As a child I remember thinking how lucky I was to have been born in America. At five, I live where everyone wants to be. While growing in Montana as a youth, school taught about the majestic beauty that lives within the landscape. Glacier Nation Park was a backyard to behold, therein lies the words behind “America the Beautiful”. We all said the pledge of allegiance by heart, and didn’t pause for a moment on the meaning of the words…other than I thought it was saying “invisible God”, instead of indivisible.

The question is; where did that youthful excitement flee? My younger brother never felt the innocent pride of living in an untouchable land. He was six years old on September 11th, and grew up with terrorism as an inevitable reality. Politics to him are not the jolly senators like Mr. Smith, but feuding bitter men and women who can’t agree on anything. There is no nostalgic pride, but shame at being disliked by so much of the rest of the world. Tomorrows youth should be rejoicing at singing the patriotic hymns, feel excited to be a part of a country with opportunity, trust that politicians don’t smile for vote a vote or shake for a bill; they lost what I we had. So lets give it back.

“The character inherent in the American people has done all that has been accomplished; and it would have done somewhat more, if the government had not sometimes got in its way.” – Henry David Thoreau

I really don’t know why, but I can’t remember a point in my life where I simply accepted what was told to me about the nation and its politics. I remember consciously leaving out the “Under God” part of the Pledge of Alliegence as early as 3rd grade, and wondering why we were being made to memorize a pledge of our alliegence without actually being aware about the entire scope of what we were pledging ourselves to. I wondered why Thanksgiving seemed so perfect and innocent, and about the idea of the Puritans coming over to America for the purpose of escaping “persecution.” In the words of Robin Williams, “And then we have the Puritans, our ancestors… People so uptight, the ENGLISH kicked them out!” The contradictions always had me wondering who was telling the truth, who had our best interests in mind, and what those best interests actually were.

At this point, I have my own ideas about what those best interests are, as everyone does. I’ve also learned that everything that I think should be done and everything that I think should not be done reflects with almost total polarity with the current administration. It grates against everything I think is right. Yet America’s greatest weapon is also its greatest weakness: the silent masses. Everyone out there that chooses to be quiet in what they believe represents a tremendous force in keeping the cogs of our nation running “smoothly”, but at the same time those very forces that refuse to stand up and speak against the wrongs in their world do so because they feel their voices will never matter. Yet these masses that supposedly don’t matter are the very force that matters most. John Locke believed that any government that did not serve the will of the majority should be removed. Is Bush in this position? As of September 30th, 2006 58% of the nation don’t like how Bush is doing his job ( http://www.rasmussenreports.com/Bush_Job_Approval.htm ). This is a cleaner majority than what he won the 2004 election with.

It’s time for our masses to stand up and speak. Our voices will be heard if we make sure they are.

There are real dangers in the world. But America is the (despite the last 6 years) still the greatest country in the world. Democrats say, and of course famously first said, “we have nothing to fear but fear itself”

republicans lately seem to have instead believed “be afraid. be very afraid.”

The Democratic Party is the party of hope and the party of safety and security. When it comes to keeping our homeland safe, Democrats are the ones to vote for.

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/10/03/rice-urgent-threat/

Well, okay.

Keep the troops in Iraq until every last one is dead or maimed.

Hey, Bush…. I sailed up the Saigon River with an M-60 machine gun cradled in my arms. Where were you?