A Father’s Day Tribute: To the Quiet Giants of the Rio Grande Valley
Today, we honor fathers—those who raised us with patience, grit, and quiet resilience. Fathers who taught us right from wrong, not with sermons, but by example. Fathers whose strength was not in volume, but in presence.
But this year, my heart is with a different kind of father.
The kind I saw on June 14th, at the No Kings Protest in the Rio Grande Valley. Elders who arrived alone. Some in wheelchairs. Many wearing veteran caps, holding flags—not as decoration, but as conviction.
There was a quiet defiance in their presence. No signs needed. No chants shouted. Just bodies weathered by time, still showing up for democracy.
These men—our grandfathers, great-uncles, fathers—stood not for glory, but for duty. They’ve already fought for freedom. And yet, here they were again—still fighting, this time with their presence.
In a time of bitter division, they remind us: Courage doesn’t age. And patriotism doesn’t bend to power—it bows only to principle.
They are showing their grandchildren, and all of us, what it means to truly love a country: Not by idolizing its leaders, but by defending its values. Not by waving a flag for show, but by carrying it where it’s needed most.
So this Father’s Day, I offer a special salute.
To the men who still stand. To those who still believe. To those who still show up—alone, but unshaken.
Happy Father’s Day To all who raised us. And to those still rising—for the sake of us all.