Reflections on a Monday Morning.

"...When my son is born, and he looks up at me, he will see the man he has helped me become." My grandson expecting his first child in two months.

A Different Approach. My last post about dividends could have been quite useful to those looking for a more stable return on investment than the overall stock market; however, I didn't find it much fun to write. There are a lot of things more important to me at this stage in my life than money; therefore, I have decided to write more often about these things. Let me know what you think.

Working Together Works. Although I was very young during WWII, there is one thing I remember that was different than subsequent conflicts. We were all involved in that war. Most of us had family members in one combat zone or another and the casualty rate was so high that just about everyone had suffered a loss or knew someone who did. There were rationing coupons for gasoline, meat, and other commodities needed to support the troops. Formerly stay-at-home wives worked in defense plants. Old men did the same. Even kids were involved as we collected milkweed pods that were supposed to be used in parachutes. We made tinfoil balls to be processed into a reflective material to drop from airplanes. Even fats were supposed to be saved to be processed into glycerine for explosives.

Even The Press Was Different. Most journalists voluntarily refrained from publishing negative information about the war effort but that wasn't enough. Less than two weeks after Pearl Harbor the office of censorship was established. The government actively monitored news organizations both for propaganda purposes and to prevent leaking of secret weapon information. Freedom of the press was no longer an issue. They also suspended habeus corpus which would have required judicial treatment of anyone suspected of being an enemy of the war effort. In that environment torture of the enemy, no matter how severe, would never have come to light like it has during the war on terror.

You May Agree or Disagree. Contrast that environment with the present. A much smaller segment of our population is directly involved in combat. The average American is sacrificing little for the war effort. We are bitterly divided over the war and a number of issues and, although most claim to be in support of the troops, very little effort is is expended in showing this support. Then, as now, we are in the midst of a serious threat to our way of life. The difference is that now those defending that way of life are largely limited to a small fraction of our population, who's lives are in danger each day. Until we become more united in support of efforts to defend our freedom, it will be in jeopardy.