Thursday, September 27, 2012

I'm Tired...

I ran across this piece from an email that incorrectly attributed it to the actor Robert David Hall.  It was actually written by Robert A. Hall, formerly a Massachusetts state senator and a Marine Corp veteran.  According to Snopes, it's also been attributed (wrongly) to Bill Cosby.  Ah, the delights of the Internet!

The message here is one that I'm sure resonates with many people who aren't lefties...
I'm 63 and I'm Tired
by Robert A. Hall


I'm 63. 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" 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 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 Mc Mansions 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 ..

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’s law tells them to.

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 U.S. 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 being told that out of "tolerance for other cultures" we must let Saudi Arabia use our oil money to fund mosques and madras 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 #@*# 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.

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 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.

From Obama's Lips to Your Ears...

Via my lovely bride.  Remember these when you vote in November:

1.      "But I think it is an imperfect document, and I think it is a document that reflects some deep flaws in American culture, the Colonial culture nascent at that time."- Illinois State Senator Obama during a panel discussion about the U.S. Constitution that aired on Chicago's WBEZ-FM on Sept. 6, 2001. Do you agree that the Constitution is an imperfect document?

2.      "The truth is that right after 9/11 I had a [U.S. Flag] pin.  Shortly after 9/11, particularly because as we're talking about the Iraq war, that became a substitute for I think true patriotism, which is speaking out on issues that are of importance to our national security." - Senator Obama explaining why he refuses to wear a U.S. flag pin on his lapel during an interview with KCRG-TV in Cedar Rapids in Oct 2007. What was the President really protesting?  Was the President ashamed of our Patriotism or our American ideals that our flag stands for?

3.     "At least we can let doctors know - and your mom know - that you know what, maybe this isn't going to help.  Maybe you're better off, uhh, not having the surgery, but, uhh, taking the painkiller." - President Obama responding to a question from audience member Jane Sturm about whether or not the government is the right place to make judgments on healthcare procedures during an ABC news sponsored Q&A on healthcare in June 2009.Do you want a government bureaucrat to determine which procedure your mother, father, husband or wife receives?

4.      "We can't drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times ... and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK.  That's not leadership. That's not going to happen."- Senator Obama at a campaign speech in Portland, OR at Waterfront Park in May 2008. Should our liberties be determined by what other countries think?

5.      "It's because you have an obligation to yourself. Because our individual salvation depends on collective salvation." -Senator Obama speaking at a Wesleyan University graduation ceremony in May 2008. Do you agree with the President?

6.      "Well, Charlie, what I've said is that I would look at raising the capital gains tax for purposes of fairness." -Senator Obama responding to Charlie Gibson as moderator in an April 2008 debate with Hillary Clinton. If you want to downsize your home after owning it and paying off your mortgage after 30 years, should it be fair for the government to tax more from you because of fairness?

7.      "The market will take care of everything, they tell us. If we just cut more regulations and cut more taxes -- especially for the wealthy -- our economy will grow stronger. Sure, they say, there will be winners and losers.  But if the winners do really well, then jobs and prosperity will eventually trickle down to everybody else.  And, they argue, even if prosperity doesn't trickle down, well, that's the price of liberty.  Now, it's a simple theory. And we have to admit; it's one that speaks to our rugged individualism and our healthy skepticism of too much government.  That's in America's DNA.  And that theory fits well on a bumper sticker.  But here's the problem: It doesn't work. It has never worked."- President Obama speaking about the economy to a group in Kansas on Dec 6th, 2011 at Osawatomie High School. Do you agree that the "success" of the last four years proves the previous 200 plus years wrong?

8.      "On all these issues, but particularly missile defense, this, this can be solved but it's important for him [Vladimir] to give me space.  This is my last election.  After my election I have more flexibility." - President Obama speaking to Russian President Medvedev after a joint press conference in Seoul, Korea without realizing there was an open microphone in Mar 2012.After raiding Medicare for over $500 million dollars for ObamaCare, delaying Medicare price increases until after the election, and the request to delay missile defense, what else is the President delaying until after his re-election?

9. "If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life.  Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges.  If you've got a business - you didn't build that.  Somebody else made that happen." - President Obama during a campaign speech at a Roanoke, Virginia fire station in July 2012. Since 35% of Generation America members are self-employed or own their own business, who do you think built their businesses? 

References:
  1. http://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/obama-constitution/2008/10/27/id/326165
  2. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21138728/ns/politics-decision_08/t/obama-stops-wearing-american-flag-pin/#.UClr86Bt1SU
  3. http://hotair.com/archives/2009/07/21/video-let-them-eat-painkillers/
  4. http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5h-wpxs1Re-8vx2Zk5xnYygW1W67w
  5. http://www.lvrj.com/opinion/19595329.html
  6. http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/DemocraticDebate/story?id=4670271&page=1&singlePage=true#.UGIBM6Cz7dk
  7. http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/12/06/remarks-president-economy-osawatomie-kansas
  8. http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/26/microphone-picks-up-obamas-private-exchange-with-medvedev/
  9. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-ZO7XOpwa8