iCitizenForum by Colonial Williamsburg

The statement, “Ridiculous ideas like ‘we need to take care of each other’ don’t belong in this country,” greatly concerns me. This was my first year of voter eligibility and I was honored to vote. Of course it’s human nature to think of oneself first, but on this voting day, I did think of others…my family, my neighbors, my co-workers and others as I cast my first vote. I thought about my fellow U.S. citizens who are also citizens of the world.

I don’t think that the founders intended for us to ignore others in need. The Declaration of Independence states “…that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain inherent and inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness….” Never would I interpret those words to mean what you’ve stated, “This is a nation founded on the idea of taking care of ourselves, governing ourselves, living our own lives and pursuing our own well-being without interference from the government or our neighbors.” The pursuit of happiness clause was not meant as one of individual happiness, but as happiness for the greater good, for the citizenry.

It isn’t important for others to know for which party I voted this year; just know that my vote was NOT a lazy, uninformed choice. I voted as one person, knowing that many people would be affected, and that we were all concerned citizens. I don’t have the “leave me alone” or the “or else” mentality. I have a “we must work together” mentality. I think that benefits all of us.

Well. I lived in the USA for 20 years until 2003. I am not a US Citizen (choices are choices), but my father was a WWII Veteran and my three sons are Americans. I moved out of the USA because I lost hope on the American people: How was it possible to elect a mentally-impaired President? I mean, that can well happen in my country, Venezuela, because we have had a streak of mentally-impaired dictators over decades, and Chavez makes all of them look… Well. Like him.

But, how could a man lying to his countrymen, even being caught, and surrounded by crooks that profitted from war and all financial scandals was re-elected?

I do not celebrate the “colored” discourse to feed euphoria on you, dear friends (believe me, I love Americans… But, sometimes you are so naive!) and I am very pleased with Obama’s election. I believe he is an intelligent man, and intelligent people, whether Republican or Democrats, is what the USA needs to get out of the hole that George Bush and his gang of bandits pick-pocketed from you, and from the rest of the world, given that much of Wall Street losses were on foreigners that trsuted your financial system…

Well, Americans… It is time to wake up and realize that you live in an interdependent world. I am observing from the distance, doing my part, so you guys can continue carrying out unsustainable living customs. Hopefully, with a new President that has pledged that climate change and regional conflicts will be priorities (watch it, I hope he does not mean to bring more unneeded guns… What the word needs is education and health so we can all be taking care of each other), then you will have your hands full for the upcoming decades… As I said, from the distance, I will do my part to keep tropical forests on foot so you can continue breading. But, please, get rid of those ugly hummers and SUVs… Get on mass transportation and talk to your neighbos so he or she does not come into your home when you are at work at take your TV and Nintendo away from you.

My party lost. Do I feel any different? Not in the least. The dawn broke and I recalled the revelry, celebrations, and the antics on the late night new reports. I wonder if those silly jumping, yelling people realize they’re not going to be any better off in a year than they are right now. As a mass they put someone in office. That’s it. That someone is a politician and that politician is playing a game at a level we’ll never get to play. That man does not have much control over my life. It’s controlled by how well I maneuver around obstacles placed in my path by politicians. Instead of waiting for the government to “do unto me”, I need to do all I can to correct what I see as wrong, make good decisions, avoid elimination, and find my own comfort spot. It’s like being a long tail cat in a room full of rocking politicians, avoid the rockers and find yourself a comfortable spot. Soon enough, they’ll switch seats and rock in a different direction.

As an individual in the middle of my 40’s, for the first time on Tuesday night, I felt old. I feel towards Obama and his supporters like I do sometimes towards my college-age daughters; proud of their ideals and sad that eventually they will and must realize that ideas come at a cost to someone. My concern with Obama is not that “change” is not desperately needed, but rather how much change can we afford and how much of my and other comfortably middle-income “pie” is needed to enact that change. With his selection of his chief of staff, I believe that my children will all too soon realize that the more things change, the more they stay the same. If true change was desired by our elected officials, then “change” could have been affected. If the Democrats are sincere in their desire (especially in returning some of our civil liberaties that have been taken from us over the past 7 years), then I wish them God’s speed, but pardon this slightly older person for my fear that this is yet another lesson in self-gratification. God bless America!