No matter what your opinion is on the upcoming elections....





I'm glad that we're free to voice our opinions.

That - whomever you support - we live in a country where a black man can run for president, a woman for VP.

That women and minorities can vote.

Heck, that ANY of us can vote.


It may not be perfect, but some have it worse.

yeah, i don't think i'd be too happy to be handed a piece a paper with a name on it already and told to put in the box.

Nor I, and yes there are faults here and there, and many times we blame politicians, many times rightfully so, but this is why we are to vote, we must try and help fix things through voting. its easy to think one vote doesn't matter or my vote wont change things, trust me it does count, every single one of us count as part of the whole, the fact we are allowed to vote is a good thing, for there are still country's were you are handed a piece of paper and told to vote for who is on the paper. all in all I am an American and proud to be so

I just talked to my kids about this over the summer.
We live in San Jose CA. Cinco De Mayo is a big big thing here. They all want to celebrate their "Mexican" heritage. They drive up and down the streets with Mexican flags flying from their cars.

At first I got angry about it. I came home and there were about 10 young people on our patio celebrating "Cinco De Mayo" by drinking beer and listening to Rap music. When I asked them what it was about, they said it was "Mexican Independence Day". I asked them what they were celebrating, they said they were celebrating their Mexican Heritage.

(All of these kids were born and raised here in the United States). I asked if they had ever "been" to Mexico. Some of them said they had been to Tijuana. I asked if any of them had ever "lived" in Mexico. None had, except mine. (I am Caucasian, my kids' father is from Mexico City) so we lived there for two years.

I then proceeded to tell them about life in Mexico. How there are armed guards at the entrances to the Malls. Not just with Pistols, but with Machine guns and they are wrapped in bullets. About how they have to "pay" the police men to patrol their neighborhood. About how if they are American, they can't just go out the door to the Park, or to the Mall. They have to have at least one or two Mexican men with them or they will be Kidnapped and held for ransome by some thugs. About how you can't even buy Milk at the grocery store there... and if you do, it is dehydrated or substandard.

I talked to them about how in other countries, there is no way they would be able to drive down the street with the flag of another country on their car. They might get shot, arrested, or who knows what! They really have no idea how lucky they are to live here in the U.S.

There was one young man there who had just come back from his third tour in Iraq. He backed me up about how life was for them over there.

Wether or not these kids will vote, is another story. However, they did listen for ten minutes to the crazy white lady about how lucky they are to be living in the U.S.!

I am also proud to be an American, and feel blessed to have been born here, but I also know that our election system is not perfect, by any means.
The politicians shout, "If you don't like the way things are going, vote the person in power out!"
But the people who are running against them are often just as bad, if not worse. And real people can't afford to run for office anymore...it costs too darn much. Only the wealthy or those who take contributions from people or organizations who they're later beholden to can run.

(You all must know that I grew up in Chicago, and I've seen my share of shenanigans politically...but I have always voted, and been proud to do so!)

And now those touch voting screen machines that are so much in use now are so easily able to be changed...even though we're told they're cheat-proof. I was an election judge, and believed this...but now I believe they're not cheat-proof, as was proved in the last election.

I believe in the founding brothers' ideals...but I don't believe we any longer are governed by those ideals. It breaks my heart...

Yet I will vote on Election Day, and I will do it with pride, no matter how crooked my choices turn out to be. Because I am proud to be an American.

"My country, when right, to be kept right. When wrong, to be made right..." Carl Schurz.