CAPetsch

Proud and Unapologetic Husband | Father | American | Patriot | 2nd Amendment supporter and advocate | Retired Army Veteran
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[CAPetsch @CAPetsch]

This weekend, I was privileged and honored not only to witness, but also to participate in, a flag retirement ceremony with my local scout troop. Attending one of these ceremonies is incredibly humbling, to say the least. Yet one of the most heartwarming aspects of the entire experience was seeing the normally happy, cheerful, and loud children become somber for the entire ceremony. From flag preparation to final retirement, every single one of them took it to heart and felt the gravity of the moment, and for that I am incredibly proud of all of them.

In preparation for the ceremony itself, we discussed the respect the flag is owed, the meaning behind it, what the colors stand for, and most importantly, why the flag is prepared the way it is. The flag of the United States is more than just cloth and colors. The red stands for bravery and the blood of the fallen who have stood to defend our great nation. The white stands for purity and honesty. The blue stands for justice and loyalty. All of these are principles our Founding Fathers embodied to their last days. We are also reminded that the blue standard star field containing the fifty stars reminds us of our fifty states, and the thirteen stripes remind us of the original colonies where our nation began.

As part of our preparation, we chose a quartering method for flag preparation so that each scout and family could have an opportunity to participate, if they wanted, in the ceremony directly. This method also allowed us to talk about another key aspect of something I feel has been forgotten in recent years. In removing the star-filled standard from the flag itself, we are reminded that we are not to cut through the blue portion of the standard, nor are we to separate a star from the standard itself, as we should never separate the states from our Republic. We are also reminded that, despite our political differences, one thing has remained a constant: our flag has flown proudly in times of peace and in times of challenge. It has stood for freedom, kindness, and hope, as it always should and shall. When a flag becomes worn, faded, torn, or tattered, it deserves an honorable retirement. Just as we treat people with respect, we also treat our flag with respect.

We are coming up on our Nation’s 250th birthday this July 4th. As an American and a veteran, that is something momentous, and something I am very proud of.

Over the past several years, close to a decade at this point, it feels like it is becoming viscerally real that the nation itself seems to want to tear itself apart, and we must be reminded that a house divided cannot stand. While we may not always agree politically in the moment, we must always strive to remember that we are Americans, and we live in arguably the greatest nation on earth. Also that at one point we were 13 separate and wholly independent colonies under the British crown and only after a hard fought war of nearly eight and a half years we we finally became not just independent of the crown but "These United States"; note the the word "these" is prominent, not "the" but "these"; meaning we were once divided but now are one whole nation unto ourselves together as one. Our war for independence was about far more then just "taxation without representation"; there are a total of 27 grievances against the crown for which we fought for, many not wanting to be sperate from the Crown but rather just to have those grievances addressed and remediated fully by the crown.

The United States is often said to be a melting pot of nations from around the world, a nation that has, over time, been built and grown through legal immigration because it symbolizes freedom, hope, and the promise of a better life than where you came from. I use the phrase legal immigration very pointedly, because I am not against immigration in any way. For any nation to be a nation, it must be a nation of borders that are enforced. That is not to say immigrants are not welcome here by any means. It simply means they should come here legally, following the process to become a citizen.

When an immigrant takes the oath to finally become a US citizen, after all the hard work they have put into it, it is not something to be taken lightly, for it states among other things, but pointedly, " I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same..." Upon taking that oath, you are no longer, and should no longer look at yourself, as anything other than an American.

It is true we have subcultures here, Asian, African, Hispanic, and yes, even some European ones, that are different, and those are amazing cultures in and of themselves which should be honored and respected. However, we must always remember that first and foremost, above all else, we are Americans, and in being an American we must embrace what America stands on and for. America was founded on a set of principles, ideas, morals, and fundamentals that are foundational to our nation as a whole and its way of life. Those wishing to change those are the ones wishing to divide our nation amongst its own populace. This cannot be allowed to happen.

While I respect everyone’s ability to have an opinion, there is a line in the sand that cannot and should not be allowed to be crossed. While natural-born citizens do not have to take an oath to the nation like a naturalized citizen, they too should know they should be bound by the call to "support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic". I swore an oath very similar to that upon entering, and upon every re-enlistment during my time in the service, and I take that oath very seriously, embodying it to my core. I will defend my nation, its values, and what it stands for until my dying breath.

In that, one might ask: who am I? I am nothing beyond a humble citizen of this great nation who has had the honor and privilege to serve my nation. I am not an influencer on any platform, nor a political pundit or politician. I am also reminded generally of the lyrics from the Lee Greenwood song Proud to be an American of which i will summarize in my own words though many are taken from the song itself; that if tomorrow all the things were gone that I'd worked for all my life and that I had to start again with just my children and my wife. I would absolutely thank my lucky stars to be living here in this nation today because our the flag still stands for freedom, and no one can't take that away. I'm always proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free and that I will never forget the men who died, who gave that right to me and my family. I have and will gladly stand up and defend her because there ain't no doubt in my mind that I, have and always will, love this land, not just the area where I have lived the majority of my life, but all of this land from the lakes of Minnesota, to the hills of Tennessee; across the plains of Texas, from sea to shining sea.

I am not sure why I felt a need to write this, and I am sure it will not get seen by many, liked by fewer, and reposted by even fewer still. However, if it inspires just one person reading it to be a better, prouder, and more patriotic American, then I feel it was entirely worth it in the end. I end this with a simple and heartfelt: God bless the USA.

[CAPetsch @CAPetsch]

@data_republican Could see if there is a possibility of a local jeweler being able to repair it with a kintsugi technique.. i cant imagine the cost of it but it would keep it. Or an alternative ... shadow box it on the mantel.

[CAPetsch @CAPetsch]

@com_oceania given the recent SCOTUS decision on Birth Right Citizenship ... now more then ever.

[CAPetsch @CAPetsch]

@ksorbs less funny ... more ironic

[CAPetsch @CAPetsch]

@BasedMikeLee we've seen ... more akin to we are seeing ... just on a lesser scale. Nothing to laugh at for sure but something to watch as it can happen here as well.

[CAPetsch @CAPetsch]

@YuserDoe @RandPaul Giving false testimony (lying) before Congress in his previous hearings is a crime under 18 U.S.C. § 1001 and 18 U.S.C. § 1621 as is being in contempt of Congress under 2 U.S.C. § 192 and 2 U.S.C. § 194 for today's testimony for starters.

[CAPetsch @CAPetsch]

Forgiveness is vastly different then forgetting. I will not be forgetting how COVID was handled by a large portion of the population and I find it to be a very hard struggle to forgive them for pushing, and many still continuing to push, their narrative. Just because the political landscape has changed in ways they didn't think could happen doesn't mean they get a free pass and many still refuse to own their part in how COVID was handled.

[CAPetsch @CAPetsch]

@BasedMikeLee Perhaps it was part of the loan agreement?

[CAPetsch @CAPetsch]

@RealTmDaddy BUT ... but .... remember ... you get what you pay for ... taken care of it will outlast you so .... little pain now less pain later.

[CAPetsch @CAPetsch]

@JackPosobiec Hopeful in knowing that for ever turning there will come an end to it; Winter will become spring at some point. We mearly must endure a harsh winter turning.

[CAPetsch @CAPetsch]

@data_republican @GovRonDeSantis Agreed. And regardless of who is chosen in the primaries, your candidate or not, we still have a responsibility to hold whom ever accountable. They don't get a free pass because they are a republican, but they should get our support.

[CAPetsch @CAPetsch]

@ScottPresler They want a recess ... give them a permanent one and primary them out of office.

[CAPetsch @CAPetsch]

@ChristianHeiens Get well soon.

[CAPetsch @CAPetsch]

@LenaMiculek Congratulations to you, your new husband and both of your families! May you two have many happy years to come.

[CAPetsch @CAPetsch]

If this quote from @SenJohnBarrasso the majority whip is to be believe ... why are we still waiting to get the SAVE America Act passed and considering a recess before it is.
ID as a requirement for voting is overwhelmingly supported by the population as a whole, on both sides.
Do better, Be Better.

[CAPetsch @CAPetsch]

@KatiePavlich @one_man_in Mr. Craighead gave an amazing interview on the Shawn Ryan Show Podcast, highly recommend watching not just that interview but the Shawn Ryan Show Podcast as a whole.

[Katie Pavlich @KatiePavlich]

The UK government is trying to stop the publication of One Man In by Christian Craighead @one_man_in. They really don’t want this first hand account about the Islamic terror attack in Kenya to come out, why? Please share.

https://t.co/s2MsjEdT7I

[CAPetsch @CAPetsch]

@Liz_Wheeler Congratulations to you and your family!

[CAPetsch @CAPetsch]

@DarlineGrahamSC @SenateGOP keep this momentum; hold the line and hold off on a recess pressuring @LeaderJohnThune until the SAVE America ACT is passed.