What are we afraid of?

Hey All:

I have voted in elections for longer than most of you have been around. That doesn't make me wise, but it does give me perspective.

During that time I've probably voted for Republicans two-thirds of the time. Most of that time, I've considered myself a conservative. But, I have to tell you, the nastiness, hatred and outright lies being spread around in the last few years is disgusting to me. And, that lengthy perspective has shown me that not all, but most of the filth is coming from the right... and it's getting worse.

We're in extremely difficult times. Many of you know this, or if you don't "know" it.... you feel it.... you're scared. I don't blame you, it's frightening to be in a situation where you feel you have no control. But you have to take a look at what's really going on.

Stop allowing yourselves to be "spoon fed" by the hate mongers. Ask yourself, why are they telling me this? What have they got to gain? Obamacare is going to cost billions? The CBO says it's either revenue neutral or a net gain. Obama's a socialist, a communist, not American, kow tows to foreign governments? Where's the evidence? Obama's responsible for our economic lethargy? Think back to where we were headed four years ago, or weren't you paying attention?

Maybe you just didn't realize that a two-term Republican administration (and yes, I admit it, I voted for him also) was responsible for creating a huge federal deficit and partially through ineptitude, but more importantly through a conservative philosophy that regulation is not good had allowed our financial institutions to speculate more and more recklessly to the point where everything came tumbling down.

If it had not been for the actions of the Obama Administration in the months following that disastrous collapse, we as a country, and as a world, would be in a virtual state of anarchy. Folks, we were teetering on the brink of an economic Armageddon.... and no, .... that is not hyperbole. We have come a long way back from that brink.

But over that period, the fears you've harbored have, not surprisingly been fed and nurtured by those who understand what fear can do.... and who want to take advantage of that fear ... to bring down this wonderful democracy of ours, which took so long to build .... and so many lives to maintain. What do I mean?

They don't want you to have a real voice in government. They don't want you to be able to earn the kind of money that will allow you to have the time, energy or education to be able to focus on what your government is really doing. Follow the money, folks. Where's it coming from.... and where's it going? Patriotism? Abortion? Gun Rights?

I attended a bi-partisan political meeting just last night where a friend of mine stood up and referred to one of our St. Louis legislators as being a socialist and a Communist... and he noted that the President was not only aware of it... but was really supporting him "because of it!"  

He concluded his little speech by asking how many of us in the audience displayed American flags. Folks, I love the red, white and blue... but waving a piece of cloth is not going to get us where we need to be. This man... a friend... was/is so completely off course... so completely misdirected.... you have to wonder how he got there. The answer can only be... because those with money.... who want more of it.... who want the power that only money brings.... have fed his fears... and his ignorance.

If you're afraid, you have every right to be, but you'd better think about what you're really afraid of. And, it's not abortion, gun laws or Obamacare.... it's those who are taking our income, our middle class, our country... our democracy away from us, those who want to make this into a third world dictatorship of the wealthy.