Who am I?

For some reason I am compelled to write this up, its me...my background, who I am and why I changed from Liberalism to Conservatism. Hold on to your hats...there will be no comments allowed to be made, and this post will slowly sink down and disappear.

Here we go.

I was born and raised in San Francisco, CA the true liberal mecca of the modern age. My dad and mom were (still are) Dhimmicats and raised me in a household where tolerance is expected for all things. My dad worked for a major company and made pretty good money, but we werent rich by any stretch of the dollar or the imagination. We had food, we had clothing, and we had a loving household of 6 kids. My dad was a union worker, and took pride in not crossing picket lines and fighting the good fight for what was fair to the worker.

My mom was the devoted housewife, staying home to take care of the household and raise the kids. It was a scene straight out of Americana. All was well until my 9th year when my parents decided to divorce. This was after my dad had his first heart attack, was medically retired, his pay cut in half and life being made up of bologna sandwiches, meatloaf (ick) and the power being cut off for 3 months due to non-payment of the bill. Throughout this time and up until my mom and dad announced their seperation, they had tried VALIANTLY to keep up some sense of normalcy around the house.

My dad moved to San Jose, and I stayed at home with my 2 brothers (all the rest had grown up and moved out) My mom went to work at 2 full-time jobs and we almost never saw her. When she was home though and we spent time together, she made it the best possible time with her children. Mom loved us, and it showed.

Meanwhile, my dad did his best to maintain contact with us be there for us...the time we spent with him was quality time and we never doubted his love or devotion to us. There were some revelations in this time, too personal to go into here...but suffice it to say my dad had some faults.

In 6th grade (I was 11) I had a teacher named Mr Crowe. Mr Crowe was a veteran of World War 2 and when you entered his classroom it was like living in small town America, with flags and patriotism sprouting forth. There was a time when we were being taught Music Appreciation - Remember those classes? Having to learn about all music, not just the kind you listen to? - He was teaching us O beautiful. I was the class joker and thought it would be funny to continue the last word beyond what everyone else singing, you know the part...from sea to shining seaaaaaa. I have no clue even to this day WHY I did that, just that I did. When I had finished Mr Crowe was up in my face and chastising me for making a mockery of America. He went into a 15 minute lecture on the men and woman who have died fighting for us and he was apalled that I would take that so lightly. Long story short...in that 15 minutes he instilled in me a sense of American pride, of patriotism and an understanding of sacrifice. It was the most effective lesson that will be firmly embedded in my psychie forever...but as a teen, you seem to forget, albeit temporarily.

I was 12 and going through confirmation at church at the behest of bestest friend. After I had my first communion, I left church, and didnt look back for many many years.

Fast forward to 9th grade English, 3rd period. My teacher, Ms Reznick, was a russian immigrant who was american as apple pie, mom or baseball. Every morning at the beginning of class the announcements were read over the school PA system, and at the end, we all rose and said the pledge of alligiance. I went along with the program until the Reagen Iran-Contra affair scandal started. I was disappointed that our President would be implicated in such a thing and started researching in the school library on my lunch hour what my rights were and how I could show my displeasure. This started my desire for activism. I found a court case from 1974 in which the United States Supreme Court ruled that a student may sit out the pledge of allegiance for reasons of protest, religious belief (Or non-belief) or medical reasons. This gave me the fodder I needed to be able to protest. The plan was to sit out the Pledge during Ms Reznicks class. As it turned out, this was to be another defining moment for my patriotism.

The next day I sat it out and Ms Reznick pulled me out of class to speak to me in the hallway, she asked why I sat out and I told her it was in protest. She let me know in no uncertain terms that I was to be expected to rise during the pledge, I said no. She said, fine, you can go to the office and went and filled out a referral slip.

I went down to the Vice-Principals office, handed the secreatary my referral and copped a squat, fuming and going over my argument in my head. The Vice Principal called me in, asked me what was going on, told me to stand, wrote no action taken on the referral and sent me back to class. Ms Reznick didnt like this at all and promised to discuss the situation with the Vice Principal.

Next day, same situation, pledge started, I copped a squat, Ms Reznick sent me to the office. This time the Vice Principal advised me I would spend 3 days in detention for disrespect ... I fumed .. told her she was violating my rights, and that I had the right to sit out the pledge in protest. She made a deal with me...write a paper on WHY I am protesting, the reasons behind it, turn it into Ms Reznick and if it warrants a fair and lawful argument, I would not sit the 3 days of detention. So I did.

I got an F on the paper, apparently my reasons for protesting were unfounded. Turns out I had only been listening to the nightly news and believed everything they told me. So here I was in the Vice Principals office. She explained to me WHY I was wrong, punched holes in my arguments and provided data to back her up. So into detention I was to go.

Not deterred I decided to appeal to my Principal, Mr Robert Keropian. I got an appointment, and was in his office waiting on him when I spotted several pictures on the walls of him and Ronald Reagen playing golf, shaking hands, having dinner with him. I sunk in my chair knowing I was going to lose this battle even before it started. IN he walked, sat down and asked me what he could do for me.

I pleaded my case. Showing him the Supreme Court decision, explaining why I was sitting out. He asked me to at least stand for the pledge, not recite it and he would nix the 3 days detention. I relented and agreed to his terms. On the way out he stopped me and asked me to take some time on a lunch break to sit down with Ms Reznick and talk it out with her.

So I did.

1 week later and I was in her classroom and she told me the story of her growing up and being economically disparaged, having to work when she was 8, how life was in the Soviet Union, and why what Reagen was doing was the best thing for the world that could ever happen. She asked me my background and got to know me a little bit. I dont know what it was about her, but I opened up and let everything out. She put an arm around me and said we were not all that different and that she understood. Wiping a tear from her eye, she told me that she was here for me.

I left the classroom with a new understanding of life and an appreciation for sacrifice. And a new respect for her, which I never took advantage of...she became a part of my high school life, she became my counselor and my confidant, and she became my encourager. She never let me down, and I hope and pray that I never let her down.

When I decided to drop out of school in the 11th grade because mom was about to lose the house and I needed to provide a income by means of a full time job, Ms Reznick was right there to try and talk me out of it. When I related all the reasons why I had to she relented and asked if she could tutor me for my GED. I said yes and tutor she did....when I took the test I scored in the top 5 percentile in the country. She made a big deal out of me getting my certificate, sending me a congratulations card and well wishes and an encouragement to go to college when I was able. Turns out, I never had the time to fully go back school and get my degree, I took a few semesters, but life has a way of letting you know that you either sink or swim.

But as an adult, sometimes you forget those lessons.

Fast forward to my 21st birthday. I wholeheartedly supported the President, had a tear come to my eye when I heard the national anthem and a sense of American pride flowed through me.

Start Gulf War 1. As soon as the country of Kuwait is invaded I am at the recruiters office, begging them to get me in as soon as possible with an eye towards Shore Patrol (Air Force Military Police) Questionaires came at me and come to find out, I was disqualified....at age 15 I had a major asthma attack which required an overnight stay. I guess they dont want me out in the field having an asthma attack at a critical time...so, classified four F, I left dejected.

Turning my eye towards Law Enforcement and feeling the need to establish a career, I went through the testing and application process for a town called Redding, in the California mountains. They had 12 positions available and through the process I was on the top 5 of the list. Until I went to the oral review board.

For those who have never been through the process, you have to be interviewed by a board of 5 people, who consist of city personnel, police officers and public officials. By this time I had invested quite a bit of time, energy and gas into this venture, and was excited at the prospect of realising a dream to be a police officer. All was well until they asked me a question which I had to answer truthfully and not the way they wanted to hear it.

They give you a common sense scenario and see how you think you should respond to it. My scenario - You get called for a domestic dispute, when you arrive on scene the wife comes screaming out of the house, bloody and clothing torn screaming her husband just beat her up. Your backup arrives and you take the husband into custody for domestic violence and in the course of your investigation you find out that not only has he abused his wife, but his children as well. Question: What is your duty to the suspect under due process of law?

I knew the answer...but to tell you the truth, this board member hit on 2 situations which I have ZERO tolerance for, wife beaters and child abusers. I knew what they wanted to hear, but if I was to have chance of maintaining my personal integrity, I had to tell them truth, that if I took him downtown there would be a stop on the way in an alley with me removing my badge and gun, letting him out of his cuffs, and going man to man, thus violating his civil rights. I had to tell them that, because I didnt want to end up in jail next to the creeps that I had put there. Sorry, I have NO TOLERANCE whatsoever for these 2 types of people. They belong dead .. not breathing the same air as me.

When all was said and done, I still was number 13 on a list of 12 hires. I dropped my dream of law enforcement and went back to my boring job in customer service. Living paycheck to paycheck I knew I had a choice to make...apply for welfare and live off the system or hone my skills for a trade that would afford me money, benefits and security. I went on welfare

After 3 months I was ahead of the game and asked the state to stop sending me food stamps, it took them another 3 months before they processed that request, in the meantime, I was sending the food stamp vouchers back to them, they returned them to me, and I bounced them back ... it was a vicious circle, and only ended when I took them down to the welfare office and handed them to a case worker.

Everything I did from then on led me to where I am at today.

But in the meantime, there are bumps in the road

1994 April 30, my dad dies after struggling for almost a year with a failing heart. He is surrounded at the time by family who was by his side as he made his journey into the after-life. I have no doubt where he is right now, but that is between me and God.

Start my cycle into alcholism and despair, feeling sorry for myself and hating the world. I had a relationship with a woman who was bad for me. But I stayed with her. She was abusive, not physically, but verbally. She took advantage of me at every turn, and yet I followed her to Florida. I was drinking CONSTANTLY and keeping it from her. I was frequenting strip clubs every day, and yet she had no idea. A final straw happened and I woke up one morning and as I reached for my bottle a voice said very clearly in my head, "Time to quit or come home" It was like someone was right there, but the room was empty. I have no doubt to this day that is was the voice of God and he let me know it was time to quit being a baby and face up to reality.

I moved back to California, got back into my old company, quit drinking, joined a church, became a youth minister and havent looked back...the year was 2000.

As I got more involved in the church my sense of patriotism NEVER left me, in fact it was reinforced. Good things started happening for me, and I was fulfilled in a way that I never believed was possible.

God put some problems into my life, and I helped those people...and through the grace of God, their lives were saved, now they are productive members of society, and I love them to death.

While Clinton was President and the Lewinsky scandal came up, through my alcoholic stupor I supported him, saying repeatedly that what went on was between him, his wife and his daughter, not America. But when he got up and under oath testified that he in no way had "sexual relations" with her and was proven to be lying, I turned my back on him. He lied..under oath..and that was unforgiveable. Doesnt matter the reason he made it there, he had a chance to tell the truth, and he failed.

By now I was more conservative in my approach to politics than ever. And I decided to change my registration from Democrat to Republican. I had been watching very carefully what was happening with the San Francisco liberals, Pelosi and Feinstein, and saw their hypocrisy shine like a beacon. I decided that their agenda no longer fit who I was and it was time to change.

On September 11, 2001 I watched in abject horror as the first tower was burning on television. I was glued to the TV and couldnt move. As the 2nd plane hit my mind was turned reeling, I had to watch the reruns of it 4 or 5 time before it sank in. I was in tears. When the first tower collapsed I was so overwhelmed that I fell to my knees and prayed to God that his will would be done. When the 2nd tower collapsed I was a heap. The last words I heard as I turned off the television, 2 hours late for work was, "this appears to be a terrorist attack" I knew then and there we were going to war.

I bought an american flag and joined my co-workers in comforting each other. From then on, I pledged to stand behind George Bush, no matter what. And I have honored that vow that I made before my friends, co-workers and God.

In 2005 I moved to Arizona and joined Protestwarrior. A few weeks later, I applied for and became the Chapter leader. And I decided to do something about the lies and attacks against our country. And that is where I am today.

This war and the brave men and woman who have volunteered to help fight it is very personal to me. As an American, I have an obligation to honor the memory of every american who has died defending my freedoms or being an innocent victim on a fateful day of terror. IN honoring that pledge I made 5 years ago, I back our troops, I back our President, I back the war on terror, I back everything American and family and I stand proud as a Christian, knowing I am not perfect, never will be until my day comes, knowing that God forgives me my sins through his one and only son Jesus Christ.

I stand as an American.

This is my story, the scaled down version. It is who I am. You either deal with or you dont, if you dont, then you do not deal with me. Simple.

You are either with us...or against us.

God Bless America