I'm in a pretty un-patriotic place right now, and I hate being here. I've got a brother in Afghanistan continuing the tradition of standing up for the citizens of this piece of land we call America, sitting in a god-forsaken mountain on a rock, no hamburgers and beer for him, the only fireworks the occasional mortar lobbed his way, or gunfire in the distance. It seems like nobody thinks twice about our people there. Now I know how my father felt when he talked of "The Forgotten War."
Here, people buy pretty packages of fireworks from roadside stands, get drunk and play with matches, leaving street littered with burned paper and fuses. It's not even a day off anymore, considering half of the country isn't working, and half of those don't even want to.
Health care costs have turned this place into The Socialist States of America, even without President O'bama's new plan. Half of the costs associated with our health care spending are absolutely worthless, the ailments, scrapes and bruises aches and pains the citizens who seek emergency care, and medication paid for by Medicare would go away in time, or are so insignificant are treated like a minor inconvenience to anybody with half a brain.
Government spending on everything but the basics is so out of control the basics are now unaffordable. Small business's can't compete with big corporations, colleges are full of kids having a four year party, knowing full well that when the party is over, it's over, there are no jobs paying enough to keep it going. It's back to mom and dads, and hopefully they will keep everything going until the whole thing collapses and we can start all over.
Have a nice day. And Happy Forth of July.
Summed up my feelings exactly.
And yet, America still produces men like your brother, and many thousands more like him.
And men like you, who spend a holiday like this looking out for the safety of his fellow citizens.
As long as America has people like that, I believe there is hope for us.
We must learn to elect to office people who are qualified and who are not just after glory. We need to vote on the basis of those qualifications and not on the color, good looks, ethnic origin, or cutsey phrases and empty promises of the candidate. We need to learn that, those with the big bucks who can pay for grand ads are not necessarily people at whom to look up but people who can indulge their egos. Most of all….we MUST hold our elected officials accountable for their actions. They, and sadly, some of our citizens seem to enjoy a sense of intitlement. Nobody owes them one darned thing!
Those to whom we owe our allegiance are our first responders, Firefighter and rescue workers, police officers, our military and (yes America) the men and women who strap on their boots and go to work every day not in glamour jobsbut in the "meat and taters" jobs which keep this land alive. Work on that guys!
I found this post mighty interesting Michael, and I second every word Ambulance_Driver said. " keep the faith dear friend"
I've just got in from work, bit late, but dare I wish you a happy day anyway.
btw I think you put it very well, some of us do care, even far away.
Bless you all.
xx
I care. I prayed for your brother today. I prayed for all of those who have fought and are fighting for the freedoms we enjoy this Independence Day.