Hmph.

There are things about my job I don't like. But I'm not quitting.
There are things about the S2000 I don't like. But I'm not selling it.
And there are things about how the country is run. But I'm not leaving.

Surely that's reasonable?

This actually ties into a pet theory of mine I have about history and civilization. Think back to when what will become the US was only a collection of diverse colonies. Granted North America was already populated, but people dissatisfied with the way of life in the east could, and very much did, leave it all behind and head out west, finding anything from death to riches. In fact, the US wouldn't have existed in the first place if not for dissatisfied people leaving their homes. Now think about modern times. People still have that urge to go somewhere, are still dissatisfied with their current situation, want to explore, etc. But where can they go? There isn't anyplace open for the claiming. We're now living in a corked bottle. The "just leave" philosophy doesn't work. It doesn't solve anything. We need to learn how to work next to and with each other. (If that's at all possible.) My theory is that the health of a civilization is directly proportional to the ability of disaffected members to go their own way. Which has some scary implications about the future of humanity given the increasingly enclosed nature of the planet. Not that I'm a historian with any evidence for this theory, it's just a thought I've had. Anyway...

Perfection does not happen all by itself. We didn't just wake up one morning and find a nice USA sitting out there waiting for us. Actually, for most of us that actually did happen, but only because of a tremendous amount of work of the part of other people. And regardless of which of those two groups a person is closest too, I believe that it's wrong for somebody to pursue a world of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

In my personal situation, I am perfectly willing to trade off an amount of security for some freedom. I ride a motorcycle and I go 120mph at Texas World Speedway, know that if something goes wrong I could die in the process. Hell, I drive to work every morning which is probably even more dangerous. I could lock myself up in a bomb-proof shelter the rest of my life and sure I might live longer, but that's not a life worth living.

Telling me to "just leave" because I disagree with with somebody's views of the US political landscape is anathema to the whole reason for the US's existence.

No, I don't believe the USA is perfect. No, I don't believe it ever will be. Yes, I believe it's a worthwhile goal to pursue it. No, I don't believe it'll happen on it's own. Until it does, I'll bitch and moan and write letters about any little thing that I feel like. And I feel we're erring too far on the side of security at the expense of freedom. That's all. *shrug*

Thanks,
Me.

 

I'm sure that those that lived in Germany during the Nazi era belived the same. Good law abiding citizens just going about their daily lives when WHAM!!!!!! its concentration camp for you.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by DarioManfretti
[B]

I'm sure that those that lived in Germany during the Nazi era belived the same. Good law abiding citizens just going about their daily lives when WHAM!!!!!!