"I'm 63 and Im Tired"
by Robert A. Hall
I'm 63. Except for one semester in college when jobs were scarce and a six-month period when I was between jobs, but job-hunting every day,.... I've worked hard since I was 18. Despite some health challenges, I still put in 50-hour weeks, and haven't called in sick in seven or eight years. I make a good salary, but I didn't inherit my job or my income, and I've worked to get where I am today. Given the economy, there's no retirement in sight, and I'm tired..... Very tired.
I'm tired of being told that I have to "spread the wealth" to people who don't have my work ethic. I'm tired of being told the government will take the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy to earn it.
I'm tired of being told that I have to pay more taxes to "keep people in their homes." Sure, if they lost their jobs or got sick, I'm willing to help. But, if they bought "McMansions" at three times the price of my paid-off, $250,000 condo, on one-third of my salary, then let the left-wing "Congress-critters" who passed Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Community Reinvestment Act that created that "Bubble", help them with their own money.
I'm tired of being told how bad America is by left-wing millionaires like Michael Moore, George Soros and the various Hollywood Entertainers who live in luxury because of the opportunities America offers. In thirty years, if they get their way, the United States will have the "economy" of Zimbabwe, the "freedom of the press" found in China, the "crime and violence" found in Mexico, the "tolerance for Christian people" found in Iran, and the "freedom of speech" that is found in Venezuela.
I'm tired of being told that Islam is a "Religion of Peace," when every day I can read dozens of stories of Muslim men killing their sisters, wives and daughters for their family "honor".... of Muslims rioting over some slight offense.... of Muslims murdering Christian and Jews because they aren't "believers".... of Muslims burning schools for girls.... of Muslims stoning teenage rape victims to death for "adultery".... of Muslims mutilating the genitals of little girls..... all in the name of Allah, .....because the Qur'an and Shari'a law "tells" them to do it
I'm tired of being told that "race doesn't matter" in the post-racial world of Obama, when it's-all-that-does- matter in "affirmative action jobs", in lower college admission and graduation standards for "minorities" (harming them the most), in government contract "set-asides", in tolerance for the 'ghetto culture' of violence and fatherless children that hurts minorities more than anything else, and in the appointment of U.S. Senators from Illinois.
I think it's very cool that we have a black president and that a black child is doing her homework at the desk where Lincoln wrote the Emancipation Proclamation. I just wish the black president was Condi Rice, or someone who believes more in "freedom" and "the individual" - and less arrogantly of an "all-knowing-government".
I'm tired of being told that out of "tolerance for other cultures" we must let Saudi Arabia use our oil money to fund mosques and "mandrassa" Islamic schools here to preach hate in America, while no American group is allowed to fund a church, synagogue or religious school in Saudi Arabia to teach love and tolerance.
I'm tired of being told I must lower my living standard to fight global warming, a topic no one is allowed to debate. My wife and I live in a two-bedroom apartment and carpool together five miles to our jobs. We also own a three-bedroom condo where our daughter and granddaughter live. Our carbon footprint is about 5% of Al Gore's, and, if you're greener than Gore, you're green enough.
I'm tired of being told that drug addicts have a disease, and that I must help support and treat them, and pay for the damage they do. Did a "Giant Germ" rush out of a dark alley somewhere, grab them, and stuff white powder up their noses while they tried to fight it off?....I don't think so..... I don't think Gay people choose to be Gay, but I damn sure think druggies chose to take drugs. And I'm tired of harassment from 'cool-people' treating me like a freak when I tell them I never tried marijuana.
I'm tired of illegal aliens being called "undocumented workers," especially the ones who 'aren't working', but are living off of welfare or off crime..... What's next for us ? ... Calling drug dealers, "Undocumented Pharmacists"? ...And, no, I'm not against Hispanics. Most of them are Catholic, and it's been a few hundred years since Catholics wanted to kill me because of my religion. I'm willing to fast track any Hispanic person for citizenship, who can speak English, doesn't have a criminal record, is self-supporting without family on welfare, or who serves honorably for three years in our military.... Those are the citizens we need.
I'm tired of 'latte liberals' and journalists, who would never wear the uniform of the Republic themselves, or let their "entitlement-handicapped kids" near a recruiting station, ....trashing our military. They and their kids can sit at home ( never having to make split-second decisions under life and death circumstances) and bad mouth our troops - better people than themselves. Do bad things happen in war? ... You bet... Do our troops sometimes misbehave?.. Sure... Does this compare with the atrocities that were the policy of our enemies for the last fifty years and .....still are? Not even close. So here's the deal. I'll let myself be subjected to all the humiliation and abuse that was heaped on terrorists at Abu Ghraib or Gitmo, and the critics can let themselves be subjected to captivity by the Muslims.... who, by the way, tortured and beheaded Daniel Pearl in Pakistan, or the Muslims who tortured and murdered Marine Lt. Col. William Higgins in Lebanon, or the Muslims who ran the blood-spattered Al Qaeda "torture rooms" that our troops found in Iraq,..... or the Muslims who cut off the heads of the school-girls in Indonesia, because the girls were Christian. Then ....we'll compare notes.... British and American soldiers are the only troops in history that civilians come to for help and handouts instead of hiding from in fear.
I'm tired of people telling me that their party has a corner on virtue and the other party has a corner on corruption. Read the papers; bums are bipartisan. And... I'm tired of people telling me we need bipartisanship. I live in Illinois , where the "Illinois Combine" of Democrats has worked to loot the public for years. Not to mention the tax cheats in Obama's cabinet.
I'm tired of hearing wealthy athletes, entertainers and politicians of both parties talking about innocent mistakes, stupid mistakes or youthful mistakes,....when we ALL know that they think their only mistake was in getting caught. I'm also tired of people that feel they have a "sense of entitlement",.... rich or poor.
Speaking of poor, I'm tired of hearing people with air-conditioned homes, color TVs and two cars, called "poor". The majority of Americans didn't have those in 1970, but we didn't know we were "poor." The poverty "pimps" have to keep changing the definition of "poor" to keep the dollars flowing in the economy.
I'm "real tired" of people who don't take responsibility for their lives and actions. I'm tired of hearing them blame the government, or discrimination or big-whatever for "their" problems.
Yes, I'm DAMN tired. But I'm also glad to be 63. Because, mostly, I'm not going to have to see the world these people are making.......I'm just sorry for my granddaughter.
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Robert A. Hall is a Marine Vietnam veteran who served five terms in the Massachusetts State Senate.
