Let us not forget . . .

I, like most other citizens of our United States of America will spend part of my day today reflecting on what happened seven years ago – September 11, 2001. As we all should. We were dealt a terrible blow with horrifying results.

Jesse Brown, part of The Rowdy Friend and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Traditional Country Music Association of the Upstate, had just joined the SC Army National Guard that Spring. Like so many who joined the Guard, he had a definite sense of duty but looked at it as helping in times of emergency in his home state of SC– such as a hurricane. His additional motivator was to pay to finish his college education. Less than 6 months in “September 11th” happened. It wasn’t too long after that his entire Company made history. They were the first SC Army National Guard Communication BN activated and sent to an area of conflict, and served an active military role during wartime. In that support role they (over 300 of them) were spread out throughout Iraq and Kuwait. Since then, many other National Guard troops have filled key roles in this conflict, and now almost 4 years since going over the first time, Jesse's group is looking at another rotation next year.

Jesse has a way of giving two points to his experiences – what he enjoyed most and what he liked the least. When asked of this experience – over a year in “the dessert” he had two points of ‘liked the most’. The first was meeting the children of Iraq. The joy of a child was magnified when there wasn’t a lot to be joyous about. The second was his music. His one “luxury” item he took with him was his old flat top guitar. His team worked 12 hour shifts, and in between there really wasn’t much to do . . . other than sweat in the terrible heat. He had the night shift, and after the evening meal and before reporting in he would sit around with his fellow soldiers and pick the guitar. LOTS of Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, and some of the Georges too – Jones and Straight. When asked what he liked least . . . he just looks off into the distance of his mind and says quietly he’d rather not talk about that.

While our organization, TCMA Upstate, is all about history - you have to look at history to see the future. What worked helps shape what improves our future, and what didn’t we need to avoid. This is true in music and life in general. We need to keep history in mind while thinking of our futures here in the United States. . . . .

. . . in that direction . . . I’m not much of a political person. I do take my freedom and duty to vote seriously, however, and I try to be informed on the candidates and their positions and then vote the way I think things should go. Of course I have found you don’t always know what to believe. What you hear in the news and in the political speeches and ads isn’t always what it truly seems. I just think when we risk the lives of our men and women in the military –to protect us where ever they are asked to go, AND, the lives of our citizens here at home through threat of terror in the United States . . . well, we all need to listen closely and ask hard questions. Then go vote for the person whom we think can steer our nation and our Military in the way we as individuals think best. I hear people say they LOVE one candidate over the other – or won’t vote for one over the other for reasons that have nothing to do with ability. Folks – substance matters. SUBSTANCE and ABILITY. PLEASE, listen to the debates and see which candidates in your local elections as well as National have the substance and ability you think is needed to help lead our communities and our great Nation in the direction you would like it to go. THAT is why we have the freedom to vote, and why we all need to take that freedom seriously and exercise it.

Okay – I’m off my soap box for now. BACK to traditional country music . . . if you haven’t been to our Front Porch Picking yet – how about joining us this Saturday? I’m definitely looking forward to it! RJ