Our Florida Panhandle Tour   continued:   In Crestview, Florida, we met with Rosa Garrett from South Korea.   She married an American service man and came to the states some 25 years ago.   Of the contrasts between countries, she said what she found most striking was the difference (overall) between how elderly were treated in her country and how they are treated here.   For instance, in her country (until just recently) there was no such thing as: nursing homes.   “Families take care of their own there,” she said.   Also, how elderly are addressed in South Korea is much more respectful as well, Rosa continued…   There has, indeed, been a significant decline in respect for the elderly among the last few generations in America.   What’s more, I once told a newspaper in Champaign, Illinois, that the elderly in America are being pushed farther and farther to the margins in their retirment travels, assisted living facilities, nursing homes…   A wave of euthanasia for elderly seems to loom on the horizon as well — if more isn’t done to intervene…   We also recently stopped in DeFuniak, Springs, Florida where we stopped at Lake DeFuniak.   It is one of only two know perfectly round spring-fed lakes in the world (the other is in Switzerland).   The lake is one mile in circumference and over 60 feet deep.   There are a lot of theories about the shape, including a meteor strike.   Adjacent to the lake is the Walton-DeFuniak Library, purported to be one of the oldest libraries in the country…   While in DeFuniak Springs, we also met with Beth and Patrick   Stanley.   Patrick, 31, has Down Syndrome and still lives with his mom, Beth.   Patrick is an accomplished artist who has shown in a number of Florida gallaries and has designed a series of greeting cards.   Beth is very active in the National Down Syndrome Congress and is a strong advocate for “Life.”   She said so often when a couple finds out the baby in the womb has Down Syndrome, they’ll abort — and tremendously miss out on the “gift” God has in store for them.   She said despite Patrick’s various physical problems (asthma, orthopedic issues, and so on…) he has been an “absolute joy.”   Beth lobbies, hard, for more inclusion of Down Syndrome children in mainstream schools.   As these children are a gift to their parents, they too can be a tremendous gift to their classmates, said Beth, if only the classmates would slow down to include these children —  on every level…    So some of these Down Syndrome children are  currently being aborted.   It’s not hard to envision a time in this country, like with the elderly, that children with what we deem as “disabilities” will be tragically euthanized too…     Last night our family attended a Wednesday night prayer service at the Independent Baptist Church in Crestview, Florida.   The pastor said he saw the recent, highly-scary tornado activity in this country as part of “God’s judgement” for a nation going morally astray.   Given that we’ve now crossed the 50 million abortion mark in America, euthanasia looms like a tsunami here, sex and  violence pervade the media (and our cities), etc., etc., etc., … the pastor’s corollary may well be apt.   Note:   While  in Defuniak Springs, we attended Mass at St. Margaret’s.   In the back was a display that included a jar of water with clean water and a jar with quite murky water.   The display, sponsored by the Council of Catholic Women,  was to bring attention to the fact that one-sixth of the the world’s people don’t have access to clean drinking water.   Several years ago, during a campaign stop in Wisconsin, we met with an environmental science professor from the University of Wisconsin.   He said there was so much more the U.S. could do to bring more safe drinking water to the Third World.   And our administration would work over time trying to do just that.   Note 2:   I talked with Barbara Warburton, who lives in Destin, Florida.    She has been featured recently in a number of Florida newspapers per: her stance on the television show Family Guy.   She said shows like this are leading to the “destruction of morality.”   Through the Parents Television Council, Warburton and thousands of others filed a formal indecency complaint with the Federal Communications Commission to protest the program.   Oh, one other thing:   Mrs. Warburton’s son Patrick — is the voice for one of the animated  characters in the show.   Talk about sticking to your principles.   Note 3:   While in Florida, I talked to two high school classes in the country of Nicaraugua, via the magic of Skype.   It was a bi-lingual class.   Note 4:   A man approached me in a parking lot in McDonald’s.   He pointed to the:   Find us on Facebook signage we have on one side of the camper.   He then smiled and exclaimed:   “Facebook, You Tube… stick   it to the big man!”   He then gave me  a thumbs up and walked on.   Note 5:   While at the Sunset King Lake RV Resort in Defuniak Springs, I got in a conversation with a couple from Indiana who grew tremendously excited about our campaign because I was, indeed, an “average Joe.”   The husband is an airplane mechanic and said it was about time there was a common man in D.C.   He was getting fed up with a lot of the big money and partisanship.   I said to consider us and as a campaign promise, when I got to D.C., I’d change (there’s that “change” word) the Statue of Liberty to: a Hoosier.   As soon as anyone figures out exactly what a Hoosier is.   They laughed.