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May 29, 2007
The first chain mail I have ever posted
I get lots of spam. And lots of "whacky, silly" mails forwarded by other people. Even urban myths. This one below is attributed to Jay Leno, but I have no personal confirmation. I may call him tomorrow and ask him personally. If i get him to comment, I will post about it. From my personal conversations with him, I have heard him say a number of times "stop the whining", so I wouldn't put it past him to write something like this. But it does have a few more references to God than I would expect. The reason I am reposting it though, is that regardless of who wrote it, I agree that America is the greatest nation on earth and most people are totally ungrateful and unappreciative of the freedoms and prosperity we have. Reading the NYT and watching CNN is bad. Try reading European press. You would think America is the root of all evil in the world and Pres. Bush is the devil incarnate. America is the greatest nation on earth and I think my lucky stars every day to be a part of it, whoever is leading it. Turn off the TV, stop reading sensationalist stuff. Make up your own mind.
___________________FWD
"The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine
and came across some poll data I found rather hard
to believe. It must be true given the source, right?
The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of
Americans are unhappy with the direction the country
is headed and 69 percent of the country is unhappy
with the performance of the president. In essence,
2/3s of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change.
So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started
thinking, ''What we are so unhappy about?''
Is it that we have electricity and running water 24
hours a day, 7 days a week? Is our unhappiness the
result of having air conditioning in the summer and
heating in the winter? Could it be that 95.4 percent of
these unhappy folks have a job? Maybe it is the ability
to walk into a grocery store at any time and see more
food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?
Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean
to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification
papers as we move through each state? Or possibly the
hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the
way that can provide temporary shelter? I guess having
thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around
the world is just not good enough. Or could it be that when
we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide
services to help all and even send a helicopter to take you
to the hospital.
Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans
who own a home. You may be upset with knowing that
in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained
firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch
equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you,
your family and your belongings. Or if, while at home
watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or
prowler intrudes, an officer equipped with a gun and a
bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your
family against attack or loss. This all in the backdrop of
a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and
pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90 percent
of teenagers own cell phones and computers.
How about the complete religious, social and political
freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the
world? Maybe that is what has 67 percent of you folks
unhappy.
Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful,
spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the
world loves the U.S., yet has a great disdain for its citizens.
They see us for what we are. The most blessed people
in the world who do nothing but complain about what we
don't have, and what we hate about the country instead
of thanking the good Lord we live here.
I know, I know. What about the president who took
us into war and has no plan to get us out? The president
who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the
same president who guided the nation in the dark days after
9/11? The president that cut taxes to bring an economy
out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been
called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all
the spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist attacks?
The commander in chief of an all-volunteer army
that is out there defending you and me? Did you hear how
bad the President is on the news or talk show? Did this news
affect you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn't
take a look around for yourself and see all the good things
and be glad?
Think about it......are you upset at the President because
he actually caused you personal pain OR is it because the
"Media" told you he was failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful
behind every day.
Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and
Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases
may have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft
in this country. They didn't have to go.
They are able to refuse to go and end up with
either a ''general'' discharge, an ''other than honorable''
discharge or, worst case scenario, a ''dishonorable''
discharge after a few days in the brig.
So why then the flat-out discontentment in the
minds of 69 percent of Americans? Say what you
want but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds it leads
and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch
a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch
kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows
this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They
offer what sells , and when criticized, try to defend
their actions by "justifying" them in one way or another.
Just ask why they tried to allow a murderer like O.J.
Simpson to write a book about how he didn't kill his wife,
but if he did he would have done it this way......Insane!
Stop buying the negativism you are fed everyday by
the media. Shut off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the
New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage. Then
start being grateful for all we have as a country. There
is exponentially more good than bad.
We are among the most blessed people on Earth and
should thank God several times a day, or at least be
thankful and appreciative."
"With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control,
mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up
the country from one end to another, and with the
threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, "Are we sure this is
a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"
Jay Leno
Please keep this in circulation. There are so many
people that need to read this and grasp the truth of it all.
Posted by Martin at May 29, 2007 9:37 PM
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Comments
This post has been bugging me for days. While the "it bleeds it leads" has a grain of truth to it, we enjoy one of the most diversified media selection in the history of man. Every morning I can ready the lefties like Krugman and deep thinkers like Brooks then I can read Sullivan, a gay conservative Brit ask more questions and then click over to the thoughts of a west coast entrepreneur who is changing the way we use our resources.
This post is a list of straw men. Why don't we add to this: Why are you unhappy with the fossil fuel infrastructure our country provides? You have a government that subsidizes fossil fuels to keep the price low, and will send armies to defend that oil supply and low price? Cheap gas is available right next to those cheap hotels you stay at while driving across the country? It is because you know we can do better, and you want to strive to do better.
Of course I am thankful for what I have. I am damn lucky to have been born when and where I was. But that doesn't mean I am going to sit around and accept the status quo.
Posted by: pjschwab 
at June 1, 2007 8:05 AM
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