My friend John, and the American Dream...

[MSgt G]

What a great story! Makes me want to stand up and salute!

 

[Beemerguy53]

That was a good read! So many Americans young and old feel entitled and don't seem to be aware of their own good fortune to have been born here. I was born here but Have seen parts of the world where the people have no hope, a totally squalid existence.

It is a very sobering existence to see people living in abject poverty and still struggling on as if things might get better.

This country is chocked full of stupid, ungrateful, clueless people who desperately need a wake up call.

John should write his story and every American should be required to read it.

I have a cousin who lives in Laredo, Texas, and works across the border in Nuevo Laredo. Visiting him and his family years ago, it was very sobering to see the living conditions in Mexico for ordinary working people. Entire families lived in one-room structures that basically did little more than put a roof over their heads. They shared a communal latrine with the rest of the neighborhood.

I spent 30 years as a firefighter in Baltimore, and worked in what were considered to be "poor" neighborhoods. I don't think I ever saw anyone without a refrigerator, and most folks had a television. The citizens of Nuevo Laredo would have been very happy, I think, to live in American-style poverty...

 

[Beemerguy53]

Yes, great story about your friend John, BG, and I know he's not the only one that came as an immigrant wanting to be American.

I wonder if a good wake up call would be to dwell in some other countries for a few years, then perhaps this one would start to look pretty good.

And all the athletes who don't respect the flag, I'd be curious to know what other country would pay them millions to go play games for a living...?

When I retired from the Baltimore City Fire Department in 2004, I began a second career, and still work there today. A number of my coworkers are immigrants or 1st-generation Americans -- from Africa, the Caribbean, the Middle East, you name it -- and every single one of them would never consider moving back to his home country. (They are all US citizens, by the way.)

Do we have challenges here, tensions between groups? Of course, but...there's a reason we have a problem with illegal immigration, and many other countries don't...

 

[Beemerguy53]

What a great story! Makes me want to stand up and salute!

Thank you for your kind words, and thanks for your service to our country...

 

[mike from st pete]

We need to regain control of our education system.

Teachers and Congress critters the two most overpaid part time jobs.