Missed the "State of the Union"

Been a busy few days. We had the Blue and Gold Banquet for Charles's and my Cub Scout Pack. Charles earned his Wolf badge and a Gold Arrow point. We'll get to spend the next few months racking up some more arrow points and some belt loops. Being the Den leader for 3-4 2ND graders is interesting that is for sure. I don't see how a teacher keeps 10-15 of them paying attention for more then 23.8 seconds. I have trouble keeping 3 pair of eyes on task.

I missed the state of the union, I did however hear the Governor of Louisiana make the beginning of the GOP rebuttal. I suppose I'll hit news on Yahoo or google tomorrow and get my pick of articles and opinions of the state of the Reunion. In hearing the last couple of minutes of commentary prior the the Louisiana Governors remarks and the first 4-5 minutes of that I started thinking.

I'm pretty much a conservative. I'd say I've voted mostly republican since I turned 18. I'll give Obama some credit, he at least said he was going to bring change to Washington. We'll see. So far he has , in my opinion, signs a stimulus bill that won't stimulate anything but red tape, and spending the Government's (taxpayers) money. We'll see. I heard talk of extending unemployment payments, shovel ready projects (my dogs have left some of those around, let me check on how to get on the list), and a bunch of other stuff.

I'm an American and proud of it. I'm getting tired of politicians. Know why? None of them seem to comprehend what you and I are going through. They seem pretty out of touch with reality. Let me rephrase. They seem pretty out of touch with the reality that the average American deals with on a daily basis. I don't know how much a Senator or Congressman makes per year, but I bet its more then the average working their ass off American makes. Also, anytime anyone runs for president it seems that they either have, or their wife, or their family has millions of dollars. I don't have millions of dollars. I don't have hundreds of thousands. I sure wouldn't mind though. I'm in touch with the everyday American who is struggling. I'm on my second marriage and so is my beautiful wife, I love her to no end and I'm glad it only took me 30 years to figure out who the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with is. We have a mortgage, a car payment, student loans, daycare, and buy groceries and gas pretty regularly. We are both college educated, and both in different stages of going for a graduate degree. We struggle at times. Its tough. We have done better in the last few months I believe but that doesn't mean its easier, or we are closer to being out of debt by too much. I feel pretty lucky to be in the situation we are in, which is sad. I know there are those worse off. People who have been laid off. People with no jobs. I'm not making even half of what I was before, but at least I'm working.

This leads me to this. How about we put people in DC for 6-8 years max. then they go back and do what they do, or start something else if they like. I'd like to think that I could go be a congressman for 8 years and at the end of the 8Th year still remember what its like to try to make ends meet (Hell, we may still be trying after 8 years). Americans for America! Now don't get me wrong. I am in no way saying that the politicians that are in DC are not Americans, and are not doing what they think is best. I am saying it seems that most may be a bit out of touch with you, your buddies, and my family. I am saying that lobbyists who from what I can tell are hired by an industry, or a company, or some other interest, aren't helping. I'll tell you who needs a damn lobbyist. The average American taxpayer needs a lobbyist. You could say that is what our elected officials are supposed to be for. Lobbyists...that's a whole other can of worms I won't get into now.

I want to live in an America that doesn't have expanded unemployment benefits, but that has jobs for hardworking Americans who want them.
I want to live in an America that isn't expanding welfare but is expanding education and is teaching people new job skills to go out and get a job so they can take care of their family.
I want to live in an America where the government does not give hand outs, but if your willing to work for it, will help you with a hand up.
I want to live in an America that takes care of it's children, its senior citizens, its wounded Veterans, and those who can't take care of themselves. Children, they are our future, they'll be the ones taking over after we've done our time. They deserve the best education, the best health care, and the best opportunities in the world. I know mine do, and I'm pretty sure you think the same way about your kids and grand kids. Not only that, they need some role models. Senior Citizens, they have done their time, paid their dues, and social security I'm pretty sure doesn't cut it. Wounded Veterans, this one is easy. These men and women are the line that keeps this land of the free, free. They put the brave in the home of the brave. If they get injured on the job, they deserve more then a thanks for doing your job. Some don't come home at all, and some dint come home the way they left. We owe more then we can ever repay to both. Veteran's benefits are pretty good, but there are definitely things that can be done better. People who can't take care of themselves, here I'm talking people with disabilities. People who for whatever reason CAN'T work, not WON'T work. Big difference. My America doesn't' need to take care of the lazy. If you don't care enough to look for work and take care of yourself, and you are perfectly able to, then we don't care either.
I want to live in an America where if you work hard in school, do your best, and want to go to college you can. We have to keep the bright minds of the next generation in school, learning, experimenting, creating.
I want to live in an America where teachers are paid what they are worth. They are teaching our greatest assets, our next generation. We need good teachers, and they deserve good pay.
I want to live in an America where the our elected officials are serving us, the people of this great nation, and not serving special interests and corporations. I understand by the way that if I'm from Alabama and we make cars here, and some bill that helps a car company to hire more workers helps the people of Alabama with more jobs then that is good. However, wasting money on pork barrel projects that don't' help the people but line somebodies pockets, that's just wrong.

This has gotten a bit longer then I planned. I could probably continue a bit, but it is getting late and this is probably WAY longer then I'd anticipated. I didn't' even get to illegal immigrants. (huge can of worms)

I love this country. I love what it stands for. This is the greatest country on earth. Lets do what we can to keep it that way. I can't do it. You can't do it. Not alone that is. Its going to take us all, working together, little by little.


"My conception of America is a land where men and women may walk in ordered freedom in the independent conduct of their occupations; where they may enjoy the advantages of wealth, not concentrated in the hands of the few but spread through the lives of all; where they build and safeguard their homes, and give to their children the fullest advantages and opportunities of American life; where every man shall be respected in the faith that his conscience and his heart direct him to follow; where a contented and happy people, secure in their liberties, free from poverty and fear, shall have the leisure and impulse to seek a fuller life." HERBERT HOOVER, speech, Oct. 22, 1928

So much stuff going on....

So we have the dow dropping, inflation rising, national debt rising(yay stimulus package), a new housing "plan", and other stuff going on. Obama promised "change" all right.

So lets see what awesome change we have had so far. There were the cabinet nominees who have stepped aside and need to be changed. We have our national debt drastically changing to pay for the stimulus plan. We have the change in the American attitude. See, Americans used to believed that if they worked hard, saved their money, spent their money on only what they needed, that one day they would be able to provide for their children, more then they had growing up. Apparently now the attitude is not to worry, the big awesome government will bail you out if you make a bad decision, or if you make imprudent decisions with regard to your finances. All of a sudden everyone thinks that they are entitled to something. I will go ahead and take that back. Not EVERYONE. I know there are some of us still out here who believe in hard work, determintation, picking yourself up after a failure and trying again.

I just thought of something. Lets compare the current bailouts to sports.

In sports, just as in buisiness there are winners and losers. Coaches/CEOs, players/employees, fans/customersand taxpayers, and refs/hmm well...gov/sec/laws/courts/whoever enforces rules.

In Sports, if you team say loses, and loses, and loses. Then the coaches would either be fired, or come up with a new play or 2, or maybe change up some players etc. Find a way to win, or find the door. No winning = unhappy fans. I'm not one to shell out $$ to go see a team I like get their ass kicked by 20+ week after week. Oh but wait! The Government is going to step in! I mean...the refs, sorry. So now in the next game my coach is still there. He's(or she) is calling the same plays, hes down by 10 at the half. 2ND half starts, the star player for my team shoots a 3 its a brick. the other team gets the ball and (WHISTLE BLOWN) Refs- take the ball and give it back to the star player to try again. He's Gotten a bail out! so after this goes on for the entire 2ND half, my team is.... Well as this bailout is ongoing and we don't' know how its doing yet, we'll check back on the score at another time. I'll tell you something though. The fans(customers and taxpayers) aren't happy. I don't care which team you were pulling for, that game would suck.

Here is my plan. Let us stop rewarding those who are not doing what it takes to survive. Let us stop rewarding those who won't or don't do what it takes to be successful.

Check out the pic in the top left. Those guys knew what it took to work hard, they knew determination. They didn't' get a bailout. That generation of Americans in my opinion was the greatest generation. They lived through the Depression, they fought against some of the greatest evil the world has seen, and they stood together to preserve Freedom. OUR FREEDOM.

Less than 70 years later and look at us. Is the average American today worthy of the sacrifices that were made on our behalf? We've gotten lazy, greedy, and ignorant.

It's pretty sad really.

I saw an older gentleman in Cracker Barrel last Sunday with a Marine cover (hat) on. He was a Lance Corporal. He had it pinned on his cover under his Eagle, Globe, and Anchor, and right next to an American Flag pin. I am a little upset with myself because I should have stopped and shook his hand. I should have stopped and said Thanks and Semper Fi. Its because of him, and those he served with that we are here in this great country. All gave some, some gave all.

WAKE UP AMERICA!! Live each day with a purpose! Every day you wake up and have the freedom to do as you please, your cashing a check that was written in blood...

Think about that, and next time you see a Veteran, Shake their hand and say Thanks. I know I will.

SEMPER FIDELIS

"History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid." Dwight D. Eisenhower

My First Blog Post

Welcome to my little slice of the web. I'll be the first to admit that my spelling and grammar sometimes are a little lacking but I see a spell check up there on the tool bar so at least that problem should be solved. Ok so I just tested the spell check, guess what word from the first two sentences was wrong. Grammar, lol. I know sad. I had written mer for those curious. (I know there are 2 m's)
Lately there has been much in the news. Some good news, some bad news, some real bad news, some more bad news,.... you get the picture. I can sometimes be opinionated about things. So I feel that maybe if I take a little time now and again I can express my opinions/ideas/rants/whatever comes out here for all and or no one to see.
I'm not the biggest fan of the media, that started in 1996 or 1997 when the media converged on my college, The Virginia Military Institute due to the Supreme Court case over our right to remain an all male school. In my opinion, if you are going to report a story, you should first know a little bit about the place, person, or thing that you are reporting on.
I digress.
Actually, my back is a little sore from leaning over my laptop so I think I'll actually digress all the way to the couch and watch a little TV and eat some ice cream. So I will wrap this up.
Carla, I love you. It matters not where we have come from, but that where we go from here, we go together.
Please Check out the blogs of my friends at the bottom of the page.
Howard and Boneda, thanks for dinner. Howard, hope to hear more good news tomorrow! We are praying for ya'll!
Karen, next time you make something chocolate, try not to add nuts, or fruit, or anything else weird. Then FedEx. :)

Nobody has things just as he would like them. The thing to do is to make a success with what material I have. It is a sheer waste of time and soulpower to imagine what I would do if things were different. They are not different.
Dr. Frank Crane