I hadn't even finished my first cup of coffee while scanning through some recent FaceBook posts, and one caught my attention. I found myself responding to the posed question with a vehemence that I made myself stop, lest I anger my 3400 friends and found myself walking on eggshells as I left my office to retrieve my second cup of coffee knowing that a powerful blog was coming on.
The question was posed by a radio talk-show host named Matt Mittan, who broadcasts from Asheville, NC, and he often posts questions to his FB friends about current topics for their thoughts. This morning he posted this question: The Gov. of PA said that we are becoming a nation of wusses after the NFL suspended the game there this weekend, due to the major snow storm. Thoughts?
My response was instant and without need for thought. My reply: We're becoming a nation of wusses in so many ways...this is only a microcosm of the overall mentality of much of the American population. A bunch of babies wanting their bottles and blankies. I say get off your asses and get to work, whether it is playing a game in the snow for a gazillion dollars, or flipping burgers for minimum wage...which I have done and would do again if I needed to. I see 'help wanted' signs all over the place, but because they are not good enough...ugh. People need to change if we are to regain any self respect and return to the great nation we used to be...one of pride and hard work and individual responsibility. We never sucked our thumbs because of snow before. Maybe the NFL should end and take those burger-flipping jobs. Yes, a nation of wusses. I couldn't say it better myself.
I wanted to go on and on, but realized I would be going off topic, ever so slightly, and knew I'd catch hell from my own primarily Liberal base, who get angry if I post that I ate a lamb chop rather than some disgusting tofu blob. I can't even talk about the weather on FB without causing some 'global warming' fight to break out on my own page, when I never even brought up "that" subject. From "Wow, it's really cold outside", you can't believe the war that breaks out! Sometimes ridiculous and generally entertaining, these threads are extremely educational to read as it clearly indicates the mindsets of the people who surround me, every single day.
A nation of wusses. Ugh. What happened to us? When I was a teenager just out of high-school, I did not go on to college for many reasons. I moved out of my parents house and worked three minimum wage jobs to pay rent, and the bills that I had. I never once complained about the work I did, or the fact that I had to do it to survive except for the occasional "my feet really hurt", and my Granny would rub them for me. I was brought up to be self-reliant, responsible, hard-working and proud. I have never paid a bill late...not one single time. I have never lived beyond my means and have worked hard for every dime I have ever made.
I moved to Asheville, NC 16 years ago without a nickel in my pocket, virtually zero possessions (except my cat and my car) and knew nobody. I pounded the pavement and built a business out of blood, sweat and tears that now earns over $1,000,000.00 a year and employees some 40-50 people, and I have not had to lay a single one off or cut a dollar from their wages through this incredibly stressed economy. I had to use my entire savings to keep it afloat, but I did it, and am proud that my business survived. I did what I had to do, rather than cut and run, even though it left me broke. That is pride. And if God sees fit, I will rebound through continued hard work and determination. Many words describe me, but "wuss" is not one of them.
A nation of wusses. (side note: A friend of mine just told me that the Gov. of PA "went off" for about 45 minutes talking about all of this...I am excited to read the transcripts of his speech. I have a feeling I will be in complete agreement).
A nation of wusses. This profound truth has been bothering me so much. I returned from Florida the day after Christmas after visiting with my Papa, who was a WWII POW, and a man who I consider a hero. Brave, honorable, hard-working until he could work no more, and never a complaint. He is 92 and reaching the end of his days. I am glad he does not watch the news as he would be deeply ashamed of the decedents of the people he defended and sacrificed for in 1944.
My trip back was without radio or any music so that I could have the opportunity to meditate, think, ponder and fantasize about a world that is better than the one I now find myself in. This free-flowing thought brought me to a self-imposed question "What would I do if I were President of the United States? What would I change, how would I change it, and how would I express myself to the American public my philosophy and plans to restore our great nation?"
Before I knew it, I was making a speech to the entire country. It was obviously not written, but spoken from my mind, my heart and my soul. It all made perfect sense to me and covered all the important topics that are plaguing our country and its people. I will recount it here. Perhaps it will reach the eyes and ears of someone who will be able to hear it.
TO THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
First, please turn off these teleprompters. I do not have any desire to speak words that have been written for me. I believe a man or woman is only as good as their own word, and mine will come from me only, not from a speech-writer. I may fumble a few words here or there, but what you see is what you'll get. Whenever I speak with you, it will be words of integrity, first and foremost. I will not sugar-coat the issues, nor will I worry about being 'politically correct'. If your feelings get hurt along the way, so be it. Get over it.
What I do care about is the truth and finding solutions to the myriad problems that has turned a country that I am so lucky to have been born in, and so proud to represent into a country of wimps and babies and people who think they are entitled to anything and everything. This is the wrong path, and it will lead to the demise of our country and to your own demise, not to mention the destruction of any self-respect you may have left.
I wish to share with you my thoughts on each important issue that continues to eat away at our country and how I would correct them. Some of you will agree, and some will not. But those who don't are probably part of the problem, and serious self-reflection is strongly recommended if we are to get anywhere.
THE ECONOMY: I own a small business. I did not go to college to figure out how to start it, run it or have it be successful. The rules are elementary...make more than you spend. It is simple math. I learned it in First or Second grade. Addition and subtraction. If you made it through elementary school, you have these skills. We all do. These simple skills must be applied to our National economy. The current administration would love to run their business by figuring out how much they want to spend, and then charge you for it accordingly. As far as businesses go, it is my own experience that this is completely backwards. One must find out what income to reasonably expect, then set one's budget accordingly. Here the question is what is a reasonable income (tax) expectation.
It has been proven over and over again that the lower taxes are, the stronger the economy becomes. If I have lots of money, I spend lots of money. If I don't, I stop spending. More simple math. Obama surely wanted to end Bush tax cuts effective in a few days, but fortunately the Republicans put the breaks on that move. I find it interesting that now Obama is now taking some kind of 'credit' for this move when he had nothing to do with it. But I digress.
First, what we need to do is cut taxes across the board. And even more so for the wealthiest Americans and small businesses. They are the ones that spend the most, create the most private sector jobs and produce the most tax revenue for the government, even with significant cuts.
Second, we need to cut spending severely. No more free rides for able-bodied citizens. Period. No more pork-barrel spending. No more big government, lavish trips for heads of state to far off places on the people's dime, no more Czars to control entities that are none of their business. No more government bail-outs or stimulus packages...basically no more spending outside the absolute necessities that are required to make our country safely function. This includes keeping our military strong, our elderly and disabled cared for and our constitutional laws enforced. All other government programs would go by the way-side and become privatized if we want them to continue.
It is not the government's job to educate you, to feed you, to control you or to coddle you. This is your responsibility. It is our responsibility as individuals. What we have, we work for. When one of our neighbors are in need, we help where we can. But our neighbors must also learn to be responsible for themselves, and take whatever steps are necessary to become so.
HEALTHCARE: First, take responsibility for your health and well-being. Quit smoking, quit eating junk food, exercise and eat as healthily as you possibly can. Supplement your diet with multi-vitamins and minerals, essential fatty acids, digestive enzymes and pro-biotics. Just these steps will probably prevent you from becoming sick in the first place.
Regarding health insurance coverage, it is unconstitutional to force individuals to purchase it. But there are measures that must be taken to make it affordable to those who want it and need it. TORT reform. Elimination of medical malpractice suits is mandatory if we are to make insurance companies lower their premiums. Additionally, insurance companies are 'for profit' businesses. This is fine. But not from denial of coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. I would encourage that new non-profit insurance companies form to compete with the 'for-profit' companies. This competition would bring rates down even further the way healthy competition always does.
IMMIGRATION: It is clear that millions of people from around the world want to be citizens of this great country. I would want to be too. But there are laws and processes that need to be enforced and reinforced. I would start by making immigration requirements more specific to our country. Before one could even apply to become a legal resident of the U.S., they should be required to speak fluent English. The business I own is a school, and we are approved to accept foreign students with a Student Visa provided they pass an English language proficiency exam first. The same should apply to anyone wanting to live in this country. These individuals should uphold the laws and values of the United States, and live our way of life, and not expect special treatment, entitlements, multi-lingual signage, etc. If you want to be an American, you must become one.
For the illegal immigrants that are already here because we failed to enforce our own laws, we should provide immigration process offices across the country and give these people the opportunity to apply for American citizenship. The rules should include sufficient language skills, absolutely no criminal record, and proof that they can take care of themselves financially in every respect, or be sponsored by an American family or business. They should be required to pay taxes like everyone else and will receive the same protections and benefits that all American citizens receive. But nothing more. If these simple requirements are not met, they should be sent back to their homeland until they can meet them.
For anyone outside the United States that wish to become American Citizens, the same rules apply before one can enter this country. And our own laws should be strictly enforced from this point forward on all U.S. borders.
MILITARY: I love our men and women in service. I thank them every day. My father and grandfather were both in the service and I have nothing but respect for them. Their sacrifices are great and ongoing, even decades after their service for our country. I know many veterans who have scars so deep, they will never recover, and are treated by the VA like societal rejects rather than the heroes they truly are. Our government should spare no expense in caring for members of our military, past and present, and they should receive nothing but honor and high-quality care for their service.
As far as our military policing the world, I'd like to see an appropriate percentage of them return to our homeland and secure our borders. And in areas that present danger to our country, our military should remain deployed and active so long as the treat exists. But it must be a real threat, not a smoke-screen for an oil cache or some other ulterior motive. Our Generals and foot soldiers should be held equally to the highest standards as should our Commander in Chief. Our president should always live up to this honored title. And if he or she cannot do so with the utmost integrity, he or she should be immediately replaced by someone who can. I am fully aware that there are powers that are far greater than that of our President, but there will be no more 'wink-wink, knod-knod, Bob's your Uncle" shenanigans anymore. Behind closed doors deals will be a thing of the past, and government contracts will be granted based on quality and bid pricing, and nothing more. And it will all be transparent provided it does not compromise national security.
Our military will receive everything they need to do their job in the safest and most effective manner, using the most progressive technologies available.
EDUCATION: This government social program should be made private again. Our government program continues to degrade and costs tax-payers a fortune. You may think that public schools are free, but you are incorrect. You and I pay for them every day. To bring quality back into our schools, they should become private entities once again. Much higher quality will naturally return as each school vies for as many students as possible, and tuition will remain low with the level of competition they will have to contend with. And with the tax cuts everyone will receive from not having to pay for this government program anymore, families will be able to pay for their children to go to the school of their choosing. School curriculum will no longer be mandated and they can choose to include specialty curriculum for students who show strengths in various areas, be it sciences, the arts, mathematics, etc. While teaching the basics, students will have the opportunity and support to excel within their natural strengths from the start, and remain much more interested in education than being forced to study outside their natural interests. They will be much more likely to continue with higher education later on, and become experts in their chosen fields with a foundation that started with Kindergarten rather than in college.
PRISON SYSTEM: This system is broken in so many ways. First, it costs a fortune to provide room and board to people who have broken the law. And we pay for this. Second, it does not address the reasons these people have broken the law to begin with. It is a fact that the majority of inmates are there because the laws they broke were directly or indirectly a result of substance abuse, whether it be drugs or alcohol. While may prisons offer AA and/or NA meetings within their walls, many do not participate or understand how these substances played a role in their actions.
There needs to be effective rehabilitative services within our prison system so that individuals who have served their time have the ability to function as productive, healthy individuals when they re-enter society. Without such programs and support, these individuals will come out angry and bitter and become repeat offenders in no time, ultimately ending up back in the prison system. Some make a life of it knowing they will have food, shelter and medical care inside. For them, it is the easier way of life as they have no other options or support.
I suggest that these program can be administered through a fully voluntary program. There are many retirees that have much time and wisdom to share, and while I know plenty of them who take substance abuse meetings into the prisons, there are so many more who would likely volunteer mentoring/sponsoring programs if they were available. It would cost tax-payers nothing, and provide a much needed resource that would reduce the number of re-offenders and give these individuals a leg to stand on once they are released.
There are many more issues that need to be addressed and corrected if we are to find our way back to being a great country. These are, of course, the major issues at hand, and my thoughts about how they would be best corrected. If you are interested in hearing how I would handle any other issue, certainly ask. If I do not know the answer, I will tell you so, and then I will look for a solution. I will never make anything up just to satisfy any person. But I will tell you the truth, as I see it, and always look for the best possible solution to any problem.
God bless us all, including the Governor of Pennsylvania (whom I look very much forward to learning more about) and may we none be wusses anymore.
Peggy Huff resides in Asheville, North Carolina. Visit her blog at http://peggy-huff.blogspot.com/
