United I Stand

I'm sure that most people that read this blog on a regular basis have a firm idea about my political leanings. You could toss out the word liberal and I guess it would apply. Frankly, I don't care what kind of name is applied to me or what kind of box I am put in - what I want for this country and it's people has nothing to do with political affiliation.

I want every person to have the same chance at a good education, health care, housing. I think at some point in everyone's lives, they should feel the future is wide open to them and all they have to do is choose where to go and what to do.

If you think that is already the case for everyone, you are gravely wrong and have been living in a bubble.

I've lived and work in places where intelligent, caring, good people are trapped by the irfinances and their background. I've seen it and felt helpless to do anything about it.

Before the current administration, I was not a political person. I was vaguealy aware of what was going on in the world but I was busy looking out for myself and felt I didn't have time to worry about anyone else, let alone the country or the world.

But I never liked Bush. I am not anti-Republican per se nor am I anti-American or anti-troops. I know some of the people going over there. I pray they'll come back. I wish I knew why they were going.

I am not a Democrat. I don't think they can magically fix the problems we have as a country. There is no panacea for this country except for one thing.

Every person takes the time to be aware of what's going on around them. To speak out when they are angry or when they don't understand what's happening. To care about what is happening to others. Except for those that have enough money to buy and sell corporations, any one of us could loose everything we have at any time at this point in history: our freedom, our savings, our rights to make choices about things that will affect us and even our lives in some cases.

Any President in office will make mistakes. They will probably lie to us. They will piss us off.

But this President doesn't seem to care about how what he's doing and saying is affecting us. I spend time at the truthout site and that alone will have more labels heaped on me. If there is the slightest possiblility that what is said there is true, the slightest possibility, then we are in trouble.

According to something I read today, Bush and the NSA have been spying on the people of this country - not just the terrorists, not just the bad guys, everyone - since before the war. I have a problem with that.

Because this is America, I am able to write all of my feelings and thoughts down and have others read them. Others can and will disagree to varying degrees and can share their thoughts and feelings as well.

That is part of what living in this country is about.

It's why the Ku Klux Klan are still around. I hate them and what they stand for but they do have every right to exist and to make their opinions known.

We all do.

And I just did.