Election blog

As we draw close to the Presidential election my mind is filled with a lot of things. Hope, opportunity, fear, stupidity and sadness. I've been really thinking of the long view of things. I guess it is an occupational hazard of being a History teacher.

This country needs to go from a hopeless paradigm to a hopeful one. Every segment of our society needs to know that America needs them, America wants them. The exclusionary practices that have been entrenched in this country for the past 45 years must come to an end. America's future and its renewed vitality depend on this. Not every kid has to have the dream of that one day they can become President, but they need to know that the President will always be willing to listen to them whether they come from a prep school or the boulevard.

There needs to exist an opportunity for our country to remain strong. Politicians of both parties love to wave the flag to prove their patriotism. They all do it. Damn them for making our flag a self-serving prop for their ambition. A lot of fine people have sacrificed the precious gift of life being real patriots. This has been going on since 1775 in this country. It goes on this very day. They never wanted to be elected, they wanted to serve their country.

The best way to keep our country strong is to revamp our school system. Years ago the mantra for Clinton to be elected was," It's the economy stupid." Well, if you look around the world these days, our major competitors are the ones that place a huge emphasis on education. Perhaps the mantra for 2008 and beyond should be, "It's all about education stupid." I do not relish any of our children sitting in the drivers seat for a declining America.

I teach with a gentlemen, an American citizen mind you, who was raised in the Phillipines. His big fear, which I understand, is that a sizable majority of the American public will be so turned off by the antics of our two major political parties that option C may come into play. Option C? A person who shares the frustration all of us feel at the self-serving inertia of the political parties and delivers the promise of action, strength and power. Know where I'm going? If you don't, look at Germany in the early 1930's. An educated society beset with economic ills with a sense of hopelessness. Scares the hell out of me.

The stupidity of the continued finger pointing literally sickens me. They did this, they did that. It's done. I want to hear about solutions, plans and sincere collaboration. I need to hear that collaboration to do what is best for America and its citizens is the guiding determinant.

I'm sad about where we are as a country. But it is not a premanent situation. My four children will see a return of a America that represents so many good things to people of the entire world. An America that offers a helping hand to those in need, an America that does not turn its back on our legacy of being for all of its citizens irregardless of their circumstance or background.

24 days till the election. One final word: If you don't vote, don't bitch. God bless America and all that live here....