Return From A Far-Away Land

If you read last week’s installment of this blog, you know that I was on vacation. I have returned now. The plane has landed; I’m home, and ready to go back to work! Ugh! Did I just say I was ready to go to work? Can’t imagine that! Maybe, I should say I’m resigned to the fact that I now must return to work. Yeah, that’s better.

Sorry, I get sidetracked easily. Back to my blog now. Yes, I have returned from the Land of Bugs, Humidity, and Flat Ground. This far-away land is better known as Wisconsin, America’s Dairyland. Thirty years ago, when my dad suddenly decided to move to the state, I thought we’d gone to a foreign country. Really! It was quite a culture shock for a guy who grew up in the West. Since I was only 17, I had to stay. Everyone said I’d adapt—I didn’t. And, shortly after my 18th birthday, I skedaddled. Then, promptly moved back three months later. I’d decided Wisconsin had something good to offer after all—the woman who is now my wife! And now, for better or worse, I am forever bound by unseen ties to that state. I ended up spending 12 years there and made a lot of memories, most of them good ones!

Visiting the place last week brought back a lot of those memories. The places my wife I dated, where we were married, the house we lived in, and where two of our kids were born, all are meaningful. And as you can probably tell, I no longer view the far-away land as a foreign country—just America with a twist. Maybe folks were right thirty years ago when they said I’d adapt. Maybe. Can’t really bring myself to laud the state with actual praise! And while I still maintain that it’s something akin to cruel and unusual punishment to suddenly be transplanted there, I will admit it’s not that bad of a place—to visit. Still don’t want to live there! I think the state is better enjoyed from a distance, like all far-away lands!

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Heaven's Waiting Room
Clare Wilson

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John Priest
The Curse Of Sea Shell Cave

Bruce A. Borders is the author of more than a dozen books, including: Inside Room 913, Over My Dead Body, The Journey, Miscarriage Of Justice, and The Wynn Garrett Series. Available in ebook and paperback on iTunes, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Diesel Books, and Smashwords, or at www.bruceabordersbooks.weebly.com. Amazon Profile - http://www.amazon.com/Bruce-A.-Borders/e/B006SOLWQS Bruce A. Borders also serves as the Vice President of Rave Reviews Book Club http://ravereviewsbynonniejules.wordpress.com

Memorial Day

Memorial Day. The day we remember the sacrifices of those in the Armed forces, who gave more than they should have had to give, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and all our military personnel. On this day, we remember them with sincere thanksgiving for defending our freedom. A somber day, but also a day of parades, flag waving, and the like. A day to show your patriotism.

Oh, wait. That’s what the day used to be. Back when I was a kid. Before it became politically incorrect to support the military. These days, there aren’t too many parades. Sure, there’s still a few but nothing compared to what it was a few years ago.

No, it seems these days, Memorial Day is just another holiday. A day off work. A day of barbecues, camping, and fishing. Not that there’s anything wrong with all of that but it would be nice to see a little patriotic pride again. To see American flags flying from every house, to see a parade, or two, to show that we still remember why the day was made a holiday.

It’s not fashionable to be patriotic, not politically correct. Well, I’m not a politician so; I don’t have to be politically correct. And, I, for one, am still proud to be an American! So, on this Memorial Day, a big THANK YOU is in order.

Thank you to all who have served our country. Thank you to all the veterans of any war. Thank you to all those who didn’t return. And thank you to all of their families. Thank you all for your sacrifice.

And God Bless America!

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Superior peril

Michael Carrier

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Hilary Grossman

Dangled Carat

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Bruce A. Borders is the author of more than a dozen books, including: Inside Room 913, Over My Dead Body, The Journey, Miscarriage Of Justice, and The Wynn Garrett Series. Available in ebook and paperback on iTunes, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Diesel Books, and Smashwords, or at www.bruceabordersbooks.weebly.com. Amazon Profile - http://www.amazon.com/Bruce-A.-Borders/e/B006SOLWQS Bruce A. Borders also serves as the Vice President of Rave Reviews Book Club http://ravereviewsbynonniejules.wordpress.com

Freedom

With Independence Day coming up this week, I thought I’d write a serious blog for a change. Shock! I know.

July 4, 1776, a new nation is born - America! At least that was the official start, though the process began long before that date, hundreds of years, in fact. But, I’m sure everyone is well aware of the history of the United States of America, so that’s not what this blog is about. Instead, it’s about the idea that spawned the birth of this nation. That idea or concept was freedom: religious, as well as political freedom, and a yearning for that freedom. But what exactly does that mean? What is freedom?

Freedom is more than a list of enumerated rights, such as free speech, the right to assembly, the right of a free press, or the right to keep and bear arms. Freedom is more than the ability to choose where we live, where we work, and to lead the life we decide. That’s what I was taught in school, but the meaning of freedom goes much deeper. Those things are a result of freedom, not the definition.

One of the most basic definitions of freedom is the condition that exists when the people are in control. Freedom is when the people tell the government what is allowed, not the other way around. Freedom is when the citizens do not live in fear of what a corrupt government can do. Freedom means not being subjected to a tyrannical and oppressive form of government. It means our lives are not ruled by thousands of regulations aimed at creating criminals out of ordinary citizens.

Freedom also means we have the reasonable expectation that our government will not spy on us, that it will not invade our privacy, and that it will not conduct unwarranted search and seizures. It is the ability to live life unworried. Freedom means the right to be left alone!

In recent years, it seems the American government has lost sight of the meaning freedom. But that doesn’t mean our freedom has gone away. We still have the right to voice our opinion, elect our leaders, to change our leaders or our whole governmental system if necessary. Freedom isn’t free, as the saying goes, but is worth fighting for.

That’s what freedom means to me. No, I’m not a big political figure. I’m not a guy with any influence at all. I’m just a flag-waving, patriotic nephew of my Uncle Sam. And I’m Proud to be an American! Happy Fourth of July! (Independence Day for those of you who are sensitive to that sort of thing).

Bruce A. Borders is the author of more than a dozen books. Over My Dead Body, The Journey, and Miscarriage Of Justice, and other titles, are available as ebooks on Apple I-Pad®, Amazon Kindle®, Barnes & Noble Nook® and Sony Reader®, Kobo, Diesel Books, and Smashwords. His books are also available in print at most online retailers or at www.bruceabordersbooks.weebly.com. The popular Wynn Garrett Series Books are now available on Barnes And Noble® at http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/?series_id=867526 See Bruce’s Smashwords Profile at www.smashwords.com/profile/view/BruceABorders #MiscarriageOfJustice #BruceABorders

Some Gave All

I’ve never been in the military. Never wanted to be and so I never joined. I have nothing against the military; it’s just not my thing. A regimented lifestyle is not at all suited to my character, and the military has far too much of it. Besides, I have an attitude. And I’m not willing to change my opinions or behavior simply because I’m told to do so.

However, that doesn’t mean I’m not grateful we have a military. And I’m very thankful for what it has done for this country. As a proud American, I support our troops in any endeavor or mission. Aside from God, we owe everything we have in this country to the dedication and service of our armed forces.

Thanks to them, we still have our freedom. They have protected that freedom. Fought and died for that freedom. Many thousands of soldiers have served this country with honor. All sacrificed, and many paid the ultimate price, so that people like me could remain free. Free to go about our lives as we see fit. Free to pursue our dreams. Free to speak our minds. Free to choose our religion. Free to raise our families in peace. Free to live where we decide. Free to choose our own job. Free to celebrate holidays. Free to be ourselves. And in my case, free to have an attitude.

So, to all of those who serve or have served: Thanks. Thanks for all you do or have done. Thanks for fighting for America. Thanks for keeping this the Land of the Free. And to all those who never returned, and to their families, a sincere and humble thanks. We, as a nation, are forever in your debt.

That sounds so little and insignificant compared to those who gave all - especially coming from a guy who was never in the military. But maybe, in some small way, it will help to know that we are grateful.

Have a great Memorial Day!

Bruce A. Borders, author and songwriter, has over 500 songs and more than a dozen books. Over My Dead Body, The Journey, and Miscarriage Of Justice, his latest books, are available on Apple I-Pad®, Amazon Kindle®, Barnes & Noble Nook® and Sony Reader®, Kobo, Diesel Books, and Smashwords. Now also available in print at many online retailers or at www.bruceabordersbooks.weebly.com. The popular Wynn Garrett Series Books are now available on Barnes And Noble® at http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/?series_id=867526 See Bruce’s Smashwords Profile at www.smashwords.com/profile/view/BruceABorders #MiscarriageOfJustice

Torture Chamber

Don't worry, this is not political. Just a story based on firsthand experience.

In recent years, there's been a lot of talk concerning whether or not America engages in the torture of prisoners of war – or of anyone for that matter. The short answer is no. As a country, America does not officially practice the sadistic rituals of torture, per se. Usually.

The question then becomes, what qualifies as torture?

Torture chambers do exist in America, many of them. They can be found in virtually every city across the country. Prisoners of war are not the victims, but ordinary American citizens. I have seen several of these houses of pain, and though the look varies slightly from one to the next, each shares a number of features in common. These torture chambers do not engage in ripping out fingernails, they do not practice cutting off fingers, and they do not waterboard their subjects. But what they do is perhaps more sinister, evil and vile, more painful.

Generally, these places are small rooms, painted white. In the middle is a foreboding chair, the kind you'd see in an Alfred Hitchcock movie. The rooms are equipped with running water and electricity – old stand-bys and vital in any torturing endeavor – as well as several modern gadgets designed for the sole purpose of imposing pain. A vast array of knives and other primitive tools capable of inflicting sheer torment are arranged within easy reach of the administrator of the establishment.

The administrator, a smock-clad fiend, wielding various instruments of pain, is the dispenser of the torture. Usually a male, he is the sole arbiter of his victim's fate. Yet, he is not alone. One, and sometimes two or more of his cohorts, under the watchful eye of the master, work in concert to deliver as much physical trauma as possible.

In nearly all cases, these torture chambers make it a point to refrain from killing their subjects, choosing instead to cruelly prolong the agony, leaving their victims to suffer the effects for days, weeks, and occasionally, even extending to months.

As I said before, I've experienced these torture chambers firsthand. I know the horrors that take place in them. In fact, I was recently a reluctant victim. Thankfully, I survived - my trip to the dentist.

Bruce A. Borders, author and songwriter has over 500 songs and 9 books. Over My Dead Body, and The Journey, his latest books, are available on Apple I-Pad®, Amazon Kindle®, Barnes & Noble Nook® and Sony Reader®, Kobo, Diesel Books, and Smashwords. For more information, visit http://www.bruceaborders.com/. See Bruce’s Amazon Author Page at www.amazon.com/author/bruceaborders or view his Smashwords Profile at www.smashwords.com/profile/view/BruceABorders