10/20: America the Not So Beautiful

I recently read an e-mail forwarded to me about Lee Iacocca's new book. It allegedly has an excerpt where he's ranting how American people should STOP being complacent about the state our country is in. Why aren't we outraged? We should throw out everyone from their posts, and elect new people to start all over.

In our district, there are two men running for a post abandoned by Senator Wayne Allard. Democrat Mark Udall and Republican Bob Schaffer. They have both run a dirty campaign. Both seem to be liars, hypocrits and greedy. I don't want either one. And if we vote for Ralph Nader, it will divide the parties like when Ross Perot was running for President. (Where is Ross, by the way - we need him NOW!). What REAL choice do I have when I'm standing in the voting booth?

Is this the country our forefathers planned for and built? Land of the free? What a laugh. Home of the brave? We have become COWARDS!

What is the United States of American as we leave the Year 2008?

Roads and bridges are falling into disrepair. We're compelled, against our wishes, to switch to HDTV which costs us more money for less service and spotty signal. Our identities are stolen and credit ruined, turning the victims into bad guys while we work to repair the damage over the span of years and years. Donations to food banks are drying up while more families MUST get there to feed our families. Corn and other crops grow mutilated genetically but us backyard grocery gardeners have no choice but to buy seeds from them - wind pollination has wiped out purebred corn. The ice shelf is melting at a drastic rate, raising the ocean temperatures, killing precious endangered wildlife and changing our coastlines. Global warming has created intense heat waves, droughts, a plethora of hurricanes and tornadoes and overpowering snowstorms. The school system in the USA is a laugh; our children "graduate" not having a clue as to how to balance a checkbook, fill out a job application, or how our election process really works. We struggle for every penny we make and for each dollar earned, we lose about half. Inflated prices due to rising gas costs. Taxes: oh, don't get me started. We hear about "peak food" and "peak oil". We fight about whether to drill more oil, which will create more havoc on our Earth and not help our economy a bit. We talk about using solar or wind power, and have yet to make it a requirement in local governments. We bail out A.I.G. only to find them tossing our good will and hard-earned cash into high-priced retreats, spas and golf games (FIRE THE TOP 20 people in A.I.G. - NOW!!! - with NO compensation packages). We war on terror but the terrorists have been long gone. We discuss who best can run the USA while we consider the options: black young man/white older man team vs white old man/white young woman. Is there even a third or fourth choice for President/Vice President? Our children are learning from us that though we may rant and rave about the economy and politics and the war in the privacy of our homes, we step outside our safety and clam up. Bees are a dying race, which reduces pollination of our crops. A single pro football player makes enough to pay 20 teacher's annual salaries, yet who gives us more value? Who has stepped forward since 9/11 (2001) or since Katrina to become a true leader of the USA? Why is there not affordable hybrid or solar cars yet? Health care costs are completely unaffordable to middle and lower class, as are health/car/home insurance payments. And so on and so on.

Do honesty, awareness, responsibility, courage and compassion mean nothing any more?

Am I being an extremist? No, because I strongly believe our very survival as a human race is hanging in the balance.

Yes, I am ANGRY.

I am coming up with a plan to do my part. Are you?

Forward ( http://thorntonwilliamsfamily.blogspot.com/2008/10/1020-america-not-so-beautiful.html ) to everyone you know. Tell people to get involved. To do SOMETHING to make a change.

What else can you do?

Write your congressman. Write an editorial for your local paper. Vote for whoever is running against an incumbant in your local election. Pick one day a week to NOT spend money and NOT drive. Get involved in your children's school. Run for an office - ANY office. Volunteer to collect canned goods door to door for your local food bank. Tutor high school seniors for free on how to do basic life skills: banking, job hunting, budgeting, etc. Grow veggies in your front and back yard, and give extras away to food banks. Make your holiday gifts this year instead spending money on toys that break or a sweater the recipient will hate. Become an Johnny Appleseed and plant an apple tree wherever you can get permission. Say "I love you" to your family EVERY DAY. Write A.I.G. and request they fire the top 20 executives in the firm - without compensation of any kind (from their website http://www.aig.com/: Contact AIG by email or phone Call M-F 6am-8pm ET USA: 1-877-638-4244 Worldwide: +1-908-679-3150 ). Learn CPR and First Aid, then stock up on medical supplies in your home and car. Adopt an animal from your local kill-shelter. Turn off the TV and talk to your family, friends and neighbors. Teach your teenager about condoms.

Just DO SOMETHING!!

Vikki http://www.newviewgroupllc.com/