Michelle Obama

I recieve regular emails from the Democratic party and Barrack Obama. Today, I received a video of Michelle's speech at the opening night of the convention. I read in the newspaper that she had given a good speech. After hearing and seeing it on video, I can say that is my opinion, it was a great speech! Now I feel that I know more about where Michelle and Barrack came from. She went into the kind of upbringing they had, parents and grandparents working to provide a better life for their kids, just like the lives most of us have had. She talked about the kind of work they had both done after college. She talked about her two daughters and her hopes for them

She reminded everyone that it's the 88th aniversary of women's right to vote and it's been 45 year since Dr Martin Luther King gave his "I have a dream" speech. The point she made about us having a choice to work for the America that can be, rather than settling for the America that is, really struck a chord with me.

She talked about workers and their needs, veterans and their families, the everyday average American that just wants to make a good life for his or her family. That sounds like the political party that I chose years ago. Hopefully, it's back and Washington is not too corrupt and set in it's ways to change.

Wrong Direction

Lately, I've read so many letters to the editor in my local paper,"The Salt Lake Tribune", that are wondering what has happened to our country. How did all the changes happen? Where did we lose our way? As I was growing up, I always felt a pride in our country. We usually,if not always, took the high road in our dealings with other countries. I admit, looking back in history, we backed dictators in order to obtain something we wanted or needed, like oil, or military bases. I guess we just overlooked some things. Maybe that's why we are where we are now.

I'm very uncomfortable with our new reputation as a country that condones and practices torture. I wrote a post about this a few months ago, and I got a comment from someone that these prisoners deserved it for being terroerists and I wasn't a very good American to be questioning my President. How do people get that way?

I'm also not comfortable with the Administration's insistance that it be allowed to practise wire-tapping and spying without court orders and prescious little over-sight. Recently, a bill to restrict habeas corpus failed going through by only one vote, just one vote! We changed the make-up of the legislature last election, but we're still getting the same old stuff.

I guess polititions over the world and throughout time, have been aware that people are influenced by fear more than most other things, but the use of fear to push this administrations policies has been refined to an art, it seems.

We can look forward to a change of president this next year, but I'm worried that whoever gets elected, may find that playing to the fears of the public to get their programs across, will be too attractive to ignore.

What Will 2008 Bring?

What kind of a year will 2008 be? If the first 2 weeks are any indication, it will be lots of politics. Of course, that's not a prediction,but maybe a given, since it's an election year and there have been so many states trying to get into the early primary act. It should be interesting, but maybe not so nice, given the recent history of political races. It would be nice if the candidates and their workers could raise the bar a bit and clean things up and stop using fear as tactic. Unfortunately, fear is such a good tool. Maybe, since the currant administrtion has used it so darn much, the American public has gotten more discerning. I do believe that the electorate is getting sick and tiredof business as usual. At any rate, if you have a low tolerance for politics, you may have to turn off the evening news.

I'm afraid that we maybe in for a bumpy ride when it comes to the economy though. Much of the news isn't so good. The problems caused by subprime loans and the housing slump is bad enough, but now unemployment isn't looking too stable. It's also been, so far, a rough winter which can be costly to states and municipalities, not to mention, private citizens dealing with some pretty extreem weather in parts of the country.

Only time will tell how the year will go. I guess we'll just keep our eyes open, and do the best we can with what we're given. Pretty much like always.

Just Ramblin

I just received an ecard from my Granddaughter, Caitlyn. I really love hearing from her because it's almost like she's right here and I can hear her. She writes just like she sounds in person. It's always a bright spot in my day when I hear from any of my Grandchildren or from my Son or Daighter-in-Law. Since the Grandkids write infrequently, it's fortunate that my
daughter-in Law keeps me a little better posted, otherwise I wouldn't know what's going on. I know I could pick up the phone and talk in person, but they are all so busy, that it is hard to catch them at home. Holidays are hard, 'cause though I miss them all year, it seems most acute around the Holidays.

We've already had two snowstorms in the mountains. It gets warmer between storms. In fact, yesterday, it got quite warm, in the 80s in SLC. Today is a perfect Fall day, sunny, clear and in the mid 60s.

I heard on the news yesterday about the 14 year old boy in Cleveland, who shot 4 people and then turned the gun upon himself. While it is fortunate that he didn't kill anyone but himself, it is quite horrifying to think of a 14 year old with no reason to live. What is wrong with our society that leads these young people into a state of mind where they seem to feel their only option is violence and death?

While we need to address the problems of the depressed and hopeless, we must not forget the many young people who view life positively and look for ways to serve others, and there are many of them. I read a column by Thomas Friedman today. He had been to several colleges, talking to students. He's very impressed by their idealism and willingness to do their part to improve the world. He does, however, label them the "Q" generation,because they use the internet to communicate with others of thier mindset, but they don't get out and get vocal. He thinks they should be protesting, and certainly, they should be voting. I'm not sure about that, except for the voting part. The internet has been changing things. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how effective it is about changing the way politics is carried out. By the way, Friedman calls us the greedy generation. Ouch!