More Innocents Lost

My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. From the sounds of it, a very troubled man was either ignored or neglected by society until he finally cracked. I am not excusing his actions, I am only saying that we, as a society, need to be alert to such problems and actually stand up and alert people to a potential problem before it explodes. What might've happened if someone told the authorities the shooter had gone off his meds? If you truly care for your community and your family, then step up and let people know if there is a problem.

Time and again we have these incidents where a potentially violent individual slips between the cracks. Afterwards we hear from neighbors and family about how troubled the shooter was but no one actually DID anything. Don't ignore the warning signs. There is little difference between workplace violence and school shootings. Please check out the following links and educate yourself so you can spot the warning signs.

http://www.securityinfowatch.com/article/10490545/identifying-signs-of-emerging-aggression-to-prevent-workplace-violence
http://jom.sagepub.com/content/24/3/391.short
http://www.opm.gov/employment_and_benefits/worklife/officialdocuments/handbooksguides/workplaceviolence/p1-s3.asp
http://www.marshall.edu/jrcp/sp2002/similarities_of_school_shootings.htm
http://blog.medfriendly.com/2012/02/psychological-profile-of-chardon-school.html

Keeping quiet about a potentially violent person can cost lives. I would rather err on the side of caution than live with the knowledge that I could have stopped a madman and did nothing.

A Question

I need some responses since this will affect whether or not my blog continues. I was recently told that blogs like mine are now considered extremist, result in surveillance, and affect my future chances at holding a security clearance and finding work in the Maryland area. I'm not sure if this is the ravings of a bully working at one of the Alphabet-Soup agencies around here or a real worry. It's pretty sad that this could happen as it means free-speech has been severely curtailed.

Should I continue my blog and possibly lose a chance at finding work or step back and keep a low profile about my principles?  Please let me know what you think.

I am putting the Gadsden Flag Back Up

If am to be considered an extremist for posting the Gadsden Flag, one of the first flags of America, then the person making accusations and slurs is a fool. This flag led the Continentals into battle for our freedom, it is not extremist.

What is a Winter Patriot?

To clear the air further, I believe I need to explain why I called myself a Winter Patriot. In "The Crisis", Thomas Paine spoke of "Sunshine Soldiers" and "Summer Patriots", referring to those who only serve their nation in the best of times. This really called to me as I feel we are in very serious times and many people who were patriotic now are quiet. To me a Winter Patriot is someone who stands up for their nation no matter how bad things are. It is the darkest times when we really shine. Talk since this election has been disconcerting to say the least. Secession talk has taken to many who feel marginalized but the destruction would be massive...there are a lot of wolves out there who would take a lot of opportunities. I don't think anyone really wants that. I want people to wake up and take responsibility while there is a still a chance to make things right before things get really bad. As a Winter Patriot, I stand by America in her darkest times. I hope whoever reads this understands where I stand and what I mean.

Clearing the Air

For those who are listening or watching, I need to clear the air. The last few months have been stressful at best. In August, I retired after 20 years of Active Duty, following a long line of family members who have served this nation honorably since the Civil War and the search for a job has been painful, to say the least. I am attending college in an effort to use the GI bill to keep my wife and I going. This has been frustrating at best.

My parents met at Shepherd Air Force Base while attending tech school there. I can think of no higher honor than to serve this great nation and hope to find work where that can continue. I hope one day, my future children and grandchildren will follow in my footsteps. I was raised in a household where I was taught to respect our nation's heritage and look to history to see where we are going. I was taught to love my homeland and to never betray it. I want nothing more than to see America prosper.

I have been venting these last few weeks because I believe we, as nation, have screwed some things up. I pray every night that things will take a peaceful turn and things will work out. I guess my debates about current events got a bit feisty but I would never betray or harm America- it is my home and I love it more than my life. We have a lot of issues we need to work through as a nation and it will take years to solve. I am not a threat to anyone- I am merely a man who hopes we can change things before they get worse. I am not a violent or extreme man, just a man who believes things are in a bad way right now. I looked to the writings of our Founders for both guidance and solace and then posted them for others to read. If this is extreme, to stand by one's beliefs in open and honest debate, I don't know what to say. I hope this clears things up for those who became concerned.

New Art by Jack Dawson

Please visit http://www.jackdawson.com/categories.php?category=Paintings-%26-Prints%2FReviewing-the-Troops

Valley Forge

For those who are interested, this is the background of the Blog. Washington leading his men through the bitter cold to Valley Forge.