If it is in the corner with me it is only because I am lucky enough to have the ability to move to Belize if it gets to hairy here.

I agree that nobody should have the right to force you to say something you don't believe in.

After 9/11, I was called into a meeting. I was abroad when it happened and as an American in a Muslim Country at the time, it was kind of hairy. In this meeting, my sponsors said that they wanted to show a complete showing of "Patriotic Support" of our country.

They put a basket in the middle of the table that was full of different sizes and styles of American Flag stickers. They told me that all of my equiptment was in the process of having the American Flag either sewn or painted on it.

I stood up and said, how is forcing us to place the American Flag on our luggage or Leathers or Machines or whatever else we personally own going to be a showing of "Patriotic Support"?

Isn't freedom of choice what America is all about? Isn't this just false patriotism? I mean, if I see what happens and am motivated to die my hair like the American Flag and paint my gear all like the Flag, THAT is my business and what makes America so great. If I chose not to, that too is what makes America so great.

Freedom of Choice, not Freedom From Choice is why I love my Country.

I will never forget the looks on my bosses faces or the effect that stand had on my relationship with them. Sadly, it led to me having to eventually stop talking with them all together as I moved to another contract and a different company.

In the end I did exactly what I would have done if I hadn't been TOLD to do so, I cut my hair into a mohawk (a haircut you don't see too often around the world) and died it red white and blue. I already had the American Flag on my gear so no need to put more on and rub it in the faces of my international friends and co competitors.

My partner had all of his gear painted red white and blue as well as his gear and equipment. I was proud of him for doing what was in his heart. He stopped talking to me for being critical of being told to show support for our country.

We laugh about it today when I see him which isn't often as I have retired and he is still with the circus trying to be the best but I can say that it is a sort of sore point between us.

"Under God" and other such things make my heart happy and my soul feel filled, but, I have no right to try and make you feel the same way (or your daughter or any kid)nor, is it even remotely possible.

Why is it so hard for so many to understand? I mean, if god wanted us to be a race of subserviant yes men who all shared the exact same veiws, he would have made us that way.

Instead, he gave us freedom of choice and THAT is the cornerstone of Christianity as well as What our Country was FOUNDED on.

The freedom to believe, or not instead of being made to do so.

My ex manager bought an estate that is on the beach and over 80 acres with what I would call a Mansion on it in Costa Rica for $227k a year ago. He paid a "security tax" of $20k for two full time government supported police officers to be stationed outside his estate and available to him by simply picking up a special phone that goes directly to their station.

They are part of a bigger community police force who they in turn call when there is a problem giving him a force of as many as 20 policemen at his disposal if needed. In other words, it is safer then his home in El Segundo California was.

He has satelite television that ISN'T direct tv where he has to pay for each little different variation of programming he wants as is typical of what happens with the rest of the world.

He pays $300 per year in taxes.

My point? Where the United States is a great country, it is rapidly becoming a scary place to live and a place where our personal freedoms are vanishing faster then you can name them and as it happens, some of us are finding that there are other viable options that provide in many ways better opportunities to live a happy healthy and free life.