From the desk of Bob Kjar
President, AFA Houston, San Jacinto Chapter AF233

Does anyone remember the song, “When the lights go on again all over the world”? People began singing it when I was only an 8 year old lad. But I remember it well. It was the dark days of World War II. The song represented the hopes and dreams of a free people saddled with the task of ridding the world of a scourge, the likes of which had not been known in history. I remember listening to the song on my father’s Zenith radio console. No one in the civilized world was immune from the sorrow and sacrifice of that time. Resources were scarce and it is a tribute to the leadership of that time that these scarce resources were allocated in a manner that kept the engines of war and the engines of the economy going at the same time. When the lights did come back on, America enjoyed a prosperity that has transcended time and is the envy of all nations. Some seven or more wars ensued after that Great War and the lights have never been turned off. Unlike the ration stamps and arch conservatism of the Great War, the American people have been able to live normal and even extravagant lives of luxury through the wars that ensued. It is a tribute to our wonderful free enterprise system and democracy that has allowed us to prosper in both good and bad modern times. The foundation for our great prosperity today was established by these humble, God fearing people, our parents and grandparents. Today we stand once again in dark times. Our enemy is both within and without, seeking to destroy our great institutions and us as a people. The test will be whether we as an American people have the guts, fortitude, integrity and strength of character to endure difficult times, extreme hardships and to give up our luxury’s to promote our own preservation. This has nothing to do with global warming. It has everything to do with we the people allocating our resources carefully and skillfully to ensure that we can both fight and survive. It requires every American to sacrifice for the common good. Today, it is not so much getting the lights back on in the world but getting the lights on in our own brains. Of going back to the core principles of honesty, character, integrity and hard work that made our ancestors so great. We can defeat our enemies! But only by returning to that deadly resolve, determination and sacrifice that was the hallmark of our parents.

Bob Kjar, President, AFA Houston, San Jacinto Chapter AF233, bob@kjar.org