I received a heartfelt cc of an e-letter by an acquaintance from City Council days. We had attended a conference on Republican River problems, a conference for which the city denied my request for expense reimbursement. She represented a different governmental entity. E-mail addresses were part of the registration process and her organization has been sending to my inbox ever since.

Susie eloquently wrote: "The author should be ashamed of himself! How dare he call himself an American? I am incensed by this type of behavior! To deny that you are an American is wrong on so many levels. Doesn't he and his liberal buddies realize how many of our soldiers have fought and died that we may be called Americans? I would wager not! If they do not have the guts to call themselves American or stand up for this country then get out and stay out -- go to Canada. America does not need fair-weather citizens. America needs citizens that will support her and stand up for her and salute the flag and sing the Star Spangled Banner with pride! America needs citizens that are proud to be called American regardless of where they are or the times we live in.

"Too bad that some people do not understand what happens in times of war. Did they forget 9/11? I haven't. You do what you have to win the war and support our troops to get the needed information from the ENEMY! Do you think our soldiers are being treated like royalty? Get real! We are at war. I have a child that will deploy to Iraq in June; I want her to have every advantage possible. I have nephews that have spent 2-4 tours in Iraq; if the intelligence that was derived from such treatment kept them alive and will keep my child alive then I feel no pain for the ENEMY! We are at war. I do not like war anymore than anyone else. The liberal media only tells the bad things that have come of the war. They do not tell of what good the U.S. has done in Iraq."

In heartfelt prose she continued, "I am proud to be an American. I have always been proud to be an American. I will die being a PROUD AMERICAN! I am not proud that this country elected obama (sic) and it has nothing to do with the color of his skin, it has to do with his politics and his terrorist affiliations and his racist affiliations with the reverend and his anti-American ways. I do not believe in taking from hard-working people and giving to those who refuse to work. Spread-the-wealth crap! Work for a living, that is the American way. ONE PROUD AMERICAN!!"

I wondered what brought such vitriolic backlash from a governmental employee no less. The un-capitalized "obama" was purely intentional as she wrote that she deigned to give him the respect of capitalizing his name. And then I read the piece that her "very liberal" friend had sent her and I understood.

The Associated Press Bureau Chief, Vienna, Austria had written in part: "Date: Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2008. Suddenly, it may be cool to be an American again -- She was a stranger, and she kissed me. Just for being an American.

"It happened on the bus on my way to work Wednesday morning, a few hours after compatriots clamoring for change swept Barack Obama to his historic victory. I was on the phone, and the 20-something Austrian woman seated in front of me overheard me speaking English. Without a word, she turned, pecked me on the cheek and stepped off at the next stop. Nothing was said, but the message was clear: Today, we are all Americans."

"For longtime U.S. expatriates like me -- someone far more accustomed to being targeted over unpopular policies, for having my very Americanness publicly assailed -- it feels like an extraordinary turnabout. Like a long journey over a very bumpy road has abruptly come to an end."

The writer railed on about how one had to be careful when speaking English in the European public. At times he feared being identified as an American and how at times he had explained to angry glaring people that he was "Canadian." Speaking three languages, he also proudly wrote of faking being a "German in Serbia, a Frenchman in Turkey, and a Dutchman in Austria." He was especially embarrassed over the expose of Abu Ghraib and how cruel we are to keep terrorists at Guantanamo, Cuba. The U. S. citizen conveniently neglected to mention that in past wars combatants out of uniform were all summarily executed on the spot. Poor baby, his life in Europe must really have been tough, but all will be better now that we have elected a left-leaning liberal president!

I think Susie's response to her liberal friend, who had forwarded the AP article, was spot-on.

Today is the national holiday set aside to honor our country's military veterans. May we pause to especially remember those World War II vets who sacrificed in Europe to make Mr. Kolb's penchant to hide being American so tough. After all, had they stayed home, he would have had to learn only one language, no English, French, Italian, Turkic, Romanian, Dutch, Spanish, or you-name-it because only German would be necessary.

What then does the future portend for proud Americans? Will we all have to learn Arabic or will it be Farsi? Hopefully, reason will prevail and our new president will make us all proud to be Americans. And yes, governmental employee Susie and I, along with every other active duty or military veteran, will stand to and salute President Barack Hussein Obama. We are all proud to be Americans and that is just the way it will be!

That is the way I see it.