Just imagine for a moment living under conditions such as these:

A baby boy had both legs broken by supporters of President Robert Mugabe to punish his father for being an opposition councillor in Zimbabwe.

Blessing Mabhena, aged 11 months, was seized from a bed and flung down with force as his mother, Agnes, hid from the thugs, convinced that they were about to murder her.

She heard one of them say, “Let’s kill the baby”, before Blessing was hurled on to a bare concrete floor.

When reading of these deplorable actions it forces one to take pause and realize that for all of this country’s shortcomings and our disconnect at times with our leaders, we are so blessed to live in America.

Bears in the wild (and a glimpse of a few other species too.)

This had to be saved for last as I felt it was most important:

I will keep my feelings for General Clark to myself for various reasons but I will personally thank him for awakening me once again to the importance of this presidential election.

Laura Lee Donoho said it best in this brilliant post:

Clark’s contemptible attack on Senator John McCain’s service and patriotism may have an unexpected result. I have had it with Barack Obama and his surrogates and his friends in the media. I have stated in the past that I will vote for John McCain because I am more concerned with national security than any other issue but I haven’t done much blogging about McCain or spoken up in support of him.

No more. I have had enough! I’m going to put my money where my mouth is.

Did Wesley Clark awaken a sleeping segment of the electorate with his statements? Only time will tell, but he definitely captured my attention.

John McCain may not be a candidate many of us would have chosen, but he rises head and shoulders above those who ride on the fringes of the far left.