Great question Americus and I loved it since you posted it but wanted to wait until I replied to give it the proper respect it deserves.

Without a doubt our parents give us the foundation whether we follow in their footsteps or deviate180 degrees away. My dad is a self proclaimed war mongering capitalist and a 20 year Marine Corps veteran. As such I attended base schools until the 5th grade when my dad was transferred to Okinawa Japan on a single billet which meant his family could not come along. That also meant that my mom, my sister and myself were essentially evicted out of our home while my dad was sent away for a year and had to live in town and attend public schools. Food for thought for all of you non military brats, my neighbors in “our” court including my family were 3 African American families, 2 Puerto Rican families, 2 Caucasian families and on 1 Philippino family. This was crew, my Sand Lot so to speak. We didn’t know what race was, the only color we did understand was Marine Corps Green.
Transition that to moving into town. It was the mid 70’s so racial tensions were high. Whites and blacks only commingled on sports field, talk about a shock. I was exposed to 2 very distinct realities at a very young age. The point being I learned discipline while dad served our country.

When my dad retired he moved us to SE Ohio to fulfill his lifelong dream and become a farmer. If you know anything about farming you know that self reliance and problem solving are paramount to success. You also learn to love and respect the land you live in. Protecting and respecting the environment is a daily responsibility. Despite some environmentalists claims, farmers don’t intentionally poison the water supplies because their livestock drink that same water as well as the game you hunt and the fish you catch.

I played football in HS and ran track. There I learned the value of teamwork.

Upon graduation I went to college. I didn’t like it. The academic portion was okay, getting shouted down by people that have never accomplished anything for having a different point of view was off putting. Ironically the worst offenders were the same ones preaching about having an open mind, go figure. After several incidents of having my point of view being outright dismissed for being a dumb hick I dropped out to join the Navy. There I learned a trade and leadership.

To summarize, my views and political beliefs have been shaped by every step I have taken in life. From discipline, to self reliance, understanding that people are the same based on the environment they are in, to teamwork and questioning motives of people in power. I am simply a product of my life experiences.

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