Today We Remember Who Fought For Our Freedom. Today We Also Remember Who Took Our Freedoms Away.

From a Son of a Wounded War Vet this is a special day. My father, Lebanese, found the Freedom and Life unlike places far away. Dad, was a proud American who fought for his county. Who fought to ensure the freedoms of the citizens of this Great County.

Today, I honor dad and the thousands of men and women who fought for our rights, for our freedoms. The very people who left loved ones behind to fight for this country. The very people who often came home to their loved ones like this. They paid the ultimate price for us. We Owe them. We thank them, their families and all who have served. .

I didn't sleep well last night. As I'm sure many of you didn't. I know you didn't, you were calling me. My last call early, early this morning was from a Bar Tender/Waitress. She needed to talk. The fear in her voice haunted me all night as I did my best to make her feel good. She watched Springfield City Council tell her she was no longer going to be able to work. She has three small children she is raising on her own. She has no family here, no one to turn to. Her income is it. It's all up to her.

After hanging up with her. I thought about Veterans Day that we all are celebrating and should. I thought about all the men and women who are resting here, in Arlington National Cemetery and in Cemeteries around the country. I thought of Dad.

What would these people think after giving so much to have Politically motivated people strip the freedoms away from the citizens they serve. The Freedoms these souls fought for and in many instances died for.

During laughter and birthday wishes the Springfield City Council and Mayor Jim Langfelder outlined plans to shut all bars down and dine-in, in conjunction with Sangamon County Officials. The shutdown begins at the stroke of midnight going from Thursday to Friday. The Mayor, knowing the DATA is flawed reversed his position citing spikes in COVID cases in the County and City. The Mayor even stated himself there is no evidence that Bars and Restaurants are the root cause of these spikes, but did say we do know that house parties and other private gathers are. But that didn't matter. Political pressure in order for the Governor to save face was a stronger motivation than the people our local officials serve.

So our city leaders shut small businesses down driving people to the very places that are the root cause of COVID spikes. House parties and other private gathers. Oh, yes, the Mayor said he wants to ban all such gathers for the month of November as well.. No Thanksgiving no more of those special family moments. Nope, not this month the Mayor and Alderman/women say.

Our City and County and Our State leaders hide true DATA while taking away the freedoms many sacrificed to ensure we the people had. They took away our right to choose, and decide, they took away our right to a livelihood. They took from us our FREEDOM, and on all days, the celebration of our Veterans who again fought and died for those freedoms.

COVID is real. But it is real with a 97% plus survival rate. It is real but the mortality rate is down. Yes positive cases are up as expected with more testing. So, While COVID is real so is suicide which has also spiked around the country and I fear will here at home. When people lose hope they often turn to what they consider a last resort. COVID is real but so is Drug Abuse which is also spiking. Every experts say when you restrict people Drug and Alcohol abuse goes up. COVID is real but so is Child Abuse and Domestic Abuse. Again, experts say when people are confined, lost and have no hope they tend to lash out.

So I go back to that Bar Tender/Waitress I spoke to last night for a long time. I can say the words like , everything will be fine. But I don't Know. Will it?

Governor, Mayor, County Leaders, do the right thing. Give back the freedoms our Veterans fought for. We must fight COVID together, but we must go on living as we are seeing in most of our surrounding states. Life can not stop. Right?

Thank you Veterans. I'm saddened your special day is tainted with the bad destructive decisions of our Political leaders. I hold you in my heart. Dad I miss you. I wish we could talk. Especially now.