Lost Patriotism The local Grange Hall has always had a picture of the current President placed squarely in the center of the main meeting room wall. The patriotism dates back to WWII, if not further. While attending a meeting there, in 2004, I made a motion that we all sign a post card and send it to the White House in support of the President. The backlash was enormous. Even our ninety year old members nay-sayed the idea. The next day the President's picture has a mustache drawn on it. Divide and separate. I fear the dumbing of America has destroyed patriotism. The reality of 9/11 is that America was in a panic and we needed strong, quick, decisive leadership to step in and the President did an amazing job. Events and hysteria were moving fast and I shudder to think what would have happened without such leadership at the time. The Presidency must be the most thankless job in the World. The public, in their infinite wisdom from media watching, thinks the Presidency has more power than it does. America as a whole participated in the hysteria that gripped this nation following 9/11 with serious consequence what we called democracy, freedom and human rights. kbushnel.sdf-us.org/contact