Dear America

Tonight I watched the second debate between two people who want to be our next President. I will make no secret that I will not vote for the Republican candidate under any circumstances; however, I'm not crazy about the Democratic candidate, either.

The debate gave me a blinding headache that only a strong pain killer can take away. That said, I want to express my thoughts before I succumb to the wonderful world of sleep.

This election year has been one of the most divisive I have ever experienced in my memory. I probably could dredge up presidential runs in our pre-television history and find some that could have been worse. Andrew Jackson comes to mind - his run for office was more than his wife could handle and she died from the stress. Jackson never got over it. Of course, Jackson was also a horse's ass, but I digress.

Our country is angry. We have a Congress that is holding our country hostage while they play games with our laws. Open debate on issues can't happen with the mind-set of certain party members "My way or you're wrong."

Our country is starved for work. Jobs are scarce and the ones that are available are only available to a select few. Discrimination is a real thing, by the way. Wages are stagnant and the work world has been turned upside down. Jobs once slated for high school and college students are now held by single parents and/or older workers who can't find work elsewhere. The young college graduates are getting jobs that require the experience and wisdom of older workers, but they are willing to work for less and companies are snapping them up.

Our country is frightened. Which mall will host the next blood bath? Which public venue will literally go out with a bang? Guns in the classroom? Are you serious? Sick people dressed as clowns terrorizing children and communities. What is going on here?

Our country is stressed to the breaking point. We can't meet our bills. The Affordable Care Act is skyrocketing out of control and coverage is dimming. Yes, prices at the gas pump are going down, but utilities are going up. The housing marketing is making a rebound, but many communities are still feeling the pain of the housing market crash.

Tonight the world watched St. Louis host the Presidential debate. And, for a change, we showed the world what we are really made of. A peaceful demonstration paraded through Delmar all the way to Washington University. Many issues were represented, but no violence. No one got hurt. But voices were loud and clear.

We need to come together like this again. We need to express our concerns. I believe each of us has the power to turn this country around. We have the ability to fix these problems and we have the ability to put the right people in government who will hear our voices, and help us fix these problems.

America, I'm scared for our future. But, I'm also hopeful that we can fix what is broken. I believe it all begins in the voting booth.

Thank you.

Presidential Election and Our Future

Wow. Election season is always fraught with hostility, but this one just takes the cake. A business mogul/reality TV star thinks he has the stuff to be the leader of the free world. He's demonstrating his incredible people=pleasing skills by insulting everyone and everything in his path, encouraging violence at his political rallies, and resurrecting frightening memories of past fascist European leaders. His popularity is mind-boggling, to say the least. I have no clue what his plans are for running the country - he hasn't really articulated that yet. He's too busy shooting off his mouth about his opponents, Mexicans, Muslims, and anyone else he doesn't like.

Then we have other contenders for the highest office in the land. Two of them I'm pretty much ignoring, but maybe I shouldn't. Neither of them seem to be saying much. The other two have my attention. I'm ready for a woman president, but does it have to be the one campaigning now? I just don't trust her. To be fair, she proved her mettle while a senator from New York (in what way, I don't know - don't live in New York). She wasn't a delicate flower as Secretary of State, either. Until the Bengazi and e-mail server issues came forward. Now, I'm not so sure. The senator from Vermont seems to make a lot of pretty promises and paints a future filled with hope. His campaign ads are, for the most part, positive. Basically, I have a choice between an untrustworthy former Secretary of State and a senator who identifies himself as a Democratic Socialist. History has proven that Socialism looks great on paper but doesn't work well in real life. What kind of future will I get when I vote in November?

Many Americans are angry with the current state of the country. There are no jobs and despite what the White House says, the economy is not doing very well. Not for the rest of us. My past posts have talked about my personal situation and the new suburban poor. We need a leader who can pull people together and work toward a viable solution. We need corporations who are willing to invest in their communities. We need an educational system that will make us not only more competitive in the global marketplace, but useful here at home. We need a healthcare system that supports and treats our human condition. We need law enforcement that is trustworthy and accountable. We need to re-learn respect and the Golden Rule.

But, most of all, we need community. We have the capacity to create great things out of almost nothing. If we aren't a great country (and I'm not so sure we are), we have the capacity to become great again.

Remember our beginnings - thirteen British colonies who pulled together and told a global empire to stick it where the sun don't shine.

A Memorable Memorial Day

Memorial Day is, indeed, a special day set aside to remember those who have sacrificed so much so that we can be free. We honor those with parades, special tributes and ceremonies. Years ago, my young son participated with his Cub Scout troop in placing flags on the solders' graves at Jefferson Barracks Cemetery. This had particular meaning to him because his grandfather (my father) was buried there. We don't know if Jack put a flag on his grandpa's grave or not, but I'm sure my dad would have counted it as so.

This year, my daughter, Sami, participated along with the Ritenour High School Color Guard and Marching Band, in the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, DC. To say this was a once in a lifetime opportunity is an understatement. Each of the kids scraped and sweated to earn every dime to pay for the trip. Some of these kids are seniors and had just celebrated their graduation ceremony last week. This trip also represented Sami's first ever trip out of state. I wanted so badly to come with her, but I couldn't come up with the money to pay for both of us. It was all she could do to earn the money for herself.

Ritenour High School Marching Band was invited to participate in the National Memorial Day Parade by Missouri Representative Lacy Clay. That by itself is pretty impressive. What I found out tonight was that Ritenour beat out about 15 other Missouri schools for this incredible honor. Not only that, Ritenour represented ALL of Missouri - no other Missouri schools were in the parade. Ritenour students showed their state and school pride by putting on an awesome performance for the whole country to see.

I'm so proud of all of them, and especially, of Sami. Great job guys!