Hello family, friends and fellow bloggers. Hope everyone is having a fantastic day.
I was, then I wasn’t and now I am… back to enjoying an incredibly beautiful day sitting in my kitchen, looking out the window, jotting down my entry for today.
I can already see my brother Greg cringe as he reads this paragraph and a few of the other paragraphs that follow (and maybe even a few of you going “WHAT?”)…..I am not an overly political person. I follow who’s who, what’s going on, I watch CNN, MSNBC, sometimes Fox, I read, I vote, I even ran for office once in the small community we lived in back in the mid 1980’s….I ran as a Democrat because, well quite frankly, 99% of the Downriver population was at the time Democrats.
So before anyone reads on…including my dear brother Greg, I want to apologize if I offend anyone. It really is not my intent to do so, nor is this particular blog intended to start a political debate.
The information I am going to share with you from here forward is merely to give you a understanding of who I am, how I feel, what I think, I am not trying to push my belief onto anyone else. I just need to lay a foundation so that when I tell you what happened today and how I reacted you’ll understand, because my reaction was not really who I am, I surprised even myself when I heard things coming out of my mouth. It was more of an emotional response, rather than political.
So, with that said, here goes……
I look at political parties almost the same way I do unions. I think at one time, when unions were first formed, that there was a need for unions, a need to protect the rights, health and welfare of workers. But as time has moved on, the government putting more and more restrictions on companies to comply with health, safety and environmental laws, minimum wages, and maybe one day, if they ever get it figured out….healthcare, I think the need for unions has decreased. I see unions as a corporation, a money-making entity that takes its leaders on lavish vacations….collecting money from people (workers) who could make better use of it in their paycheck and in their pocket.
As a teenager of the 1970’s and as years progressed, my father and I have had many, many discussions about unions. I against them while my father supportive of them, even though he himself was a white-collar worker, a sport coat and tie man. The years and our debates in itself could be a whole funny blog. I am very proud of my dad…he stands up for what he believes in and encourages his children to do the same.
I can honestly say that I really am not a Democrat or a Republican (calm down Greg), I actually will vote based on what the person stands for, if his issues are my issues, if he has a positive track record for responding to the issues that I feel are most important to me and my family….then he/she is my candidate.
At times I wonder if we really do need parties…I mean come on, if you seriously looked at every President or politician, Democrat or Republican, you can find good things they’ve accomplished as well as major screw ups. Both parties, neither one is immune to bad decision-making.
Please don’t bombard with how crazy you think I am…..Freedom of Speech, I have a right to express myself which slides us right in to what happened today in front of the post office.
The post office is the second building from the corner, there is a traffic light at the corner and if you get caught at the light you have a good view of the front of the post office. Today I got caught at the light, the very first car. I can clearly see a table set up right at the curb, one step back and the two people behind the table would be on the road. I can see posters hanging from the table…I can make out John Kennedy on one, President Obama on another, red, white and blue streamers. There is a white man, a black woman manning the table.
The light changed and I pulled forward, as I wait to make the left into the driveway to go to the parking lot which is in the back of the building I can now clearly see the President Obama poster……….a Hitler type mustache etched under his nose, IMPEACH OBAMA written across the top of the poster.
I went nuts…litterally. I parked the car and walked up the sidewalk to the front of the building (there is no back or side door for customers). As I got closer to the front of the building the man began jumping up and down in a jumping jack fashion, arms waving over his head, jumping toward me saying….”Come here, come here, we need to talk to you!!” “We need to get Obama out of office!!!”
This is when I lost my mind…..oh…yes I did. I put my hand out in front of me, palm out and said…”Stay away from me you idiot!” “I don’t care what your political beliefs are or what you stand for.” “That photo is discusting…..when did freedom of speech give you the right to be disrespectful.”
They both took a step back….the woman said “WOW!” I know!!! I was thinking “WOW!!!” too. I had to look around to make sure that came out of me. My intention was to ignore them and walk right past and into the post office but the closer I got and saw that mustache etched on that poster, the anger just shot out.
It wouldn’t have mattered who it was on that poster, it could have been George Bush Jr…..(and he screwed up really bad “in my opinion”), the bottom line is, I may not agree with politicians or a President’s politics, their decision-making or what they did or didn’t accomplish while they were in or are in office, but if nothing else, in America….our President, no matter who he is deserves a little respect. How dare you compare our President to a killer, a mass murderer!
If you want to disagree with President Obama’s decisions and create literature showing how promises weren’t kept, what bad decisions were made, how the national debt stands, etc….go ahead, our right to free speech gives gives you that right. Our Presidents and politicians no matter how good or how bad have continued to make sure we have that right.
Where is it written that our freedom …. YOUR FREEDOM to say, write, travel, etc. gives you the right to be disrespectful?
I may have frustrations and disagree with political choices, I still respect politicians for what they do, it’s hard enough these days to run a household, I can’t imagine what it’s like at night to lay your head on a pillow with literally the weight of the world hanging over you.
I know there are bad politicians who don’t deserve respect of title or position because of criminal activity…can anyone say Kwami Kilpatrick? But even Kwami doesn’t deserve to have a Hitler mustache etched on his face….and trust me, I really don’t think highly of Kwami at all. But through due process the man is no longer in office stealing from the citizens of Detroit who can ill afford it.
We live in a country that gives us the right, the freedom of choice. You don’t think someone is doing a good job? Recall them, don’t vote for them next time, campaign against them. Believe it or not, politicians no matter how bad they are politically believe in your right to do so.
The people under Hitler’s reign had no choices, they had no voice, they had no freedom.
I love my country, I am proud to be an American. I can’t hear the National Anthem sung ANYWHERE without it bringing a tear to my eye, even a televised ballgame. So, I’m taking my little 5’2″ self off the ladder (you’d never see me on a soapbox, too short), I’ve said my peace, please don’t beat me up too badly.
Today I made a Banana Split Pie because “For a split second today, I went banana’s and lost my mind and my manners. Why can’t the world be as beautiful and calm as an afternoon spent running through strawberry fields on a beautiful summer day.”
Banana Split Pie – Delicious
Banana Split Pie (Kraft Foods)
http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/banana-split-pie-109526.aspx?pf=truena
Ingredients
- 2 cups cold milk
- 2 pkg. (4-serving size each) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
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1 HONEY MAID Graham Pie Crust (6 oz.)
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1 cup sliced fresh strawberries, divided
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1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
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1/4 cup chopped PLANTERS Pecans
POUR milk into large bowl.
ADD dry pudding mixes.
BEAT with wire whisk 2 min.
SPREAD 1-1/2 cups of the pudding onto bottom of crust.
- Spread 1-1/2 cups of pudding onto bottom of crust
TOP with half of the strawberries and the bananas.
Place sliced banana and 1/2 of the strawberries on top of the pudding
ADD half of the whipped topping to remaining pudding;
Stir gently until well blended
SPREAD over fruit layer in crust.
Spread remaining pudding with 1/2 of the Cool Whip spread over fruit
Cover pudding/Cool Whip mixture with the remaining Cool Whip
SPREAD remaining whipped topping over pie to within 1 inch of edge of crust.
DRIZZLE with chocolate syrup
Drizzle with chocolate syrup
Top with remaining strawberries and pecans.
REFRIGERATE 3 hours or until set.
Store leftovers in refrigerator.
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