Do You Remember How It Felt?

Yesterday I walked four miles in order to vote in the most important election of my life. If I had to, I would have walked further, much further. No, I didn't have to walk, I have car with sufficient fuel, but I felt like walking and I'm glad I did. It wasn't until I arrived at our City Hall where I cast my "early voting ballot" that I felt the almost corny symbolism of the act, or until back home that I felt the satisfaction that accompanied it.

Since that "freedom march" didn't involve large crowds of the like minded or the carrying of a protest sign to proclaim "hooray for our side", it was totally different from any former impression I had imagined of what a protest march might be like. I've spent most of my life protesting, but not by marching.

As I walked through the park outside the City Hall complex after voting, I lingered by the granite monument upon which were chiseled the names of some of the people who died as heroes while serving their country and fighting for the relative freedoms I have enjoyed even as I mourn those we have lost along with those brave servicemen. Slowly over time, and recently with accelerated swiftness, our freedoms have been lost in spite of their sacrifice. Freedom and rights lost to the enemy within, not to outside invaders.

So now it's our turn to fight. And I make no comparison to those who gave so much in wars, it's not in the same league commitment wise, but it may be just as important in the end because if we win the first battle to save our country in this election it may mean they didn't die in vain.

So who are the people that deserve to be dismissed from public office in this initial battle? The answer is, those who disregarded us even though they swore to represent us. Those who did what they wanted, not what we wanted. Those who regarded themselves as wiser than us. Those who wanted to totally remake America into something it was never intended to be. Those who insulted us by calling us names like "astro turf" and proudly proclaimed us to be "despicable" (Jan Schakowsky)  for having the temerity to challenge their vision of our future. Those who think we are their subjects, not their employers. Those who, after being rebuked in town hall meetings on so called "heathcare reform" and bailouts for arrogant and incompetent bankers, mortgage lenders, car manufacturers, government regulators and insurance companies decided that WE needed to pay, not them. Those who called us racists for opposing their agenda. Those who have spent our state and federal governments into bankruptcy buying votes.

The question remains, how did you feel to be disregarded? How did you feel to be insulted and told that money would have to be created out of thin air and your taxes would have to be raised to bail out people who lived a dream existence of huge homes, the best vacations, cars and every imaginable new electronic toy on borrowed money they could never hope to repay while you saved, invested, lived within your means and watched your retirement savings and home value swirl the bowl?

So this is it folks. It's November. The election is upon us. For the time being, forget the signs and gatherings and marches. It has been said by some that this is our last chance to save our country, and it may be. But I would point out that we cannot save our way of life in this election, but we certainly can  lose it. The best we can actually hope for is to stop the madness long enough to get the ship turned around so we can purge the crew and elect some people in the next primary season to replace the people who said they were for smaller government and more freedom to live our lives as we see fit but who actually only care about one thing, getting re-elected and retaining the benefits of office. They merely have a need to be in charge. That "need" repulses me.

So I urge you to walk to the polls on election day, and if it's raining or cold, so much the better. Walk because it will make you feel better about having the resolve to tell these people how you felt about being disregarded and derided. Anything less than total repudiation of those responsible for how you felt will be a failure and we will truly deserve whatever fate awaits us in a moribund republic.

This time around, the children voters won't be there to reaffirm them so they have only those who embrace the nanny state and the usual cast of useful idiots to give them their .....Hope for No Change.