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Patriot Father

God blessed this Country, and through our commitment to him our Country will never fail.

I have not had the chance to take my son to a Fourth of July Parade yet ... and at fourteen months, most likely he is not going to remember much. I am a strong patriot ... proud of my Country and it's history.

Patrick needs to learn about the history that makes our Country great as well as the patriotism and respect is engenders. What can I do as a father to teach these lessons?

I need to teach some lessons to him ... and others, I will teach him by the example I provide.  Here are just a few things I have been thinking about over the last few weeks that I need to remember over the next few years.

Patriotic Events:
This is not just Fourth of July events, but local and state events. Patrick needs to see the pride I have in my Country and all aspects of what make this Country great. Having been involved with the US Army, and in particular with Recruiting Command, I have a great respect for what our soldiers do and this is one aspect of who I am that I pray Patrick will take to heart.

Patriotic Media:
Here, I am not just talking about movies (there are some amazing patriotic movies out there), but literature, as well. Exposure to these sources is a large part of my becoming the man I am today and again, I pray these same sources are able to impact Patrick mind and heart, equally as well.

Community Involvement:
I many not be actively involved as some are in the community, but I stay involved with my church and expect that I will have plenty of involvement as Patrick grows and gets involved himself. I do always take the time to at least monitor what is going on in my community.

Voting:
I have always voted, even if at times I have had to submit an absentee ballot. I take the time to research the candidates and issues being voted on ... and discuss those issues with my wife. I have also learned from my family that my actual vote is something personal, not even shared with family (this definitely keeps any arguments down).

There are some people in this country that feel that Patriotism is old, outdated, and out of fashion. I feel they are completely wrong ... in fact, I feel a strong need to pass on my patriotism to the next generation as my parents did with me.

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Location: Columbus, OH, USA

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