Enough is Enough

[PegLeg45]

This was written by a local gentleman and business owner. It was published in our local paper in the op/ed section:

Published October 30, 2008

Enough is enough

Each and every day that our economy slows we have more people coming into Utilco Railroad Services seeking employment. I have personally interviewed many of these people and from these interviews came a strong desire to express my opinion regarding the free fall of our economy. I just wish those we have sent to Washington could see the expressions on the faces of these men who are just seeking an honorable way to provide for their families. These people, black and white, are not looking for handouts; they want jobs. They want to feel the self-respect and pride that goes with knowing they can take care of their own.

Both Democrats and Republicans must share equally in the travesty inflicted upon the American people. These two parties have this country into the “New World Order” by shipping our jobs overseas, with the result that our standard of living is dropping. Many of the goods returning to this country have been laden with various metals, such as lead, deemed to be dangerous to everyone, especially small children. The noble intention of raising the standard of living for other countries has failed miserably.

Many of you reading this can remember when cotton grown here in Tift County was ginned here, made into cloth here and then made into various garments here. The result was that the farmer received payment for the production, the ginner received money for his service, the loom operator and the sewing machine operators all received compensation and best of all, it stayed right here in Tift County.

Now we have shuttered factories and unemployment everywhere, no community is immune. Just last week I watched as Albany was trying to figure out how to keep Cooper Tire from closing their plant. Cooper is not going to stay anywhere they cannot make a profit. I strongly opposed the recent bailout by our representatives in Washington and told them so. Rep. Bishop never answered my mail, which is common for him. Sen. Chambliss disagreed with me but did have the courtesy to respond. Money talks and Wall Street pours too much money into Washington to have our representatives go against them. Our elected representatives have created a financial mirage way out in the future that when we get to wherever it is they are supposed to be taking us, all we will find is a huge debt for our grandchildren to pay off.

There are many in our country calling for change which I think we all agree is needed. However, if this change is not channeled properly we will continue to slide down that slippery slope of disintegration until events will take on a life of their own and become unstoppable. It is here that I am reminded of a statement by Thomas Jefferson in our Declaration of Independence:

“Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established, should not be changed for light and transient causes; and, accordingly, all experience has shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But, when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce the people under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security.”

Thankfully, those very wise people who authored our constitution provided the means to accomplish this without resorting to violence. The ballot box! We need to elect people who will think of the American people first. If we don’t, I see violence in the future. Probably not in my lifetime, but it’s coming.

Dissatisfaction has reached such a level in this country that recently the citizens of Vermont met at the State Capitol to discuss secession from the Union. Can you believe this? For the first time in over 150 years a state wishes to secede. People are out of work, people are unhappy in general. It is times such as these that someone will rise from this environment and take us too far into an authoritarian government.

Over 50 years ago, while a student at Riverside Military Academy, I had the pleasure of sitting down one afternoon and talking with General Sandy Beaver, the founder of the academy and a very wise man. General Beaver had been in Germany before World War II and heard Adolph Hitler give a speech. He said that Hitler had the ability to make everything sound so pleasing, and the ability to seize the emotions of the crowd at the moment and bring them to a frenzy. We need to listen very carefully to everything we hear and pray for guidance during these very difficult days. Remember George Santayana’s haunting words: “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

It just makes me sick each time I hear someone say, “Christians are just as dangerous as Muslims.” Hear me when I ask, when is the last time you heard of a Christian father killing his daughter because she was in love with someone of whom he did not approve? When have you heard a Christian wish death upon his fellow man? How is that Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany can put together a movie like “Fireproof” that just blew the minds of the Hollywood hucksters when it went through $20 million at the box office on Oct. 21? People are crying out for goodness, honesty and something to hold onto that is eternal.

I say to you in closing, we as a people, both black and white, should join hands and say enough is enough! We are tired of someone in Washington telling us when we can and cannot pray, how we can and cannot discipline our children and numerous other edicts that constantly flow from Washington. If we do not, we can continue to watch our children disappear behind high walls and razor wire. We must, by peaceful means, break this yoke of slavery that our elected officials have snared us, and return to the ethics of our forefathers. This country cannot and will not survive on its present course. Maybe it is time for a third party to emerge, bringing with it the values that many of you reading this adhere to.

Buddy Bryan



http://www.tiftongazette.com/opinion/local_story_304224745.html

[MikeBjerum]

This needs to be distributed Nation wide and printed in every Church bulletin!

Can anyone on here not come up with a local county name and list of businesses that could be inserted here?  I could adapt this to our area right now.

Thanks for posting.

[runstowin]

I appreciate you posting this article.
My opinion, there is not a pitcher of warm spit worth of difference between the two major parties.
Why? because there are people wit the wherewithal to control both parties.
That is why our industrial base was going overseas during Clinton, and it continued to flee overseas under Bush the second.

[SwoopSJ]

The problem with our indurstrial base is free trade.  I'll admit, I'm not an economist, however, I have completed a fair amount of study in its fundamentals.  That being said, trade is supposed to work by allowing each entity to trade its most beneficial and cost effective product with other entities for their products.  Our problem is other countries have cheap labor and free trade has made this problem exponentially worse.  If you can have your product made outside the country at a substantial savings and then import it back into this country with little to no penalty... anyone else see a problem here?  This is why American, labor related jobs are going the way of the dodo.  I could be wrong, wouldn't be the first time.  However, this makes perfect sense to me.

Swoop
 

[Pathfinder]

Actually, if you think we still operate under any kind of free trade, I would have you look at a couple of things. The price of oil is managed as is the price of gas. Electricity and water and natural gas are all managed. Banks are becoming co-owned by the Feds, interest rates are "managed". Yes, at a tactical level, like buying ahome, the price of the home is set by the market, as are the prices of cars. Food? Not sure. But the days of the free markets, under any President, are gone, we are all being slowly heated in the pot like the frogs, and some of us have become uncomfortable.

Learn to barter and you will learn to stay off the radar - if you do it right.

[Sponsor]

[SwoopSJ]

I agree with you, Pathfinder. However, I was speaking mainly in terms of the lack of tariffs on importation.  If its possible for American companies to save money by having their labor performed outside the country and then we don't penalize them with appropriate taxes and tariffs when they bring their products back into the country they have no incentive to do otherwise.  This is highly unpatriotic, IMO, but since when are most big corporation concerned with anything other than lining their own pockets?

Swoop

[runstowin]

What is called NAFTA the North American Free Trade Agreement, is over 20,000 pages long, sounds like highly micro-managed trade to me..


from swoops51

tariffs on importation.  I agree we should raise import tariffs on goods  made here that are essential to our national health, to keep American companies competitive.

since when are most big corporation concerned with anything other than lining their own pockets?

Of course you are right, no wonder Halliburton moved it"s world headquarters to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.