Soap Box

President Trump's first State of the Union address was actually boycotted by members of Congress and, "frowned on" by many others (pun intended).

"But seriously folks," I listened and watched as the president walked through his agenda and list of accomplishments step-by-step, in a way that could be understood by all of us rank and file Americans.

To deny that the economy is doing great is a fallacy and to give an equal amount of credit to Obama for it, an even bigger one, since things didn't start popping until after he was gone from office and the companies didn't start handing out bonuses and hiring new workers, raising salaries and committing to expansion until the Trump tax cuts were announced.

The fact that ISIS has been decimated and driven out of a large part of their "Caliphate" has barely been reported by the media, but the fact is that it has been and the offensive against them continues to be effective.

As far as the Democrats not responding to the president's remarks about great economic news and other political accomplishments, I can understand, even though Nancy Pelosi looked as if she was in bad need of an enema while sitting in a dentist's office waiting on a root canal.

But to show so little reaction for the parents of children murdered by MS-13, a police officer who had rescued and adopted the baby of a heroin addicted mother, a military hero who had saved the lives of his fellow soldiers, a North Korean refugee who had escaped the unimaginable horror of the most inhumane regime on earth and a 12-year-old boy who had taken it upon himself to raise money to put flags on the graves of veterans, is, at least to me, not a sign of disrespect for a president, but a sign of disrespect for all that is best about America.

The Congressional Black Caucus sat on their hands when the president announced that African-American unemployment was at an all-time low and a Democratic Congressman got up and basically ran out of the chamber when a spontaneous patriotic chant of "USA" began.

I don't claim allegiance to either political party, although I will admit that the Republican Party is more closely aligned with my convictions - most of the time - although a lot of the time, neither party is aligned closely enough.

I vote for the person, not the party, I couldn't care less about the "R" or "D" beside the candidate's name and vote a split ticket when I feel obliged to, especially in state and local races.

I am an American, I believe, not in politicians, as I have never known of one who didn't disappoint me from time to time, but in the way, the dream, and the philosophy that America was founded on.

That all men are created equal, that there should be a level playing field for all, that there should be no double standards where the connected get off light and the ordinary citizens go to jail.

I believe in obeying the law, and that if the majority of the nation feels that one is unjust they should demand that their representatives change it, but to go ahead and break a law that is still in force like the sanctuary cities do, is anarchy.

Democrats and Republicans, politicians and citizens have to decide if they will declare themselves Americans First or follow the path of blind ideology down the path to oblivion.

There is a move afoot to disavow our loyalty to the flag, the national anthem, American exceptionalism, America's history and time-honored traditions.

Although America faces many dangerous and determined enemies who would like nothing better than our complete destruction, our most dangerous enemy is within our borders and within our power to defeat.

The enemy is division and the truth and depth of our dilemma could be no more starkly demonstrated than it was in the House Chamber during the State of The Union Address.

What do you think?

Pray for our troops, our police and the peace of Jerusalem.

God Bless America

— Charlie Daniels

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