“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” – John F. Kennedy

It is customary to think about what we are thankful for as we gather with family and friends to celebrate the uniquely American Holiday – Thanksgiving.

The sentiments expressed this time of year may very well be sincere but if these sentiments are not followed by action, what value do they have?

I looked at the calendar and was shocked to see how fast Thanksgiving is catching up with us.  Not only that but Christmas is not far behind.  Somehow when Halloween gets here, it always seems there is plenty of time before the major holidays; then, in a flash, that time is gone.  Happy Thanksgiving to all. 

On the 11^th hour of the 11^th day of the 11^th month in 1918 World War I (WW I) ended.  WW I had left 9 million soldiers dead, 21 million wounded and at least 5 million civilians died.  WW I was the “war to end all wars.”  What WW I really did is laid the ground work for WW II.  The problem was that WW I ended with an armistice not a surrender.  The caldron of discontent boiled for 21 years in Germany.  The draconian measures, placed on the German people festered and caused the rise of Adolf Hitler.  November 11^th was celebrated to remember the American soldiers in WW I.  In 1954, the name of the day was changed to Veteran’s Day to honor American soldiers of all wars.

The results of the Virginia gubernatorial election are in and I am pleased to say the very anti-gun Terry McAuliffe was upset by newcomer Glenn Youngkin.  McAuliffe trotted every major anti-gun politician to support his candidacy in Virginia to no avail.  A few weeks ago, it looked like McAuliffe couldn’t lose but he did.  The Lt. Governor is Winsome Sears.  Sears served in the U.S. Marines and lit up the anti-gun left by being photographed with an AR15 which I am sure she knew how to shoot.  The shocked press is pointing out that Sears is the first black woman to be elected to a statewide office in Virginia.  Sears is red, white and blue through and through, those are the important colors.  During her speech to her supporters, she started the chant USA, USA, USA and the crowd loved it.

When you leave the house, the brisk morning air tantalizes your face.  There is little question that Fall is upon us.  If winter continues to be as wet as the Fall weather has been, it may be time to tune up the snow blower.  Seriously, it is time to winterize your car, SUV or whatever you drive as well as put emergency gear in your vehicle just in case something goes wrong.  Flashlights with new batteries, extra warm clothes, a blanket or two and ice scrapers are a start.  A few years ago, I picked up four college students off I-55 on a cold subzero night.  They only had light jackets on because they thought their car would be warm.  The car is warm until it isn’t.  Another tip is never let your gas tank get below half full.

The Virginia gubernatorial is a race to watch.  On November 2, 2021, Virginia will elect a new governor.  The race is between anti-gun former Democrat Governor Terry McAuliffe and Republican challenger Glenn Youngkin.  Virginia has become a blue state and McAuliffe should be a shoo-in but he is getting a lot of push back from Second Amendment supporters.  Just to add fuel to the fire, if McAuliffe wins, he will bring with him anti-gun Attorney General Mark Herring.  This will be Herring’s third term if elected.