Do you remember growing up in this country, the USA, knowing you could count on it's inherent goodness, rightness? Do you remember US Savings Bonds and being afraid of Russia? Do you remember the Bay of Pigs Crisis and John Kennedy facing down Nikita Khruschev over missiles being placed in Cuba? I remember those things. I remember Kennedy's speech about the Cuban Missile Crisis. I remember falling asleep at night, at age ten, hearing planes flying high over head on their way to South Florida. I remember my Dad was out of town on business and Mom kept his shotgun next to her bed, just in case.
In some ways those times were good in that the country came together against a foe we could see and hear. And we did hear "him" while he banged his shoe at the UN. Don't misunderstand, I don't want that ever again. But I also don't want the foes we now have, including our own people.
I wanted to cry today as I watched, for the four hundredth time, the Exxon Mobil ad that reassured fracking isn't what they are doing. Right.
I don't want another Texas Cowboy either.
I could give a rat's ass if Bill Clinton is now a Vegan.
I really don't care if President Obama thinks Michelle is a false equivalence to the Repubs. You all have read that MoDo article, no need for a link.
I want respect for "we the people" who have paid our dues, did what we were supposed to do, paid our part for Social Security and Medicare, which are now on the chopping block due to political expediency, and I freaking want our kids educated in the ways that will count in the future. For the love of Mike, I pay my taxes for that and I am too old now to have kids in the school system. But I pay and don't bitch about it, yet.
And when I read that my President negotiates with his wife and gets 10%? Are you freaking kidding me?? This from the most powerful man in the world?? This is his answer to the woman who questioned him? He equates his WIFE this way?
I want our President to have a vacation, it is clear he needs one. Members of Congress, no. They are pigs at the public trough and would be lost as to how to earn, I repeat, EARN, a living if voted out.
Back to my embarrassment. This is the best our country can do? Wolf Blitzer gets to "question" the President and keep it all to sound bites? He then gets to "question" Democratic and Republican strategists for all of 30 seconds and this matters?
We are our own worst enemies. Too busy to question. Too busy living our lives. And too quick to bitch when we don't like the fact that our country is turning into a banana republic.
It's beyond embarrassing, it's pathetic. I am thankful for the good memories I have, warts and all. At least I grew up in a country that cared, for it's citizens and those in the world who had less. I sorely miss that country, the United States of America.