Got no check books, got no banks. Still I’d like to express my thanks—I got the sun in the morning and the moon at night.—Irving Berlin The economy is sputtering. Congress is spending us into a black hole—make that a red hole—from which we may never crawl out. Americans continue to worry over the mounting job losses despite the Obama administration’s assurances that we are no longer losing them quite as fast.

Nov. 11 is Veterans Day—one day out of our busy lives that Americans stop to salute the men and women who have served, or are currently serving, in our armed forces. Americans are proud of their veterans. They are quick to thank and support them. When news of substandard living quarters at Walter Reed Medical Center broke, Americans were outraged that our troops could be treated so callously. Through programs such as the Wounded Warrior Project, families, friends, and concerned citizens give generously of time, talent, and money to help our returning veterans.

Early November is a busy time. Last-minute hype from candidates begging for votes fills airways and television screens. Politics reach a frenetic crescendo as Americans exercise their right to vote. It is fitting that on Nov. 11, we will stop for a day to honor our veterans who have fought to protect that precious right. This Veterans Day, President Barack Obama will be headed to Singapore for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting. But he did recently speak to about 3,500 sailors, Marines, and other service members at the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Fla. He eloquently expressed his appreciation to these military members for their service and their sacrifices.

On Monday, North Korea test-fired five short-range missiles off its coastline. The odd behavior had even Moscow scratching its head. “It was not the most suitable time to do this now, when all efforts are made to restart six-way talks on Korea’s nuclear option,“ a Foreign Ministry official remarked to the Itar-Tass News Agency. North Korea would prefer to forgo the six-party talks and is pushing for the prestige of bilateral discussions with the United States.

In October 1775, the 13 American Colonies were in outright rebellion against the crown—a rebellion that would change the course of world history. Throughout the Revolutionary War, the ROBIN
BERES
tiny Colonial Army was plagued by shortages of gunpowder. Desperate to obtain supplies of the coveted substance, the Continental Congress authorized the “procurement, fitting out, manning, and dispatch of two armed vessels to cruise the waterways in search of munitions ships supplying the British Army.“ That brief mission statement was the birth certificate of the United States Navy.

Had Wormwood’s first assignment been Syko Sam McCroskey, his task would have been much easier. The minion would have been a hero of the underworld and the letters from his Uncle Screwtape would have beamed with pride. C. S. Lewis’ book, The Screwtape Letters—a series of letters from a senior devil advising a junior demon on claiming the soul of a young man—describes how we allow evil to enter our lives. Sometimes it’s the little, insignificant things we do that permit evil to gain a foothold. But sometimes people just open the front door and invite it right on in.

Cuba has gotten a lot of attention lately. According to a McClatchy news report, the island nation is facing a severe toilet paper shortage. The problem won’t be alleviated until the end of the year. Cubans are forced to use their local news paper (which, luckily, is dirt-cheap). Cuban officials blame the problem on the suffering global economy and last summer’s hurricane season. CNN Commentator Fareed Zakaria may have identified a more accurate reason for the shortage: “Cuba’s continuing commitment to its bizarro world of socialist economics.“

Fall is right around the corner. Early last week she sent a calling card, delivered by chilly nights and blankets, to remind us of her inevitable arrival. In a few days, roads and streets will be filled with yellow buses busily transporting their cargo. Please remember to watch for schoolchildren. Our two daughters are ready for the academic year to start. They’ve got their clothes, they’ve got their backpacks, and they’ve got their schedules.

Our son John is beginning his fifth week of boot camp at Parris Island. Old fashioned, hold-in-your-hand letters are the only contact we have with him. Thankfully, he’s a good correspondent and his letters—for the most part—are upbeat. He’s homesick, hot, 10 pounds thinner, and has a new appreciation for family, friends, and hot showers that last longer than five minutes. Other than that, he seems to be doing OK. His experiences with “the world’s scariest people” (drill instructors), quarter-decking (ask a Marine), and learning to eat with his right hand (he’s a southpaw) without looking at his food are written with humor and self-deprecation.

My husband’s mother will be 90 in October. She grew up on a Wisconsin farm less than 50 years after the Ingalls family lived in their little house in the big Wisconsin woods. Industrious, hard-working, and always cheerful, she personifies the Midwestern work ethic. Hers has been a life dedicated to family, church, and career. Now that she is older, she has slowed down a bit. She no longer volunteers with the health department, but she still lends a hand at the local hospital and a nearby senior center.

On a wall outside the exclusive Black Pine Circle School in Berkeley, Calif., is a hand-painted mural. Each year graduating eighth-graders decide on their own what they will add to the mosaic. Prominently displayed on the wall is a large hammer-and-sickle. Below the image is the statement: “Capitalism Will Fail!“ Perhaps it will. But if it does, chances are that the aspiring little Fidel—or little Che—who scrawled that bit of graffiti will have a hard time adjusting to public schooling.

Political commentators have often observed that our two political parties fulfill different parental roles. Strong on security and national defense, the Republican Party is seen as the Daddy Party. Like many fathers, the Republicans have tended to stress fiscal restraint and individual responsibility. When the country is threatened by external forces or by those who would do us mischief, Americans often gravitate toward Republican leadership.

Twenty years ago this summer, with orders to Naval Base San Diego, our then-small family of four packed up, and after tearful goodbyes to family and friends (it would be five long months before we saw them again), left Milwaukee and drove the 2,100 miles to Southern California. Although we had planned the trip well, we were nervous, for we knew no one there, and had no idea where we would live.

My husband and I recently met a new VCU graduate. The young man is a native of southern Sudan and one of the Lost Boys. Today he is an American citizen and a registered voter, eager for his voice to be heard. The story of the Lost Boys of Sudan is an incredible tale of suffering and human endurance. During the Sudanese civil war (1983-2005) nearly 30,000 children were orphaned or displaced when Islamist government forces descended upon and brutally wiped out Christian villages in southern Sudan. Young boys were able to escape into surrounding jungles. Others were away tending crops or herds when the pillaging occurred. Sadly, their sisters were rarely so fortunate.

After eight long years, the Revolutionary War finally drew to a close in 1783. The Continental Congress had successfully managed that valiant struggle for independence. However, with the arrival of that freedom came new concerns. Knowing that a framework to govern was needed, Congress hastily drew up the Articles of Confederation to combine the Colonies into a weak confederation of sovereign states. Adopted by the Second Continental Congress in November 1777, the Articles were ratified in March 1781.