January 22, 2009

It was the day before the Obama inauguration. The DeKalb International Farmer’s Market in Decatur was extraordinarily packed, as bad as the predictable pre-holiday mob. 

Upon checkout, a black woman next to me was buying a mountain of crab legs, and I looked over and chuckled with her, saying I had recently purchased a heap of them myself and it cost me an arm and a leg.   She laughed and said, “I would do anything for tomorrow!” Tomorrow. I didn’t understand, but then it hit me. The inauguration. She then proceeded to buy what had to be $100 worth of crab legs with her food stamps card.

Here was a woman effortlessly paying for crab legs to celebrate Obama’s parting of the waters while I watched every penny I spent that day because I was paying for food with my own money. 

While America continues to whine about the recession, realize that those on welfare, the people we taxpayers work harder and harder to support, and not affected whatsoever, and in fact, will get more under Obama’s watch while we get less for working harder. Punish the working, successful people and reward those who don’t work at all. One needn’t wonder why Obama won this election.

Further, and in case you missed the data, the Georgia Lottery experienced a record high in 2008 since its inception…yes, during this recession. A huge majority of the same group who can buy crab legs with food stamps are also playing the lottery every day. I must plan when to walk to the local food mart because of the line of people buying lottery tickets. I take notes as to who is doing it and how often. I know. And, it’s the taxpayer who is supporting this abused addiction.

These are the same people who ridiculed Bush while he continued to support extended unemployment benefits throughout these difficult times. But, of course, unless you were receiving unemployment, you wouldn’t know that the very president many abhor was helping millions around the nation to continue receiving a paycheck. 

Bottom line: Why should diligent, respectable people who wake up and go to work every day feel the loss while those who do not work feel no loss and get our money and more? Did anybody really listen to Obama’s inaugural speech? If you did, you would know that he’s urging everyone to rise up and be the best contributing citizen you can be and work to make a difference for America. Many of us have done this every day of our lives to support those who have not. It’s time that comes to an end and we start building from the bottom up, not from the top down.

We are all granted rights, simply because we are American, but the right to a roof over our head, a vehicle, a television, a paycheck and health insurance are not lumped into those rights. Those are things people should earn through dedication and hard work, not by expecting the government to provide it. That is socialism, and if our country moves closer and closer to that, then we can kiss goodbye this freedom half of us are grateful for every day while the other half, those who, ironically get the most from the government, complain about.

January 16, 2009

Last night, I saw something I just can’t get beyond. At Manuel’s Tavern in Atlanta, as Bush’s farewell speech was about to begin, the swell of sinister laughter began, followed by jeers and disdainful mockery wrought with ignorant pride.  A smoke-filled room full of irate and rebellious citizens erupted in collective disgust, while their cars sat quietly in the parking lot whispering predictable “F the President” and “Endless War” bumper stickers. 

The staff candidly debated whether to turn up the volume on the TV or the music, as regular bar flies laughed in some kind of surreptitious liberal code, puffing on their American Spirit cigarettes, proud to hate America…proud to hate Bush and disgrace our nation.

The pontificating started, as if these chain-smoking, kid-free, non-tax-paying folks know more than everyone else, much less the president of the United States. The guy to the left of me, desperately trying to send the message that he wasn’t going to watch the TV if it killed him, looked up from his book and callously flipped Bush the bird. The bartender snickered in lively agreement, while I did everything I could to hold back from confronting this sorry excuse for a man.

My friend and I were sickened and couldn’t help but imagine what a bar full of Republicans watching Obama on TV would do. The scene played out much different. In fact, nothing would happen, and the television would have been turned up for all eager ears to hear.  The other side knows you respect your country and your president no matter whether you agree or disagree with the politics. If such dishonor were displayed toward Obama, people would probably be charged for racism and certainly considered hateful and self-important. 

But, ironically, it’s the people who preach peace and love not war, the guy in the bar last night, who are the most hateful and self-important, who cause the biggest stirs, who are content the least, disturbed the most and walk around with sneers and “I want my mommy” gripes about almost everything. These aren’t proud Americans, nor are they respectful Americans. They are immature, whiny Americans happy to hate their president and not happy about much else. Bush didn’t waver for your votes, as did Barack Obama, and didn’t change his views to be popular for people such as yourself. Thank goodness! Imagine an America full of that.

You come to know, as you grow older, that liberals need to get it straight. We all want peace, Democrats and Republicans.  But some of us just don’t need to arrogantly promote violent rallies in the name of it or fervently debate until we are blue in the face over stuff we really don’t know. None of us knows what really goes on in Washington, except those in it, but some of us do take time to learn and use our knowledge instead of blurting out absurdities to selfishly pump up our own uninformed ego. Illogically, it is those who think they know the most who know the least, as they will listen to only their side of the issues, refusing to learn about the other. 

Bush, like all Americans, wants peace. This is a man who held strong to his convictions, a man who kept us safe for eight years after September 11, 2008, when nobody thought that possible. If we had been bombed within the last eight years, Bush would have been blamed. Instead, he kept us safe, we were not bombed, and he’s blamed anyway. Similar to a bumper sticker I saw recently that read:  "Make levees not war."  Somehow, that makes sense to a particular group of people, and we know who they are.

To come to the level of these ignorant fools, specifically that idiot at the bar next to me who gave Bush the finger, here you go: “Bush is rubber; you are glue. Whatever you flip to him, bounces off him and comes back to you.” So, just continue to drown your sorrows over America and the pain you’ve suffered in the last eight years of safety from terrorism. And remember for next time…watching the president speak on TV is for mature audiences only.

Ironically, the motto at Manual’s Tavern is “Anybody Don’t Like This Life Is Crazy.” Seems as though they are preaching to the wrong choir. Liberals are never happy.

Despite my ability to shrug off other people’s nonsense and laugh at the enormous collection of bumper stickers many liberals display on their cars, I was recently shocked by a 20-something driving his huge truck with a bumper sticker that read: “When Bush Took Office, Gas Was $1.46.” Incongruity? Emotional wisdom?

Call me ignorant. Perhaps this instigating sticker has been around for a while, but these young people who cease to educate themselves on the issues before they proudly display trendy messages such as this are just sheep following the message of their flock.

I have always been without peer in making my own educated decisions based on researched facts, evaluating both sides of the issues, while staying as far away as possible from the liberal media trying to skew our views. But, people believe what they hear from those closest to them. It is much more trouble and much more time consuming to research the issues, find the truth and make lasting and well-informed decisions.

The bottom line is this: regardless of the issues as to why the gas prices soared, the majority of folks in America expect certain things in life to stay the same (as much as they tout change), such as trash pickup on Tuesdays, the cost of a haircut, a hotdog…and gas prices. But, in case people have forgotten our Founding Fathers formed a free market country. Inflation and global events affect just about everything in America and the world (let us not forget that the present cost for snacks, such as corn chips, has skyrocketed much due to Al Gore and his melodramatic movie and push for ethanol, causing farmers to sell corn at a higher price for gas rather than selling it for the food it is and that it creates).

The all-time peak in gas prices was in March 1981 following the start of the Iran-Iraq War the year before when gas prices rose to $2.50 per gallon. When adjusted for inflation, gas cost more in 1981 than it does today. And in 1973, following the OPEC Oil Embargo, gas prices averaged $1.81 per gallon. During those years, gas prices tripled, rising by almost 50 percent from 1973 to 1975, and by 80 percent in 1979 and 1980. People complain today because gas prices have doubled in a little more than three years. Take a look at the facts, the history. It’s been worse…much worse, and this administration has been through more, much more, than any other in history. 

Back to current times: The first six years of George Bush’s term were economically positive. Just over one year ago, the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit an all-time high, and consumer confidence was soaring. The price per gallon of gasoline was approximately $2.20. But then, after two years of a Democratic-run Congress, consumer confidence crashed and gas prices recently teetered between $3.50 to just over $4.00 per gallon.

It remains amazing to me how many people liken the gas prices to Bush and his low approval rating. Through the years of our many presidents, approval ratings have been low and high…some much lower than that for President Bush. But people see the here and now, the gas prices of today and not 30 years ago, and they even forget what happened last year—it’s in the past and it’s forgotten (literally).

You think that bumper sticker kid, who cares so much about the gas prices while he drives one of the biggest gas guzzlers there is, knows all this? Did he make an educated decision before he showed off his cynical opinion? And with gas prices as low as they are today, don’t you think he should consider removing this sticker, lest he continue to look like a fool?

All mankind is divided into three classes: those that are immovable, those that are movable, and those that move. Hey kid…if you really want to make some kind of statement, make sure you know the facts behind your statement first, and better timing for bumper sticker placement wouldn’t hurt either. And, of course, the obvious: if gas prices are bothering you, why are you driving a gas guzzler? Go figure.

Despite my ability to shrug off other people’s nonsense (especially that coming from my liberal friends) and laugh at the enormous collection of bumper stickers many find the need to display on their cars, I was seriously shocked yesterday by a 20-something driving his huge, five-miles-to-the-gallon truck with a bumper sticker that read: When Bush Took Office, Gas Was $1.46. Incongruity? Emotional wisdom?

Call me ignorant…perhaps this instigating sticker has been around for a while, but these young people who cease to educate themselves on the issues before they proudly display messages such as this are like sheep just following the message of their flock (aka Obama disciples) and what is cool for the time.

I have always been without peer in making my own educated decisions based on researched facts, evaluating both sides of the issues, while staying as far away as possible from the liberal .org groups and the media trying to skew our views. But, people believe what they hear from those closest to them because, heck, why not? It’s much more trouble and much more time consuming to do what I do—research the issues, find the truth and make my own decisions, despite whether people think I’m right or wrong, left or right, cool or out of touch.

The bottom line is this: regardless of the issues as to why the gas price is what it is today, the majority of folks in America expect certain things in life to stay the same (as much as they tout change), such as trash pickup on Tuesdays, the cost of a haircut, a hotdog…and gas prices. 

But, in case people have forgotten (despite our Founding Fathers’ goals), that this is a free market. Inflation and global events affect just about everything in America and the world (let us not forget that the present cost for snacks, such as corn chips, that has skyrocketed much due to Al Gore and his melodramatic movie and push for ethanol, causing farmers to sell corn at a higher price for gas rather than selling it for the food it is and that it creates. 

The all-time peak in gas prices was in March 1981 following the start of the Iran-Iraq War the year before when gas prices rose to $2.50 per gallon. When adjusted for inflation, gas cost more in 1981 than it does today. And in 1973, following the OPEC Oil Embargo, gas prices averaged $1.81 per gallon. During those years, gas prices tripled, rising by almost 50 percent from 1973 to 1975, and by 80 percent in 1979 and 1980. People complain today because gas prices have doubled in a little more than three years. Take a look at the facts, the history. It’s been worse…much worse, and this administration has been through more, much more, than any other in history. 

Back to current times: The first six years of George Bush’s term were economically positive. Just over one year ago today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit an all-time high, and consumer confidence was soaring. The price per gallon of gasoline was approximately $2.20. But now, after two years of a Democratic-run Congress, consumer confidence has crashed and gas is now teetering between $3.50 and $4.00 per gallon.

It remains amazing to me how many people liken the gas prices to Bush and his low approval rating. Through the years of our many presidents, approval ratings have been low and high…some much lower than that for President Bush. But people see the here and now, the gas prices of today and not 30 years ago, and they even forget what happened last year—it’s in the past and it’s forgotten (literally).