If you haven’t yet, please check out the ‘Photos’ section of the Real Radio 860 web site. There you will find pictures from around Laurens County. The Greg Lawson Show talking Raider football up at the Hub or the Bobby Bentley Show or Activate Laurens County………….plus Limos For Learning and pictures from Guatemala of the donations you made to a clinic to help poor children. There are also some pictures from what has become my passion in life…………the Patriot Guard.
It was December 2005 when I first heard about the Patriot Guard Riders. I was on a web site for enthusiasts who ride motorcycles and saw a post about the organization. I clicked on the link provided and was amazed at what I saw.
I learned that there were people………people who said they were a part of a church………traveling the country to protest at the funerals of American soldiers. I couldn’t believe it. I fully support the right to protest. But at a funeral? The Patriot Guard Riders had organized about a month before for the purpose of shielding families from the protestors and to let them know that their sacrifice was acknowledged by people they did not know.
I joined the Patriot Guard right away. I never served in America’s armed forces. Because I did not I have often felt that I left something important undone. I saw in this organization an opportunity to make at least a small payment on the debt I felt I personally owed to those who did serve.
The Patriot Guard Riders do not conduct motorcycle rides. We conduct missions. We call them missions because we take our obligation to show honor and bring comfort very seriously. If protestors are present we make them invisible. If the protestors don’t show, we still do. I learned very quickly that the sight of 75 or 100 men and women, people you don’t know, standing on a hillside holding American flags brings immense comfort.
Patriot Guard Riders conduct missions for military men and women who are killed in action, for police, fire and EMS personnel killed in the line of duty, and for any honorably discharged veteran of America’s armed forces.
I began riding these missions and attended as many as I could. I rode in the cold and in the rain and once in a light snow. I went to Georgia and North Carolina and Virginia and all over South Carolina.
As time went by I was appointed as a Ride Captain. Ride Captains are in charge at missions and it’s their responsibility to make the mission one of honor and respect. Later, I became State Captain for South Carolina and then Regional Captain for the Capitol Region which stretches from South Carolina up to Delaware. I currently serve as the Vice President for Members in a national organization with 150,000 members.
And so it is that I’ll be taking some time off this week. Missy and I will leave on Wednesday and head to Danville, Virginia for the national meeting of the Patriot Guard Riders………..the Gathering of the Guard. Riders from all over the country will be there. We’ll shake hands and hug and some of us may shed a few tears as we remember those awful moments in cemeteries as we watched over a family burying their 19 year old son.
Wear a red shirt every Friday as a simple way to say ‘thank you’ to the men and women who have served and are serving in America’s military. And never forget……….freedom is not free. Never miss the opportunity to thank those who protect it for you.
Take a look at the photos posted WLBG’s site of Patriot Guard missions and if you want to know more, check out these web sites:
http://www.patriotguard.org/
http://www.listenfortherumble.org/
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
At Least We Don’t Have Tony
Before I get started, let me make one thing clear. The men and women who serve in elected office generally do so because of completely unselfish motives. They say they want to ‘give back’ to the community and I happen to believe them.
Y’all should know by now that I don’t cull nobody. If I thought there was another motive I’d be on it like stink on a monkey.
Seriously, I’ve been there when I’ve seen some of our local elected officials struggle with decisions and agonize over doing exactly the right thing. For the most part, they hate to collect taxes just as much as you hate to pay them.
However, on occasion we’ll have an elected official that says or does something that is………well………hmmmm……..embarrassing. Last summer was a case in point.
Some folks decided they were going to open yet another landfill in the Gray Court area………this one right near Martin’s Lake. Local residents were upset and came to Laurens County Council to demand they do something.
Now, Laurens County has no zoning laws. Some of the members of Council were elected on the platform of ‘a man should be able to do whatever he wants with his own property’. We’ve just about made a religion out of opposition to zoning.
But, when neighbors are upset about a dump…………..turns out members of Council are more than willing to tell someone what they can do with their own property. They passed an ordinance that basically outlawed the new landfill and………get this…….. they made it retroactive !!
It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out this wasn’t legal. I honestly thought they were bluffing but………..they weren’t. I expressed my opinion on air. I told them they would simply pay a large legal bill and accomplish nothing. They weren’t bluffing. They really DID pay that legal bill. They really DID accomplish nothing. Well……..nothing except putting taxpayer dollars into the pockets of lawyers on both sides.
Embarrassing really.
But………we don’t have Tony. I look at the insanity going on in Greenville County involving Councilman Tony Trout and it makes me think something I never thought I’d think.
I miss Ernie.
Y’all should know by now that I don’t cull nobody. If I thought there was another motive I’d be on it like stink on a monkey.
Seriously, I’ve been there when I’ve seen some of our local elected officials struggle with decisions and agonize over doing exactly the right thing. For the most part, they hate to collect taxes just as much as you hate to pay them.
However, on occasion we’ll have an elected official that says or does something that is………well………hmmmm……..embarrassing. Last summer was a case in point.
Some folks decided they were going to open yet another landfill in the Gray Court area………this one right near Martin’s Lake. Local residents were upset and came to Laurens County Council to demand they do something.
Now, Laurens County has no zoning laws. Some of the members of Council were elected on the platform of ‘a man should be able to do whatever he wants with his own property’. We’ve just about made a religion out of opposition to zoning.
But, when neighbors are upset about a dump…………..turns out members of Council are more than willing to tell someone what they can do with their own property. They passed an ordinance that basically outlawed the new landfill and………get this…….. they made it retroactive !!
It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out this wasn’t legal. I honestly thought they were bluffing but………..they weren’t. I expressed my opinion on air. I told them they would simply pay a large legal bill and accomplish nothing. They weren’t bluffing. They really DID pay that legal bill. They really DID accomplish nothing. Well……..nothing except putting taxpayer dollars into the pockets of lawyers on both sides.
Embarrassing really.
But………we don’t have Tony. I look at the insanity going on in Greenville County involving Councilman Tony Trout and it makes me think something I never thought I’d think.
I miss Ernie.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Who are the Americans ?
Back in March we had a visitor to WLBG…………….Miss Antonette Shaw was on her way to Guatemala to work in a clinic there. She had been there before and she knew what awaited her. Poverty.
Now, a lot of us in South Carolina are somewhat less than wealthy. In fact, we say things like ‘We’re just po’ folks’ and then we all chuckle. But we don’t know poverty at the level that Antonette had seen. She came onto Good Morning UpCountry as a guest and told of us of children who didn’t have a toothbrush or shoes or adequate food. She told us of people who came to the hospital and found it full. They lay down on the lawn of the hospital and waited. Some of them died there………..still waiting.
Antonette told us she was returning to Guatemala and if anyone would like to bring by a toothbrush or tooth paste or some vitamins……..the people sure could use it. That was it. I fully expected one or two kind souls to respond to her request and Antonette told us she’d be by in a couple days to pick up any donations to put in her suitcase.
By early next morning I was already wondering about the size of the suitcase. Our listeners had responded with a huge pile of personal hygiene products, vitamins, band aids, coloring books, notebook paper, jump ropes………and the stuff just kept coming in.
To say that Antonette was surprised by the volume of supplies awaiting her would a tremendous understatement. There was no way she could carry all of it with her so she made arrangements for having it shipped to her and took what she could carry.
We’ve heard from Antonette several times and we knew that your gifts were well received but when she came back and sat down with us last week it began to dawn us just what happened in Guatemala.
Were they grateful? Yes. Were they excited? Uh Huh. Were your gifts seen as a blessing from God? Yes.
But it was something else as well. It was an answer to a question for these people who are so heartbreakingly poor. That question: Who are the Americans? Now they know.
The Americans are people who will give when they may not have enough for themselves. Americans are people who understand that a child in need is something to worry about even if that child is thousands of miles away. In other words, the Americans are good people. Nothing will ever convince these children, this village, otherwise.
Thank you. Your generosity is amazing. The results produced by your big hearts are amazing as well.
Now, a lot of us in South Carolina are somewhat less than wealthy. In fact, we say things like ‘We’re just po’ folks’ and then we all chuckle. But we don’t know poverty at the level that Antonette had seen. She came onto Good Morning UpCountry as a guest and told of us of children who didn’t have a toothbrush or shoes or adequate food. She told us of people who came to the hospital and found it full. They lay down on the lawn of the hospital and waited. Some of them died there………..still waiting.
Antonette told us she was returning to Guatemala and if anyone would like to bring by a toothbrush or tooth paste or some vitamins……..the people sure could use it. That was it. I fully expected one or two kind souls to respond to her request and Antonette told us she’d be by in a couple days to pick up any donations to put in her suitcase.
By early next morning I was already wondering about the size of the suitcase. Our listeners had responded with a huge pile of personal hygiene products, vitamins, band aids, coloring books, notebook paper, jump ropes………and the stuff just kept coming in.
To say that Antonette was surprised by the volume of supplies awaiting her would a tremendous understatement. There was no way she could carry all of it with her so she made arrangements for having it shipped to her and took what she could carry.
We’ve heard from Antonette several times and we knew that your gifts were well received but when she came back and sat down with us last week it began to dawn us just what happened in Guatemala.
Were they grateful? Yes. Were they excited? Uh Huh. Were your gifts seen as a blessing from God? Yes.
But it was something else as well. It was an answer to a question for these people who are so heartbreakingly poor. That question: Who are the Americans? Now they know.
The Americans are people who will give when they may not have enough for themselves. Americans are people who understand that a child in need is something to worry about even if that child is thousands of miles away. In other words, the Americans are good people. Nothing will ever convince these children, this village, otherwise.
Thank you. Your generosity is amazing. The results produced by your big hearts are amazing as well.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Family
When you hear the word ‘family’ your mind instantly applies a definition. Other words you may know but with this word you not only get a definition, you probably have pictures that spring to mind.
Maybe you see your child’s birthday party or Thanksgiving dinner, a wedding. We tend to see pictures of family in the larger sense………….the extended family.
Recently, another picture of family was taken in my mind’s eye as I was honored to assist with the passing of my Father in Law, Ronald Thomas. It was an ordeal of sorts and it meant a lack of sleep for several days but it was an experience that I appreciate.
I saw family as it should be…………all members of the family rallying to provide comfort and support to Mr. Thomas…………..and to each other. There was heartbreak and tears but there was also a sense of closeness and belonging that is rare. It is during times like this when you realize just how important that word ‘family’ is.
Ronald Thomas died at 1:31 PM on Monday 28 July 2008. I know precisely the moment because I was beside him and listening as his heart finally stopped. It was not a moment of sadness. I felt relief that the struggle had ended. There would be no more pain.
Over the next several days I was impressed and amazed at the numbers of people who came to his home to pay their respects. They brought food and iced tea. There was fried chicken, baked ham and of course………..potato salad. Lots of potato salad.
Friends and neighbors, people who knew him a long time ago, people who lived down the road and waved as they passed by………….they all came. I sat out on the porch thinking that it is a very good thing to live in the South. When the tough times come here the word ‘family’ just keeps getting bigger and bigger.
Even the sad occasions re-affirm then the importance of family. Do not forget that. And don’t wait for sadness. If there is a problem between you and your brother or sister or uncle………..whoever………in your family………do something about that. You share blood. You are family. When the chips are down it will be that person there to help. Let there be no animosity there at that time.
Family…………as I saw it this week I was also reminded of the closing for each Good Morning UpCountry.
“Y’all…………..take care of one another”
Maybe you see your child’s birthday party or Thanksgiving dinner, a wedding. We tend to see pictures of family in the larger sense………….the extended family.
Recently, another picture of family was taken in my mind’s eye as I was honored to assist with the passing of my Father in Law, Ronald Thomas. It was an ordeal of sorts and it meant a lack of sleep for several days but it was an experience that I appreciate.
I saw family as it should be…………all members of the family rallying to provide comfort and support to Mr. Thomas…………..and to each other. There was heartbreak and tears but there was also a sense of closeness and belonging that is rare. It is during times like this when you realize just how important that word ‘family’ is.
Ronald Thomas died at 1:31 PM on Monday 28 July 2008. I know precisely the moment because I was beside him and listening as his heart finally stopped. It was not a moment of sadness. I felt relief that the struggle had ended. There would be no more pain.
Over the next several days I was impressed and amazed at the numbers of people who came to his home to pay their respects. They brought food and iced tea. There was fried chicken, baked ham and of course………..potato salad. Lots of potato salad.
Friends and neighbors, people who knew him a long time ago, people who lived down the road and waved as they passed by………….they all came. I sat out on the porch thinking that it is a very good thing to live in the South. When the tough times come here the word ‘family’ just keeps getting bigger and bigger.
Even the sad occasions re-affirm then the importance of family. Do not forget that. And don’t wait for sadness. If there is a problem between you and your brother or sister or uncle………..whoever………in your family………do something about that. You share blood. You are family. When the chips are down it will be that person there to help. Let there be no animosity there at that time.
Family…………as I saw it this week I was also reminded of the closing for each Good Morning UpCountry.
“Y’all…………..take care of one another”
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