"PEACE IN THE VALLEY"
"WELCOME TO MY MIND"
"LOW VOTER TURNOUT"
"AMERICAN ENGLISH"
"GRANDPA"
Welcome To THE COUCH...Sit on Down and Get Comfy..
"WELCOME TO MY MIND"
"LOW VOTER TURNOUT"
"AMERICAN ENGLISH"
"GRANDPA"
Welcome To THE COUCH...Sit on Down and Get Comfy..
"PEACE IN THE VALLEY"One of our visitors yesterday, Lizza from the Phillipines had this tremendous video on her site yesterday and as it streamed a tear came to my eye.
THE COUCH now shares it with all of you...it truly reminded me that the theme of the day DONA NOBIS PACEM can be started by one individual and if they are sincere and convinced that what they are doing is right, the idea can spread and be accepted by the multitudes...
It also brought to mind the visual from Tianamen Square when one brave soul stood tall against a line of aggressor tanks...
THE COUCH
"WELCOME TO MY MIND"There are many more red dots on our map...South Africa, the Phillipines...more throughout the US.
THE COUCH began as a comfortable place for The Soul Patrol to sit over on that gulag site...and migrated here to Blogger when it became evident we were no longer welcomed there.
In the course of the last few months, our visitors have increased; opening our world to many other writers who honor us by sharing their thoughts on subjects as varied as the population of the world.
"LOW VOTER TURNOUT"Being new to the Memphis area, many of the names mean nothing to me other then party affiliations, not knowing what they stand for or their platforms.
The recent move meant THE COUCH was not able to participate in this election. As a registered independent THE COUCH has always voted for a candidate based upon their beliefs and platforms.
We wonder how many people, who had the ability and right to vote, did not. You see the numbers and realize there are hundreds of thousands of disenfranchised, who feel their one vote means so little they just bag the whole thing.
Put those hundreds of thousands of votes into a ballot box and many election results could change. If you are one who passed the polling places on your way to work, or on your way home, or on your way to and from lunch and you said "It doesn't matter", then you can not complain when your liberties are challenged or the things you believe in disappear.
If you did vote, I tip my hat to you and thank you for exercizing the one right every American, no matter their race, social status, or philosophy is allowed.
"AMERICAN ENGLISH"The question of language in our country. The fact that many new immigrants have deemed it their right to not have to speak English. This is especially prevalent in the Hispanic community.
Now, THE COUCH has no problems with people wanting to speak their native language within their own ethnic group, but asking me to speak your language...and becoming upset if we do not..that is just plain wrong.
How many times have you seen job postings that require you to be bi-lingual English/Spanish?
Why should someone have to speak Spanish to get a job in the United States of America?
Because your co-workers or employees speak Spanish. Why are they not required to speak English?
In the town we just moved from in NJ, there is a large Asian population at this time. Recently there has been a push for the schools to add Cantonese to the language program. This makes THE COUCH laugh, as the majority of students who will take this course come from homes where it is already spoken.
What sense does this make? THE COUCH has no idea.
Again...understand THE COUCH is not insisting that people leave their native tongues behind. What we ask is that the immigrants to this country understand that English is the language spoken here and learn it to become part of our great land.
Have we not always considered the USA a "melting pot". If we still do, then those who join us here - legally - need to be mixed into those of us who have come before them.
"GRANDPA"WHY were we not taught it as a child...
My grandfather and grandmother came over as young people from Italy. When they arrived they only spoke Italian.
As a child, in their home, THE COUCH heard very few words of Italian spoken and when they did speak it, it was only because it was something they did not want us to understand.
Grandpa Ernest believed strongly that The United States of America was his home and English was the language of his country. He fought for the US in WWI and was so proud of his uniform and being a veteran.
He never forgot his native land, but knew that when he and his family moved, the only way to assimilate was to become an American.
As THE COUCH packed for this move, there was one item we needed to find and bring along. It is the flag that covered his coffin when he was buried.
It sits in the living room now, tri-folded as is the custom and looking at it, I can only thank my ancestors for taking the long, frightening journey across a grand ocean, to come to a place they hoped would bring a better life for themselves and their children and their children and so on.
Their wish has come true.
St. J - P.B.U.A.Q.B.
Thanks for sitting on THE COUCH, hope you enjoyed your stay.
PEACE IN THE VALLEY: Composer: Thomas A. Dorsen
WELCOME TO MY MIND: Composer: John Patrick Denery & Chris Imlay
LOW VOTER TURNOUT: Composers: Timothy W. Alexander, Michael David Manring & Alex Nathan Skolnick
AMERICAN ENGLISH: Composers: Andrew M Gold & Graham Keith Gouldman
GRANDPA: Composer David Farnon
