What this country needs now
In his 1960 inaugural speech, President John F. Kennedy implored us to “don’t ask what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”
Well, it’s 2008 and while I certainly cannot speak for all Americans, I will address what I want government and the highest elected officials ought to do for me and toher hard working, tax paying individuals. These musings are not necessarily original but are comprised of various appeals and ideas I have read over the past several months.
1.) Fight terroism but get out of Iraq. The billions we spend on the war each day is crippling our economy and hyperextending our deficit. The impact on terrorism is not defineable and therfore not worth the expense and the tragic loss of American lives.
2.) Find a way to offer some form and finance some form of national health care. Whatever is implemented will be an improvement on those of us who have no health care coverage.
3.) Focus on fixing the country’s infrastructure. Roads and bridges are in a putrid state is disrepair and states are grappling with the tsk of coming up with the money to fund the necessary repairs. Some states are literally grinding up pavement in some rural areas and returning to gravel roads. That’s retarded. Fixing roads and bridges also creates jobs.
4.) Washington lobbyists are Satan reincarnate, but close. There are lobbyists who perform needed functions in terms of providing Congressman with information but most of us are suspect of the smarmy back door dealings. Make that process a lot more up front.
5.) Find a way to ease racial tension. Do you realize how great, or greater this country would be without racism and prejudice? No one entity can eliminate racism but the people who run this country need to work to ease the tension.
6.) If America wants to lead, then lead. What’s going on in Darfur is unacceptable. We are not in a position to be the world’s policeman but when we need to step up to the plate an exert our military and economic will we seem to shirk the responsibility. The world allowed us to lead in World War II, they will again when they can trust us and our intentions.
These are but a few of what I think the country needs to do. There are many other issues like ecology and crime but we need to start somewhere and by that I mean making some things a priority.
Greg Gibson
Overland
A little converse to Kennedy don’t you think? This is a laundry list of “do for me”. Me, me, me. This is perfect evidence to show that the party formerly of Kennedy has moved far away from him.
1 - Iraq is part of the terror war. It extends well beyond Afghanistan and Iraq. Better to spend our money there and in Afghanistan to foster democracy to improve the future of the region. Leaving incorrectly hands Iraq to Iran. Yeah, that helps.
2 - People should be in charge of their own policies and choices. National healthcare will bankrupt America. Taxes will be immense. Corruption and waste will be everwhere. Medical visits will be impossible to come by. Quality will go down hill. De-regulate associated healthcare. Support civil tort reform. This will be a start. Mommy government will be no help.
3 - The interstate system, I think, is under the jurisdiction of the Fed. Local roads should be controlled by local entities. The Federal government shouldn’t control EVERYTHING. Kennedy would agree.
4 - Lobbyists are bad. But they technically act as the voice of the people. People join groups and give money to help further their agenda. There is as much a right to a gun lobby as their is to an environmental lobby.
5 - Pollyanna much? You can’t just legislate emotions away. You can govern actions, but not feelings. And I think you should focus well beyond racism. Today there is so much hatred against blacks, whites, women, men, various religions, conservatives, liberals. We can no longer just disagree, we must hate. Hate Bush. Hate Catholics. Hate this or hate that. But you unfortunately can’t legislate that away.
6 - There are plenty of places around the world that we should be involved. Beyond that, there are a number of spots the world community should get invovled in. If the UN truly put pressure on the radical muslim world, terrorism will end. But the rest of the world doesn’t care. They wouldn’t follow us into Darfur or other regions. They certainly don’t go themselves. which proves my point that we certainly shouldn’t play high school popularity contest with what other nations think of us. If England or France had a higher moral ground they would be independently involved. But they aren’t. And they certainly don’t lay in bed at night worrying about what we think.