10 Years Later

10 years ago - that's 3,652 days. That's quite a long time, but yet it seems like just last week that I watched the twin towers disappear from the Manhattan skyline. I haven't turned on the TV today because I know that all that will be on are the images from that day.

I went to church today and the priest spoke of forgiveness and I thought about how I could never forgive those people who shattered our peace of mind and attacked our liberty. The choir sang "the Lord is kind and merciful" and I thought "where was his kindness and mercy when I watched 2,819 people die?" I got so angry and accused him of abandoning America. But then I prayed. I began my prayer by thanking God for allowing me to live in a country so great as ours. I thanked him for the privilege to be in that church, on my knees, praying to the God that I wanted to pray to, not the God that the government told me I had to pray to. I thanked him for our freedoms and our liberties and asked him to preserve them for us and our future generations, and then I asked him to bless the souls of those 2,819 people, and I asked him to comfort their families and friends.

This picture says more than just what you can see with your eyes. On that day our world came to a screeching halt. Look at the people, almost glued to the spot where they stood, staring wide-eyed in shock and horror as the twin towers smoldered in the sky. But 10 years later we've moved on with our lives. There is a taxi cab whizzing past the person holding that photo, no doubt with someone inside that is in a hurry to be somewhere. People have gone back to work and school, they're still flying on commercial airliners - but I guarantee you that anyone that was old enough to know that was going on that day has not forgotten where they were, let alone how they felt and I hope that memory lasts them a lifetime. We must never forget the innocent souls of all those who died, especially the first responders who risked and lost their lives so that others might have been spared.

I just ask that you say a simple prayer for the gifts we've been given in this country, and for the souls of the victims of September 11, 2001. From the day we declared our independence from England and announced that we were one nation under God, free from tyranny and oppression, we have been hated the world over. We are hated because we elect our leaders rather than having them forced on us, and because we are free to walk into a church of any religion or denomination and kneel down and pray. We are hated because we have something they all want so badly but don't know how to obtain; we have freedom. So I say let them continue to hate us, because these colors don't run and we're not going to compromise what we hold dear just to appease them. And that's what makes America the greatest country on Earth - especially on this day - 10 years later.

Let us celebrate our Independence

235 years ago today, John Hancock set quill to a piece of parchment which contained some of the most inflammatory words the British crown might ever read, The Declaration of Independence. Hancock, who was a true patriot to the American Revolution, and whose signature is the most famous and most recognizable of all the signatures, shouted out victoriously as he signed, "There, I guess King George will be able to read that!" 55 more men, including two future presidents, from all 13 colonies immediately followed suit, affixing their own names upon this single piece of parchment.

One of those future presidents was Thomas Jefferson, who was the primary author of the document. Shortly before he died, Jefferson told his closest friend, James Madison, that there were two things he wished to be remembered for, one of which was writing the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826 - exactly 50 years after the birth of his beloved nation.

Those who won our independence for us believed that liberty was the secret of happiness and that courage was the secret of liberty. By signing the Declaration, these 56 men were committing high treason to the crown of England, a crime punishable by death. Five of them were captured by the British as traitors and tortured before they died, twelve had their homes ransacked and burned, four lost their sons, and nine fought and died in the revolutionary war. By signing the Declaration, these 56 men pledged their lives so that future generations may live free.

A lot has happened in the 235 years since we were born. We've had 44 presidents, fought a civil war, and added 37 more stars to our flag. We truly are one nation, though some would prefer we not be "under God". That is their right I suppose, but I certainly don't agree with them. God truly has blessed this country, and while we have been through some very hard times economically and environmentally, I believe God still smiles down upon the United States of America, and that is what makes America the greatest country on earth.

It's Official! I'm Running For President

CLARKSTON, MI (AP) - The Associated Press has learned that Sean R. Miller, who until recently had vowed not to make a bid for the White House until 2028, has after weeks of exploration and speculation, officially announced his candidacy for the highest office in American Government. Miller, a resident of Clarkston, Michigan made the announcement during an event at the Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Auburn Hills. "Barack Obama has morally and financially bankrupted America." said Miller, adding that "He (Obama) has hidden behind the guise of an inherited economic situation for too long without producing any positive results."

Miller has joined a very large pool of Republican contenders for nomination, among whom are Former Mass. Governor, Mitt Romney and Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. "There are a lot of people seeking this office." Acknowledged Miller, "but my plan for America is the best." As more and more details of Miller's extensive plan for reinventing America are revealed, it does appear that his plan truly is the most well thought out plan of all the contenders. "We need to lower gas prices by drilling here at home while at the same time exploring alternative sources of energy. We need to put Americans back to work. This used to be the land of opportunity, now it's become the land of misery as more and more people struggle to make their house payments and put food on the table for their families. This stops now."

In a race that seems to really be heating up, and lacks any definite front-runner, Sean R. Miller is going to be the candidate to watch. As he closed his speech, he uttered those famous words and officially began his race - "My name is Sean Miller, and I am running for President"