>
>"The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some
poll
>data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true given the source,
>right?
>
>The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy
with
>the direction the country is headed and 69 percent of the country is
>unhappy with the performance of the president. In essence 2/3s of the
>citizenry just ain't happy and want a change.
>
>So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, ''What are we
so
>unhappy about?''
>
>Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7
days
>a week? Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in
the
>summer and heating in the winter? Could it be that 95.4 percent of
these
>unhappy folks have a job? Maybe it is the ability to walk into a
grocery
>store at any time and see more food in moments than
Darfur has seen in
>the last year?
>
>Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the
Atlantic
>Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move
through
>each state? Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would
>find along the way that can provide temporary shelter? I guess having
>thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is
>just not good enough. Or could it be that when we wreck our car,
>emergency workers show up and provide services to help all and even
send
>a helicopter to take you to the hospital.
>
>Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home. You
>may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a
>group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch
>equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family and
your
>belongings.. Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat
screen
>TVs, a burglar or prowler intrude , an officer equipped with a gun and
a
>bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against
attack
>or loss. This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or
>militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90
>percent of teenagers own
cell phones and computers.
>
>How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we
enjoy
>that are the envy of everyone in the world? Maybe that is what has
>67 percent of folks unhappy.
>
>Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the
world
>has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S. , yet has a great
>disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most
blessed
>people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't
>have, and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good
>Lord we live here.
>
>I know, I know. What about the president who took us into war and has
no
>plan to get us out? The president who has a measly 31 percent approval
>rating? Is this the same president who guided the nation in the dark
>days after 9/11? The president that cut taxes to bring an economy out
of
>recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name
in
>the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful peoples
>safe from terrorist attacks?
>
>The commander in chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there
>defending you and me? Did you hear how bad the President is on the
news
>or talk show? Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy
you
>couldn't take a look around for yourself and see all the good things
and
>be glad?
>
>Think about it......are you upset at the President because he actually
>caused you personal pain OR is it because the "Media" told you he was
>failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful excuses every day.
>
>Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and
Afghanistan have
>volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your
freedom.
>There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go.
>
>They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general''
>discharge, an ''other than honorable'' discharge or, worst case
>scenario, a ''dishonorable'' discharge after a few days in the brig.
>
>So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of
>Americans? Say what you want but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds
>it leads and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car
>crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade
at
>the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit
>corporations. They offer what sells , and when criticized, try to
defend
>their actions by "justifying" them in one way or another. Just ask why
>they tried to allow a murderer like
O.J. Simpson to write a book about
>how he didn't kill his wife, but if he did he would have done it this
>way..Insane!
>
>Stop buying the negativism you are fed everyday by the media. Shut off
>the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of
your
>bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as a country.
There
>is exponentially more good than bad.
>
>We are among the most blessed people on Earth and should thank God
>several times a day, or at least be thankful and appreciative."
>
>"With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides,
flooding,
>severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another,
and
>with the threat of
bird flu and terrorist attacks, "Are we sure this
is
>a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"
>
>
Jay Leno>
>There are so many people that need to
>read this and grasp the truth of it all.
>I wonder, if it is because the American people polled are afraid of
>losing all of these magnificent privileges our military have fought so
>hard for, and are so appreciated that we take them for granted, by
poor
>leadership in our government.
