A common thread: The following is a re-posting of a thread from several years ago. Hope still lingers. Last November, I made a trip to the west coast. Primarily, I was there to see my...

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

The following is a re-posting of a thread from several years ago. Hope still lingers.

Last November, I made a trip to the west coast. Primarily, I was there to see my son, his wife and our new grandson. I also took advantage of the trip to attend a Khe Sanh reunion with many of my Viet Nam buddies and others who were at that siege and major battle during the Tet Offensive of 1968. In order to coordinate with Veteran's Day and the USMC Birthday, our reunion was in San Diego and Camp Pendleton, Ca. On our visit to Pendleton, we had the opportunity to meet, mingle and socialize with some of America's finest for an entire day. Each of us 'old salts' left feeling comforted and secure in our belief that today's Marines and military are as fine a group of young men and women as our country could ask for. That visit reminded us, once again, that Americans always come to the forefront when circumstances might suggest, to some, that our country is in trouble.

On that trip, I took the opportunity to visit as many OPP posters as I could whom I was aware of on the route to and from those destinations. In similar fashion, this last May I took a trip east to attend a granddaughter's high school graduation in eastern Georgia. While heading to and from that destination, I again took advantage of my trip to visit yet another group of OPP posters. In light of both trips, I can say without hesitation that each was filled with memorable friends, visits and events that I will carry with me 'til my dying breath. I could not thank any of you nearly enough for the chance you provided for sharing time together. Each of you were absolutely wonderful!

Combined, my trips allowed the opportunity to meet over a dozen* members of the OPP forum. Allowing myself to make a personal observation/evaluation, that group ranged broadly from strong conservative to moderate & liberal thinkers. Each was gracious and hospitable towards me, and all proved to be enjoyable company. I might add...each lady was exactly that, and the gentlemen were just that...pure gentlemen. Just as noteworthy was my impression that each shared a common thread of being proud Americans. As an American, I felt as proud of them as I did of my former unit and Veterans, albeit in a different way. I would be remiss if I did not mention those who could not meet on my trip due to circumstances, and the many with whom I have shared PMs, or had met in other trips. I have no doubt that any meeting between us would have proven just as memorable as the ones I shared with others.

I write all this after yet another episode of disappointment in reading so many vitriolic and bitter comments on the forum towards one another. I truly believe if we all had the same opportunity as I did to meet, we would find so much more in common than we may possibly realize. I refuse to give up on my belief in the overall goodness of Americans and of our country. Likewise, I do not hesitate in my belief that we, as a nation, will survive our greatest fears.

I close with a quote attributed to Harry Truman (a favored source for quotes) "I have no desire to crow over anybody, or to see anybody eating crow...figuratively or otherwise. We should all get together and make a country in which everybody can eat turkey whenever he/she pleases."

SEMPER FI

*My trips across our nation have now included a little over two dozen visits with OPP posters.

archie bunker Loc: Texas

slatten49 wrote:

The following is a re-posting of a thread from several years ago. Hope still lingers.

Last November, I made a trip to the west coast. Primarily, I was there to see my son, his wife and our new grandson. I also took advantage of the trip to attend a Khe Sanh reunion with many of my Viet Nam buddies and others who were at that siege and major battle during the Tet Offensive of 1968. In order to coordinate with Veteran's Day and the USMC Birthday, our reunion was in San Diego and Camp Pendleton, Ca. On our visit to Pendleton, we had the opportunity to meet, mingle and socialize with some of America's finest for an entire day. Each of us 'old salts' left feeling comforted and secure in our belief that today's Marines and military are as fine a group of young men and women as our country could ask for. That visit reminded us, once again, that Americans always come to the forefront when circumstances might suggest, to some, that our country is in trouble.

On that trip, I took the opportunity to visit as many OPP posters as I could whom I was aware of on the route to and from those destinations. In similar fashion, this last May I took a trip east to attend a granddaughter's high school graduation in eastern Georgia. While heading to and from that destination, I again took advantage of my trip to visit yet another group of OPP posters. In light of both trips, I can say without hesitation that each was filled with memorable friends, visits and events that I will carry with me 'til my dying breath. I could not thank any of you nearly enough for the chance you provided for sharing time together. Each of you were absolutely wonderful!

Combined, my trips allowed the opportunity to meet over a dozen* members of the OPP forum. Allowing myself to make a personal observation/evaluation, that group ranged broadly from strong conservative to moderate & liberal thinkers. Each was gracious and hospitable towards me, and all proved to be enjoyable company. I might add...each lady was exactly that, and the gentlemen were just that...pure gentlemen. Just as noteworthy was my impression that each shared a common thread of being proud Americans. As an American, I felt as proud of them as I did of my former unit and Veterans, albeit in a different way. I would be remiss if I did not mention those who could not meet on my trip due to circumstances, and the many with whom I have shared PMs, or had met in other trips. I have no doubt that any meeting between us would have proven just as memorable as the ones I shared with others.

I write all this after yet another episode of disappointment in reading so many vitriolic and bitter comments on the forum towards one another. I truly believe if we all had the same opportunity as I did to meet, we would find so much more in common than we may possibly realize. I refuse to give up on my belief in the overall goodness of Americans and of our country. Likewise, I do not hesitate in my belief that we, as a nation, will survive our greatest fears.

I close with a quote attributed to Harry Truman (a favored source for quotes) "I have no desire to crow over anybody, or to see anybody eating crow...figuratively or otherwise. We should all get together and make a country in which everybody can eat turkey whenever he/she pleases."

SEMPER FI

*My trips across our nation have now included a little over two dozen visits with OPP posters.

The following is a re-posting of a thread from sev... (show quote)

This is a very valid post for what is going on on this forum. It's worse that it's ever been right now.
If you take political parties out of the equation, we're all just people getting screwed by power hungry "elites" and media.

We've met on more than one occasion, and I found you to be a great guy.

Sonny Magoo Loc: Where pot pie is boiled in a kettle

Jefferson or Adams???
Or is it Hamilton or Burr?

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

Sonny Magoo wrote:

Jefferson or Adams???
Or is it Hamilton or Burr?

Explain, please, Mr. Magoo.

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

archie bunker wrote:

This is a very valid post for what is going on on this forum. It's worse that it's ever been right now.
If you take political parties out of the equation, we're all just people getting screwed by power hungry "elites" and media.

We've met on more than one occasion, and I found you to be a great guy.

I will respond by reiterating that you are also a great guy with whom I would sit down (again) to have lunch, a beer, or have watch my grandkids or dogs in a pinch.

To my disappointment, since my brother's death, I have not made any trips west through Amarillo for a visit. Maybe one is in the not-to-distant future.

Justice101

slatten49 wrote:

The following is a re-posting of a thread from several years ago. Hope still lingers.

Last November, I made a trip to the west coast. Primarily, I was there to see my son, his wife and our new grandson. I also took advantage of the trip to attend a Khe Sanh reunion with many of my Viet Nam buddies and others who were at that siege and major battle during the Tet Offensive of 1968. In order to coordinate with Veteran's Day and the USMC Birthday, our reunion was in San Diego and Camp Pendleton, Ca. On our visit to Pendleton, we had the opportunity to meet, mingle and socialize with some of America's finest for an entire day. Each of us 'old salts' left feeling comforted and secure in our belief that today's Marines and military are as fine a group of young men and women as our country could ask for. That visit reminded us, once again, that Americans always come to the forefront when circumstances might suggest, to some, that our country is in trouble.

On that trip, I took the opportunity to visit as many OPP posters as I could whom I was aware of on the route to and from those destinations. In similar fashion, this last May I took a trip east to attend a granddaughter's high school graduation in eastern Georgia. While heading to and from that destination, I again took advantage of my trip to visit yet another group of OPP posters. In light of both trips, I can say without hesitation that each was filled with memorable friends, visits and events that I will carry with me 'til my dying breath. I could not thank any of you nearly enough for the chance you provided for sharing time together. Each of you were absolutely wonderful!

Combined, my trips allowed the opportunity to meet over a dozen* members of the OPP forum. Allowing myself to make a personal observation/evaluation, that group ranged broadly from strong conservative to moderate & liberal thinkers. Each was gracious and hospitable towards me, and all proved to be enjoyable company. I might add...each lady was exactly that, and the gentlemen were just that...pure gentlemen. Just as noteworthy was my impression that each shared a common thread of being proud Americans. As an American, I felt as proud of them as I did of my former unit and Veterans, albeit in a different way. I would be remiss if I did not mention those who could not meet on my trip due to circumstances, and the many with whom I have shared PMs, or had met in other trips. I have no doubt that any meeting between us would have proven just as memorable as the ones I shared with others.

I write all this after yet another episode of disappointment in reading so many vitriolic and bitter comments on the forum towards one another. I truly believe if we all had the same opportunity as I did to meet, we would find so much more in common than we may possibly realize. I refuse to give up on my belief in the overall goodness of Americans and of our country. Likewise, I do not hesitate in my belief that we, as a nation, will survive our greatest fears.

I close with a quote attributed to Harry Truman (a favored source for quotes) "I have no desire to crow over anybody, or to see anybody eating crow...figuratively or otherwise. We should all get together and make a country in which everybody can eat turkey whenever he/she pleases."

SEMPER FI

*My trips across our nation have now included a little over two dozen visits with OPP posters.

The following is a re-posting of a thread from sev... (show quote)

It appears that many of the daily diets of OPPers and people in general tend to "feed on" wh**ever the mass media on both sides are selling at the time and causing a wider rift amongst us regarding tolerance and patience- ending up in vitriolic speech and caustic insults. It occurs to me that fanaticism towards one side of the political spectrum or the other can explain the impassioned views displayed on this political forum.

https://www.newsweek.com/americans-h**e-media-because-its-terrible-opinion-1603974

https://hbr.org/2020/11/disagreement-doesnt-have-to-be-d******e

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

Justice101 wrote:

It appears that many of the daily diets of OPPers ... (show quote)

Good links.

Thanks for the posting, Justice

Justice101

slatten49 wrote:

Good links.

Thanks for the posting, Justice

You're welcome, Slatten. It's been on my mind for a while, and I like to debate fairly if at all possible.