An Even Keel-Being an American

   What better time than this 4^th of July holiday week to tackle the state of our country.This week should be a time that we all reflect on how we are fairing as a country. What are our short comings and what are our strengths. Are we following the path our country’s founders intended? Are we as strong as we should be? Are we as united as we should be?

   There are so many more questions that can be asked, alas there is only so much that can be written at one time without being tuned out so let me just start with the 3 questions I just posed.

Are We following The Path Our Country’s Founders Intended?

   I am not going to pretend that I know what was going on in the heads of our founders as they drafted the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, as they laid the blue prints to what would become our form of government. Nor am I going to pretend that they could possibly comprehend how our society exists today.

   What I can state is that I do not believe that when they setup the two party system of government they meant for the parties to work together to make this country a great country, NOT be the flashpoint of deep polarization to the point of deadlock and political polarization.

   Elected officials were meant to be our representatives in charge of shaping our country, making it strong and seeing to it that the average citizen was fairly represented. They were meant to be servants of the citizenry not servants to political party chiefs as they are today.

   My advice; change your party affiliation to Independent; take the power away from the parties. Vote for candidates that are not hacks to either party and put forth a vision that helps make this country stronger, not weaker because of selfish greed. Let it be known that you are no longer willing to be a voiceless puppet to greedy power hungry political parties.

Are We As Strong As We Should Be?

   Militarily I have no doubt we are in very good shape. I am sure that there are needs and improvements to be dealt with considering the extended conflicts our military has been engaged in. I fully support our military on both their individual and collective efforts; they have served us and our country proud, I salute them!

   It is our economic strength that I question. Our capitalist system is a great system but it appears to have a flaw: Greed. Greed on Wall Street and in Corporate America has put us on the brink of economic collapse. We should not be walking the fine line we are walking right now; if our businesses had been run properly we would be flourishing in economic prosperity.

   I am a business person; I am all in favor of working hard and making a buck. The problem I have is the cultural shift towards taking every last buck possible at the expense of the long term viability of a business. I have watched Wall Street ruin great companies by demanding unsustainable growth year after year so that the Street can line its pockets at the expense of the company’s future.

   When you cut expenses to the point that the cuts are making up for lack of expected growth, you diminish the strength of the company causing it to eventually cease being a great company.

   Main Street has the same problem. Too many business owners continually suck all the money out of their businesses to sustain their personal lifestyles. This drain of resources prevents the business owner from growing their business.

   Both Wall Street and Main Street need to lower their standard of living and live within the means of their businesses. Feed the business, it will feed you; starve the business, you will eventually starve yourself.

   If we learn to look at the “Big Picture” and for the “Long Term” rather than the “Now and me me me” the country and all within will benefit continuously.

Are We As United As We Should Be?

   There was no doubt that after 9/11 this country banded together in one voice of Patriotism. The Patriotism displayed at that time and for the obvious reasons is a great testament to how we as a society can disagree on a lot of fundamentals but come together when threatened as a group.

   We need that sense of Patriotism now more than ever. The deep political divide/polarization that has been created by the power mongers/oppressors of the political system is threatening our society.

    Last year we watched as Arab citizens around the Middle East took a page from our Revolutionary War history and rose up against their oppressors. As November approaches we can take that same page from our own history and rise up against our oppressors using the ballot box.

   Demand that your preferred candidate work with rivals across the political aisle to fix the problems of this country.

   I am paraphrasing here…several years ago (not sure how many) Grover Norquist of the Republican Party demanded that each Republican party member sign a pledge to vote against any legislation that contained a tax increase. If they didn’t sign the pledge or they voted in favor of legislation that included a tax increase the party would work to replace them at election time. This one act has seen the moderate ranks almost disappear within the Republican Party. While some Republicans are now grumbling about the realistic legitimacy of upholding this pledge with such fiscal problems facing us, grumbling is not enough.

   Take a page from the Republican leadership and demand of your candidate an Oath of Unity to work with the opposition as a United front against the problems that are facing us now.

   It is the priorities of the Country and its Citizenry that should come first, not the priorities of the party. If your candidate’s philosophy is: “It’s our way or no way’ then it is time to look for a new candidate. Demand the Oath of Unity from your candidate, it is our right. In closing two well known quotes:

“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your Country”-John F. Kennedy.

“United we stand, divided we fall”- Patrick Henry.