by James Glaser
November 13, 2002

Don't ask me how it happened, but somehow I volunteered to go around Northern Minnesota inspecting VFW Posts for the 8th District. They asked me to do the monthly Hospital Reports for 30 VFW Posts and hidden in the agreement was this Post inspection assignment. It is my own fault as I forgot that first adage you learn in the service, "Never Volunteer for Anything."

This isn't so bad though, I get to meet lots of real nice guys that are working hard for their communities and we all have the same experience of being in a war. Last night I was at a meeting and realized that every man there was in a war before I was born. What was kind of nice was the fact that these guys treated me just like a comrade and we joked about the service and talked about America.

None of these guys like the direction that America is going in nor the tone in Washington. Most had this attitude that if you had a problem with your neighbor you didn't call the Sheriff, no you would walk over and talk to the man and work out something. These guys look at the UN as the Sheriff and Saddam and Osama as pesky neighbors.

"America no longer has Diplomats" one guy said. "We no longer talk with other Nations, we only talk to them through the Press." Several guys said that Colin Powell was a fine man, but he was still a General and that is how other countries look at the man. It was said that America is walking around with our jaw stuck right out there and somebody is going to take a swing at us.

"September 11th was a "Sunday Punch" but we didn't come up swinging." We still aren't thinking too clear, but are ready to take a shot at anyone when we don't even know why they were mad at us was the consensus. "You have to know why the guy is pissed at you before you can decide what to do." It was explained that if the guy that punched you was just a nut or a drunk you could haul off and punch back, but what if the guy had a real gripe with you? Sometimes it was said it takes a "real man" to apologize, but you have to know what the problem is before you decide which action to take. You only find that out by talking.

These guys should be the ones advising our President on Foreign Policy. The guys President Bush has helping him now are not mature men. They have never even considered if just maybe we could be in the wrong and the only way they could find out is by asking, they won't do that.

They are embarrassed by that September 11th shot and have to get back at somebody, anybody. Bring "prideful" can cost you a lot. America needs some people in Washington that have Mature Adult Thoughts. We as a Nation are a real bruiser and can take on anyone, anytime, anyplace. But are the bruisers in the community the people you look to for leadership?

America wants to be the Super Power, which we are, but we also want to be the Leader that others follow and I don't think we have reached that Leadership Role yet.