An Introduction To Robert

Welcome to our new place! This new partnership has fallen into place pretty quickly and we are both excited and enthused to press on and build on our own blogging experiences. I hope you will come back often and participate as much as you can so that we can have some lively discussions and do a little part in making America strong.

More than likely if you are reading this soon after it was posted, you know Jenn and me. You can fast forward if you like as this will be old news to you.

If you are new then I thought a brief introduction would be nice. I am a relatively normal guy who leads a relatively normal life in Helena, Alabama. I believe that the family environment is the greatest area of socialization and development for a child, and my home environment was led by a Marine father and my mother, who personified the values of a southern lady. My childhood was normal - I played baseball and my dad coached, I was a scout and my dad was a scout leader, I played sports and broke windows, cut grass and forgot to take the trash to the curb.

The first time I was eligible to vote was in 1984 and Ronald Reagan was my choice. Other than my dad, I don't really have heroes, but President Reagan was and will always be on the top of my respect list. His vision for America and the world was established at the right time in history. Politically, I was a conservative long before I applied a label to myself. I am a registered republican because the GOP most closely resembles my personal philosophy and ideology. At least it did in the 1980s. The GOP of today is weak and wishy-washy and undefined. The party leadership has been clueless since 1994 as how to govern and achieve results. This needs to change.

I am a christian, redeemed by the love of God and the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I am on the Road to Canterbury, having embarked on an Episcopal journey a short time ago after becoming disenchanted with the Baptist Church. As with all people, I fall short of perfection and forget to check my moral compass at times and freely admit it. My faith is my own, and I am not hesitant to share it but you will find that it does not occupy much of my written works. I simply proclaim my faith here so you will know about me and how my opinions and thoughts are formed.

I am proud of my partner in this endeavor! I have followed Jenn's blog since its inception and have always enjoyed her writing and especially her passion on issues. She has an ability that I lack, and that is communicating her points of view with emotion. The emotion in my writing usually manifests itself though sarcasm and ranting....lol. I think we will fit together nicely here, as we largely have the same beliefs expressed differently at times. She has a beautiful family to which she is committed, and her priorities always seem to be set. At times she keeps my focus where it belongs by her writing and her daily challenges, although I have never told her that fact. I truly appreciate the things she has to say.

My work experience often is relevant to my posts. I am a Marine and served in the Persian Gulf War and present for all three campaigns (Desert Shield/Storm/Calm). My formal education is an B.S. in Criminal Justice, and an M.S. in Justice and Public Safety. I was in law enforcement for most of a decade, and left in early 2002 to join the Department of Homeland Security. It was the one time in my life that I had achieved that which we all desire - a career that allowed me to actually look forward to every morning, and that work wasn't work at all, but a mission. The downside was that I was away from home almost six months of every year. My kids were getting older and I needed to be a baseball coach and a scout leader, not to mention my honey-do list that was five pages long every time I returned from a trip or assignment. I left DHS two years ago for an opportunity in the corporate world that isn't nearly as fun, but presented itself at the right time for my family.

So much for a brief intro, huh? More will be revealed through our posts and discussions, and I hope that you will bookmark, subscribe, link and generally take ownership of this site with Jenn and me. The door is always open, so feel free to drop in for a visit or stay the night. Where I am from we still sit on the porch and talk with neighbors for hours on end, and there is always a cold glass of tea for you!

Yahoo IM = rtclark0311