The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Greetings ta ever one in western Illinois and all readers of "The Quill."
I'm a hope'n ever one enjoyed "Ground Hog Day" but fer the life of me I'm not sure what he predicted fer the rest of the winter.
Lighter Moment
Sometimes our words don't come out like we wanted them to and at other times words can be put together in such a way to bring on a smile. Here are a few examples:
A sign in a shoe repair store in Vancouver that read:
"We will heel you
We will save your sole
We will even dye for you."
At an optometrist's office:
"If you don't see what you're looking for, you've come to the right place."
At a car dealership:
"The best way to get back on your feet - miss a car payment."
Outside a Muffler Shop:
"No appointment necessary. We hear you coming."
In a veterinarian's waiting room:
"Be back in 5 minutes.
Sit.. Stay.."
At the electric company:
"We would be delighted if you send in your payment on time.
However, if you don't,
YOU will be de-lighted.
In the front yard of a funeral home"
"Drive carefully. We'll wait."
In a Chicago radiator shop:
"Best place in town to take a leak."
Sign on the back of a septic tank truck:
"Caution - this truck is full of Political Promises."
There ya have it then, a little humor to start the column out with. Now fer something very serious:
NFL Flag Protesting
As of a couple weeks ago, at least 18 NFL players had protested the National Anthem by either kneel'n dure'n the anthem or raise'n their fists, accord'n ta USA Today Sports.
In response ta this, Retired Marine Colonel Jeffery Powers wrote to the NFL commissioners the follow'n:
Commissioners,
I've been a season pass holder at Yankee Stadium, Yale Bowl and the Giants Stadium.
I missed the "90-'91 season because I was with a battalion of Marines in Desert Storm. 14 of my wonderful Marines returned home with the American Flag draped across their lifeless bodies. My last conversation with one of them, Sgt. Garrett Mongrella, was about how our Giants were going to the Super Bowl. He never got to see it.
Many friends, Marines, and Special Forces Soldiers who worked with or for me through the years returned home with the American Flag draped over their coffins.
Now I watch multi-millionaire athletes who never did anything in their lives but play a game, disrespect what brave Americans fought and died for. They are essentially spitting in the faces and on the graves of real men, men who have actually done something for this country beside playing with a ball and believing they're something special! They're not! My Marines and Soldiers were!
You are complicit in this! You'll fine players for large and small infractions but you lack the moral courage and respect for our nation and the fallen to put an immediate stop to this. Yes, I know, it's their 1st Amendment right to behave in such a despicable manner.
What would happen if they came out and disrespected you or the refs publicly?
I observed a player getting a personal foul for twerking in the end zone after scoring. I guess that's much worse than disrespecting the flag and our National Anthem. Hmmmmm, isn't it his 1st Amendment right to express himself like an idiot in the end zone?
Why is taunting not allowed yet taunting America is OK? You fine players for wearing 9-11 commemorative shoes yet you allow scum on the sidelines to sit, kneel or pump their pathetic fist in the air. They are so deprived with their multi-milion dollar contracts for playing a freaking game!
You condone it all by your refusal to act. You're just as bad and disgusting as they are. I hope Americans boycott any sponsor who supports that rabble you call the NFL. I hope they turn off the TV when any team that allowed this disrespect to occur, without consequence, on the sidelines. I applaud those who have not.
Legends and heroes do NOT wear shoulder pads. they wear body armor and carry rifles.
They make minimum wage and spend months and years away from their families. They don't do it for an hour on Sunday.
They do it 24/7 often with lead, not footballs, coming in their direction. The watch their brothers carted off in pieces not on a gurney to get their knee iced. They don't even have ice! Many don't have legs or arms.
Some wear blue and risk their lives daily on the streets of America. They wear fire helmets and go upstairs into the fire rather than down to safety. On 9-11, hundreds vanished. They are the heroes.
I hope that your high paid protesting pretty boys and you look in that mirror when you shave tomorrow and see what you really are, legends in your own minds. You need to hit the road and take those worms with you!
Time to change the channel.
Powers originally sent this letter to former Florida congressman, Allen West. West then posted the letter to his news website.
It seems ta the boys and me that wherever them players that showed disrespect ta our nation by kneelin' or raise'n their fists dure'n the play'n of the National Anthem, found themselves and their team play'n before empty stadium seats, the message of disapproval of that type behavior might be made.
Kudos
Kudo's ta retired, Marine Colonel Jeffrey Powers fer speak'n up in defense of our nation. Kudo's also ta that Fed Ex driver (a former military man) that saved the flag from burn'n by those malcontent protesters.
It seems like our service men are demonstrate'n that enough is enough already and with plenty of starch in their backs are stand'n up fer what is right.
Gives a feller someth'n ta dwell on fer a spell.
Hope'n ta see ya in church this week. Remember, "Wherever ya are, whatever ya be a do'n "BE A GOOD ONE!"
Keep on Smile'n
Catch ya later
Barnyard Bruke