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| Celebrating July 4th in Minnesota (2009) |
Dear Joshua and Luke,
It is that time of the year when people across our country are talking about who will be the next president. A couple of times each week someone is announcing a run for president in the 2016 election. Announcements are everywhere. On the news, discussions at water coolers, social media, etc. Some people choose to cover their ears and not pay much attention to the upcoming election. Others listen to news sources which are not always reliable, especially if you only listen to one. Other people get their information from listening to others, which again may not always be the most reliable if you are listening to like minded people of the same people over and over again.
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| Patriot's Day Ceremony at school (2014) |
It is not easy to make decisions about who or what to vote for, but I will say that you each have a responsibility to educate yourselves on the candidates, their beliefs, national and world news. You each need to find a way to stay current with events and what is happening in your city, state, nation, and world. Then, you need to do your best to vote for your beliefs. This is not an easy charge, but I thank God every day for my freedoms.
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| Grandpa Al's final resting place (2010) |
For as long as I remember, Grandpa Al would discuss the directive that I needed to register to vote and actually vote when I turned 18. I did, and I encourage – strongly encourage – you to do the same. He also told me that whom you vote for and your beliefs are personal and should not be shared with anyone (except my mom). Even as a child, Grandpa Al did not tell me who to vote for. As I got closer to 18 years old, he discussed his candidate choices more with me. He was upfront with me and told me his choice for president.
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Pea Ridge National Military Park ~ The Park Ranger asked
Joshua & Luke to help her fold the flag for the evening. (2015) |
With you guys it is so much different. Joshua – you knew who Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck were before you entered kindergarten. Luke, too. If I had to guess, you saw and heard many conversations between Dad and Grandpa Mort about Glenn, Beck. Also, you probably heard a lot of Fox News when you were younger. Both of you have been so inquisitive about politics and candidates and what you are hearing about people and the elections, Dad and I have always been straightforward with you. Joshua, I can even remember you arguing with another kindergarten friend because they did not vote for John McCain and Sarah Palin. It was almost a friendship breaker for you, but the next day you went to school and told the friend that, “even though the best candidate did not win, I am glad your candidate won!” You even shook on it!
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| Cub Scout skit with Joshua's den (2014) |
I will be honest with you that I did not find World History very interesting while I was in high school, but later on, I wished I had paid better attention. I remember thinking that the “world” was so far away and it did not matter very much what was going on there. That is definitely a lesson I learned later on. What is happening around the world definitely plays an important part in our everyday life. Be aware and spend time learning about our country first, then the world and it’s impact on our country. One last thing….it is also very important to learn the names of all the countries, big and small, in the world. This includes what type of leadership there is in the country, how it interacts with the United States,historical information, and other pertinent facts.
You can look forward to more lessons about honoring the United States flag, the national anthem, and other symbols of our country. There are more lessons about our soldiers and freedom, but enough for today. I love you both more today than I did yesterday.
Love,
Mom
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