Saturday, August 07, 2004
A clearer mind
I have gone the way of many other supporters of our current President in getting baited into debates that should have been sidebars, not issues. The facts of the upcoming election should be quite enough to speak for themselves:
- On September 11, 2001, America was attacked by folks who hate us for being American. We currently have a President who took charge of the situation, acted with firm resolve, and kept his promises to seek out those responsible, as well as their allies.
- Bush has been ridiculed for being a plain-spoken man, not a polished politician, who lets his faith in God guide his everyday decisions. He doesn't just give lip-service to his faith, but implements it into private decisions and public policy. If you disagree, fine, but he does stand by his convictions, rather than resorting to "situational ethics".
- President Bush inherited a grossly over-inflated economy that had raced to the brink of a cliff and was beginning to teeter over. The dot-coms and technology stocks were the playthings of the off-wall-street traders, and as a result were priced much like baseball cards--driven by demand, not worth.
- Democracy and Capitalism are good. Communism and Socialism are bad. The democrats believe in the principles of the latter--common good and socialized programs. Remember that a government big enough to give you all you want is big enough to take away all you need.
- We have a vested interest in the Middle East's oil, not because of dependence upon their oil, but because of the influence Middle-Eastern oil supplies have over worldwide oil prices.
- Bush has done a great deal to better America's educational system, understanding that money won't solve all the system's ills, but that the system must be brought under accountability.
- John Kerry and George Bush were both military veterans. Both served as they were expected, based upon the positions for which they volunteered. Both, however, should be running upon their records in political decisions, and Kerry is not.
- Neither John Kerry nor George Bush have ever lived lives of poverty. Neither should claim to truly understand the challenges faced every day for those of us who live from one paycheck to the next. The fact remains that the Bush tax cut really did help us, and it didn't hurt those of lower income, because they don't currently pay taxes. Big business and the "top one percent" already pay a humongous portion of all taxes paid. The tax burden should be shouldered by all, not just the wealthy.
- Our nation is at war. Clinton saw the risks and ignored them. Bush saw the result and acted upon it.
We must not go back to the emotion-driven "boom" of the 90s. History teaches the aftermath of the "roaring 20s", and we're living the aftermath of the "roaring 90s". Times will get better, but they won't get better overnight. Logic must overtake emotion, and common sense will need to become a lot more common. Personal accountability and responsibility must take the place of "self esteem" and "self-worth". I don't see that happening under a Kerry "image is everything" administration.
The "battle lines" have been so horribly blurred by the press on both sides. I truly hope the American public can discern the real differences between these two men, and make their decision in November upon something more significant than 40 year-old (thrown away) medals and "good hair".
