What Has America Become

The following was sent to me by a friend. This was originally printed in the Iosco County News Herald on June 9, 2010. Thank you, Bev for sending it. Here's the letter:

"Dear Editor,

Has America become the land of the special interests and the home of the double standard?

Let's see: If we lie to the Congress it's a felony, and if the congress lies to us, it's politics; if we dislike a black person we're racists, but if a black person dislikes a white person it's their first amendment right; the government spends millions to rehabilitate criminals but almost nothing for the victims; in public schools you can teach that homosexuality is OK but you'd better not use the word God in the process; you can kill an unborn child but it's wrong to execute a mass murderer; we don't burn books in America, we rewrite them; we got rid of the communists and socialist threat by renaming them progressives; we are unable to close our border with Mexico, but have no problem protecting the 38th parallel in Korea; if you protest against President Obama's policies you're a terrorist, but if you burned an American flag or President Bush in effigy it was your first amendment right.

You can have pornography on your TV or the internet but you better not put a nativity scene in a public park during Christmas; we have eliminated all criminals in America, we now call them sick people; we can use a human fetus for medical research but it's wrong to use an animal.

We take money from those who work hard for it and give it to those who don't want to work; we all support the Constitution but only when it supports our political idealogy; we still have freedom of speech, but only if it's politically correct; parenting has been replaced by ritalin and video games; the land of opportunity is now the land of handouts; the similarity between Hurricane Katrina and the gulf oil spill is that neither President did anything to help;

And how do we handle a major crisis today? The government appoints a committee to determine who is at fault, then threatens them, passes a law, raises taxes, tells us the problem is solved so they can get back to their re-election campaign.

What has happened to the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave?"
-Ken Huber
Tawas City

You may agree or disagree with some or all of the writers points, but it does point out one thing. This country has some problems. Pundits, legislators, sheriffs, and other public officials complaining that the American people are out of hand really ought to consider another possibility. Maybe they are abusing their power leading a few people that may react in this manner.

This shooter in Arizona apparently has no political affiliation. Yet, liberals were quick to blame Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, talk radio in general, the tea party and any other group that doesn't walk in lockstep with them. They have already started calling for gun control (Representative Maloney of NY), and restrictions of freedom of speech (Representative Brady of PA) and another to use this shooting for fundraising (Senator Sanders of VT).

When this country began, the members of the Continental Congress continued to work on turning this land into it's own nation despite the King wanting them rounded up and hanged. Their lives were in danger for daring to stand up for this country in it's creation.

The politicians today shut down Congress, change plans on important issues, in the wake of a shooting of Congresswoman Giffords of AZ. They should be showing some backbone and honoring Congresswoman Giffords by continuing their work. It would tell terrorists of all kinds, foreign and domestic, that when America is attacked, we don't cower, we stand up to the attack. They can knock us down, but they can't keep us down.

When we were attacked on September 11, 2001, the American people rose up together and said we won't stand for this and we won't cower in fear. But now, following an attack on a 9 year old girl, elderly people, a judge and the congresswoman and her staff, our congress comes to a halt and they start talking about making laws to protect themselves.

During the attacks on September 11, 2001, government did not protect it's citizens on the planes, nor on the ground in the buildings that were hit. But, the American citizens (passengers) on flight 93, crashed their plane into a field in Pennsylvania to protect government leaders. The exact opposite of what should be happening, meaning the government is supposed to protect the people from foreign attacks.

The American people, once again, prove that they will stand together against our enemies, but our Congress shows they will cower in fear. America, meaning the people, come together. The leaders cower and hide.

What has America become? The same as we've always been. A nation of brave people. It's the leadership in America that seems to have become weaker. Thankfully, the people's strength can and will overcome the shortfalls of it's leaders and hopefully, we'll get more of that strength in our leaders during the coming elections by replacing the weak ones we now seem to have. Replacing them through the ballot box!

You're welcome to comment.

Brett