Caring for America
by Debbie Brown
When folks go through challenges, they will often say, “there is always someone worse off than we are”. As we struggle to stay out of the sweltering August heat in Houston, TX , I am thinking of our soldiers. A recent email read, “According to the weather reports, it is our understanding that it is 122 degrees in Baghdad, Iraq right now -- and the low will be 95 degrees!” Wow! I cannot imagine what our soldiers are going through in Iraq, Afghanistan and many other parts of the world, dressed in thick combat fatigues, body armor, and carrying the heavy weight of equipment in the blistering heat. Our troops need prayers for strength, endurance, and safety in these extreme weather conditions. We are blessed to have one of the finest volunteer military personnel in the world protecting the freedoms we enjoy in the great USA. While many Republicans and Democrats may not agree with the direction our current President is taking the country like closing Guantanamo, possibly prosecuting CIA agents that interrogated terrorists in order to protect us, the proposed Health Care Bill, the Stimulus Debt that is growing, etc., we do agree it is extremely important to support our men and women serving in the military! The Cy-Fair Republican Women actively support our military. We collected over $150 last month from members and visitors to pay for shipping of Civilian Rations through Operation Interdependence. We also collected two large bags of sample size toiletries, candy, granola bars and baggies. However, the most important thing we can offer a soldier is our support and prayers for safety. If you have time to write a note to thank a soldier, I will be happy to make sure it is delivered to someone who needs to hear about how much we appreciate their sacrifice.
September 11, 2001 is a day we will never forget. Over 2,993 innocent Americans were crushed or burnt to death in downtown Manhattan, the Pentagon and in a corn field in Pennsylvania. Our Nation came together to support each other during this horrific terrorist attack. We were one nation under God, both Republican and Democrat. We will never forget what happened on that frightful day and the many firefighters and emergency personnel that courageously worked day and night to save over 7,000 wounded Americans in this brutal attack. Our military continue to fight bravely to protect the basic freedoms we enjoy such as freedom of speech, freedom of religion and freedom to vote. Many folks in other countries can only hope and dream about the benefits some of us take for granted in America. There are people that hate what we stand for and have been attacking us for decades, but we are winning the war on terror. We are advancing freedoms in other countries so men and women can express their opinion and vote in national elections. We have not had a terrorist attack in America in 8 years. There is more security checkpoints at the airports and it is safer to fly now than it was 8 years ago. We still have a lot of work to do to protect our homeland and it is so important to become informed and discuss political issues with our friends and neighbors. I am particularly concerned about the influx of immigrants that do not learn English and take advantage of our generosity through the health care system. We need to seal the borders in Texas and encourage legislation that will help immigrants learn English and contribute financially to the health care system, school system and social security. The next election in Texas for Governor is so important. Find out what the issues concerning our communities are and become involved. Volunteer at the local schools to help with ESL classes. Help a local conservative representative or judge get reelected. Find a Tea Party group to learn about the Constitution and our first amendment rights. Walk neighborhoods and encourage folks to take advantage of the opportunity to vote. Call, fax and write your local and national representatives to tell them how you feel about issues concerning your family and future generations. A good place to learn about issues is the Cy-Fair Republican Women’s Organization. We welcome you to join us to listen to speakers, ask questions and get involved!
Items needed for the month of September for Operation Interdependence are sandwich size baggies, individual gatorade and tea packets, chap stick and sample size toiletries, such as toothpaste, shampoo, lotions and razors. Unsharpened pencils and crossword puzzles or other types of paper games and playing cards are always needed. And don’t forget your letter of thanks! If you have items that cannot be shipped, such as aerosol cans, they will be delivered to the VA hospital. And financial donations made payable to Operation Interdependence are tax deductible. If you have access to rolls of clear tape (3M preferred for the long journey) or old cell phones and accessories, please bring them to our meetings.
If you have any questions or suggestions regarding ways that we can help in our community, please contact Debbie Brown at diamond.deb@earthlink.net.
CARING FOR AMERICA
OPERATION INTERDEPENDENCE
"It is the soldier, not the reporter, Who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the soldier, not the poet, Who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the soldier, not the organizer, Who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.
It is the soldier, Who salutes the flag, Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag, Who allows the protestor to burn the flag."
- Father Dennis Edward O'Brian, USMC
