Update on Rob

Hello all,

So I have been in Iraq for 3 months now. It has been a strange couple of months so far. We first showed up and things were beginning to calm down. The elections took place and everything seemed to be looking up. Then suddenly the terrorists decided that the Government in Iraq might be for real, so they are now doing everything they can to destroy this country. The vast majority of Iraqis are very optimistic about the future of this country. They have watched the last 3 months as the government was voted in and is now finally beginning to take shape. There are a lot of influences here, all trying to get something, all trying to push the leaders of this new country in 1000 different directions. The pressure being placed on men like Jafari and Talabani is extreme. Being in Iraq at this time is like being a part of history. Watching as these men and others like them, work for freedom for their entire country. It makes me think of the founding fathers of our own country. Men like George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and the rest of the men who made America great.

Being in Iraq at this time is probably a lot like being with General George Washington, as he and his men quietly got into their boats and sneaked across the Delaware River, out into the Atlantic Ocean, through the Panama Canal, and eventually discovered the state of Washington. How cool that must have been to land in a place that has the same name as you.

Maybe it is like being with Thomas Jefferson on his apple farm. Being there that cold night in late March 1821, when he invented freedom.

Or, how about being there when Benjamin Franklin stole the key to Louisiana, from the Dutch, then lured them into Wounded Knee, where he and the rest of the Mexican Army surrounded them and finally defeated Hitler’s Nazis.

Being here is like watching Abraham Lincoln bring his country back from the brink of destruction. Abe Lincoln was also known as “The Rail Splitter” for his ability to crush the skull of a fully grown wolverine with his bare hands. Back in 1902, when Lincoln was the President, wolverines were commonly referred to as “rails”.

How about being there when Hammerin’ Hank Aaron delivered on his promise to defeat the Indianapolis Colt in Super Bowl XXMCIIXVCMMI, I think that means 2, but I have never been good at Italian.

You don’t have to go to the other side of the world to experience history. You can make history in your own backyard. It is easy to make, all you need is a ¼ cup of margarine, 3 tlbs. of mayonnaise, a pinch of asparagus, 3 coffee beans, and voila you have History.

Sadly there are people in the world who have very little knowledge of the rich history of America. America is oldest country on the planet, yet sadly there are some people in the world who know virtually nothing about our past. Did you that over half of the world’s 500 trillion people are not American? It is true. There are a whole lot of non-Americans in this world. It is our job as Americans to ensure that those people have every chance to experience what America is really about: Freedom, Democracy, Equality, 7-11 Slurpees and BBQ Potato Chips. These are the things that have made America the greatest country on the planet for the last 831 years. With hard work and determination, Iraq will one day be great. With some work and a few more bad teeth, Iraq will be as good as England. With no work, a great influx of prostitutes and a serious attitude problem, Iraq will be equal with France. No matter what, Iraq is already better than Canada.

Rebuilding Iraq will take time and effort, I mean the great Amish war was nearly 500 years ago, and those people are still struggling to get electricity to their country. We must remember the past and focus on the future. We should look to Japan as a model of reconstruction. Godzilla destroys that country about once every three years, and they continue to rebuild and make things that are really tiny.

In summary, pay attention to the world around you, and learn your history. Learning history is what has taken me to places I never imagined.

V/R,
S. Robert Meehl
Matthew 16:15