Friday i had gov't class with a teacher who loves to read the times. So usually in this class we are greeted with a lovely read and answer assignment. I am usually glad to read and voice my opinion, not write it. But oddly enough this friday was different . My stubborness to write was clouded by an article titled 9/11 Is Over by Thomas L. Friedman. Friedman is one of the first columnists I have read that has shared the same feelings i have on the subject of 9/11.Friedman talks of how we (americans) are stuck in a 9/11 trance. This state of mind that was established 2003 has turned us into one track minded people called terrorist hunters. Friedman says it great when he writes "We've become "The United States of Fighting Terrorism". When is the last you heard Bush speak of anything except terrorism. I fear its his favorite subject only because thats the only word he can correctly pronounce. In this failed process of fighting terrorism we have lost what America stood for. Rights for all was what we once fought for but has been lost in Guantanamo Bay. The basis of our country, the Bill of Rights, promises in amendment 6 the right to a speedy trial and yet prisioners are being held there with no trial in sight. Guantanamo was a hot topic in the news for a while but what has happened? Nothing. Nothing at all. Prisioners are still spending miserable days there. And why? Because of our fear? Exagerated fear I might say. This fear is brought on by politicians that aren't working for the good of the nation. America not to long ago was as Friedman says " The Gold Standard". No longer the case, our focus is on a topics very different from any other country. Europe and parts of Asia are working on more enviromental/scientific issues such as global warming. The American dollar and employment rates have dropped where Europes has increased. China is modernizing quickly and their 2008 car models will all meet with "Euro 4" standards (clean air emmision standards). Microsoft, which is an American company, opened a developemental center in Canada , Friedman points out. We are losing all that we had.
So this election, I can not vote due to my age but if I were able too i would not vote by party. Mostly because there is no difference in the candidates of conservative and democratic party. You even see politicians enterchanging parties without caution. Yes I dare to speak of the Lieberrmans out there. I will not ever vote for them, the Gulianis, Romneys or Clintons. I want to my country be the Gold standard. This isn't the time to vote for someone because they are black, female , a mormon or none of the above. I want to vote for someone who can return our name to the United States of America. Yes, call me unpatriotic , your freedom of speech is allowed so let me have mine. Or will that also be soon taken out of exagerated fear?
Read the article yourself at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/30/opinion/30friedman.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
