Editorial by Don BendellI AM THE REAL AMERICA.I am the American flag. I represent the reason you have had the freedom to protest, to scream, to rage, to vote for our leaders, and to often act like spoiled toddlers having a giant bawling temper tantrum. With acid tears burning my eyes, I have watched my sons and daughters die while serving in far-off lands or wash up on foreign shores. I have been draped over the cold coffins of these fallen heroes, folded and handed to their widows, to be later displayed in prominent places like fireplace mantels all over America. However, you have never seen the tears and my private silent sobs when Taps were then played on a loud lonely bugle, as that hero or heroine was dropped into a deep dark hole in Mother Earth. I became the last connection to the world above, to the families, to the annals of American history, the reminder of those brave souls who have gone beyond. The symbol of their families’ and their communities’ legacy of valor.
Imagine my sorrow and heartbreak when protesters, demonstrators, angry at injustices, and paid militant antagonists infiltrating their ranks, have lit me on fire or stomped me on the ground. What makes it so saddening and hurtful is that I also represent the freedoms to do such outrageous acts of disrespect to those whose blood and legacy of honor I represent, or the mob beat-downs of the innocent who loved me and many who served me in their younger days when they had the strength and ability to fight evil before their aging, wounded, brittle bodies started to fail them..How can so many who do not want to be kept within the boundaries of human reason, morality, and common sense by police officers who have risked their lives to protect you and me; not the few exceptions we find in any group, but real, caring cops? Instead of having police, how can they be so incredibly stupid to demand anarchy? How can they be so blind and not see that they are willingly being enslaved by puppet-masters who bastardize the American way of life to serve their own selfish ends? How can they be so blind? How can they have seen videos of ISIS members in the Mideast toppling statues and other works of art and religious and cultural history and smash them with sledgehammers, then try to do the same thing to statues in our parks and monuments?White privilege? What in the hell is that? I have been too busy struggling my whole life to live up to the legacy of valor my great, great grandfather, Andrew Jewell, left me when he laid his life on the line to serve in the Union Army to fight against slavery in the Civil War. Two of my sons and I risked our lives in the cause of freedom to fight in wars to live up to that hallowed family history, a legacy of honor which must be passed on by us. My oldest daughter also, Bible in hand, risked her own life in India and Africa as a missionary converting Muslims to Christianity, until only multiple sclerosis could stop her.
How is social justice and public outcry served when I see videos like a pack of hungry human wolves pouncing upon a teen-aged one hundred and twenty pound girl, raise her high overhead, slam her to the pavement, and then while taping the incident and laughing, twice climb on the rear fender of a parked car, and jump on her unmoving bloody body and head with both feet, then punch and kick her face over and over? Why should I respect your cries of outrage, when gangs punch and kick a helpless eighty-year old female business owner? Yet, you are complaining about police-brutality? You think you should kneel during the National Anthem and claim you are not disrespecting veterans like me?
Instead of pouncing on a lone teen-aged girl, or a little old lady, I am an old man, but a real man. Bring your pack of wolves and pounce on me instead, for I will send each of you to hell where you belong. I have had it, and so have many like me, the real Americans, not spoiled, over-indulged, snot-nosed brats who only have experience running in gangs because you are too scared to grow up and take on life, or you are living in mommy and daddy’s basement. More Americans own AR-15s than any other weapon, and I own at least one and many other weapons.  
I stand with my hand over the flag for the National Anthem or to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. I only kneel to profess my love to my wife, to pray, or to return fire. Mom and pop spoiled you and did not teach you respect, but I will. I represent the REAL America, and its flag.
ABOUT THE WRITERDon Bendell, is a 4-time best-selling author with over 3,000,000 copies of his 30 books in print and a Pulitzer prize nomination in 2011, a 100% disabled Green Beret Captain and Vietnam combat veteran, and a 1995 inductee into the International Karate and Kickboxing Hall of Fame, Don has a Masters Degree in Business Leadership from Grand Canyon University, and has 6 grown children and 11 grand-children. He and his social psychologist wife and co-author, Dr. Janet Bendell, own the Strongheart Ranch south of Florence, Colorado named for one of his best-selling westerns. They co-authored a motivational book on the myths of toxic masculinity and it is also a memoir, REAL MEN ARE COWBOYS & Women Love Them, which came out in February, 2020, and was a best-seller in its first week of release, and is available in print or e-book at all the popular places such as Amazon, Nook, Barnes and Noble, even Wal-Mart.