2011

"Patriotism is supporting your country all the time and your government when it deserves it."

Mark Twain

I came across the above quote while reading a book earlier today and I think it may be the most brilliant thing I've read in a really, really long time.


Looking back over 2010, I have a lot to be thankful for. I have my health, a job, and a home. In the current economy, no one can take the last two things for granted anymore. Recently I've become increasingly discouraged by the political news. As obvious as it should be to anyone with eyes that this country needs assistance with major issues such as job loss, healthcare, immigration, national security, and many other things....our country's leaders spend their time deciding whether or not homosexuals can fight in the military. Personally, I doubt the working family facing foreclosure cares if the gay man down the street can enlist. I doubt the man who can't get see his doctor because he doesn't have insurance cares either, and I'm pretty certain that the factory worker who lost his job after 20 + years doesn't lose a whole lot of sleep pondering that fact.

We are looking at real issues that will have a real impact on our future and for some reason Washington seems to be more concerned with deciding who can fight in an unwinnable war! Meanwhile, elections are finally over and those campaign ads have finally ceased. Not before the candidates spent millions of dollars trashing each other.....I question any campaign ad that faults another candidate for cutting funding for education when they've just sponsored a slur ad to run on our networks for weeks on end. Perhaps if our elected officials were really all that concerned about education, healthcare, poverty, etc, they could take the money they waste blasting each other on the airways and spend it doing some good.

Speaking of education, you've got all the Washington bigwigs out in full force discussing how concerned they are about public education. You know when they'd really be concerned about public education???? When their children attended public schools.

Whew...I feel better. What about you? :)