By Billy”Kneecap”Braddock

I love November for three reasons. One is because I get to celebrate my birthday. My friend said, “At your age birthdays should not make you happy.”I said, “Are you kidding? The more I have, the longer I live, plus I get to go to Roscoe’s Chili Challenge.”

Number two is the 10th when we celebrate the birth of the United States Marine Corps. The U.S.M.C. has proudly participated in every war that has involved the United States since 1775. If you see a Marine that day, thank them for protecting our country. Semper Fi.

Number three is the 11th, Veteran’s Day. it’s a day that honors all members of the Armed Forces who served and fought to keep this country safe. On November 11, 1921, at 11:11, the U.S., France, and england each buried an unknown soldier in honor of those who died in World War 1. This began the annual Armistice Day holiday. (in 1954 it was changed to Veteran’s Day.) The time and day was picked because fighting ceased in WW1 in 1918 on November 11 at 11:11. This year at 11:11, 11/11/11, I ask for a moment of silence.

Most who read this column know that I tend to be a little conservative. I know ya’ll always agree with me. However, I don’t normally agree with our “Spender in Chief”, but in his interview in Orlando, he got my attention. He said “This is a great, great country that had gotten a little soft and, you know, we didn’t have that same competitive edge that we needed over the last couple of decades.” Americans “gone soft”. He may have a point. How do we harden up when there is no penalty for weakness? From the day of the Pilgrims, we were a society that prided itself in being self-reliant contributors, not government dependent takers. How can you build strength when our nanny government is there to bail out every bad decision? Nanny Gov will be your safety net from cradle to grave, so why make hard choices.

The Government is the reason for Americans losing the “competitive edge”.
Nobodies’