I love America

[northwestwater]

i love reading the threads here and this is completely unrelated to boating but, i was hoping to find a little support for watching our freedoms being diluted day by day.

i am an immigrant to this country (legal). i grew up in total poverty and was working by age 12 and full-time by age 16. i would be homeless during many points of my young life. yet, America brought me so much opportunity. i would end up building my own business and today own a few businesses surrounding commercial real estate and healthcare. i feel incredibly blessed to live in a country that allowed me to pursue my dreams and do it by inspiring others to achieve theirs. i cannot imagine living in any other place.

But, i see my country dying. i sadly watch "love of country" slowly dissolve and be replaced by reality TV and utube. My wife and I recently took our children to Pearl Harbor and it was quite somber. I watched my 12 and 14 year old girls cry for our country and the men who heroically fought for America. They were deeply touched by the experience. my oldest daughter that night at dinner asked me if that is why i love the fourth of july so much...profound.

anyway, for those out there that still believe that America is the greatest land of opportunity, i applaud you. For those that disagree, i also say, what a great country that we live in to have the opportunity to discuss our beliefs openly and in forums about boating!!!

[SkiTower]

since you're here legally, Welcome to America. I agree, our land is dying and it makes me very mad that more people don't see it to help turn it around. Too many people think the constitution protects our Right to Happiness, but instead it protects our Right to PURSUE Happiness. Gotta work for it. I agree this is the greatest country, but feel like it's being taken away from me in the form of taxes and regulations and redistribution.

[scott resick]

i feel incredibly blessed to live in a country that allowed me to pursue my dreams and do it by inspiring others to achieve theirs.
I wish more AMERICANS felt this way. The Country is turning the persuit of happiness into an entitlement of handouts. Very sad.

[OKWAKEBDR]

i love reading the threads here and this is completely unrelated to boating but, i was hoping to find a little support for watching our freedoms being diluted day by day.

i am an immigrant to this country (legal). i grew up in total poverty and was working by age 12 and full-time by age 16. i would be homeless during many points of my young life. yet, America brought me so much opportunity. i would end up building my own business and today own a few businesses surrounding commercial real estate and healthcare. i feel incredibly blessed to live in a country that allowed me to pursue my dreams and do it by inspiring others to achieve theirs. i cannot imagine living in any other place.

But, i see my country dying. i sadly watch "love of country" slowly dissolve and be replaced by reality TV and utube. My wife and I recently took our children to Pearl Harbor and it was quite somber. I watched my 12 and 14 year old girls cry for our country and the men who heroically fought for America. They were deeply touched by the experience. my oldest daughter that night at dinner asked me if that is why i love the fourth of july so much...profound.

anyway, for those out there that still believe that America is the greatest land of opportunity, i applaud you. For those that disagree, i also say, what a great country that we live in to have the opportunity to discuss our beliefs openly and in forums about boating!!!

Thank you for your contribution in making America great! The hard work and perseverence you have demonstrated is what it is all about. I wish more people had that attitude.

SkiTower hit it right on the money...

Too many people think the constitution protects our Right to Happiness, but instead it protects our Right to PURSUE Happiness. Gotta work for it.

[AirTool]

I am way behind today (even farther behind than usual) but I'm going to make two notes to start and then come back to this thread regularly with my daily thoughts because I think about it daily and preach it on the street daily.

The second thought I had is that all of my blessings come from God and not our government.

The first thought I immediately had when I read the thread is that so many immigrants I know (I know thousands) come to this country from a ruined country with a socialist or communist leader that has basically destroyed the country forcing the best people out....then they come to this country and vote for Obama. One man was a colleged educated man from Iran...engineer, master degrees, evolved to business side of oil and very entrepreneurial. Then votes for Obama? WTF?

It seems EVERY immigrant I know from Latin/South America votes liberal/Obama. Again WTF?

I don't understand why those very smart people would vote the same way as an unemployed "American" from Toledo Ohio.

The only obvious conservative immigrants I know are the Brits who escaped after the Thatcher era and the recover of the "labor party"

More later - I'm off to work may A55 off to earn some gas money for my Nautique.

One question for northwestwater - Can you tell us your cultural heritage?

[surroundsound64]

The second thought I had is that all of my blessings come from God and not our government.

Yep!

People fail to realize that WE, Americans, granted our government the right of existence. "We the people of the United States... Do ordain and establish this constitution for the United States of America." The constitution tell the government what they can do.

Now we have a population with their hands out wanting everything provided to them by this government. We see how we'll that works when we have natural disasters such as the recent hurricane sandy. People standing around waiting on the socialist government to come to the rescue. They're still standing!

[SkiTower]

Possibly to answer AT's question, though I'm not an immigrant. I've noticed there are 3 distinct types of Liberals. First is the already mentioned people with their hand out and believing everything the D politicians tell them (ie. we'll make your mortgage go away). Third are the heritage ones that vote that way because their family has always voted that way and they don't realize the party has changed (ie my small business owner best friend). And the second is the true Liberal, who never does the math but feels the world should sing in harmony and bike everyworld and, golly gee, everyone should just get along. This last group generally supports themselves. I don't have an issue with this group except they feel you should be like them and therefore don't like it when you keep your stuff for yourself. I think these immigrants are part of the third group, though not quite to tree hugging status. They are so happy to be here they embrace as much progressiveness as possible and don't recognize that "first" group exists and ruins it for everybody. The ideal way to be is down the middle, help when it's needed and not abused but be allowed to prosper from your own hard work.

[northwestwater]

I am way behind today (even farther behind than usual) but I'm going to make two notes to start and then come back to this thread regularly with my daily thoughts because I think about it daily and preach it on the street daily.

The second thought I had is that all of my blessings come from God and not our government.

The first thought I immediately had when I read the thread is that so many immigrants I know (I know thousands) come to this country from a ruined country with a socialist or communist leader that has basically destroyed the country forcing the best people out....then they come to this country and vote for Obama. One man was a colleged educated man from Iran...engineer, master degrees, evolved to business side of oil and very entrepreneurial. Then votes for Obama? WTF?

It seems EVERY immigrant I know from Latin/South America votes liberal/Obama. Again WTF?

I don't understand why those very smart people would vote the same way as an unemployed "American" from Toledo Ohio.

The only obvious conservative immigrants I know are the Brits who escaped after the Thatcher era and the recover of the "labor party"

More later - I'm off to work may A55 off to earn some gas money for my Nautique.

One question for northwestwater - Can you tell us your cultural heritage?

I feel like i'm out on a nice summer day enjoying a beer with you guys! this is the topic of conversation these days...well at least, on our boats. Air tool, I was born in seoul, korea during the post korean war. i was abandoned by my biological mother at birth and was adopted by an american family when i was 6 months old. i couldn't even roll over on my back at a year and a half and couldn't eat solid food until two and a half. i would start kindergarten at 7 and unfortunately for me would grow up very poor. but, i would end up supporting myself by working multiple full-time jobs and living out of my car. i made it through college and graduate school. I slowly built a business by saving everything and spending little on myself. Our country has become great by empowering its people. Giving them the freedom to pursue their dreams rather than stepping on their throats. what's so hard for me is that i have two wonderful young girls who will have a much harder time achieving the american dream. i just hope that my fellow americans will wake up to what's happening before our country is gone forever.

[scott resick]

Very inspiring story northwestwater, Sean Hannity would tell you that your a Great American! But, are you ready for your mind to be blown? Watch this, this is just a drop in a bucket compared to all the insanity our incapable Gov. is up to. Sorry to be debbie downer here but you all should see this!

http://videos2view.net/tax-fraud.htm

[SkiTower]

makes ya sick.