Point of View
Americans, Hope, Hard Work And Education
By Tommy Garrett
Jun 25, 2009 - 10:38:37 AM

UNITED STATES—Washington, D.C. has been the core of the world for several decades now. With America being the world’s only military and economic superpower the stress of the world, the problems and all the issues needing to be solved have rested at the shoulders of the U.S. Government.

With the global economic downfall being at the forefront of every Western nation and every nation that is a decent citizen of the world, all of the world’s leaders are concerned about rising costs of goods and services and the unemployment rates facing their country. But there is also danger in fear. We spent several years in America fearing the terrorists after 9/11. That was encouraged for political reasons. When in actuality we have a greater chance of being hit by a car or struck by lightning than dying in a terrorist attack. Now we have a different agenda going on in our nation. It’s the fear of healthcare costs exploding.

With each generation and each election cycle we seem to forget our core basic beliefs as Americans. Yes, healthcare reform is necessary and something should be done. But universal care at a time when our nation is borrowing money from foreign countries, many not very friendly to our beliefs of democracy and freedom, is not wise or sensible. We are soon going to be asking future generations to carry a burden that they are not responsible for and we cannot afford.

Our nation once believed in capitalism. That spirit seems in jeopardy today. We are committed to a cause that could cripple the spirit most Americans are born with. To achieve things through education and hard work, and competition makes one stronger and better in the world. We’re now telling young children that they live in a nation where they cannot achieve their dreams because of where they were born. My grandparents and even parents fought against this belief. The spirit that most legal immigrants of America feel when they left the shores of their homeland to come to America, where they believed their dreams could come true with hard work and determination, is now being questioned by Americans themselves.

Yes, we are facing economic problems. But we’ve faced them before. Our country needs to come out of the doldrums we are in and get our fighting spirit back. Then start to teach our children what we were taught. We were either born or came to the best country in the world. We have freedoms that most people dream of. This is a wonderful country where getting an education and hard work are instilled in our very DNA.

Americans are not afraid of hard work. We are not afraid of challenges. Don’t let politicians teach you that you are helpless or hopeless. This is only a tactic used in the past decade to maintain power. And now it’s being thrust on us again, this time by a different party, with the same agenda—self-preservation.

As I walk down the streets of this great nation. I find people willing to roll up their sleeves and work. Many are talking about starting new businesses, some looking for jobs, but still the American spirit and dream is alive. Don’t lose what makes us great. Even in these hard economic times, more people in the world are trying to get into our nation and try to make a better life for themselves than those trying to leave to move to another country.

Never forget how great our nation is, and never forget the men and women who are in harm’s way fighting for our rights and for our freedoms. We are a great nation, we will overcome. But we need to overcome with hard work and education. This edge is something we thrived in for many decades. Don’t let our fighting spirit die. Let’s stop playing politics, stop bickering and pointing fingers and please stop looking for your political leaders to give you and your family what only you can give. Hope and hard work can go a long way.

Pray for our soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq and thanks to them and their families who make such sacrifices every day. Thank you for your service to our nation.


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