I was born in Germany and am 100% German by my blood line. My mother's family & my father's family are German all the way back as far as anyone can remember or is recorded. My mom and I came to America in October of 1974 - and I celebrated my 4th birthday here the next month. I also started Kindergarten and began to learn the language that I now know better than my own mother tongue.
In 1988, my mother became an American citizen. Because I was under the age of 18 at the time, I was able to become a citizen with her. I still remember going to the courthouse in Knoxville in March of 1989 (months after my mother's swearing in ceremony) and swearing my own allegiance to the United States. What a solemn, somber pledge one has to make to renounce any allegiance to one's former country and then to swear to be willing to bear arms on behalf of the United States, if required to by law. I remember thinking - in my teenage mind - what if I ever have to go to war and fight against my family in Germany!!? You'd think I could have had some other intelligent, relevant thoughts, but at the time, that was it.
I first got to vote for a President in November of 1992. I was certain that because *I* voted for George H. W. Bush that he WOULD beat this new guy, Bill Clinton for sure!! It was my first big disillusion with America. Clinton won. And he won again in 1996 - even though I didn't vote for him AGAIN.
It was in 2004 that I had a much better reason for voting FOR George W. Bush than I did in 2000. In 2000, I mainly voted for him because he was the "Republican candidate" and because it would be "cool" if he could be one of the few father-son President teams in our history. In November of 2004, Dan had been home from Iraq for about 9 months. September 11, 2001 was still clearer in our minds. The cause-and-effect of that day had touched our family - Dan went to "war" because of the effects of that terrorist attack. We were still optimistic that what Dan and the many others who went to Iraq when Operation Iraqi Freedom I began would make a DIFFERENCE. It was George W. Bush who had courageously led us through those days - Sadam Hussein was found and captured - Osama Bin Laden was on the run!
One of my memories of Dan's deployment was Thanksgiving Day 2003. President Bush surprised the troops in Baghdad by visiting them unexpectedly - and even though Dan was about 60 miles away from there, I almost felt like the President had visited him personally! That is one thing President Bush did so well - supported our troops.
I guess in the last year or so, President Bush has been blamed for so many things - high gas prices this past summer, the poor economy, too slow progress in Iraq, etc. But for me personally, all that pales in comparison of what he DID do:
Remember when he shouted "I can hear you - the world can hear you!" from the rubble of Ground Zero on September 14, 2001?
Remember what a rock he was to us in those days that followed?
Remember when he flew that plane onto the deck of an aircraft carrier, proudly (and perhaps prematurely & too hastily) proclaiming victory in Iraq in May of 2003?
Remember his tears at memorial services in honor of 9/11 and while laying wreaths for fallen soldiers?
Remember his jokes and banter - and even his stuttering & blundering?
Remember him making fun of himself, taking the stuttering and blundering lightly?
That said, I am thankful for the leadership & moral courage of George W. Bush, for his faith and apparent reliance on God, and for his strong stand for issues near & dear to me (abortion, one man + one woman = marriage). There is much to be appreciated about him & his 8 years in office. May God bless him - and may God bless America.
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