Yes it’s my mistake. I read the Opinion piece Ken Odor wrote; As an American and a disabled retired veteran, I was insulted at the rhetoric and apathetic description of the State of the Union as given by Odor!

It was hard not to vision George W. Bush himself delivering the same, really, everything is pretty good here in the US speech.  The mere idea that we should just accept the complete incompetence that has run this country for the last 9 years is absolutely insulting! To assume that things are bad all or but our bad is better bad than everyone elses bad is absurd!

Our troops fighting for our way of life? Our troops most recently have been on a “surge”, suggested by the White House to give the Iraqi Parliament the time to handle issues of bringing the factions together and dividing the oil wealth of the country between them. Ken, nothing has happened in the Iraqi Parliament! Nothing is happening! The Sunnis have walked out for the third time. This is not doing a thing for our way of life.

And if our way of life is so much better and concerned with the Iraqis freedoms, how is it we just sit by and allow the complete genocide happening in Africa?

The American way of life is in the worst condition of it’s 230 years! Torture of prisoners, corporate corruption, 45 million people without health insurance and a war based on lies by the highest office in the land isn’t and should not be accepted as, “We still have it pretty good!“  Acceptance of such corruption is not an option!

I keep reading the Declaration of Independence. This documents is the American Way of Life:

“That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.“

Ken, nowhere in this document does it say we should just give up to the corruption or accept things as they are, or to just go on with our petty lives as if we have no say in the matter of government. It says, it is our right, it is our duty, to make changes and to insure the future of the people of the United States is bright and going forward and in a leadership role in the world. A Government to lead by example, not words and not hide behind secrecy so as to perpetuate crimes and then define them differently when caught!

This new year is not one to walk into faint heartedly. The elections this year are extremely important to the good name of the United States of America and to show the world that we can and will correct our mistakes.

I will not sit on my hands and accept things the way they are! I intend to let freedom ring loud and clear!

I was ready to send my complements to Ken Odor for his beautiful article on giving thanks. I then read Ron Noe’s comments and could not respond in a better way.  It is obvious that Mr. Noe has seen the “otherside” of life as a disabled veteran.  It is too easy for our politicians to tell us how great we have it, when they themselves don’t know anything about true life experiences other than what they have observed on the campaign trail. Visiting the war arena in Iraq, with maximum security and only being allowed to talk to people that are on the “A’ list is not real world. I guess they are afraid to ask the GI or his family how they feel about life in general. The “Voice of Doom” permeates the Washington Arena but the little people can look beyond and give thanks for their individual blessings in their own way. Thanks again Ken and Ron, I wish their were more people like you two.