Throughout the last months, my mind has been spinning on many different aspects of community and our current presidential nominees. Whether or not these two things are linked together - is entirely up to everyone individually.
I really don't have a clue as to how or why I am writing it in the sequence which it all gets spelled out. So please bear in mind, my thoughts are running rapid.
I've been trying to understand the direction in which individuals whom pushed for our current nominees to being in office. Personally, I don't feel any one of them should be elected as President. There is not one of them is worthy of a vote. For some reason, the fumes which are in the air from any one of the nominees smell like burnt sulfur against natural gas. This is a mixture which no one wants.
In the last five decades, I have seen so many things change throughout our country. Our economy was once strong. Communities from everywhere held true with respect. Even though our country has been at a huge divide for centuries, there was always a community. With our civil liberties, this country has grown in leaps and bounds slowly. I don't care what country you're from, what your ethnic background stems from or what aspect of life you believe. I believe in respecting you as a human being with feelings, knowledge, compassion, humor, ambition and courage. I am no different than anyone else on this planet. And I never claim to being above or superior to anyone.
The formulation of this country has been based off of freedom. The freedom of religion, the freedom of choice. With this freedom, we bring unity. The current election stinks up the air. No matter who is elected President it's going to take us, as citizens to correct the impact which will cause our country a wider division. Write in your candidate and make your vote count.
Rebuilding communities once again can help everyone in a broader perspective towards a better future. I remember growing up in a time where communities of neighborhoods policed their own wrong doings. Parents were involved with day to day lives of their siblings. We all looked out for one another. But today, I don't see that happening too often.
The neighborhood where I grew up had many assorted people from different parts of life. Some blue collar workers and business men, small business owners and so on. Plus the various beliefs and cultures. As a neighborhood and community, there was very little worry about who anyone was with or what individuals were doing. People had involvement.
Nowadays, many people are disconnected from their neighbors and community. The world has run a muck. I've seen people lose their jobs and homes as our country defiles itself as it slowly separates power. Fortunes of money being pissed out the window on people who can be bought which does nothing for our country; nothing for the people which live and reside here. Tax laws have to change. It's obvious after the release of Donald Trump's tax return, the system is really screwed up. Yes, he did use the tax laws to his advantage. Great for him! Yes, he was smart to utilize what is written into tax law for his own personal gain. In the same breath, there is another issue that needs to be addressed. Our tax laws are written in just a manner which helps, assists and flourishes the wealthy. This leaves the middle to lower income individuals to pay in taxes. Leonard Cohen had it right in his song, Everybody Knows - Everybody knows the rich get rich and the poor gets poorer. everybody knows. Seeing as everybody knows, why isn't anything being done to correct the issue? Because we can't AFFORD it! But we can afford to speak our minds in hopes to change a broken system.
As a kid I remember going down to the local corner store, owned by one of the neighbors. I'd buy my five cent piece of candy and walk back home. The corner store owners and cashiers all knew me. Every neighbor's home I passed, they knew me. Hell, the damn postal carrier even knew me. Where has this aspect of community and neighbors gone? Today, how many individuals can honestly say I know all of the neighbors on my block/street? Like most people, they have become so absorbed into their phones, computers and/or tablets, they don't bother to acknowledge their surrounds.
Sure we all have friends which many of us prefer to socialize with regularly. But we also have people within our neighborhoods which creates a community. Our ambition to know and socialize with those around us has gone away. Neighbors were always friendly. Greeting someone new into the neighborhood was a common ritual. People went out of their way to meet those who surrounded them.
As time passed on, slowly these aspects of community have fallen off to the side with more and more homes becoming rentals. People moved more frequently. Taking the time to meet those around us was not a priority. Establishing stability, Ensuring safety became high concerns. As factories closed, unemployment rose, crime rates began to rise, prisons becoming overcrowded. People started doing what ever they could just to keep a roof over their head. The welfare system grew to overwhelming numbers as people were stricken and forced from their homes.
To continue seeing these issues happening over and over again throughout time, really makes me wonder what is really wrong with our government? When our country started allowing foreign trades to prevail, opportunities opened avenues for the source of our economic foundation to disappear. This took the heart our of our communities and our ambition to trust our government and country's leaders.
The leaders, spokespersons, individuals within the House of Representatives, Senators, Dictators and who ever else has a say in the decisions which make our country function the way it does are sell outs. They sell out to companies which flourish their pockets with wads of financial gain. Not for you; no, no, no; not for you - them. Here's one example: In Minneapolis and St. Paul, there was a trolley system all set up and working quite well. Due to some official in office who had mass interest in the fuel, enforced the unnecessary need for eliminating the trolley system. This put more motorist on the road, spending more on fuel, influenced more fuel burning buses motoring about this metropolitan area. Roads have more maintenance, our air is being overly polluted, emissions are out of control and the problem list extends beyond.
Now, after how many decades later, people are figuring out mass transit is a logical means to travel. Decisions to implement the trolley, train or commuter train once again has shown great improvements. And now, our tax dollars are working towards building almost the same commuter system back in place. How long will it take for us, as citizens to realize that our system is not functioning as it should? The transit system is just one example of how those who we have elected into office have screwed up our lives, fucked up our laws, the taxes and how our country is represented. As our government officials keep lining their pockets with bribes/donations towards bias agendas, this country will continue to on it's path to destruction.
Not many people would look at the amount of individuals who decide to join our military as a notable factor, but I believe it is a fact that should be acknowledged. When our country was thriving, there were many individuals who volunteered to serve our country. Now, the volunteers have been at their ultimate low. In my minds-eye, this is a huge indicator on how bad our country has fallen. The enthusiasm and dedication for our country is beginning to dwindle.
By allowing our government officials to stuff and fluff their bank accounts by companies which can buy their way into politics has brought our country to it's knees. Major Corporations not paying taxes for decades due to an unfair taxable system. Local government officials being able to implement our communities to benefit their well being. Our government officials are claiming to work on the behalf of us, citizens of this country. I'm sorry, but I don't see it. All I see are a bunch political hags who sell out for the top dollar. I want to know, where do we as American Citizens benefit from their profitability?
On top of all this, once any politician representative is out of office, they remain on salary until their death. How fair is this to our tax payers? We elect them into office. After their term is done, if they are not elected again, they still get paid their appointed salary. Where else can you have a job, screw up and not have to walk into work ever again and still get paid a salary for the rest of your life? Damn it would be nice if McDonald's had this salary payment plan apart of their budget. Our fucking politicians feel it's a necessity. I think it's a fucking waste of tax dollars which could be used for many things - other than paying a worthless politician who contributes nothing to people which they were to represent.
If you're old enough to remember when there were so many jobs available and not enough people to fill those positions, you know what it was like to not have to worry about where you are going to get your next meal. Yes I understand evolution changes the dynamics of economy. Do corporations really have to move the manufacturing industries away from what had made America prosperous?
With the great number of influences that made our country stand tall, our government officials lead the way into turning our lives, our community and our sense of worth spiraling down. Our politicians claiming to making America great again, have no clue as to what our country needs. Their bank accounts are not helping the needs of America's population. They remind me of those kids who when out Trick-or-Treating would take all the candy so no one else could have any. The selfishness makes it's effects.
Little by little, as jobs go away our community disburses. Our crime rates rise and yet our politicians can't figure out why as they sit on bribes and donations from corporations who have paid them off. Stop and ask yourself, who really is willing to speak for you and your interests? Not a damn one of them who is seeking office. The corporations who are paying them off are the only ones with anything to gain. I believe it's time to get our country back to being prosperous and flourishing. It's time revamp our politicians. Take the big corporations out of politics. Bring back that label which says "Made in America!"
