Who are we? No, really...who ARE we?

Right now we're in the midst of an election year. Several folk are vying for the chance to represent one of the two parties who toss their collective hats into this ring of insanity every four years. If, after almost eight years of Mr. Bush, the world is not afraid enough of us, they only need listen to the current rhetoric to ratchet that fear up a notch or two. Given, this attacking each other and then becoming best friends is not something new. And in spite of the populace crying for something other than hateful attacks, the mud oozes on.

Each candidate seems to have a platform that tells us what's wrong with the other guy...and not much else. Give us real conversations about policy, direction...anything. Let us see why we should elect you. Because a President needs to be ABOVE the fray, above this petty bickering...you represent the entire country (in the end) and not just one party, one religon, one thought. Information changes and you cannot afford to shut it out. You must engage opposing points of view with an open mind; you must be above this game of paranoia and delusion.

Freedom of religion does not mean we can all be Catholic, Jewish, or Southern Baptist It means we have choices, to pick one or pick none. Speaking of God is one thing, making sure it's the Chrisitian God is another. Forgetting about freedom of speech is also a problem that lives with the current occupant. Without voices of dissent there would have been no revolution, no United States of America. Why would we feel that people with differing opinions should have no voice? What has happened to the Bill of Rights? The Constitution? What is it that we're afraid of?

Please, don't forget...we are not all well off; we are not all liberal or conservative; we are not all Baptist, Mormon, or anything else. We are supposed to be a diverse culture where everyone is created EQUAL and each voice has a right to be heard. We offer to take in tired and poor huddled masses and then our support is less than inspiring. We ignore the poor, the real problems in education, the crisis in health care, and give more aid to other countries than we do those struggling in our own.

We're bi-polar, passive-agressive, paranoid. We trail many other countries in education, health care...but we house companies that make huge profits, and we take benefits away from those who lost jobs, who make too little. We talk of doing away with income tax, and creating a "national sales tax". How on earth do the poorer folk in society afford goods and services then? Don't burden us with regressive taxes, do a better job with what you do collect!

So who are we? Well if you've read this far, we ramble on a bit. We tune out yet another "rah rah" speech about what a great county this is, because paying lip service without backing it up is just hypocritical. We become more cynical as we watch adults act like grade school kids; we expect less, and that's exactly what we get. Yes, I know. None of this started yesterday. You can go back decades and this is what we do...and yet we survive. One can only hope that continues to be the case.

But we could do so much better! We could listen to the populace, to those who disagree. We can disagree without causing hate and anger. We can speak about what we each feel, express our opinions, and not be laughed at or ridiculed. Your opinion is just that, neither right or wrong, but what you feel. And we could start with those of you now campaigning.

Stop mud slinging, start having conversations that are more than sound bites. Talk about you and what you would do, and not what's wrong with the other guy/gal, whoever. Act the part and you might just be elected. Maybe.