Remember when I told everyone to Vote? 8 years ago...then 4 years after that...because of all our apathy and careless neglect we allowed George Bush to become our commander in chief. How much irreparable damage has this caused? You be the judge.
1. U.S. from a nation of prosperity to an Economy knee-deep in Recession. He has passed bill upon bill that has allowed Corporate conglomerates to monopolize business competition by offering unfair pricing--> killing local businesses that cannot compete with the corporations' cheap pricing. Then these Corporations shut down domestic auto and manufacturing plants and outsource work to 3rd world countries where they pay they workers pennies to the dollar for the same job-- ->this effectively causes hundreds of thousands of blue collar workers to lose their jobs-->directly affects consumer spending & kills our economy--> and ironically places an even bigger consumer reliance on Corporate monopolies like Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Best Buy due to their cheap pricing.
2. A nation that has no plan for alternative fuel sources, leaving us at the mercy of the Middle East. Oil (Fossil Fuels) is a FINITE resource. Meaning it is a diminishing resource that it is soon to run dry. Did you know that? These OPEC nations (the middle east) then sets crude oil barrel prices at whatever they deem is a "reasonable price"...and people wonder how oil barrel prices have risen from $80 a barrel to over $150+ in recent years. The U.S. alone is spending over $700,000,000 a DAY directly to OPEC nations for fuel. We are DEPENDANT on oil to fuel the machines that create and process our food, clothes, build our houses, and power our automobiles. If you do not believe me buy the documentary "Crude Awakening" it will blow your mind back on how reliant we are to fossil fuels. Thanks for warning us George! If we would have invested the Trillion dollars that you spent fighting the war in Iraq towards figuring out alternative fuel options, we would probably all be riding around in full-electric or solar power vehicles by now. By the way, do you want to know where all your gas money went? If you all didn't know, Exxon Mobile enjoyed it's most profits ever last year...over 35 Billion in profit! The CEO received a 30 million dollar bonus on top of his salary last year.
3. Deterioration of the Public School system: If you don't want to listen to how your president political effects your personal financial outlook, then at least listen to how his administration has severely effected the future of YOUR CHILDREN and YOUR CHILDREN'S CHILDREN. During the Bush Administration's tenure college and university officials have grown accustomed to being disappointed by the Administration's budget cuts for higher education, community college officials have been frustrated by the administration’s continued assault on funds for career and technical education, research advocates disappointed by his flat-line budget for the National Institutes of Health, and supporters of the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant and Perkins Loan Programs, which the administration once again recommends exterminating. (*Note* Without these loans I would NOT have been able to afford College!).
The result is a flawed education system that is NOT keeping pace with the majority of 1st world countries to remain intellectually competitive. Even more pertinent, our education system is one that favors predominantly the rich. Rather than opting to place their trust in the unreliable public school system, wealthy families can afford to send their kids to private schooling, thus perpetuating the cycle of social inequality-->The Rich pay for their kids to get into better school where they receive top-rate education-->this facilitates their admission and graduation at the best colleges-->allows these students the best & most high paying jobs after college--->the Cycle repeats. Poor remain poor...the rich stay rich. I thought the U.S. was a place of "The American Dream", where those that worked hard (despite their current economic condition)...could realize riches. Bush definitely does not believe in that type of American Dream for you or I.
Though there are a few exceptions (Program for Additional Curriculum Experiences program @ Long Beach Poly High School to name one), Public education these days is a shame (I am a bi-product of it so I can testify first hand).
-Overcrowded Classrooms. 35+ students (at Stanford my largest class was 14 students...lol)
-Overworked, Underpaid, & Uninspired Teachers. They lack the motivation or incentive to maximize the potential of each student. Their lack of guidance & motivation often transfers to the students who do not take the value of a good education seriously.
-Out of Date, Poor Resources. From Old Books, to Old Technology, to Old learning Methods...Public Schools lack the financial resources they need to compete on a global scale with countries like Japan, China, and Germany in regards to education the new generation of youth
With all this said, I wanted to state a case for all of my family to take action in the politic contest s that are relevant to their lives. Whether it is at the local, state, or national level. Your voice matters! VOTING is a right that many people have sacrificed and died for so that you can have a choice to exercise that right. Do NOT be lazy and do nothing. Grandma and Grandpa sacrificed all they had so that we all could live a better life. We are enjoying that better life now. Let's make sure they we do our best to make sure that the lives of our children and the lives of our grand children are EVEN BETTER than ours!
I know everyone has their opinion about who should be the next president of the united states, and you all are entitled to that. Before you make a judgment and your vote. I challenge you to really research the candidate that you vote for:
1. Research their Background -What is their educational background (Where did they go to school)? What inspired them to get involved into politics? What is there track record of success? How in touch are they with current times?
2. Understand they politic positions on important matters like: 1. The Economy 2. The War 3. Education 4. Healthcare 5. Religion 6. Government
3. Ask yourself how does their belief system in alignment with or in contrast to my set of beliefs about government?
If you can effectively answer each of these three questions with sincerity and validity, you have official discovered your political standpoint for the November Election...and I will respect it without question. Make sure you do your homework...bc I am rallying the family out this year (all who are 18+) to VOTE. Be INFORMED!
If you don't do your research, I will simply bombard you with Barack Obama Messages all day. If you want to see what the future of our country should look like, listen to one of the most preeminent and poised leaders of our generation explain h
is plan for Iraq and National Security. This is the type of leadership and intellectual capacity we should have leading this nation. The Time for Change is upon us. Take Action
-Antonio descendant of PETE & Maria Valdez via way of TING :)
