"I will not pretend the hard times are over. Difficult days lie ahead. More jobs will be lost. More plants will close. More dealerships will shut their doors, and so will many parts suppliers. But I want you to know that what you're doing is making a sacrifice for the next generation, a sacrifice you may not have chosen to make but a sacrifice you were nevertheless called to make so that your children and all of our children can grow up in an America that still makes things, that still builds cars, that still strives for a better future."
These are words coming from the President of The United States and they make me ill.
No one, especially the government, can force another person to make a sacrifice. We make sacrifices because we choose to make sacrifices, not simply because another person is "asking" us to do so. And let's be honest, people, Obama is not asking anybody - he's forcing people to sacrifice their jobs, their income, their livelihoods. With all of his talk about creating or saving 4 million jobs, there are thousands of jobs that are being lost as a direct result of his and his party's actions.
I listened to other snippets of his announcement yesterday and it made me sick to my stomach. In one sentence he says that he has no interest in running GM (now that the government owns 70% of the failing auto company), and in the same breath he contradicts himself - he's laid out the guidelines and standards for how the company will function. The man has never managed anything before in his life that had as its goal to make a profit, and yet here he is, basically de facto CEO of the American auto industry (or what's left of it).
A few more thoughts on sacrifice - I had the opportunity to be in Washington, DC over the Memorial Day weekend. We went to all of the major memorials and monuments and had a grand time. Because of the holiday, there were also several thousands of veterans visiting the memorials and monuments. Have you ever been to Arlington National Cemetery? It is amazing and extremely sobering. To look out over the sea of white grave markers, some dating back to the Civil War, it reminds you of the real sacrifice that has been made. The Tomb of the Unknown is probably one of my favorite spots on earth. To watch the soldiers who guard it, to feel the respect and reverence of those who visit it - it is amazing. As we walked past the Vietnam Wall, we were surrounded by hundreds of Vietnam vets, some of whom showed the physical sacrifices they made during that war. As I watched these men as they walked along the wall, I witnessed many shaking hands and embracing other veterans, other men who I'm sure they had never met before, but all the same they were friends and brothers. We talked with one woman whose husband's name was already engraved on the wall. She comes to DC every Memorial Day weekend to volunteer at the Vietnam Wall. On Sunday, we went to the Bethesda Ward. A brother who works at the Pentagon and has served for more than 20 years in the Army spoke about his experiences, saying that his military service has been the most spiritual experience of his life.
That is real sacrifice. The men and women who have died to protect our freedoms and liberties are the real heroes. No one forced them to do it. They chose to do it. They chose to make the sacrifice, and because it was their choice, I believe they will be eternally rewarded for it.
I've enjoyed learning more about politics and the government in the past few months, and while I admit I'm still far from an expert, I do know that what our so-called leaders are doing is not good for our country or our future. They are changing the fundamental structure of our government and our way of life. They are dictating in matters where they have no right to dictate. They are destroying the America that the Founders fought and died for
If our elected leaders in Washington could come down from their high and mighty hill every once and awhile, and take a moment to visit these sacred memorials, maybe they would remember what America really is. Maybe they would remember the price that has been to paid to build this country to what it is instead of trying to tear it down. Maybe they would remember the real sacrifices that have been made.
Tomb of the Unknown: "Here Rests In Honored Glory An American Soldier Known But To God"
"Only two forces have ever
Died for you...
Jesus Christ
& the American G.I.
One, for your Soul &
One, for your Freedom"
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