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Not Ashamed Of My Country
I am proud to be an American! I vote, pay taxes and believe in the American way. I am a citizen, a patriot and having many members of my family serve and die in the military, I fully support all our men and women in harms way - BUT I AM NOT HAPPY with the direction our government has taken.
SO... I guess I must resort to the DOG HOUSE to let off some steam. IMMIGRATION - need I say more? There already exists a perfectly sound process for gaining entry and eventual citizenship to America. Granted, it can be slow and tedious but my grandparents (maybe yours) and millions of others have taken that road. WHAT IS GOING ON IN WASHINGTON? What brilliant minds are calling the shots? Hello??? The lights are on, but nobody is home!!!
I voted for President Bush the first time around (2000). He seemed like a likeable, down to earth guy who wouldn't get caught up in partisan politics, but rather - govern from the heart. Unfortunately, I think he surrounded himself with bad people from the start - castaways and throwbacks to his father's administration.
After 4 years of mis-steps, poor planning and debaucles, I felt duped! The war in Iraq: Did we have to go? I don't know... but it isn't really relevant at this point. BUT DID ANYBODY HAVE A PLAN BEYOND BLOWING UP Bagdad and taking down Saddam??? It sure doesn't seem like. Seems more like the admistration believed their own rhetoric about being greeted with flowers as Liberators and the Iraquis just blindly accepting Democracy! C'MON... an Ancient Culture with Tribes and Sects, totally subjegating women and living by Sharia Law (stoning people - mostly women to death) is just going to change overnight? Don't get me started...
Even so, after 4 years my biggest gripe was the Economy and Health Reform. I know those are big issues and no President ever is totally responsible for the state of the Union at any gven time. BUT what made me so mad was that during the year campaign buildup to the election, the President maintained that the "economy was strong, and growing stronger". Meanwhile, here in SW PA I was losing my shirt! All of my savings and resources were used up during a 2-3 year recession that saw me doing half of my sales numbers from previous years! I hung on as long as I could... and finally without any other recourse, I had to let 2 of my 3 employees go. People who had been with me since I started my business. I was able to give them 2 months salary and a year of Health Insurance! I felt terrible. But after a year of merely paying everyone else and literally bringing $0.00 home, I was in finacial despair. AND YET, I would turn on the TV and hear during the debates, "the economy is strong, and growing stronger". That's when I lost my faith. I knew that the eventual outcome would have likely been the same, but I would of much rather heard President Bush say, "we know that things are tough out there and that many of you are struggling to stay afloat. We feel for you and all we can say is we hope you can hang in there. We've got a plan and when it's effects kick in, we believe things will turn around". At least then, I could of felt like he was on top of things. That he understood reality. But I couldn't even have that satisfaction. I had nothing. No hope. It was then that I decided that what I mistook for down-home, awh shucks likeability was really a veneer of dumbness.
I went to see Mr. Cheney/Bush when they came to town. I also went to see Kerry. I listened to everyone and researched on-line (government sites on actual voting records, positions and all publicly available stats on everything from the economy, taxes to health care) every issue I could. And while I didn't agree with everything Kerry proposed, I felt I was aligned more closely to his policies, agenda and plans for our future as a nation. And so, he got my vote. I was on the wrong side again. Apparently, most of Americans felt that we were on the right course and things were just fine (apparently many folks without jobs in "our neighbors to the West" Ohio also felt this way).
Now after another 2 years of crazy, I mean crazy decisions regarding our security and national defense, I hope that most Americans realize that we don't hire the fox to guard the chicken coop (port security debaucle) and we don't open up our borders to anyone who can can climb a ladder.
I know that within any administration there is enough blame to go around and that everyone helps to contribute to the current state of affairs - Democrats and Republicans alike! But when you go to the polls this November to cast your votes and let your sentiments be heard, I hope that you will put your long standing party affiliations aside and try to remove those who have misled us and added to our decline as a nation once admired (yes feared too, but first and foremost admired) by the world - whoever they may be!!!
OK, I have ranted enough!
Not Ashamed Of My Country
:) :o Well I would state you sumed it up pretty good & I could have put this into words any better.. I agree 100%.. Thank you for the Venting..
