Message 1934 of 3885

Sums it up for me . . .

I am going to post it 'cause it pretty much says it all. After you read it, I am giving you permission to hold a secret meeting and vote me out of the Wisconsin Living group if you want to. Folks, there has got to be a revolution soon or we will all be in deep do-do.
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Subject: Fw: I'm Tired
Date: Monday, November 9, 2009, 6:05 PM






"I'm Tired" by Robert A. Hall"

I'll be 63 soon. Except for one semester in college when jobs were scarce,` and a six-month period when I was between jobs, but job-hunting every day, I've worked, hard, since I was 18. Despite some health challenges, I still put in 50-hour weeks, and haven't called in sick in seven or eight years. I make a good salary, but I didn't inherit my job or my income, and I worked to get where I am. Given the economy, there's no retirement in sight, and I'm tired. Very tired.

I'm tired of being told that I have to "spread the wealth around" to people` who don't have my work ethic. I'm tired of being told the government will take the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy or stupid to earn it.

I'm tired of being told that I have to pay more taxes to "keep people in their homes." Sure, if they lost their jobs or got sick, I'm willing to help. But if they bought McMansions at three times the price of our paid-off, $250,000 condo, on one-third of my salary, then let the left-wing Congress-critters who passed Fannie and Freddie and the Community Reinvestment Act that created the bubble help them with their own money.

I'm tired of being told how bad America is by left-wing millionaires like Michael Moore, George Soros, and Hollywood entertainers who live in luxury because of the opportunities America offers. In thirty years, if they get their way, the United States will have the economy of Zimbabwe , the freedom of the press of China , the crime and violence of Mexico , the tolerance for Christian people of Iran , and the freedom of speech of Venezuela . Won't multiculturalism be beautiful?

I'm tired of being told that Islam is a "Religion of Peace," when every day I can read dozens of stories of Muslim men killing their sisters, wives and daughters for their family "honor"; of Muslims rioting over some slight offense; of Muslims murdering Christian and Jews because they aren't "believers"; of Muslims burning schools for girls; of Muslims stoning teenage rape victims to death for "adultery"; of Muslims mutilating the genitals of little girls; all in the name of Allah, because the Qur'an and Shari'a law tells them to.

I believe "a man should be judged by the content of his character, not by the color of his skin." I'm tired of being told that "race doesn't matter" in the post-racial world of Obama, when it's all that matters in affirmative action jobs, lower college admission and graduation standards for minorities (harming them the most), government contract set-asides, tolerance for the ghetto culture of violence and fatherless children that hurts minorities more than anyone, and in the appointment of US Senators from Illinois.

I think it's very cool that we have a black president and that a black child is doing her homework at the desk where Lincoln wrote the emancipation proclamation. I just wish the black president was Condi Rice, or someone who believes more in freedom and the individual and less arrogantly of an all-knowing government.

I'm tired of a news media that thinks Bush's fundraising and inaugural expenses were obscene, but that think Obama's, at triple the cost, were wonderful; that thinks Bush exercising daily was a waste of presidential time, but Obama exercising is a great example for the public to control weight and stress; that picked over every line of Bush's military records, but never demanded that Kerry release his; that slammed Palin, with two years as governor, for being too inexperienced for VP, but touted Obama with three years as senator as potentially the best president ever. Wonder why people are dropping their subscriptions or switching to Fox News? Get a clue. I didn't vote for Bush in 2000, but the media and Kerry drove me to his camp in 2004.

I'm tired of being told that out of "tolerance for other cultures" we must let Saudi Arabia use our oil money to fund mosques and madrassa Islamic schools to preach hate in America , while no American group is allowed to fund a church, synagogue, or religious school in Saudi Arabia to teach love and tolerance.

I'm tired of being told I must lower my living standard to fight global` warming, which no one is allowed to debate. My wife and I live in a two-bedroom apartment and carpool together five miles to our jobs. We also own a three-bedroom condo where our daughter and granddaughter live. Our carbon footprint is about 5% of Al Gore's, and if you're greener than Gore, you're green enough.

I'm tired of being told that drug addicts have a disease, and I must help support and treat them, and pay for the damage they do. Did a giant germ rush out of a dark alley, grab them, and stuff white powder up their noses while they tried to fight it off? I don't think Gay people choose to be Gay, but I damn sure think druggies chose to take drugs. And I'm tired of harassment from cool people treating me like a freak when I tell them I never tried marijuana.

I'm tired of illegal aliens being called "undocumented workers," especially the ones who aren't working, but are living on welfare or crime. What's next? Calling drug dealers, "Undocumented Pharmacists"? And, no, I'm not against Hispanics. Most of them are Catholic, and it's been a few hundred years since Catholics wanted to kill me for my religion. I'm willing to fast track for citizenship any Hispanic person, who can speak English, doesn't have a criminal record and who is self-supporting without family on welfare, or who serves honorably for three years in our military.... Those are the citizens we need.

I'm tired of latte liberals and journalists, who would never wear the` uniform of the Republic themselves, or let their entitlement-handicapped kids near a recruiting station, trashing our military. They and their kids can sit at home, never having to make split-second decisions under life and death circumstances, and bad mouth better people than themselves. Do bad things happen in war? You bet. Do our troops sometimes misbehave? Sure. Does this compare with the atrocities that were the policy of our enemies for the last fifty years and still are? Not even close. So here's the deal. I'll let myself be subjected to all the humiliation and abuse that was heaped on terrorists at Abu Ghraib or Gitmo, and the critics can let themselves be subject to captivity by the Muslims who tortured and beheaded Daniel Pearl in Pakistan, or the Muslims who tortured and murdered Marine Lt. Col. William Higgins in Lebanon, or the Muslims who ran the blood-spattered Al Qaeda torture rooms our troops found in Iraq, or the Muslims who cut off the heads of schoolgirls in Indonesia, because the girls were Christian. Then we'll compare notes. British and American soldiers are the only troops in history that civilians came to for help and handouts, instead of hiding from in fear.

I'm tired of people telling me that their party has a corner on virtue and the other party has a corner on corruption. Read the papers; bums are bipartisan. And I'm tired of people telling me we need bipartisanship. I live in Illinois , where the " Illinois Combine" of Democrats has worked to loot the public for years. Not to mention the tax cheats in Obama's cabinet as well.

I'm tired of hearing wealthy athletes, entertainers, and politicians of both parties talking about innocent mistakes, stupid mistakes or youthful mistakes, when we all know they think their only mistake was getting caught. I'm tired of people with a sense of entitlement, rich or poor.

Speaking of poor, I'm tired of hearing people with air-conditioned homes, color TVs and two cars called poor. The majority of Americans didn't have that in 1970, but we didn't know we were "poor." The poverty pimps have to keep changing the definition of poor to keep the dollars flowing.

I'm real tired of people who don't take responsibility for their lives and actions. I'm tired of hearing them blame the government, or discrimination, or big-whatever for their problems.

Yes, I'm damn tired. But I'm also glad to be 63. Because, mostly, I'm not going to have to see the world these people are making. I'm just sorry for my granddaughter.

Robert A. Hall is a Marine Vietnam veteran who served five terms in the Massachusetts State Senate.
captjoe's profile
Replies 1 - 10 of 20
I too am tired of the same things that wear this author out, but unlike this writer - I haven't given up hope that I can change some of these 'weary-world' things.

I refuse to believe that at 63 I will be too tired for positive thought or activity. I refuse to believe that our 233 year old nation is too old for redemption or rejuvenation. More importantly - when I'm tired I won't whine about what's wrong with our world, our country or her people...
I will take a nap.
When I wake refreshed and ready - I will try again - to fix what I believe broken, to right what I feel is wrong and to celebrate those things I cherish. If the process tires me, so be it. I will take another nap...
cooakers1's profile

over 2 years ago
Way to go cooakers. You got it. Never, never, let them get you.
captjoe's profile

over 2 years ago
Very well said. Love the undocumented pharmacists line.
mercerquietman's profile

over 2 years ago
In 1970, CEO salary and bonus packages were typically about $700,000 - 25 times the average production worker salary; by 2000, CEO salaries had jumped to almost $2.2 million on average, 90 times the average salary of a worker, according to a 2004 study on CEO pay by Kevin J. Murphy and Jan Zabojnik. Toss in stock options and other benefits, and the salary of a CEO is nearly 500 times the average worker salary.
Tell me...is there any human being worth that much? It's insane!!!!.....and you know who "pays" for this? Yup....you and I!!!!! In one way or the other...as high interest rates, cut in benefits and pay and loss of jobs because companies are finding cheaper labor by closing down and relocating.

I'm sick of the "I got mine....see how you're going to get yours" attitude of the ultra-rich, who don't have a clue to what some people have to deal with as far as basics like food, rent and healthcare. heaven forbid if the children need dental care.
Now excuse me while I study for my classes and prepare for work tomorrow.....Yes, I'm one of the motivated lucky ones who did not lose my job and I know it's a struggle to keep up with the changing times.
Some people ARE sincerely wanting to help themselves by working fulltime with insurance benifits but DAMN!!!! those jobs are really hard to find. So they settle for part time with no insurance because it works for the CEO's just fine!
CosmicGirl22's profile

over 2 years ago
Amen to that CosmicGirl22!
Maggie85's profile

over 2 years ago
Oversimplification would be the charitable description of Robert A. Hall's essay.

Pretty wordy but at most 63 year olds complain of fatigue. In fact I've noticed it at a younger age.

There are no countries where you get to keep all you earn. Even underground drug dealers and people living in countries with essentially no government like Somalia or Haiti have to cough it up one way or another. Few have prospects of making it to 63 in any of those instances.

Some tax rates for European Monarchies during the 17th and 18th century were the equivalent of 50% or more AND that is with virtually no services provided for that (most went for wars). The complaintive here if living if America has one of the lowed rates in the world, about 35% and plenty of roads, infrastructure, programs, and wars to show for it.

If he doesn't like the history of America including the good, the bad, and the ugly, he can alway listen to Hannity or Limbaugh all day. Will he be happy then?

People that want to trade horror stories as to whose religion killed or tortured more people might do better to rethink the whole concept of religion than attacking someone else's.

If he thinks forced or arranged marriages will solve the "ghetto culture" is he not adopting the tactics he disaproves of?

He had every opportunity to try and draft Condi Rice for President if that was his preference. Many people that had a preference worked for it by walking countless miles in canvassing, wrote letters and editorials, made phone calls, worked the campaign headquarters, worked the booths at fairs, etc.. Where was Robert A. Hall? Although I will concede that Rice beat out Rumsfeld in the lying competition leading up to the Iraq War.

He is tired of the News. Well he can always tune in to Glen Beck, maybe he can believe it. In fact his essay sound like a Beck or Hannity broadcast.

He does not like teaching tolerance, well he lives up to his preaching on that count.

He claims he is being told to lower his living standard to fight global warming. Whose standard of living has been the major cause of it? We could have fixed it for next to nothing during the Reagan years but the industries didn't want to. Maybe he is complaining about the wrong parties.

Much of the drugs he complains about are readily available because of the blow back from the shady wars in Afghanistan, Columbia, much of south America and the rest of the places America has fought "drug" wars.

If he wants to advance his anti-immigrant views he can always join a group, like the KKK. Or he can work to alleviate the reasons illegal immigrants come to America, Something the heroes and heroines of his distained.

Again he wants to trade stories of who tortured and killed the most. No country including America and neither of the big two religions can ever hold up their head on that one. Maybe he just wants to "cleanse" history to his liking.

He's tired of people telling about the virtue of their party but I'm thinking at this point that he is plain tired from extolling the virtue of his own party and position.

He claims he has an entitlement to everything he makes yet he's tired of entitlements.

If he has the resume he says and is as poor as he claims he might want to find a financial advisor.
RubiconIII's profile

over 2 years ago
Amen Cosmic...being one of the part timers with no insurance or bennies of any kind for the first time in over 20 years, I can tell you how badly it stinks!
It's a crying shame that any one person can think that they are truly worth what these CEO's, ball players etc. get paid. I'm all for paying a person what they are worth, but is anyone worth millions every year?

I'm tired too..... and I'll do like Cooakers and take myself off to bed, and start the battle all over again tomorrow.
HappyinWIBren56's profile

over 2 years ago
My only reply will be - I understand what everyone is saying.

No - Capt I would not vote you off, and I doubt anyone else would.
yankeeflowergirl's profile

over 2 years ago
I've got to pick myself up, "dust" myself off, and get back in the ring. . . .

I certainly feel for those of you who are left without health insurance or other benefits. I'm not sure that there are any easy answers.

However, this "Democrats" against the "Republicans", or vice versa, is not doing anyone good. People as smart as those who have made it to serve in the House or Senate, should also know how to "compromise". I hope we will soon see more of that.
Eduk8er60's profile

over 2 years ago
Too much to read, can I get it on c.d.?
Hollowidol's profile

over 2 years ago
Replies 1 - 10 of 20

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