Two days before Christmas in 1973, it was cold and beginning to snow when I set out from Great Lakes ILL. at 6.a.m. to get home to my boys on Long Island. I was in the U.S. Navy then. My boys, Tommy, and Bobby were in a foster home in Levittown because my wife had left us. I was in the Navy and hadn’t enough money to fly home. I had always kept my promise to my boys and didn’t want to disappoint them.
Roger, a naval buddy had a car and could get me as far as Ohio. I could get a Greyhound bus there, which costs less. The roads were starting to get icy. All of a sudden Roger’s car skidded and hit the back of a truck. We were lucky and escaped unhurt. Now I was forced to hitchhike. As I was hitchhiking in the snow, I recalled a poem by Robert Frost, which went in part as follows,” The woods are lovely dark and deep, but I had promises to keep and many miles to go before I sleep.” Which I really had to do.
When growing up in the later part of the last century, the word “RAPE” was strictly taboo and considered derogatory.
The word “RAPE” has long been a forbidden topic due to the discomfort and emotional charge it brings. Our society’s strong norms around sexuality and violence make it difficult to openly discuss such issues, leading to a significant amount of stigma surrounding sexual violence.
Victims often feel ashamed or fearful of judgment, leading to silence and secrecy.
Make this holiday season magical for children in need! The mission of Toys for Tots, a program run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve, is to collect new, unwrapped toys each year and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community.
Toys for Tots began in 1947 as the brainchild of Marine Corps Reserve Major Bill Hendricks. Actually, it was his wife, Diane, who was the real inspiration. She had a few handcrafted dolls and asked Bill to deliver them to an agency that supports children in need. When Bill reported back to his wife that he could not find such an organization, she instructed him to “start one!” Maj. Hendricks and the Marines in his reserve unit in Los Angeles collected and distributed 5,000 toys in 1947. Seeing such successful community engagement in 1947, the Commandant directed all Marine Reserve Sites to implement the Toys for Tots campaign transforming it into a national community action program in 1948.
The Christmas season is just around the corner, and we need your help to bring joy and hope to children in America! Bring a gift of a new unwrapped toy to the Christmas/Chanukah Party on Dec 17th at Marbella Restaurant where US Marine Corps Reservists will be on hand collecting them, or drop them off before Dec 17th at Ret. Police Captain Joe Concannon’s house (89-11 237 St., Bellerose, NY). These toys will be distributed as Christmas gifts to make this holiday season special for our nation’s most valuable resources, our children!
The November 7th General Meeting of the Queens Village Republican Club was an ecstatic celebration of President-Elect Donald Trump’s historic victory as our 47th President of the USA! Just two days after the General Election, after days and weeks of biting nails down to the nub, we exploded in glorious celebration with a Champaign toast, sharing Trump victory cakes, doing the Trump dance to the YMCA song, with an amazing post-election analysis by Professor Nicholas Giordano, and other terrific speakers. See below for the complete videos.
Thank you to James Doukasfor videotaping our guest speakers!
Champaign Toast to President Trump’s Victory
Champaign Toast to our great victory! Congratulations on President Elect Donald J. Trump’s historic victory as our 47th President of the USA, in the Red Wave that swept our nation and is bringing on the “Golden Age of America.” Congratulations to all of our club members, your family and friends and all Americans. Thank God for protecting and saving America! God Bless America, and President Trump and all Americans.
Ret. PO Louis DeMarco: Wreaths Across America
Special guest speaker, Ret. PO Louis DeMarco is a volunteer and local coordinator for Wreaths Across America, a nationwide organization dedicated to our veterans. The mission of Wreaths Across America is to remember the fallen, honor those who serve, and teach the next generation the value of freedom.
Lisa Azzarelli Founder of Save Our Schools
Lisa Azzarelli was a special guest speaker at our club’s Nov. 7th Victory celebration. Lisa is an education advocate and the founder of Save Our Schools, a grassroots watchdog group for local school boards and administrators.
Professor Nicholas Giordano Gives an Amazing Post-Election Analysis
We welcomed back our friend and special guest speaker, Professor Nicholas Giordano, who presented a Post-Election Analysis, like no one else can do. Nicholas Giordano is a professor of political science and the host of The PAS Report Podcast. Follow him on X @PASreport.
