OT: HAPPY 4TH, Time to remember Options

[jimtab]

Since the 4th of July is my only son's birthday, and since he'll be off with his buddies and wife tomorrow, I got to thinking about the 4th of July celebration.

I'm gonna wish the whole damn country a Happy Birthday tomorrow, yes even the Red states. I'm sick of all the divisiveness, I'll never see any redeeming qualities in Bush and his crowd but if we as Americans don't get our shit together soon, were gonna be screwed.

While we piss all our money and "National Will" on nation building and regime change ( being the "cop" for the world) we're managing to make more enemies and less friends, not everyone wants to be told how to run their respective countries. Hell, how would the average American react if we were told to do this or that....how have we reacted to international criticism of our actions in the past?

I guess my birthday wish for the country is to get over our concerns about what makes us different one from the other, and begin to focus on what makes us alike. I believe the American people are basically good and have good intentions but we need to stop listening to the fearmongerers and political hacks who would have us support their political "agendas" which are usually designed to line thieir pockets, or those of their friends(Republican and Democrats alike). I'd very much like to see us get back to real values, the ones I remember from when I was a kid. Values like telling the truth even when it shows we screwed up. Helping a friend or a stranger just because it's the right thing to do. Caring about people just because they share the same planet. And, most of all, take care of those around us, take a little time to talk to someone face to face, not on the cell phone or like this on the web. If we all try to be just a little bit more "personal" with each other and actually listen to what is being said....not what you expect to be said, hell, I don't know...maybe we can take a breath before we completely foul the nest.

Happy 4th gang, do something nice for someone tomorrow, and yourself too!