I really don't know what to say. At first I was shocked. I mean, all night as I was watching the returns, it was clear Obama would win. But when it actually happened, I was stunned and afraid. The United States of America, the greatest country on Earth, elected as its president the most liberal man in the Senate. They fell head-over-heels in love with a candidate and voted for him, despite his promises to bankrupt the coal industry (leaving the Americans who depend on it jobless), to literally take the income of the people and give it to others who he deems more deserving of it, and to make us pay for everyone else's healthcare and education. Some call it "Change." I call it Socialism.
What happened to this country? What happened to the American work ethic? Our country was once known as the one place where you could find a job and get an honest shot at success. People who came here would do anything for a job. They didn't want a hand-out. They wanted to earn a living and give their children a better life. This is the American dream. The key to the American dream is not just becoming successful, but earning that success. My grandparents came to this country with two sons and no money. They had to stay with relatives while they looked for jobs and an apartment they could afford to rent. They took modest jobs; they both worked in a mattress factory, while my grandfather also worked a second job with his brother-in-law in construction. Their lives were centered around work. Eventually, they went from renting apartments in Brooklyn and Queens to owning a home in Nassau County. They ran their own successful restaurant business for over a decade. They retired in their 60s. They didn't take a hand-out from anyone. The very suggestion was offensive to them, and still is to this day. They take pride in their self-sufficiency.
There has been for some time a rising feeling of entitlement in our nation. Disadvantaged individuals insist that because they have faced challenges, they deserve more than the rest of us. I grew up in a home that is by no means what one might consider "wealthy" or "priviledged," but I can not help that it would be a great injustice to tell anyone that they must give up their hard-earned pay, regardless of how bountiful it is, to support someone else. Welfare is grossly abused. Many people shamelessly admit that they don't use their welfare checks to pay for food, utilities, or other neccesities. They use them to pay for TV, internet, or other luxuries. While everyone wants to provide these entertainment media for their children, it seems unfair that I should be forced by the government to give my wages to pay for someone else's cable bill. I believe wholeheartedly in giving to charity, and I give as much as I can according to my means. It saddens me that more people don't give to charitable organizations. The solution, in my opinion, is not to redistribute wealth through large government programs, but to promote charitable donations. Barack Obama has called this idea "selfish." I don't see anything selfish about Everyone working hard to provide for themselves and their families. I did not vote for Barack Obama, but I accept the results of the election. The people have spoken. Personally, I think they were wrong, but I refuse to pull an Al Gore. Instead, I'm praying that God will be able to use the Obama presidency as an instrument for good. I pray for a miracle: a change of heart in Barack Obama and Joe Biden. When the time comes, I pray a President Obama will appoint Supreme Court justices who will interpret the Constitution faithfully and work to stop the infanticide which claims over 1 million lives every year.
God Bless us all.
