A Countybear Rant: Dear Politicians...

[countybear]

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Politician:

I know you are all wrapped up in a major power struggle at the moment, and you can’t seem to decide between the gray hybrid BMW SUV or the black one, but I just thought I would drop you a line in case one of you had some downtime and became bored enough to read this. Although I admit that I’m not too terribly hopeful that this will be read by any of you who have the ability to make a difference, I guess I’ve got to find a way to say a few things, just on the hollow hope that someone’s voice might be heard over the din and clamor of the fray.

First off guys and gals, I need some relief on this fuel price thing. If you want to know what’s kicking my ass, that’s number one. I don’t fully understand all of the economic twists and turns, but I do remember back some years ago when some of you said that we needed to expand domestic exploration or we’d get our socks handed to us by OPEC. Well, I think my socks are being handed to me pretty damned well right now. You have been wanting me to believe that Iraq was a war for oil, but hell, looks to me like the plan either backfired or you are full of dookie. I also remember some of you raised hell about spoiling the Alaskan Wildlife Refuges for the polar bears, but if I can live a few hundred yards from an oilrig without glowing in the dark, why in the hell can’t they?

I read where the average tax on a gallon of gasoline is around 47 cents. Considering that it has been that way since gas was around two dollars a gallon, that seems like it’s a bit extreme, but that’s just me. All I can tell you is that I don’t drive a huge SUV, but my big ass doesn’t fit in a Prius, either. I’d like to continue to pay my other bills, and there’s no other alternative modes of transportation like an electric mass transit system running around my house, so let’s get on the stick before the gas station needs loan officers, ok?

When I go to the grocery and pay 30% higher prices on average than I did a short time ago, I want to know what’s causing it. It doesn’t take an advanced degree to figure out that these guys are paying much higher prices to get their products to me, that you guys have had a hand in bumping up minimum wages and such to raise their costs, and in order to stay in business, I have to pay higher prices. So, how about you stop buying votes with my money and driving me in the damned poorhouse.

I work… and I work hard. While I work, I see a lot of folks who don’t and still seem to be making it pretty well for some reason. They rake in cash from doing some side job, all while they collect a check from you (which is really from me), and have enough money somehow to lay on their ass and watch Oprah most days, and even more to spend on getting toasted every night while their “learning disabled” kids sport iPhones on their hips. Something is wrong with that picture. I pay an exorbitant tax burden throughout the year, because I am ‘successful’ from working 3 jobs to keep my family fed, yet there’s folks around here who diddle with receipts to show themselves making a few bucks so that they can qualify to make about six thousand more free and clear every year at tax time. Sorry guys and gals, that sucks no matter how you rate it. I’d like to teach my kids that hard work pays off, but you are teaching them otherwise. They see it, and I see it, why is it that you don’t?

Here’s another thorn that has been sticking in my paw lately, why is it that the commission of a crime in this country (by persons who aren’t even citizens) seems to be an allowable, perhaps even laughable thing to you? I wonder what would happen if I were to be caught by some Federale after sneaking into Mexico through a fence, printing up some bogus papers, and working down there without making the first tax contribution? I’ll bet that I’d become a fixture at the Mexican version of Alcatraz pretty soon, washing undies for some big mean dude named Jose’. But it all seems a big joke here for some reason. These “undocumented” aliens (that’s YOUR term, not mine) can even assemble in the streets by the thousands and tell us that WE are to blame for their hardships, when by all letters of the law, they should be sitting on a one-way bus back to South of Brownsville. There’s been a great number of graves erected here for those who fought and died for the right for citizens to assemble peaceably and have their voices heard by you, but I don’t believe we have reached a point where that right must be given to even those who openly violated the law to even get here. Let a couple of our border cops pop a cap on a drug smuggler, (who honestly deserved worse), and they wind up sitting in prison, but no, don’t violate the rights of the “undocumented”, we need them to sheetrock the damned courthouse next month for much less than we’ll report we paid so that we can pocket the difference. Come to think of it, if you guys really did work for me, I’d fire your asses and probably employ illegals myself. I’ll bet they wouldn’t be voting ‘present’ when asked to represent their families and those who placed their trust and confidence in them to do what was in their best interests, while collecting yet another government check for doing it.

Oh, and by the way, my owning a gun doesn't make me a criminal any more than my owning a hammer makes me a carpenter. That's just a tidbit of common sense that I think you should realize. It doesn't mean that I'm bitter, I'm just a realist. If you want to take my means of personal protection, then I'm afraid you'll have to assign me a Secret Service agent just like you have watching you and your family. Otherwise, how about supporting the police in taking the guns out of the hands of those who were supposed to have lost the right to keep and bear because of their crimes, and leave me the hell alone. Just a thought...

I haven’t mentioned much about the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, but you know I have to. First, I’ll have to admit that you guys had me with some mixed feelings about it for a while, tugging this way and that way about who lied and who didn’t, but being informed by the playboys and playgirls of the news media could likely confuse Jesus himself. I finally had to tune out the opinions and just base my views on facts. I remember Desert Storm, the UN resolutions, and the tail-whipping Sadam’s folks took back in the 90’s. That time, our people went in, kicked ass, and pulled right back out. Everyone thought we’d done a great thing. Well, we did, but we didn’t finish the job because no sooner did we pull back out of there when our fair-weather friends the Russians and the French had this great scheme to re-arm that animal under the noses of the incompetent and corrupt UN. While we sat back and watched, Saddam slaughtered anyone who opposed him (by the thousands), worked to re-build his hate machine, and we had to go back in longer-term this time and see to it that we didn’t just create another terrorist playground for whoever wants to take it. Didn’t find any WMD’s? Well maybe you didn’t because you gave the man three months to move them out. I don’t know, but I think the FBI would even call that a clue. Afghanistan was a given, thanks to the Taliban occupying that country and turning it into a cash cow while they created havoc everywhere on Earth that they could. Now, while our finest young men and women risk their lives to stabilize those areas, you want to play politics with their funding and their very lives. Shame on you all. Yeah, I want our people out of there, but not until the job is done so that we don’t have to go back and do it again, ever. So, get it done and quit pussyfooting with it. Take care of those kids coming back from over there. I don’t mind at all what you do with my tax dollars for them, they at least earned it.

Last, but certainly not least, I think that you, who are paid by taxpaying citizens of this country to lead it, should lead it by example. I don’t believe that a vote is just a lever pull. I believe that each is a pledge of faith by the voter in the candidate, that he or she will conduct themselves in a manner representative of the people, with dignity and integrity, and that the confidence of the people of this nation is the most precious commodity. Yes, I am idealistic, perhaps, but so were those who created this country, those who have furthered its causes, and those who make this the great nation that it is. We have always been a country of idealists. It is in the fabric of the flag that symbolizes America. In all your endeavors in a position of leadership or representation of the people of this country, you should conduct yourselves with honor. Few of you have honestly done that, and quite frankly, “we, the people” are growing damned tired of it. Getting the presidential furniture polished in the oval office wasn’t a slap in Bill’s face, it was a slap in all of our faces. If you can’t keep it in your pants, resign and call all the happy hookers you want to. Otherwise, Pride in this country isn’t a crime, and if the people of this nation are paying you to represent them, then you damned sure should be proud of it. There should be no ambiguity in your feelings about it, by you or anyone you associate with, or else you should step aside and let those who do love this country lead it.

Well, that’s about it. I think I’ve hit the highlights. I can’t say that everyone around me completely agrees with everything I’ve said, but I’ll bet more do than do not. I really hope that you haven’t lost so much touch with us that any of this is new to you completely, but I’m willing to bet that over brunch at Ruth’s Chris, at least one of your staffers might have expressed a few of my concerns in passing. I can’t say I have all of the answers, but I will say this; my vote will be cast in the upcoming elections, and my voice will be heard in that way, even if you didn’t take the time to read this letter.

A deeply concerned citizen.

/rant off.

[Resident Smart Ass]

Someone PLEASE REP this gentleman and a scholar or me!

CB, I damn sure couldn't have said it better myself.

[Pudge]

Someone PLEASE REP this gentleman and a scholar or me!

CB, I damn sure couldn't have said it better myself.

Got ya covered.

[Jenna]

Eloquent and thoughtful rant.

[lewisipso]

Excellent post as usual.

[lewisipso]

Someone PLEASE REP this gentleman and a scholar or me!

CB, I damn sure couldn't have said it better myself.

Done a second time.

[adroitcuffs]

Most excellent!

[mack]

Reps inbound, excellent rant once again CB

[CTR man]

Eloquent and thoughtful rant.

excellent as usual, even Jenna liked it.

[Captain America]

Do you feel better now, Coutybear?

[gopherpuckfan]

Someone PLEASE REP this gentleman and a scholar or me!

I'd rep him, but I don't see the Rep button anymore on any posts

edit - nevermind....it's in the lower left corner now

[gozling]

incredible post

[pac201]

outstanding rant! the only problem is not enough people will see it...especially the ones "representing" us!

[BlackNwhite]

Did you know they are putting porn on the gas pumps so you can watch someone else getting #$#@ed while you are?

[Star Man]

outstanding rant! the only problem is not enough people will see it...especially the ones "representing" us!

I copied it and sent it to EVERYONE on my e-mail list, wether I think they are a lib or not. F-'em, they need to read that great piece of work CB wrote!!