We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the vitriolic words and actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence of the good people.
- Martin Luther King Jr.
One of the things I simply cannot understand is how some people seem to think that those of us who are angry about what the past eight years have brought us should just shut up and go away. In the interest of self-disclosure, I should admit that I've know this particular commenter for many years, and he was someone I once considered a very close friend until he went his own way and apparently decided our friendship wasn't all that important. We've always disagreed on politics, but he's a Norwegian citizen and can't vote in the U.S., so his political views have always lived in the realm of curious anomalies while never being a real threat. I mean, the guy admires Ronald Reagan...we should all be grateful he can't vote in this country, no? Even better, this is a person whose racial prejudices are truly something to behold.
What upset me about his comments was his view that I'm angry about the same things I have been for several years now. This apparently bores him. Yeah, I suppose we should have just bowed to the inevitable and stopped our whining, eh? Give in, get rich, and...hey, I got mine, you get your own damn pile.
The problem here is that the American Sheeple have (twice) elected a man who by all rights should be wearing an orange jumpsuit in a federal prison. Seriously, if we were talking about a Democrat, does ANYONE believe that he (or she) wouldn't long ago (and deservedly) have been forced to defend themselves in the well of the Senate against impeachment...and lost?
I'm tired of the creeping police state. I'm tired of government of, by, and for the rich. I'm tired of the inmates running the asylum. And I'm tired of young American heroes coming home in flag-draped boxes, returning to shattered families from a war that has NOTHING to do with the war on terror. Yes, I'm tired of lives being wasted in the name of greed and avarice...and I'm not about to apologize for that.
I could go on, but you get the point. Yes, I'm angry...and I want my country back. I want the America that sets the example for the rest of the world when it comes to freedom, democracy, and respect for the rule of law. I want the America that respects human rights. I want the America that works...and I don't think that's too much to expect.
If you're OK with paying $4.50 for a gallon of gas, $7 for a loaf of bread, etc., etc., then you probably think I'm nothing more than a cranky windbag. If you have that kind of money to burn, more power to you. This is still (nominally, at least) a free country, and you're free to your opinion. Then again, you probably think a federal deficit approaching half a TRILLION dollars is a good thing....
If you're upset by my continued anger...well, too damn bad. This is my sandbox, and there are a lot more people who feel as I do than you might think. Those of us who can (and will) vote in this country have a real opportunity this time around. We have an opportunity to take our country back from the thugs, the thieves, and the ignorant fools who have ruled through fear-mongering and pandering to the lowest common denominator. It would be nice if we were at the same time able to put some folks behind bars, but for right now I'll settle for re-establishing the rule of law and bringing our troops home from an illegal and immoral war.
I WANT MY COUNTRY BACK.
