The ledger has red and black ink

This came from a submission of mine to various magazines, but it too has some thought provoking insight.

The ledger has red and black ink

Why is it that some people have no quit in them and others quit before they even get started?
The preponderance of evidence suggests that the answer lies squarely on their environment and up bringing. If one is taught from the outset that he or she can accomplish great things than that attitude will carry throughout life. Even the underprivileged can draw from that strength. It doesn’t have to be only the privileged that can access the basic drive and attitude it takes to accomplish goals. It is a given that privilege certainly makes the road an easier one, however the common everyday folks have the right, human dignity, and drive that is equally available to all. Why is it then that some flourish and others languish? Once again it comes back to the start we have in life. The family unit is so important and yet we have let it deteriorate to the point of near obscurity.
Some names are written in red for blood shed on foreign soil. Some names are written in black on epitaphs that come all too soon. Those would be the ones that have no quit in them. Some names are up in lights or in periodicals to some supposed wonderful place that many strive to reach. Yet in the final analysis we the people here that live in relative peace and contentment are really the ones who’s names are written in red, for we are the ones that owe the debt. Yes we owe the debt of gratitude and life it self to those who’s names are indelibly written in the annals of history, for those are the shoulders on which we stand. As it is with any ledger, that which is owed is in red and that which is paid in full and has equity is in black. We owe the debt of gratefulness and of support to all those who serve our country so the rest of us have the opportunity prosper. As it is their self appointed duty to protect our freedom, it should be our solemn vow to support them in their efforts and strive to do our best to take advantage of the freedoms they have given us. We don’t need quitters or naysayers. We don’t need elected officials insulting and doing their utmost to undermine the efforts of brave men and women that are fighting for all humanity’s sake.
What we need is a balanced ledger. One that no longer has red or black in conflict, but one that is of no deficit to anyone. We arrive at that through peace, strength and the ability to overcome our enemies, the enemies that are ignorance, intolerance and misunderstanding, which is achieved through common sense and the willingness to see any conflict through to the end.
We don’t need to teach revisionist history that tarnishes the memories of those that have fought so long and hard to give us our freedom. We don’t need to indoctrinate young people with ideas that our country is the great evil in the world. We need true open institutions of higher learning, not ones that force one ideological idea over another. What we need to do is honor the memory of those to which we owe this debt, so that we finally have a balanced total we can live with. That, my friends, is how we balance the ledger.


x. x. xxxxxxx © 2007