Publisher's note:  Today being a day set aside to remember our fallen heroes, Sybele Capezzutti, an occasional contributor to The Patriots Press remembered her former father in law, a man named Al, and has graciously shared some of her fond memories of him.  A very fitting tribute to one soldier while offering a salute to all of the men and women that gave it all.

If you missed the 3:00 moment of silence, take a moment wherever you are and just offer a silent prayer for those who have served and are now gone.

Sybele Capezzutti:  The ones close to me know my great love and respect for my former father in law, who unfortunately is no longer with us.

We spent hours sitting at his back yard while he smoked a cigar and told me his war stories, he always tried to make light of it as he told them in a very casual and matter of fact way.... but I could feel the deep sadness in his heart.

He was wounded trying to save his platoon and received several medals, including the Bronze Medal and a Purple Heart; all of which sat in a box and he never even mentioned it until I decided to frame them and give him the respect he deserved.

The medals meant nothing to him, the memories meant everything!

For all his life he carried the pain of seeing his friends die in combat, the guilt for being back home with his family while so many didn't return.

They were young men, all from the same neighborhood, and some gave all. I've learned a lot from Al through the years of spending those precious afternoons with him....I've learned about friendship, resilience, honor, and patriotism.

There is no glory in war, and oh....how I wish we would never have to fight another war again!  But there is glory in a soldier, in his love of country, in his dedication to freedom, in his selfless acts to keep his brothers safe during battle, in his heart that aches forever tormented by the memories he has to carry, and in the ultimate sacrifice leaving behind loved ones as his body lies lifeless on the battle ground.

Hate the war, but love and respect the warrior, their sacrifice is for you, be thankful!  On this Memorial Day let's join Col. West in a moment of silence at 3 pm and show our respect for the fallen, they've given way more than 1 minute of their lives for you.

Publisher’s note:  I was gonna rant today.  My Oatmeal at Micky D’s wasn’t as hot as I like it, my car is making a new noise, one of my good friends went through a verbal gauntlet today, (although he shined like the champion he is) and while I don’t have any real reason to, I just felt like letting loose.  

Thankfully, another great friend and a guy with just an amazing flare with words did rant.  Since I like his rant better than what I was probably gonna say, and God knows it saved me an hour, I decided to let him speak for me.  Thank you Clarke J. Jones, Jr.

Clarke J. Jones, Jr.:  There are several things that we can count on as perpetual constants in today's society. The usual, obvious ones include the end of mortality, taxes, eternal salvation to all believers in Christ and bills, to name a few.

However, as of late we are realizing numerous unwelcome additions to this list of life experiences in alarming numbers. These include the secularist, humanist domination of our culture, the denouncement of religious convictions as applied to and through our government, the denigration and de-sanctification of marriage, the neglect of our youth by an unhealthy number of self absorbed Americans, pagan ideologies of dubious origin being recognized as acceptable, the legitimization of Sharia Law, an all encompassing, somewhat hypnotic worship of pop culture and a national fascination with sexual deviancy and wanton promiscuity.

I am truly sickened by what has happened to this country in nearly every facet of our society. We as a nation twice elected a mental midget in the MIC, a man who grew up hating everything we stand for. This man takes the definitions of words like fraud, charlatan, huckster and yes, subversive to levels we've not ever seen in our highest office.

The MIC, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, Harry Reid, Eric Holder, George Stephanopolis and those like them have devised a plan for this country against the will of all, like you and I who appreciate and love it. They have cleverly divided us along racial lines, dismantled our founding documents, placated our enemies, disarmed our once salient perimeters, reduced our military to a point of weakness and glorified all that is ungodly.

They have abused our allies to a point that we are no longer credible while bowing to adversaries whose intentions are to destroy us.

Yes, I am ranting.

Publisher’s note:  I love reading some of the day to day comments of people I know on the various social media.  I just happened to be scanning a few that popped up when I came across this little ditty.

I don’t know if Christy was sounding off at any particular individual or simply in general, however it occurred to me while reading it that is applies to most of us at least some of the time.

Mind you, from everything I know about her, Christy is a hard working lady that is, like most of us, just doing her best to overcome the daily struggles we all face.  She goes to work every day, pay bills, watches the country and world fall apart, and generally just minds her own business. In short, she’s a class act, and I think her brief “rant” speaks for a lot of people.

Christy Shelton:  Some days it's all I can do to make myself function.  But I press on.  I know people that I've tried to help and motivate that can't even leave the house.  I'm tired of being everyone's cheerleader!  I have no one cheering me on but I get up and go because if I stop I may never start up again. 

I can't carry you!  You at some point have to motivate yourself.  Your life may not be easy but neither is mine.  I have all I can handle and some people are such a drain on me.  If you want better, do better; hell do something! Start by not complaining constantly and talking about your problems.  They don't help being talked about and they weigh me down too.  Maybe if you encourage someone else while you're having your pity party you may feel better. I know the rest of us would.  Some of you have so many people that care about you and you don't even pay attention.  Have you ever thanked them or tried to pay them back? Maybe just honor them with a small gift?

I'm tired of hearing it.  I have no one but the Good Lord helping me and some days are a struggle like you don't know!  So when you piss and moan constantly yet do nothing to change things, don't be surprised that at some point I just spit out the truth. 

You're not the only one with issues or lonely or tired or whatever!  Sometimes I'm a bitch and usually when I've reached my point of overload of playing second fiddle, being treated like crap etc.  I am not white privileged or any other thing.  I'm a woman trying to live my life with minimal drama and BS. I can't fix you!  You have to do something to help yourself.  I can encourage you but I can't do the work for you!  You're capable…just put forth the effort and stop blaming and whining!

That is all.

Most of us have seen the images of the mom that smacked her teenage son all the way to the car removing him from the protest in Baltimore.  She has gained the title of Mom of the year for her parenting.  There were even cartoons saying "forget the police, bring in the moms"....the solution to all of this is right there, in a joke. 

Can we really blame slavery from almost 2 centuries ago, or oppression, or lack of opportunities, or should we blame the undeniable deterioration of family values that by coincidence seem to be more dominant in poorer areas? 

Coincidence?  Maybe not. Under the guise of compassion the welfare system has created a cycle of dependency that rewards broken families and single mothers.  One receives a lot more assistance if the father is absent from the home and if the mother is unwed, thus creating a huge incentive against families. 

The "war on poverty" did absolutely nothing to eliminate poverty, we actually have a bigger problem today 50 years later.  The "war on poverty" did accomplish what they didn't reveal as their goal.  It kept people poor, it kept them needing help, it taught them that the head of the household is the welfare office, that moms are better off single, that dads are not needed, that being a victim, although undesirable, is the only way to survive. 

If all moms started to discipline their kids like the so called mom of the year, if all moms actually took their responsibility as educators, mentors, healers, and partners with God in the formation of these young minds, there wouldn't be crime infested neighborhoods, there wouldn't be Mike Browns, Freddie Grays, and the thousands looting and rioting. 

Sure there are bad cops, but the majority are good cops that sadly have to deal with a side of life that most of us never see, a side of life that makes it very hard to always know how tolerant one can be before becoming the victim. 

One brave mom, that has not forgotten her role in a child's life, and her instant fame for doing what all moms should be doing, might just be the best thing that came out of Baltimore! 

It is not a racial problem, it is a lack of family values problem. So yes! Bring in the moms, and dads, and grandparents!

Sybele Capezzutti