Domestic Extremists

This commentary, my server will send it around the country, is written just for me, no one else. If someone else decides to read it, fine, perhaps you have had some of the same thoughts.

I understand those who do not bow at the alter of the Patriot Act, do not yield to the searching by homeland security, the indignities of TSA (Travel Security Administration) are considered domestic extremists, particularly those who are veterans, those who have had anything to do with the tea party movement, those who support candidates on the right. These organizations are not concerned with security, only control.

So often, I wonder if those of you who are sighted have any idea of what a blind person endures every moment of his life. I am convinced that most people think I am blind only when they see me out in public; the fact that I act normal, talk normal, dress normal, have been able to carry on my life, in spite of my disability. I live alone, big house, many rooms, I carry on a very active business and professional existence. In my condition, I pay more taxes to the government than I ever thought I would make in income. There are some things that I simply cannot do for myself, drive my car, read an abundance of mail, keep up with my various business accounts, I even have my driver check my tie, shirt, socks. You would be amazed how many times someone has spoken about my mismatched socks, mismatched shirt and tie. I often wonder if they could do as well.

This week, I put some ketchup on my ice cream, I thought it was chocolate syrup. I often put something in the microwave from the freezer and have no earthly idea what I have cooked for my food. There are days that everything I touch falls on the floor. Just imagine everything you do sighted, the difficulty if blind. This is the story of just one veteran, there are millions of us. Millions of disabled people (largest minority), your government spends billions for veteran's care, care for the disabled, but most of these funds never reach those for which intended. These funds are eaten up by the corrupt bureaucrats and politicians who are supposed to handle such, even have oversight. I have been able to make my way, with the help of almighty God, alone.

As I can assure you, without fear of contradiction, and as most disabled people have told me, your family care the least. If the only help I get, any encouragement in my life, came from my family, or even friends, I would be in very bad condition. And, tragedy of tragedies, most of these people believe themselves to be Christ-like, I suppose I have said it a thousand times, from the platform as well as in writing, if every “Christian” were just like me, what kind of world would this world be?

Not since the Civil War, has America been in the condition that it is in today, imploding from within. During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln said, “I do not fear America being threatened from without, only from within.”

The main danger now, rather than 100 or 150 years ago, we no longer recognize the difference between good and evil, mostly indifference toward both, whether media, education, politics, or even spiritual values. It was reported this week that the average child texts, I understand this is something that you do on the cell phone, over 120 times a day. I understand that many children just text one another, their parents, instead of speaking to them on the phone. In one year's time, time spent on the internet has doubled to 13 hours a week, time spent watching television has remained about the same, 6 hours a day. We have a country, and indeed a world, technology has become our god...we depend on technology, likewise cleverly, slowly, government has made citizens completely dependent on government. Who needs God when you have government supplying your every need, making every decision for you?

Even in the Declaration of Independence, we have a President who always leaves out the phrase “endowed by our creator.” Our ancestors, forged in fire, Washington, Adams, Lincoln, Patrick Henry, knew the cost of freedom. From hard work, both with hands and books, Americans have built the greatest nation in human history, strange after building such so many are anxious to destroy it, but that which can be built can be rebuilt, restored. A culture that can make a mess of anything and everything, has even made a mess of Christmas. The media, your neighbors, think you are crazy unless you jump to act crazy on “Black Friday.” People expect you to send them a Christmas card if they send one to you...expect you to put decorations in and around your house like everyone else. They want you to feel strange if you do not jump through the hurdles, dictated for Christmas, like the media and society dictates everything else.

Some of my neighbors came to me, telling me I should put decorations in my windows, a wreath on my front door, like the rest of the people on the street. These same people do not realize how difficult it is for me to find my front door, live a simple life without decorations, which I cannot see. These same people, in the spirit of Christmas, have never done one thing for this blind veteran at Christmas. In fact, I will give $1000 cash to anyone who can show that any church, civic group, veteran's organization, government services group has ever done anything at Christmas or any other time. Talk is cheap, and I am not saying that every disabled citizen has been met with such obtuse indifference, but from those I know, I am the rule not the exception.

One of my blind friends, who died a few years ago, born blind, only child, lived alone most of her life, told me that no one at any holiday had ever been to her house. Once, when her mother died, one church brought some food to her house. She died alone, and was quietly buried by the funeral home, but I am sure that if I, or Catherine Vasalou, this blind, intelligent female friend were to have gone to the airport to take a trip, TSA would put us through the ringer, like everyone else. Catherine owned her own home, left to her by her deceased parents. She contributed to the world through her intellectual skills, she talked frequently on every national talk show, Larry King, Sally Jesse Raphael, etc. She, like this writer would be called a domestic extremist.

Life has become a masquerade party, full of pretension. At the airport, when real busy, everyone is just waved through, Christmas has become a mockery, “Me! Me! Me!”, “My party, my gifts, my pleasures.” Nothing about the One who was born in borrowed stable, buried in a borrowed tomb. We get so excited about political victories, spiritual, feel-good-ism, several friends who have been assistants to congress people have told me that it makes no difference who wins an election, federal, state or local. The same bureaucrats are there, still running everything. One said to me, “I said to this newly elected congressman, 'you think you won an election, you are just a puppet for us, we pull the strings. Like a new Christian, nothing changes. Like a new bride, reality soon takes over.'”