So, I was reading the comments on Paul Partisan's 9/11 entry and was surprised at the violent hate comments back and forth. Call me crazy, but that's not really what 9/11 is supposed to be about. It's supposed to be about taking some time to thank the people who lost their lives trying to save others, mourn lost loved ones, etc. It's supposed to be a day to bring people together and forget their differences.

I understand that not everyone loves the United States, and that's fine. But to say that we deserved to be attacked is crazy, last I had checked we were minding our own business, we were the ones attacked for our differing views and beliefs of a country thousands of miles away from us. No one deserves to die in a fiery blaze, or in the collapse of a building, or a crashing of a plane. No one deserves to be murdered, for no reason.

One of the things I found most interesting was the fact that someone claimed that the Flag an the Pledge of Allegience is unconsitutional, which always makes me laugh. It's not unconstitutional in any way, shape, or form. Its shows the union of our states and how we make up a whole, and work together. Whether anyone likes it or not, the United States was founded by a group of Christians, oh no. There's no reason to tear down what the founding fathers built and worked so hard for just because a few people believe it's unfair to have to say the word God when saying a pledge. No one forces you to say it, we ask you stand, and shut your trap. That is all. To get rid of such would be tearing down our history, we aren't going to change our past for new immigrants, because they want to change us to like the country they left. If you want a place where you can say what you want and that's like your old country... go back and start your own revolution. Change your own place to fit your needs, don't come here and tear us down and claim we're unconstitutional because we won't change something that's lasted over 200 years for someone who's been here a couple.

The work you're trying to destroy came from the same people who created the Constitution. Separation of Church and State does exist, however, the christian religion is still very much integrated in our culture because that's how our country came about, go figure.

Does that make me religious? No, not necessarily. It makes me appreciative of my country, what the founding fathers worked so hard to achieve that they believed in so much. There's no reason to tear down their work, they fought to give us the rights we have, to give you the right to bitch and moan about how 'hard' your life is.

And know, the rest of us who are patriots, want you gone, but we're being respectful of our founding father's by not kicking you out.

God Bless.

I find that being home from college has gotten me to see things from, yet another, new perspective. I hadn't minded my brother's girlfriend at first, let's call her Leslie, shall we? She was nice enough, friendly, and didn't pretend I didn't exist like all but one of his previous girlfriends had. She was pretty enough, if a little lacking in the intelligence region, but he seemed happy so I was glad for him. Thinking about the past couple of years I'd been glad that he found someone who seemed to be good for him.

Now that I am home, and as I came home for an occasional weekend, I was finding things weren't so pleasant in the picture I had painted in my imagination for them. She'd pick fights with him and complain, about nothing. I'd hear them yelling at each on the phone, and her acting ungrateful. My brother struggles to do what he does. He works his butt off just to get by, and she's got to know that, I figured. Maybe they're just having an off day, I told myself.

However, since I've been home she's gotten to be more wicked, spiteful, and ungrateful than I had ever known. I'm finding that girls are expecting way too much out of their guys in general, something I've noted while listening to my friends, as girlfriends. Leslie is being completely ridiculous as of late. She's becoming pro at stalking my brother, she calls the house all the time, when she never used to. She's calling our parent's works looking for him, and hanging up the phone lying it's a wrong number when she doesn't get him. She's demanding more time of him, when he doesn't have very much free time as it is.

I remember coming home for a weekend just hoping to see my big brother, expecting nothing more than playing Mario 64 or Smash Brothers on the N64 with him because I missed him, and because my mom was saying he'd said he missed me. So, I'd find a way home to see him, and right when we were about ready to play some video games like the old days, she'd call and mess it up. She'd be yelling at him about how he doesn't spend enough money on her, and he'd get in a bad mood and he'd have to leave to go talk to her. Leaving me alone, and having only seen my brother for a total of five minutes, four spent listening to him fighting on the phone. And then I'd have to leave after a disappointed weekend of being bored and alone because everyone had to leave for work.

That's when I first started to become neutral about Leslie. I mentioned it in passing to my coworkers, who've now become very close friends. One of them claiming he'd tell a girl to take a hike if she ever said he didn't spend enough money on her. Which I couldn't blame him, I agreed. And I was sad because all I wanted was a lousy hour of time from my brother, which I still don't get.

My parents no longer like her at all. She forces every second of time with my brother and away from his family. My dad is getting fed up with my brother choosing to help her out, over helping him. When my dad is the one who gives him a roof, food, and only asks for help with the yard. My parents help us out a lot, they've helped him out a great deal. They're paying for my college, and soon I'll have my own apartment, they won't have to deal with as many expenses from me. Just college stuff, which I'm hoping to one day be able to pay them back, even if they don't want it. The simple fact is, Leslie is being a leech. She's sucking the life out of him...and taking all his time, energy, and money.

Now, she's worse than ever. She wants to get married to him, yet he never seems happy anymore. I don't want them to get married, she's destroying everything I once loved about my big brother. He's always angry and rude, he's never happy, he breakdowns to our mother crying. He doesn't have money to afford a wife, kids, a wedding ring, an engagement ring, a house... He can't afford any of that. He shouldn't be forced to.

I want my brother to break up with her, she destroying all that is my brother. But I don't know if I have the right to want this. Am I wrong? Are my parents wrong in wanting him to break up with her? Are we wrong for wanting to see him be happy again?