This is a note originally posted at Facebook describing some recent political events in Delaware:

Thurman Adams and Joe Biden weren’t likely political soul mates. Adams was a gentlemanly old style Southern Democrat. A social conservative vexing the liberals in the northern reaches of Delaware, the powerful State Senator died last week. Biden offered a eulogy at Saturday’s funeral. I didn’t go. It isn’t personal. The redhead’s grass hadn’t been mowed in almost two weeks because of our unexpected monsoon season and I only met Adams on one occasion. No disrespect intended and I offered my respects to the man’s family during my radio show.

An acquaintance did attend and Tuesday telephoned me with news of what he labels a gaffe. Biden was reminiscing during his eulogy. The American born Biden explained it wasn’t easy as an Irish-Catholic to get elected to the U.S. Senate from Delaware in 1972. Biden often works to portray Delaware as Philadelphia, Mississippi in 1964 and ignores the fact political power is actually concentrated in New Castle County, Delaware, which is a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Biden then looked at the Adams family and said it’s like running for office as a “black convert Jew”.

My acquaintance was seated with friends. He is roughly the color of President Obama. He voted for the Obama-Biden ticket. He wasn’t pleased by what he views as a condescending, stupid and racist remark. Recently elected to his local school board, my acquaintance is growing very disillusioned with the rampant socialization of his country.

You know, I may have learned about this earlier but I had a rare three day weekend from work. None of which was spent on rest and relaxation. Yard work Saturday and a shopping trip Sunday and Monday I went to New Castle County, where I was a guest of a local Republican club being built on new internet technology. I came home late, went to bed after 12:30 A.M. Tuesday and by 10:00 A.M. was showered, shaved and dressed to meet an old Castle. Cap and Tax Castle, Republican Representative Mike Castle is one of the 8 members of his party jumping ship last week on a plan to put the final coffin nail into my country’s economy.

He was holding a town meeting and I carried two signs with me. “China thanks Mike Castle” read one and the other “Malevolent Mike”. He saw only the first and asked if I was representing China. Then he dashed into the meeting to see more than 200 people waiting for him. About 6 were there asking him to support socialized medicine. The rest to suggest he retire. Mr. Castle may run next year in a special election to fill the last four years of Mr. Biden’s U.S. Senate term.

I’ve now heard GOP reaction to Mr. Castle’s vote on both ends of my state. He may no longer have much support. His most recent vote isn’t an aberration.

Castle still has a few friends. There are people who moved here from Annapolis and Washington to open pottery shops, however. Firing pottery requires a great deal of generated energy. Here’s a suggestion, put down the clay, pick up a sign and join me in the effort to retire the guy.

Patriot Day was created through a proclamation (Public Law 107-89) by President George Bush after the terror attacks on September 11, 2001. The day is in memory of the nearly 3000 who lost their lives at the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, DC and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. President Bush has made the resolution and proclamation to designate September 11 as Patriot Day each year since 2002. The legislation requests that President designate September 11 as Patriot Day each year. The day is a discretionary day of remembrance – which means it is not an official public holiday.

How or when Patriot Day is observed depends on your location. US flags are to be flown at half-staff and flown from residences as well (that includes US buildings abroad as well). Now, here’s where location will make a difference. Americans are asked to observe a moment of silence beginning at 8:46am (EDT) to mark the first plane, American Airlines Flight 11, crashing into the World Trade Center in New York City. A moment of silence could also be held at 9:03am (EDT) when the second plane, United Airlines Flight 175, struck the second tower of the World Trade Center, at 9:43am (EDT) when American Airlines Flight 77 slammed into the Pentagon or at 10:10am (EDT) when United Airlines Flight 93 went down in a field near Shanksville, PA.

Initially the day was called the “National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for the Victims of the Terrorist Attacks.” Then changed to Patriot Day by a by Joint Resolution 71 which was approved in the US House by a 407 – 0 vote (25 members didn’t vote) on October 25, 2001 and approved unanimously by the US Senate on November 30, 2001. President Bush signed the resolution into law on December 18, 2001.

People have had some trouble wrapping their thoughts around Patriot Day – with most referring to the day as 9-11 or September 11th instead. Another problem with the day is that it is often confused with Patriots’ Day (one has an ‘s’ and one doesn’t). Patriots’ Day is observed on the third Monday in April and is a civic holiday in Massachusetts and Maine. It is also a public school observance day in Wisconsin. Patriots’ Day has nothing to do with Patriot Day.

Canada shares the observance of Patriot Day as well with flags on the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa and all Canadian diplomatic missions in the US flying at half-staff.