May 14, 2009
Thursday

A discussion of history is always a good thing in my opinion since, as they say, those who don't study history are destined to repeat it. Slavery was, infact, a great evil in the world. This includes wherever it existed in America in our past and in places where minorities (such as women) are enslaved today and where innocent civilians are tortured and beheaded for quasi religious reasons by Al Quaeda and the Taliban such as in Iraq and Afghanistan --- and where our current elected U.S. President and Congress seem to have HUGE issues in showing a little backbone when dealing with these oppressors.

The tea parties were not just a way of showing displeasure over increased taxation (though I don't think it takes a mental giant to figure out that if we increase spending we have to have a means of paying for it and the only way our government has to pay for it is to print more money and raise taxes). The tea parties were not an outcry against any particular political party. I met Democrats, Republicans and even Independents there. The tea parties were a way of showing that the grass root population wants to stand up for what is RIGHT--and while that includes not raising taxes in this terrible recession, it also means wanting to keep our country safe and defeating those who want to ENSLAVE other, less able people. This includes deploring a push toward government controlled businesses such as our banks and the auto industries. It means that a lot of people don't want to see ourselves or our future generations enslaved by huge deficits that we cannot pay, thus destroying our credit with countries such as China who have been floating our notes for years. Many Americans are exhausted with bailouts and TARP funds and having to pay taxes to cover the fact that someone else chooses not to work at all and collect handouts. I heard many of the tea partiers express that as Americans, they save for their own house payments and their children's education and their health care but really don't feel an obligation to pay for YOURS or anyone else who is able bodied!!! The tea parties were about people saying what they mean and then having the transparency to stick by it so that people can count on them! Transparency is important though there isn't much of it in government today, campaign rhetoric aside.

My Dad had myself and my sister when he was older. He was infact, one of the "Greatest Generation". He was just an old midwestern farmer but his word was his bond to everyone who knew him and he raised my sister and I with those same values and principles. We have tried to raise our kids the same way. I am proud of that.

I am proud of my country too and I want it to stand for values and principles. Does that make me a racist? Would I be a racist if I wore a "White Pride" tee-shirt? I don't have such a tee-shirt but I see ethnic pride tee shirts everywhere I go--is that racist? I think not, though I do think it would show me to be a tad insecure if I had to wear it on my chest. I will vote for a worthy candidate whether it is a he or a she or whether black, white or purple. All said candidate needs is to be honest, have good judgment and not surround him or herself with lobbyists and thieves. A good candidate needs to have REAL solutions to help our great country, not just be a "political activist" who surrounds him or herself with bomb making radical terrorists, slick talking tax cheats and a Congress who apparently is too illiterate or too unwilling to read a bill prior to signing it!!. Is that too much to ask? I think not! But this much is for sure: I will NOT vote for the current President or most of the current Congress to be re-elected for ANY office in this country --- Democrat or Republican, we need to flush the cosmic toilet of them all!!!

Eileen Small
Ketchikan, AK

About: "Citizen of Ketchikan for 10 plus years"

Received May 12, 2008 - Published May 14, 2009

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