People today vote based on what they read in the fliers that are sent out and what they see on TV. They listen to bullet points and sound bites and make decisions on that. They do not sit down and research what the politician really stands for or why. Then they sit back and complain when the person does not live up to their expectations.

This is my fear with both Obama and McCain. I do not feel that either of them is going to be all that great a choice of president. This is not an attack on their character, just an observation. McCain seems too angry about something and Obama is just too green… Not that Clinton would have been any better, but Obama has the double stigma of being the first black president, should he win, and being the recipient of all the stuff that follows a change of leadership during a military action.

There are things that are going to happen in the next few years that are just not fair for anyone just taking office to have to deal with. I mean, look at the blow that Bush was dealt at the beginning of his first term and he has been fighting with it ever since.

No… I have said this before and gotten both positive and negative feedback on it. People should not be allowed to vote until they have gotten out and seen things and experienced the world. Military or Civil service would be a great place to see it. Too often a person turns 18 and votes based on what they hear from their parents or friends and not on what they have learned themselves, firsthand.

You do bring up a point that I did forget to touch on and that is that we ARE all to blame in a matter of speaking.

First, to adress your comment. I am sure I am not the only one that complains about my elected officials and we are too quiet about it when they do not do what we would like them to. As for trying to make a difference and make myself heard, I belong to a group called GrassFire (www.grassfire.org), and they do a pretty good job of pointing things out that are not going right and giving you the tools to write to the correct people.

Now… back to your comment. At one time people were taught that they need to take an active part in their government. They need to let politicians know when they are not doing what we elected them to. You see this VERY strongly during the 60s and 70s and while there were good examples of standing up to the government, there were more bad, at least that made it to the media.

People are no longer taught that they need to get out there and let the elected officials know when they are doing something wrong. Letter writing campaigns are not always enough but they are a good start. Phone calls are a waste of time… I would suggest not even trying it since short of locking up a phone system, there is no way to truly track the number of calls for or against. Emails to are a waste… they have no physical value and can be deleted with less effort than it took to write them in the first place. Letters, preferrably hand written, are the best.

What have I done… Your comment does not sound like a challenge, nor does it sound like an attack, so I will take it as neither. What have I done? First, you are looking at part of it… in fact, judging by your post, you spent about 15 to 20 minutes supporting what I am doing simply by commenting. Second… I write letters… granted, only about four or five a year, but I write them… Most recently was in regards to the border fence and the fact that it needs to get built and then also for the release of Ramos and Compean.

I have never expected my effort to stand out on it’s own. I do not expect someone to read this site or my letters and say, “Samurai’s right, let’s do this!” But I use my voice the only way I can and it IS my voice. I have also vowed that I will never delete another person’s comments unless they are attacks for the sheer sake of attack. Everyone has a voice and all should be heard.

Again, thank you for the visit, Sitting Bull… I hope you consider registering for the site. You will never hear me complain about guests!!!