Patriot's Day

It's Patriot's Day.  Time to celebrate.

**updated 5:07pm cdt
It's still too early to know exactly what happened in Boston this afternoon four hours after the Marathon began and as many runners were finishing with hundreds, if not thousands, waiting at the finish line.  Public servant heroes and volunteers who held hands of the frightened and led others to safety are to be thanked.  So, whatever cowardly minds may have cooked up this tragic event - the heroic spirit of American Patriots continues to show itself even in the midst of adversity.  dwm  ****

regular blog:
(And no, my friends in Indiana - this is not referring to the football team of the same name.)

Observed primarily in the Northeast, it commemorates the 'shot heard 'round the world' in the Battles of Lexington and Concord.

We should celebrate that shot still today.  It put into action what all the rhetoric was driving at in our exchange of words with the King of England.  It put our money and lives where our collective mouths were at the time.

In Boston, the day is celebrated with a Red Sox home game (against the Tampa Bay Rays) and the running of the Boston Marathon.

Since most of you aren't in Boston, this might be a day to think of those heroes - the Paul Reveres, Patrick Henrys, John Adams, and Crispus Attuck - and the heroes of country since that day.  The men and women who served our country and those that serve it today, whether it's public service or active duty military.

Thanks to Jonathon, Chris, Andy, Klay, Kathy, and the countless number of selfless folks who are our modern-day Patriots that keep our flag flying and a reality of the democratic dream that led to the 'shot' in the first place.

It's also fitting that today, April 15 (Tax Day) falls on Patriot's Day.  Paying taxes probably doesn't rise to the level of a patriotic act, but it is part of helping provide for those in our country in need and being part of the collective that support those public servant heroes.  So, thanks for completing your patriotic 'chore' in contributing to the Federal, State, and local governments... and on this day at least think of all those services provided that would be impossible without all of us working together.