As I sit at the kitchen table at 6 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2012, reading yesterday's Express, I felt compelled to write this short expression of my thoughts.
This Labor Day edition was full of Labor Day history and information, both old and new.
The editorial page summarizes what our great country is all about. A trip from the American Revolution to today. Wow, you talk about the good, the bad and the ugly.
The ugly was the difficulty of the working class to not be slaves to businesses. The bad was the battle between much needed unions and the businesses where they worked.
The good was most of the years following with businesses and workers together creating the greatest country in the world.
Yes, the power would swing and both union and business would get greedy. But for the most part, they worked well together under our capitalistic type government.
How about World War II, when they worked together to save the world from defeat by Germany and Japan? Men fought, women worked around the clock in factories and at home.
Today, the military is about the only thing American as we continue in this totally un-American, downward spiral.
Now our leaders want to have less military during this most dangerous time in our history.
This article is not meant to be political so I will use the wonderful Lock Haven Express to save me endless writing that would not be nearly as good. Lana and many others employed at our newspaper got it together in our Labor Day issue.
Don't stop now and print more negative news; stay with the positive. We have the Democratic and Republican parties ripping each other apart.
Say what you are going to do to improve this most embarrassing time in our history!
WE ARE NOT DEMOCRATIC OR REPUBLICAN. We are AMERICANS and those who are not must leave this wonderful country - created by tough immigrants that educated themselves and worked their fannies off.
Following this last bit of wisdom, I will quit writing; I won't quit America. The quotes on Page 4 of the Labor Day edition should be saved by all real Americans, read and referred to in times of voting or when in doubt.
T.R. says, "Let us rather run the risk of wearing out than rusting out." T.R. was a liberal Republican, so don't put as much stock in only the party. The real party is when our leaders and workers unite again, bring jobs back to America the old-fashioned way.
Hard work - not cheating.
My grandfather Wise had to quit school in fourth grade to work in a mine as a mule tender. (Please don't take this political, Mike.)
He went to the papermill at the age of 13. He retired the third highest boss.
My grandfather Yoxheimer was an orphan and I lived with my Pappy, Grammy and mother during World War II. Pappy and Grammy had a car.
Never thought about it until I was older, but then I realized that Pappy tied flies and Grammy sold them from their home. Yes, they also owned their home. He also hunted coon, sold the pelts and we ate some every week.
The spring season brought the fishing and we ate trout. You ate coon .. and trout all full of nasty bones. Well they were the best when cooked by Grammy. By the way, Pappy Yoxheimer also worked full time at the Lock Haven Express.
I rest my case - I love you America!
