Why I protest

Yesterday, September twelfth, I had the pleasure of joining four thousand like minded individual in Denver Colorado, and Millions of people nation wide in a protest of our government. After arriving home, I began searching for the media coverage of the events both locally and nationally and found to my utter dismay a pathetic amount of attention being paid to the gatherings. To add insult to injury, what coverage I did find was either very brief, or very misinformed. Political pundits talking about the motives of the protesters is almost as unrealistic as our politicians speaking for us! Because of some of the ridiculous claims I have heard espoused, I have decided to talk about some of my reasons for taking part in this, and one prior protest of the same nature.The list of reasons I have for my dissatisfaction with the government is long and maybe a bit too much to write in a single day, so I'll keep it to a few key points that I consider to be of the utmost importance.

The first issue that I find terribly concerning is health care reform. Not because I believe the representatives of our nation have concocted some devious conspiratorial plot to bring our country down into the bowels of communism, but because it is, thus far a plan wrought with potential for severe unintended consequences and massive corruption. I do not see included in the bills that I have looked through, any reasonable means of financing these plans, nor any real consideration for the fact that we are a free, capitalist society that has,not in spite of, but because of capitalism, brought forth most of the greatest advances in medical technologies and techniques the world has ever known. Freedom is in my blood, and no crises will ever scare me away from that.

The second issue may be directly tied to the first, as well as many others. I am truly upset..No, I am PISSED OFF that our elected representative have the nerve to pretend to have the best interests of their constituents in mind while they are signing bills that they do not read. This is an idea that offends me more than I have the words to express. I would never sign a contract without reading it, and I simply cannot except the idea that these men and women are doing it regularly in the name of the people! This must stop, and I want to see prosecution of ANY elected official, of either party, that signs a bill without reading and understanding the potential ramifications of the legislation.

Next, I want to discuss what is, in my opinion, a filthy word. Debt. Washington, Franklin and Jefferson all spoke at length about the dangers of a national debt. They, like many more of the founding fathers were very clear in their belief that each generation should consider it a matter of the utmost urgency to pay off the debt that they accrue in order to hand to the next generation a clean slate, free of an overwhelming burden that could inhibit the ability to act freely. As a man much smarter than I once said, "Debt is slavery." Our government is spending money faster that they take it from us, and I do not wish to see these corrupt and power hungry people mortgage the future of my son for the sake of political expediency.

Finally, an issue that I find increasingly appalling, is the treatment of our service men and women. I cannot recall the number of stories I have heard about poor conditions in our VA hospitals, poor rehabilitation of our soldiers who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder, or poorly equipped soldiers on the field of combat. Senator Barbera Boxers' recent display of arrogance toward a man who deserves far more respect then she ever will, was the straw that broke the camels back for me. Here we sit, stateside in our comfortable homes, working our jobs and enjoying rights and liberties that these people protect while no one seems to be standing up and fighting for them here in our own government! This must change, and it must change NOW!!

My reasons listed are not in any way an attempt to speak for anyone else. I neither pretend to be anyone elses mouthpiece, nor will I allow another to act in this capacity for me. I protest because I am free, and I plan not only to stay that way, but to hand to my son the very same right.

"I would rather die on my feet than live on my Knees."