Where we find ourselves today

Tis the season to elect ourselves another president!

If you were unsure of this fact and were somehow not around a phone, radio, or television or computer, then you probably have a lot more sanity then most.  I look around at our climate here in America and frankly it scares me.  On one hand we have those who are the working poor.  They work a job till their hands bleed, their nerves fray, their very wits are about to leave them.  We have the sick, the slighted and those in between, worried once again that they will be forgotten.  Then we come to the Haves.  Those who were either fortunate enough to eat cereal with a silver spoon, or the smaller majority it seems who got there by blood sweat and tears.  Because of our current economic peril in our country, hell the world, the Haves desperately try to place as much distance between the Have Not's and themselves.  We have a vice presidential candidate who practically worships a book and author that glorifies greed and self preservation above all.

Ayn Rand rejects altruism, the view that self-sacrifice is the moral ideal. She argues that the ultimate moral value, for each human individual, is his or her own well-being. Since selfishness (as she understands it) is serious, rational, principled concern with one's own well-being, it turns out to be a prerequisite for the attainment of the ultimate moral value. For this reason, Rand believes that selfishness is a virtue

Are you frigging kidding me.  Selfishness is a virtue.  I am pretty sure that was not what I was taught by my mother, my kindegarten teacher or heck even that one guy everyone use to quote from time to time before being "A Christian" became all about being an amoral anus who pretty much did the exact opposite of everything the Bible teaches us. You know that guy, long hair, incredible abs, Jesus was his name.  I mean really folks, WAKE UP!!! We have become so use to the convenience of our lives that we have completely lost track of our basic human connection.  All these social media apps out there and yet in some ways we have never been further apart.  I am just sad and astonished at where we are at.

It is hard to be a parent and point our children to the right path anymore.  Not because it isn't there but just because at some point the mainstream of society veered off into the insanity we now face.  We use to be a nation that built things, and took pride in our craftmanship.  We use to be a country that welcomed everyone wanting the "opportunity" (not the entitlement) to make their way to their own sort of dream life. At some point though, we let things get out of control.  We slowly went from a country that built things to a country that calls each other about it and complains.  Our main products we export now are crappy reality shows, tobacco products and ideas that we don't even build into tangible items here anymore. 

I sit with my son, and I try to teach him how to be a man.  How you can still have empathy for others, and be strong.  Kindness is not weakness, if anything it is the strength to know that you can do without for a bit just to bolster someone else.  A hand up is not a hand out.  If you are one of those folks out there saying "hey all these sick people, all these veterans, all these jobless folks need to go to churches, and community charities to help them survive.  That is how its suppose to work". Ok great, my question for you is have you donated enough to feed one family.  Have you given enough money to pay for a treatment for cancer or AIDS or any myriad of diseases that cost in America in some cases (this figure is based off of my own experiences with MS drugs) 20 times the amount they cost in other countries.  I can say with all my donations, I am not even close.  But the magic of everyone giving a little is it adds up to a lot and the burden is spread out so thin its barely tangible.  

We are facing dark times folks.  Unless we stop our gluttony, our obsession with having to get every single little gadget that comes out (no I am not talking about a bohemian lifestyle) we are very quickly going to be a nation for sale to the highest bidder.  And the highest bidder is going to be one of many faceless corporations, who care not a wit for your welfare.  Look around real close.  Read for yourself.  This is not some conspiracy theory, it is in your face every day.  Fact Check the hell out of your presidents and their comments.  Have they both made mistakes in some cases.  Sure, but I can tell you one of them has told the truth and has numbers to support either already in place or soon to be (such as job figures for instance) Sure currently were at 4.5 million jobs, not 5 million as stated in the first debate. But we know by February 2013 those numbers will actually be raised by another 750,000.  Is that a lie? It sure isn't.  Look at your economists telling you "one plan makes zero sense and will not work with what we have been shown"

Let me put this plainly folks.  If I walked up to you and said "Hey man, I got this nice shiny gold nugget at my place.  I really want to sell it to you, but I need you to trust me its there. So how about you give me 700 bucks and then tomorrow I will take you to see the nugget"  Most of you who barely know me, would tell me to go take a flying leap.  So why the hell would you vote someone into office who is telling you "trust them, they have a plan" but is not showing you the full plan.  I am not telling you who to vote for.  I am telling you who not to.  If your gonna vote for a liar at least make sure he is smart enough to not get caught most of the time. 

Lets take our country back folks.  Lets remember what being a Christian is really about, not what the right wing zealous wack jobs or the far left lets give it all away is about.  Lets come back to the middle, where we want a good days wage for a good days work.  We want to take care of our families, and if we have a roof over our head, food in our belly and a little money in our bank to do something once in a while, were lucky, happy and content.  The American Dream is still out there to take by the roots.  Lets cut up our credit cards and stop trying to live beyond our means.  We can vote everyday with our dollar, and believe me if we do, the faceless corporations will listen.  Their golf games, the rolls royces and their mistresses demand it.

No this will not be a rant with every post.  But I just had a lot on my mind the last few months and yes its exploding onto the printed page.  We can do better.

Get out there and vote! And vote smart!

Chris