Background checks
First let me say that I am a retiree from the State of South Carolina and also a 35-year retiree from the U.S. Air Force, 13 years active and 22 years Air Force Reserves.
Second, when I joined the active Air Force in 1955, each recruit was required to have a background check for a security clearance if they were selected for certain jobs. At the time, I was destined to work on aircraft as a crew chief after maintenance school. A Secret clearance allowed me to work on F-100 fighter bombers, as they were equipped to carry nuclear weapons.
After five years of working on these fighter aircraft and B-52s and KC-135 tankers, I was again sent to electronics school to work on the Titan II ICBM missile in Tucson, Arizona as a guidance and control technician. This was the largest missile in the Air Force inventory which required a Top Secret clearance. My background was again investigated. The reason I’ve gone into detail in my service history is to prove a point.
Here, we have again elected a person installed by popular vote (questionable) as President of these once great United States who we know absolutely nothing about. This man has all his records sealed and there is no telling what exposing this character’s background will uncover.
I as a citizen would demand that his background be investigated and exposed for whatever reason.
If there were to be anything questionable in his background I would demand he be impeached.
“Nuff said.”
Henry Stevens
Georgetown
Generational change
President Obama promised the country that he was going to bring about change. He is the rare politician that has fulfilled a campaign promise.
In his quest to bring about a generational change, he has wreaked havoc upon the generation born 1925-1945.
We went through an era of two wars, WWII and Korea. We went through a postwar period of happiness: Peace, Jobs, Suburbs, Big Band/Swing music, Rock 'n Roll, Cars, Playboy Magazine. During our generation, we witnessed the first hopeful drumbeats of Civil Rights. This generation witnessed pre-feminism; women stayed home generally to raise children, if they worked it was only certain jobs, such as teacher, nurse, or secretary. Men pledged loyalty to the corporation, once we got a job, we generally kept it for life.
Members grew up with radio plays and early television as their mass media. They faithfully attended formal religious services and prayers were recited in many areas of public life without any objections from the minority of non-believers. In addition, the difference between right and wrong was not debatable. Members of this generation tend to avoid acronyms, abbreviations, and shorthand phrases such as, “you know.” Members believed that marriage is encouraged and having children out of wedlock is to be avoided.
In grammar school, the difference between right and wrong was rigidly enforced using corporal punishment. Members of this generation are avid followers of international, national, state, and local politics and news events. This generation came of age during the great Post-War economic boom and still believes in the dream of home ownership.
The early years of this generation took place during the “Great Depression” and WWII where almost everyone learned to do without and resourceful means were required to make even the smallest amount of food, clothing, and money to stretch as far as possible. World War II and the great depression were the foundation of this generation's moral and ethical values.
Over the years, the hard work and skills honed by this generation built up our nation with an infrastructure that would allow present generations to live out the “American Dream.” Sadly, many of this generation have lost a step or two to Father Time, but old age has not caused them to switch the generational moral and ethical values instilled in them from their early years to 21st Century secular-progressive political expediency ushered in by the re-election of President Obama.
The logical question for historians to answer is, “What will be the values and principles of the new generation?”
Overnight the newest generation has consigned to the dustbin of history the values and principles of the above described generation. Where the generation described in the above paragraphs sacrificed, struggled, and worked hard to achieve the quality of life we all possess, we now have a President that encourages a new generation that should take from others rather than work hard to achieve personal success.
The new generation is going to learn the hard way that nothing in life is free and all of the spending and giving free things to his political followers must be paid by someone. That someone is all of us. How much time will it be when we run out of money to pay for President Obama's “free things?”
In addition, when will the new generation learn that “free things” have strings attached? The misguided voters that pulled the lever for President Obama will learn the hard way that one end of the string is tied to free things and the other end of the string is tied to loss of personal freedom and a Western-European style of socialistic lower standard of living.
John F. Kennedy stated the following during his inaugural address before the nation in 1961:
“And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.”
Art Blenk
Pawleys Island