Those that know me know that for the most part I keep my political opinions to myself. Because they are just that - opinions. And as my husband so eloquently puts it - "Opinions are like @$$holes...everyone has one and they all stink!" So, for the most part, I have never had a need for a soapbox. Until today. Today I saw something that touched me so deeply that I felt the need to find a soapbox, climb up on it and express my opinion, knowing full well that some might find it stinky.
This afternoon, I dropped my daughter off at a birthday party and headed to Circleville in search of some hostas for cheap. I was going down "old 23", as my mom would call it, or as the younger generation would say - North Court St. I passed a house on a farm that was flying an American flag. So what's the big deal? Lots of people fly the flag outside their home. True. But most don't fly it upside down. This really bothered me. I remembered an old friend who hung his flag in the same manner inside his tattoo parlor. I remembered he hung it that way in honor of the Native Americans and the country that was taken from them. But that's all I could remember, that and the fact that I knew it wasn't good. So when I got home, I Googled it. And this is what I found. USFlag.org has a listing of the Flag Code. According to this, the flag "is flown upside down only as a distress signal." Other sites said it was for distress defined as being extreme danger to life and property. That got me thinking about what could be so dire for them to send up a distress signal. Then I thought maybe it wasn't about them personally. Maybe it was their opinion about how our country is doing. Maybe the extreme danger was to our country and her citizens. That's what bothered me.
I'm not one to watch the news - too depressing for me. I will admit this is probably the worst time not to watch the news. I do keep an eye on the paper but there's only so much knowledge you can gain from the local news source. I did read an article on the web about the new healthcare bill that was a bit disturbing but for the most part I'm a little disconnected. However, I've read and heard enough to form an opinion of my own.
My gut reaction is that we, as a nation, have been duped. We wanted a change from the way things were. A change from a president that acted like he had no sense. A change that would bring our loved ones home from a war that has gone on too long. So we voted for change. But is it really the change we wanted? Are our government representatives doing what's best for their constituents or for their own best interests? Sometimes I wonder if the Obama supporters are as supportive now as they were when he was on the campaign trail. I know if I had been one of them, I would certainly be doubting what I had supported. I also wonder about the Congressional representatives that we have elected. Especially, when I read that certain laws don't pertain to them and this new healthcare bill doesn't pertain to them. I think they have forgotten that they are not above the rest of the citizens of this country. That they too, once upon a time, were insignificant nobodies who had to follow the law as we do. Sometimes, I really don't think they have our best interests in mind. Oh sure, that's what they promise at election time but we know how that goes. We've all participated in school government elections and remember how the moon was promised but all we got was a rock. Why do we think it's any different on a higher level? I fully realize that the nation didn't start going to hell in a handcart as soon as the Obama-drama started. But to me it seems like it is getting steadily worse. Maybe the new generation of "tea-partiers" are on to something. Maybe we as a nation need to clean house - starting with the elected officials. I'm not saying the constitution needs to be rewritten. Actually, just the opposite. I think they need to stop and look at what the constitution really means when the government doesn't bend it to fit whatever they need it to.
I wonder what our founding fathers would think if they could see their country today. Would they be proud of the way the country is ran? Would they be saddened to see how their hopes and dreams for a young nation have went awry? What would they think of all the corruption in the offices they once held? And what about the state of our nation? A nation in debt to the tune of over $12 trillion (zfacts.com). A nation that drops everything they are doing to help other countries in need but let our citizens go homeless and hungry. A nation that has become a self-imposed babysitter to the rest of the world. A nation that has continued to open her doors to immigrants - but for the most part a different breed of immigrants. (Immigrants that come here to escape perscution from their country and then want to change how things are here. And WHY do I have to press "1" for English? Why is it an option? When immigrants began coming to this country, they learned the language and were proud to do so while retaining their heritage. Now it seems as though the immigrants - illegal and otherwise - have more rights and benefits than an American citizen.) And how their idea of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" isn't so happy anymore. I think it would be a little like the commercial that has the Native American with a silent tear running down his cheek at the sight of all the litter around him.
One of my facebook friends posted this on his page:
If a conservative doesn't like guns, he doesn`t buy one. If a liberal doesn't like guns, he wants guns outlawed. If a conservative is a vegetarian, he doesn't eat meat. If a liberal is a vegetarian, he wants meat products banned. If a conservative is homosexual, he quietly leads his life. If a liberal is homosexual, he demands legislated respect. If a conservative is down-and-out, he tries to better his situation. A liberal wants to know who is going to fix it for him. If a conservative doesn't like a talk show host, he switches channels. Liberals want those they don't like to be silenced. If a conservative is a non-believer, he doesn't go to church. If a liberal is a non-believer he wants any mention of religion silenced.If a conservative needs health care he shops for it, or looks for a job that will provide it. A liberal demands that the rest of us provide for it. A conservative will read this and will forward it, so his friends can have a good laugh. A liberal will read this and delete it, because he's offended.
I never thought about it quite like this but it makes sense. And by the above examples, apparently I'm a conservative which is surprising to me.
O.K., I'm climbing down (for now). But what I saw today opened my eyes. Maybe I can't change anything just by being more informed, but at least I can see it coming and not be blind-sided by it. It makes me laugh inside to think how everyone was so ready to impeach Clinton. Do these same people see what's happening now?
Very well said!
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