President Obama et all � I�m tired of the diatribe - It ain�t about race!
First; I am a fat old white man with whitish hair and a beard. I am a registered independent voter, a Christian that prays every day, and I believe that America, with all her faults and foibles, remains the greatest nation in the history of mankind and the place where anyone can find the greatest opportunity to become a productive, happy, and well educated free individual.
Last September I was headed home after shopping for my groceries and saw a young girl holding a hand-made �CAR WASH � ONLY $5.00 sign. Thinking that it was another fund raiser for some positive, local youth activity I pulled into the parking lot of Advance Auto Parts on Rodi Road in Penn Hills, a suburb of Pittsburgh.
A strikingly handsome black man who looked as if he could be an Olympic athlete came over to my car and asked me to pull into the curb and offered me a seat on one of several chairs placed under an awning that was obviously set up for the folks waiting for their car to be washed. I explained that I had two hip replacements, COPD, and lymphedema and would prefer to stay in the car. He asked about the COPD and I told him that the docs thought that it may have been caused by the Agent Orange so prevalent in the jungles of Vietnam. His demeanor immediately changed. He snapped to a full attention posture and snapped a sharp salute. I returned his salute and he explained that he had been in the Army on active duty for two years and had now been in the reserves for another 10 years.
With the assistance of a group of black people of all ages who were working together washing cars and pick-up trucks he washed my car. When they were done he, and all of the other people came over to the open window of my car. He introduced his entire family, including his mother and new wife who he had married the previous Saturday. He then asked if I would mind if his family prayed for my health. We joined hands and prayed together. This young man�s name is Tyrone Beaver and he, and his entire family, old and young, were washing cars all summer to raise the money for the annual Beaver Family Reunion. They paid for all of the expenses for the entire family, from all corners of the country, to be able to spend a week, every year, together because their family is so important to each of them.
We the People have grown tired of politicians trying to pull the wool over our eyes and divide us by using race as a weapon. Black, white, red, brown, yellow, green, or chartreuse � there is one thing the Beaver family proves beyond the shadow of a doubt, we are ALL Americans, believe in freedom and liberty, and will always find friendship and respect where some would sow enmity and dissension.
J. Terry Riebling
Author of:
�SEAL WARRIOR�
�Sniper�s Eyes�
