The other day I received an e-mail from a good friend, and it really got me to thinking. The title of the e-mail was “Do we live in such a dumb country?” The text of the e-mail was all about the laws that politicians have made, and how the rest of us have to live with these laws. Here is a sample of the text that will give you a good idea of what I am talking about. The article begins: “If you can get arrested for hunting and fishing without a license, but not for entering and remaining in this country illegally, you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.
“If you have to get your parents’ permission to go on a field trip or to take an aspirin in school, but not to get an abortion, you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots. If you must show your identification to board an airplane, cash a check, buy liquor, or check out a library book and rent a video, but not to vote for who runs the government, you might live in a nation founded by geniuses but run by idiots. If you believe that the best way to eradicate trillions of dollars in debt is to spend trillions more, you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but run by idiots.”
There is much, much more, but you get the idea. While I am a very positive person, there comes a time when we just have to call a spade a spade, and let the chips fall where they may. If you keep up with the news at all, you know that our nation is in serious trouble because of the division and discord taking place each day in our nation’s capital. The bottom line is that this is all about power, who is going to make the laws, and who is going to spend the money. The problem, as I see it, is that our nation’s politicians have let loyalty to their party override their loyalty to our nation.
What I am saying would almost be funny if not for the fact that we are talking about the future of our nation and the kind of nation we are going to leave to our children and grandchildren. You might ask, what is the answer? While the answer is not easy, it is very simple. At some time in the near future, our nation’s politicians must realize that their loyalty must be to America first, and do the right thing for her, and not for the party. As I have said before, I have never been a member of any political party.
Because of this stance, I have always been free to vote for the candidate I believe has America’s best interest at heart. I vote a split ticket because I vote for the person best qualified and not for the party. As I see it, it really comes down to a very simple question: are America’s best days ahead of us or behind us? I would like to think they are ahead of us because we have always been able to meet the challenges we face, whatever they are. While I am just one voice, maybe crying in the wilderness, I would like to challenge every American and every person serving in an elected office to take what I am saying to heart and put our nation first, and not to a political party.
Just realize that we all live under the laws and rules that those we elect to office make, and it does make a difference for whom we vote. As we look to the future and the upcoming elections, let’s look at each individual candidate and what he or she stands for, and make our choices for those who are loyal to our country. It is very important. God bless, Jim.
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(Editor’s Note: JIM DAVIDSON is an author, public speaker, syndicated columnist and founder of the Bookcase for Every Child project. Since its inception in 1995, Jim’s column has been self-syndicated to over 375 newspapers in 35 states, making it one of the most successful in the history of American journalism.)