The local Grange Hall has always had a picture of the current President
placed squarely in the center of the main meeting room wall. The
patriotism dates back to WWII, if not further.
While attending a meeting there, in 2004, I made a motion that we all
sign a post card and send it to the White House in support of the
President. The backlash was enormous. Even our ninety year old members
nay-sayed the idea. The next day the President's picture has a mustache
drawn on it.
Divide and separate. I fear the dumbing of America has destroyed
patriotism. The reality of 9/11 is that America was in a panic and we
needed strong, quick, decisive leadership to step in and the President did
an amazing job. Events and hysteria were moving fast and I shudder to
think what would have happened without such leadership at the time.
The Presidency must be the most thankless job in the World. The
public, in their infinite wisdom from media watching, thinks the
Presidency has more power than it does. America as a whole participated
in the hysteria that gripped this nation following 9/11 with serious
consequence what we called democracy, freedom and human rights.
