five by nine

 
 I wish a buck was still silver
It was back when the country was strong
Back before Elvis, before Vietnam war came along
Before the Beatles and yesterday
When a man could still work and still would
Is the best of the free life behind us now
And are the good times really over for good?

Merle Haggard wrote this song back in 1981. Was he some kind of prophet or fortune teller? Judging by what I'm seeing today I'd say he was spot on. He did win song of the year for that piece and it was well deserved. Of course that is all a matter of opinion I suppose, but it's my opinion. I wonder, are the good times really over for good? It sure seems that way. Thirty eight years later and not much has improved. 

And are we rolling downhill like a snowball headed for hell
With no kinda chance for the flag or the liberty bell?
Wish a Ford and a Chevy
Would still last ten years like they should
Is the best of the free life behind us now
And are the good times really over for good?

Indeed are we witnessing the decline of a once mighty republic? Certainly the flag and the liberty bell are under attack these days. There are instances now where the flag isn't even displayed for fear it will offend someone. The flag is burned, stepped upon and disrespected almost routinely. As for a Ford and a Chevy they are competing with what? The first serious challenge came from where? Japan, the nation that bombed Pearl Harbor on a Sunday morning killing two thousand three hundred and thirty five people. One thousand eleven hundred and forty three more were wounded. But thirteen years later Japan begins importing cars to the United States. By the time Merle Haggard writes his song, the Japanese are building factories in the United States! A Ford and Chevy built to last ten years? Not anymore, the consumer feeding frenzy has begun, the people want more and they want it cheap. The throw away society has begun.

 I wish coke was still cola

And a joint was a bad place to be
It was back before Nixon lied to us all on T.V
Before microwave ovens when a girl could still cook, and still would
Is the best of the free life behind us now
Are the good times really over for good?

Today we laugh about coke and the press to legalize a joint has reached full court proportions. Our politicians lie us almost as a way of doing business. They call it misinformation these days, but it is lies. Quick and easy is the mantra of the day. Home cooked meals are for special occasions these days. 

 Are we rolling down hill like a snowball headed to hell? In my opinion, yes we are, and the hill is getting steeper still. In the last verse of that song Merle Haggard says, let's stand up and ring the liberty bell. Try that and you will be labeled! What was Merle talking about, nationalism? Isn't being a nationalist a very bad thing these days? Yes that's the narrative.

 Now Merle Haggard was politically active in his last few years. I didn't always agree with what he was saying but he was definitely a nationalist. You know when a Veteran dies , his family is presented with a flag. A flag five foot by nine foot, folded into the familiar triangle. It is presented with these words, " On behalf of the President of the United States, The United States ( insert branch of service here ) and a grateful nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved ones honorable and faithful service. " 

 I will not hesitate to say I am an American! I will fly my flag high and honor that flag. One day that flag, five foot by nine foot will drape my coffin. Then it will be carefully folded and presented. I'm proud to be an American and I'm proud to be able to say I earned that particular honor. On behalf of a grateful nation? I pray that it will be so. There are many in the nation today that I feel are less than grateful. We need to change that. You know saying, thanks for the handout isn't gratitude! Service to the nation is gratitude. Not just military service, I'm not suggesting that. What I am suggesting is being thankful for the freedoms you have and protecting those freedoms as best as you can. What we old folks called " citizenship. " Yes, it is an honor and a privilege to be an American! Citizenship isn't a document, it is a commitment! A dedication to country, one nation, under God, indivisible.