I've been a life-long Democrat and have voted in every presidential election since I was old enough to vote. I voted for Bill Clinton twice, Al Gore, and John Kerry. However, over the last almost 3 years I've paid closer attention to politics than I have ever paid in my life. I was inspired by a man name Barack Obama. Then I was inspired by an American country who appeared ready to move all of her people into the future. With all the politicing that is going on there is just one question that I keep coming back to over and over again. I'd really like an answer from the people we vote into office to represent us. I'd like to know the following: What do they believe the life of an American is really worth?
I think that that is a legitimate question. We are inundated with so many numbers and polls on a daily basis and I think sometimes in these discussions we are missing the real human costs.
I mean when news outlets/anchors do and say anything for ratings do they ever feel guilty? And, are they aware of the disservice and damage they are doing to the country as a whole by not reporting the human costs of decisions our elected officials make?
When politicians do nothing, vote on important legislation but leave loop-holes to maintain the status quo, or do things that benefit big business when big business has/is shipping American jobs overseas do they ever think of the human cost? The real American costs?
When Nafta was passed I can't believe there was not a calculation that some American jobs would be lost. Isn't one too many? Did no one see that entire industries would be lost or was the need for profits for big business at any cost more important than how it would effect the average American? Are they not seeing the America I see or do they not care that some Americans who want to work but can't find employment are living in tent cities that are springing up all over our nation? Do they think the below photo's are isolated? Because they are not they are more of the norm than people realize.
Abandoned Factories
Abandoned Homes
Tent Cities
More than 17.2 % real Unemployment
With the healtchare legislation that is currently on the table are the prospects of being re-elected more important than getting it right and making sure every American has affordable healthcare? Is our politics so broken that politicians can actually block out the fact that around 47 million people don't have healthcare coverage and that approximately 44,000 people die annually because they don't have it? These are real people with people who love them. Do they care that Americans are willing to put their pride aside, stand in line for hours sometimes days and attend free clinics?
I am still looking for the answer as to why it is ok to nation build and spend billions of dollars all over the world (when that was not and is not paid for in the nation's budget and for a long time was not even included in the nations budget) but we cannot invest American tax-payer dollars in the American people unless it IS paid for in full. Are we less important to our elected officials?
I'm also still searching for an answer to why approx. only 1% of Americans are sacrificing in Iraq and Afghanistan? Yet, some elected officials are so quick to play politics with our men and women with regards to increasing troop sizes in Afghanistan. Maybe if this war directly impacted more Americans people wouldn't be so qick to say send more troops if it were their mother, father, sister, or brother. And it was never really explained to me why we are even in Iraq. I thought we were in Afghanistan to get Bin Laden? Now I'm hearing it's something about for our freedom. What does that mean? If we bring our troops home will I lose my freedom of speech, my freedom of religion, my freedom to bare arms...I mean which freedom would I lose exactly? Are our politics so broken that our elected officials will continue to sacrifice the lives of our American troops to save face?
I could go on and on but I won't. I would just like to know at what point is the price of corporate greed too high for the lives of the American People? I for one believe that the life of all Americans is PRICELESS and I refuse to give up on the Spirit of the American people and balance will be restored.