Our Little Lady(bug) & I LOVE this Country!

First off, I have to post a few pics of Cami and I at our ward Halloween Carnival. This was our first chance to dress our kid up for Halloween, and we can't help but think she's cute!

Next, I was listening to country music as I drove home yesterday, and I while I know it makes you – or at least me – more naturally nostalgic and emotional, or at least makes me wish I lived on a farm and went to county fairs, it got me thinking. I really love the USA. I mean I really, really do. This is a great place we live in – we have freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and the ability to provide and care for our families. We can be happy because our government doesn’t control our lives and we can choose our own destiny, for better or worse.

Well, as far as I can see, as we (the government, which is collectively using all of the money that WE pay in taxes) buy up shares in banks, mortgages and the stock market, things are changing pretty fast. I just want to yell, “LEAVE US ALONE! PLEASE DON’T HELP ANYMORE, REALLY!” Now maybe I am overreacting, as I’ve always been pretty passionate about politics. But part of me can’t see any outcome to this mess that makes us better off than we were before. My greatest fear is that we will be left in such a place/situation that people will start thinking socialized medicine could be a good idea too. What ever happened to freedom of choice and accountability for our actions? I know way, way more people called their leaders and asked them not to pass that bailout. I know they did anyway. I hope I am very wrong about what this will do to our free market capitalism system. All I am seeing is corruption, corruption, corruption.

I could go on and on, but here, in a nutshell, is why I am sad. I LOVE this country. I know that many people aren’t making positive choices, but there are still a lot of good people out there. But have we crossed that threshold? Are we to the point that the evil, or the confused, are going to get their way? I speak to so many who don’t even know what they believe – at least politically, and don’t know if the leader they favor represents their views. In my mind, you can’t trust most of our news outlets to tell it straight, so I don’t even know that the voice of the people could be heard if they wanted it to.

Okay, I’m not that great at articulating my feelings sometimes, and maybe this didn’t make any sense, but it does to me. I want freedom. I want to make my own decisions. I want accountability, even if it seems hard sometimes. I want assistance to be fair and moderate. I want human life and family values to be respected. Does anyone in Washington hear me? I used think we all wanted the same thing -Democrats, Republicans, Liberals, Conservatives – we just disagreed on the right way to go about it, but lately I am starting to wonder. I don’t think we can afford to be cynical in these times, but I do think we can afford to prepare. We don’t have to be afraid, and we definitely should never give up, but maybe we have to stand apart a little bit more. I’ve never respected the political views of celebrities, but their petty hate-speech of late has made me realize even more that we have to be strong on our own, and let our friends and children know how we feel. That is not why I am writing this, more I just need to vent, but we can’t let the powerful make us feel powerless – and how funny that I don’t mean that in the traditional political sense. Okay, I need to clean my house now. If you think I’m crazy, you don’t have to let me know :).