I know death is a depressing subject, but something happened on my way to work this morning I want to write about. As I was driving to my office, I noticed someone had just hit a possum that was trying to cross the road. The bad thing about this poor creature was that it was still alive and dazed. It was just sitting there with blood flowing from its eyes and mouth; my heart began to swell with pity. Initially, I told myself that I needed to continue to the office, but then I rationalized that this was a sentient creature capable of suffering and deserved for someone to help ease its pain. So, with tears forming in my eyes, I called my office to tell them that I was going to be late and then called my roommate to ask for his help. When we returned to the scene, it was too late, for someone else had, by that time, finished the job. The little possum lay dead in the middle of Princess Anne Road in Norfolk, Virginia.
Mourning the loss of a possum may seem silly to some, but I believe recognizing the suffering of another living being (regardless of whether it’s an animal or a human) and in turn acknowledging and responding to the product of suffering, pain, speaks of something deeper. This is to say that while death comes to all living things, we, as conscientious people, should work to ease the suffering of all injured creatures we happen to run upon, especially when death is imminent as a result of an injury. What makes me sad about the little possum of today is that before it died, it suffered and no one came to its rescue. May he or she rest in peace.
Those who know me know I am politically active. For over a decade now, I have participated in most of the local, state, and national elections as a conservative. I have even volunteered as an official for the nonbiased Norfolk Elections Board. All of my participation has been strictly voluntary because I believe it is important that the freedoms enjoyed by all Americans are contingent on an informed citizenry willing to freely sacrifice themselves for a common good. History has shown that the backbone of any strong government is when its people are engaged with the world around them. My involvement in politics stems from a deep love I have for my neighbor. But, I must admit, I have been disappointed with politics over the past several years because the nature of politics is brutal, and not everyone wins. I have learned that most politicians, especially elected officials, do not care about individual people per se, and the electorate are simply not engaged enough to make informed decisions.
That said, it is important for the readers of my blog to know that, although I am conservative, I do keep an open mind in terms of individual candidates and the ideas they support. I am not the type of citizen who is conservative because I come from a long line of Republicans. I am a Republican because I believe in the basic principles of conservatism, which is less government in the lives of ordinary people and fewer taxes so those same people can use their money the way they see fit. I believe that it is not the role of any level of government to mingle in the lives of people. So, before I cast my vote, I do my homework: in addition to judging whether what the candidate is telling me is the truth, I also peer into their professional lives to see whether their private work reflects their public ideas.
Between our current two candidates, John McCain and Barak Obama, McCain has the longest record of public service, the totality of which transcends his time in the United States Senate. McCain’s entire life, which includes his service as a naval officer has been nothing less than selfless. For me, any man who is willing to freely sacrifice his very existence for a common good deserves special recognition in the annals of glory. If the same conditions presented themselves in Obama’s life, I wonder whether he would demonstrate the same noble deeds as McCain did in the Prisoner of War camps of Vietnam. My instincts say ‘no.’ So, while the distinctions between what constitutes either a Republican or a Democrat eludes millions of uninformed Americans, I encourage each voter to examine the private lives of these two public persons. Readers will learn that it is McCain who has always worked for the greater good, and it is McCain who I endorse as the next President of the United States.
Virginia Beach, Virginia's largest and newest tourist attraction, King Neptune, is a colossal bronze statue on the Boardwalk of 31st and Atlantic Streets. This impressive representation of the sea god Neptune was designed by Richmond sculptor Paul DiPasquale. The bronze piece was cast in China and was then assembled in Virginia’s resort city to help bolster the tourism industry there. Whether or not it actually helps increase tourism in that region is uncertain, but what is certain is that it is a beautiful work of art.
Congress passed the 700 billion dollar bailout bill, which rewards major financial organizations for making utterly disastrous decisions in the subprime mortgage mess. The fact that the federal legislature ‘had’ to step in and use money we don’t have to help organizations that obviously have not helped everyday Americans infuriates me. And, to add insult-to-injury, I became even more disgusted as I watched the national leadership, lead by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, wallow in a vulgar display of false security because I understand that the taxpayers will be the ones who will be made to suffer.
As the events leading up to the bailout revealed themselves, I tried to wrap my mind around what truly happened. Beyond the corporate greed that is the true cause of this mass misery, we have millions of Americans who invested their retirement and IRA accounts into organizations such as Merrill Lynch, Bear Stearns, and the AIG Company believing it was a good outlay of money. So, we have average Americans using their asset allocation principles to squirrel away funds to be used as their retirement, which is smart thinking. However, investing for a strong retirement is something that takes decades. Now, we have a population who did that which they knew to do and are now told that not only have they lost their next egg, but they are now told they must pay into the massive bailout plan. Where’s the justice?
Both Congress, who allowed this to happen, and the corporate managers, whose main interest was their personal bottom line, have much to answer for, but it will be the hard-working people who will suffer the brunt of this catastrophe. Just like the two wars we are waging in Afghanistan and Iraq: It’s a rich man’s war, but a poor man’s fight. It’s reminiscent to the song I’ve embedded with this blog entry, the Federal government is looking into the eyes of the American people and saying, “You can’t win.”
