and I moved all the furniture out of the family room. We blew up balloons and placed them all over the floor and walls. I got the 10 foot ladder out and hung ribbons from the ceiling fan down to the walls. We created a ball room.
I, very quietly, entered into Ariel's room and placed an innovation on her pillow that read, "Daddy wants to invite you to a Princess Ball in the family 22 July 2007." I hung her beautiful Cinderella's dress on her bed. When she woke up she saw the invitation and her dress. Jenny was in her room and told her that she was invited to Cinderella's Ball to dance with her Prince. She was so excited. She was jumping with joy.
She put her Cinderella dress on with a smile that could be seen from space. She places each little delicate foot into her very small glass slipper. Jenny helped her put her crown on her head and gloves on her hands. Then the announcement is summoned, "Lady's and Gentlemen Miss Ariel Grace Chenowith is now arriving at Cinderella's Ball!" As she walks down the hall that is filled with balloons, she hears the Cinderella's music being played. She steps into the "ball room" where she sees me standing there in a suit awaiting to request her hand for a dance.
She reaches up with her little gloved hand and places it so gently into mine. Then, she placed each little foot on top of mine and we danced!!! For a moment, the world stood still. There was no war, there was no anger, there were no heartaches – for a moment there was nothing but love, joy and peace. Oh how I wish this would never end. I wish that she would stay four forever. I wish that I will always be her hero. I wish, I wish... But, I know the clock will strike midnight and my little Princess will be gone. So, I will hold on to this "glass slipper" (memories) forever. |
posted by Capt. C @ 7:18 PM  |
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| Sunday, July 01, 2007 |
| What Constitutional Rights??? |
What does it mean to be an American? Think about that just for a second. Do you realize that America is the only country that will allow anybody to become American? For an example, no matter how long I live in China or how much I pay to become a Chinese citizen, I will NEVER be Chinese!!! But, anybody can become an American!!
Do you realize that only 1 in 1000 American citizens actually know what the constitution of the United States is about? Now, I don't know how they got 1 in 1000 – I tend to think that it is even less than that. I don't know anybody that can quote the constitution verbatim. So, how much do YOU really know about the Constitution of the United States?
The very first line of the constitution is "We the People of the United States..." Now, I hope that most people can get that first line. But, you know what – many Americans do not even know that first famous line. But, do you really know what it means? Well, first of all – if you are NOT a citizen of the United States, then you DO NOT HAVE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS!!!! So, when you hear that we are invading on the constitutional rights of illegal aliens in our country, I have to ask – What constitutional rights??? Read the constitution, would you??!!
Now, to the meat of this blog, recently Great Britain (GB) has been thwarting many, many Islamic plots to kill innocence people in GB. The GB authorities have interrupted three car bombs that could have been very devastating to their country this past weekend (June 2007). You have to understand that GB has agreed to be a safe haven for Islamic believers. In fact, read what one of the Islamic leaders said in 2004 about GB.
In an August 2004 story in the New Statesman, "Why terrorists love Britain," Jamie Campbell cited Mohamed Sifaoui, author of Inside Al Qaeda, saying that it has long been recognized by the British Islamists, by the British government and by U.K. intelligence agencies, that as long as Britain guarantees a degree of freedom, the terrorist strikes will continue to be planned within the borders of the U.K. but will not occur here.
GB is now fighting to secure and protect their citizens from Islamic practices of killing anybody not like them.
Now, let's bring this picture back home to the United States. Every few months, our liberties and freedoms are slowly being taken away from us in the name of security and protection against Islamic extremists.
Here are the facts:
1) The battle between Islam and others will NEVER end. Can you understand that? It will NEVER end.
2) This means that your children's children will have less freedom and rights than you do today because of the security restrictions in an attempt to protect US citizens against Islam.
3) Benjamin Franklin said, "Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both."
The truth is that there is no good answer here. We can not continue to live in a state of fear because of Islamic extremist. We can not continue to give up our liberties and freedoms in the name of security. So, what do we do?
Let me tell you a little story. I teach martial arts. My first rule is very simple –"I am only going to teach those that want to learn." I don't care if your parents put you in my class. I don't care if they pay for it. I don't care! If you don't want to learn, then I am not going to waste my time, and the time of others who want to learn, on you. I will kick you out in a heart beat. I pull no punches about it. You misbehave, you are gone!! It's that simple. It is NOT my job to teach your child how to behave.
One day I had a fairly nice size class that I was teaching. Two boys in the class starting acting up and not doing what they were suppose to do. I gave each of them ONE warning. They continued to do what they wanted to do. So, I said, "Get out. You are done." Both of them just looked at me and were in shock that I meant what I said. Both just stood there for a few seconds and I said, "Did you hear what I said? You are done. Get out!" Then, I told them that when they can behave they are more than welcome to come back, but not until then. One came back and the other didn't. So, what did everybody learn? The students that wanted to learn lost nothing, but gained that I meant what I said. The student that didn’t want to learn didn't come back and he did not keep the others from learning.
So, the point to this is that the ONLY solution is to do away with the bad student (Islamic extremist). The Constitution of the United States gives the "freedom of religion". But, I have to question if our forefathers meant "freedom of religion, even if it means killing others that don't believe like you!" I would have to say "NO!!!" Do you remember two years ago at Christmas time, Wal-mart was not allowed to say "Merry Christmas" because some people MAY be offended? And yet, we won't tell Islamic extremist that they can not kill because that invades on their religious rights!!! At some point, we are going to have to get rid of the bad, so the good can live in peace.
And no – I don't mean kill them (that is their solution). I say remove every single person that is NOT an US citizen (they do not fall under the constitution – so legally you can do this). Then, the few that are left may actually see that we mean what we say and will live in peace with the rest of us. But, if we don't do this – then the only other solution is to give up all of liberties and freedoms for security...(and we will loose both) that is not what my forefathers wrote about in The Constitution of United States. |
| posted by Capt. C @ 8:34 AM |
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