This is a letter sent to the Wall Street Journal on August 8, 2008. It synthesizes the beliefs of many people. Reason is disappearing from our country.
8-8-08
On July 31, 2008, the Wall Street Journal had an article titled, 'Where's the Outrage?' Really! I can tell you where the outrage is.. The outrage is here, in this middle-aged, well-educated, upper-middle class woman. The outrage is here, but I have no representation, no voice. The outrage is here, but no-one is listening for who am I?
I'm not a billionaire like George Soros who can fund an entire political movement. I'm not a celebrity like Barbra Streisand who can garner the attention of the press to promote political candidates. I'm not a film maker like Michael Moore or Al Gore who can deliver misleading movies to the public. The outrage is here, but unlike those with money or power, I don't know how to reach those who feel similarly in order to effect change.
Why am I outraged? I am outraged that my country, the United States of America , is in a state of moral and ethical decline. There is no right or wrong anymore, just what's fair. Is it fair that millions of Americans who overreached and borrowed more than they could afford are now being bailed out by the government and lending institutions to stave off foreclosure? Why shouldn't these people be made to pay the consequences for their poor judgment?
When my husband and I purchased our home, we were careful to purchase only what we could afford. Believe me, there are much larger, much nicer homes that I would have loved to have purchased. But, taking responsibility for my behavior and my life, I went with the house that we could afford, not the house that we couldn't afford. The notion of personal responsibility has all but died in our country.
I am outraged that the country that welcomed my mother as an immigrant from Hitler's Nazi Germany and required that she and her family learn English now allows itself to be overrun with illegal immigrants and worse, caters to those illegal immigrants. I am outraged that my hard-earned taxes help support those here illegally; that the Los Angeles Public School District is in such disarray that I felt it incumbent to
send my child to private school; that every time I go to the ATM, I see 'do you want to continue in English or Spanish?', that every time I call the bank, the phone company, or similar businesses, I hear 'press 1 for English or press 2 for Spanish'. WHY? This is America , our common language is English and attempts to promote a bi or multi-lingual society are sure to fail and to marginalize those who cannot communicate in English.
I am outraged at our country's weakness in the face of new threats on American traditions from Muslims. Just this week Tyson's Food negotiated with its union to permit Muslims to have Eid-al-Fitr as a holiday instead of Labor Day. What am I missing??? Yes, there is a large Somali Muslim population working at the Tyson's plant in Tennessee. Tennessee , the last I checked, is still part of the United States .
If Muslims want to live and work here they should be required to live and work by our American Laws and not impose their will on our long history. In the same week, Random House announced that they have indefinitely delayed the publication of 'The Jewel of Medina' by Sherry Jones, a book about the life of Mohammed's wife Aisha due to fear of retribution and violence by Muslims. When did we become a nation ruled by fear of what other immigrant groups want? It makes me so sad to see large
corporations cave rather than stand proudly on the principles that built this country.
I am outraged because appeasement has never worked as a political policy, yet appeasing Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is exactly what we are trying to do. An excellent article, also published recently in the Wall Street Journal, went through over 20 years of history and why talking with Iran has been and will continue to be ineffective. Yet talk, with a madman no less, we continue to do. Have we so lost our moral compass and its ability to detect evil that we will not go in and destroy Iran 's nuclear program? Would we rather wait for another Holocaust for the Jews, one which they would be unlikely to survive? When does it end?
As if the battle for good and evil isn't enough, now come the environmentalists who are so afraid of global warming that they want to put a bag tax on grocery bags in California; to eliminate Mylar balloons; to establish something as insidious as the recycle police in San Francisco. I do my share for the environment, I recycle, I use water wisely, I installed an energy efficient air conditioning unit. But, when and where does the lunacy stop? Ahmadinejad wants to wipe Israel off the map, the California economy is being overrun by illegal immigrants, and the United States of America no longer knows right from wrong; good from evil. So what does California do? Tax grocery bags. So, America , although I can tell you where the outrage is, this one\ middle-aged, well-educated, upper middle class woman is powerless to do
anything about it. I don't even feel like my vote counts because I am so outnumbered by those who disagree with me.
Alisa Wilson, Ph.D.
Beverly Hills, California
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
10 comments:
Dear Alisa,
Thanks, how about forming a group called "Outraged" how about taking some action, how about a protest.
I too am outraged..for the same reasons you are. However, I am very old, and am looking for the younger people to do something, they may be outraged but what are they (or you) doing about it.
There is some hope that people will vote, if the "machine" will let them. There are so many efforts to discredit voters, it is horrible, but intentional.
When we were young 30 year olds, we did protest. We did march on Washington, we did have huge rallys we did show how we felt.Did it help you bet...
Where are the marchers now? Where are the "outraged" ? you say you feel disenfranchised? that is your own fault. Saving water and plastic bags won't get it. Get on the internet, form a group, March on Washington D. C. go to congress, tell them what you really want. There is so much power in numbers, JUST DO IT.
And for God's sakes, stop the drivel, get 20 people to vote do something, this is your country. not someone else's. If you act like a sheep you will be treated like one.
Buy as many guns as you can, One day soon you will need them.
8:33 am,
Thank you. I am 52 years old. I've work hard all my life. I have a college education. I am a veteran. I'm one of those "in the 60's" as a young black women march for the rights of all. I have no retirement. I have no investments. I just could not afford all that. I am one who finally brought a home at the age of 45 for 130,00.00. Now I find myself as one who is one step from forclosure. It was not because of a bad investment. I don't have a credit card. It's about hard times. Sometimes American have hard times. If the CEO's can steal money from the American people, then they should pay us back. If our federal government want to help me reduce my mortgage, I am all for that. I'm tired of the rich getting richer and the poor getting dirt poor. It is time for this government to do something for me and you. I do have insurance. I'm divorce with no children, the main reason my x divorced me. I could not give him a child. Be as it may. I'll probably have to work until I am 65 years old. But, one thing I'm not going to do is become outraged. This is the most powerful election I have every seen. And, I am going to the poll and vote.
Your way above middle class where i come from mam.
Alisa,
American greed and ripping off the people who make less than 60,000.00a year is why we are in this mess. Can someone please tell me, what makes up the middle class. I make less than 51,000.00 a year. I must be of the lower class income.
Yeh Joe, and then on top of all this we have far too many people who want Obama as our President. Wasn't he raised as a Muslem or did I miss something along the way?
The bigger question is where does all of this millions he has raised come from? Do you think the middle eastern nations might be involved? And what do you suppose they hope to get for their gifts of big bucks?
That was an excellent article. It should be smeared across the USA. Someone, please HELP to see that it is publicized everywhere.
AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I too am "Outraged" !!! But unfortunately in the same boat as 8:33 is regarding age. I agree with you totally and with 8:33 that you should from a group. Also, petition signing can speak volumes and with the right wording I believe you could make a real difference.
I would only add that IMO I beleive the reason this country has lost its moral compass is simple. We took GOD out of our schools and govt. blds. ect and expect Man not to destroy oneself?
It is written...
I feel sorry for this woman. She sounds helpless, disenfranchised, frightened, and desperate. She obviously lives in a very dangerous world, one in which an Ahmadinejad, a chicken-wing-cutting Somali, or a Spanish-speaking illegal immigrant lurks around every corner, poised to suck the lifeblood out of everything we Americans hold dear.
No one's listening to her because she represents a repudiated, xenophobic, too highly contrasted, post-9/11 world-view, one that has driven some disastrous policy. Are we really so under siege? There are other ways of viewing terrorism, multiculturalism, the global economic downturn, etc. that don't require us to be outraged or feel threatened. Hopefully those views will prevail next Tuesday.
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