This is an interesting read. For those that can read.

"I'm 63 and I’m Tired" by Robert A. Hall
I'm 63. Except for one semester in college when jobs were scarce and a six-month period when I was between jobs, but job-hunting every day, I've worked, hard, since I was 18. Despite some health challenges, I still put in 50-hour weeks, and haven't called in sick in seven or eight years. I make a good salary, but I didn't inherit my job or my income, and I worked to get where I am. Given the economy, there's no retirement in sight, and I'm tired. Very tired.

I'm tired of being told that I have to "spread the wealth" to people who don't have my work ethic. I'm tired of being told the government will take the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy to earn it.

I'm tired of being told that I have to pay more taxes to "keep people in their homes." Sure, if they lost their jobs or got sick, I'm willing to help. But if they bought McMansions at three times the price of our paid-off, $250,000 condo, on one-third of my salary, then let the left-wing Congress-critters who passed Fannie and Freddie and the Community Reinvestment Act that created the bubble help them with their own money.

I'm tired of being told how bad America is by left-wing millionaires like Michael Moore, George Soros and Hollywood Entertainers who live in luxury because of the opportunities America offers. In thirty years, if they get their way, the United States will have the economy of Zimbabwe, the freedom of the press of China, the crime and violence of Mexico, the tolerance for Christian people of Iran, and the freedom of speech of Venezuela .

I'm tired of being told that Islam is a "Religion of Peace," when every day I can read dozens of stories of Muslim men killing their sisters, wives and daughters for their family "honor"; of Muslims rioting over some slight offense; of Muslims murdering Christian and Jews because they aren't "believers"; of Muslims burning schools for girls; of Muslims stoning teenage rape victims to death for "adultery"; of Muslims mutilating the genitals of little girls; all in the name of Allah, because the Qur'an and Shari'a law tells them to.

I'm tired of being told that "race doesn't matter" in the post-racial world of Obama, when it's all that matters in affirmative action jobs, lower college admission and graduation standards for minorities (harming them the most), government contract set-asides, tolerance for the ghetto culture of violence and fatherless children that hurts minorities more than anyone, and in the appointment of U.S. Senators from Illinois.

I think it's very cool that we have a black president and that a black child is doing her homework at the desk where Lincoln wrote the Emancipation Proclamation. I just wish the black president was Condi Rice, or someone who believes more in freedom and the individual and less arrogantly of an all-knowing government.

I'm tired of a news media that thinks Bush's fundraising and inaugural expenses were obscene, but that think Obama's, at triple the cost, were wonderful; that thinks Bush exercising daily was a waste of presidential time, but Obama exercising is a great example for the public to control weight and stress; that picked over every line of Bush's military records, but never demanded that Kerry release his; that slammed Palin, with two years as governor, for being too inexperienced for VP, but touted Obama with three years as senator as potentially the best president ever. Wonder why people are dropping their subscriptions or switching to Fox News? Get a clue. I didn't vote for Bush in 2000, but the media and Kerry drove me to his camp in 2004.
I'm tired of being told that out of "tolerance for other cultures" we must let Saudi Arabia use our oil money to fund mosques and mandrassa Islamic schools to preach hate in America, while no American group is allowed to fund a church, synagogue or religious school in Saudi Arabia to teach love and tolerance.

I'm tired of being told I must lower my living standard to fight global warming, which no one is allowed to debate. My wife and I live in a two-bedroom apartment and carpool together five miles to our jobs. We also own a three-bedroom condo where our daughter and granddaughter live. Our carbon footprint is about 5% of Al Gore's, and if you're greener than Gore, you're green enough.

I'm tired of being told that drug addicts have a disease, and I must help support and treat them, and pay for the damage they do. Did a giant germ rush out of a dark alley, grab them, and stuff white powder up their noses while they tried to fight it off? I don't think Gay people choose to be Gay, but I damn sure think druggies chose to take drugs.
And I'm tired of harassment from cool people treating me like a freak when I tell them I never tried marijuana.

I'm tired of illegal aliens being called "undocumented workers," especially the ones who aren't working, but are living on welfare or crime. What's next? Calling drug dealers, "Undocumented Pharmacists"? And, no, I'm not against Hispanics. Most of them are Catholic, and it's been a few hundred years since Catholics wanted to kill me for my religion. I'm willing to fast track for citizenship any Hispanic person, who can speak English, doesn't have a criminal record and who is self-supporting without family on welfare, or who serves honorably for three years in our military.... Those are the citizens we need.

I'm tired of latte liberals and journalists, who would never wear the uniform of the Republic themselves, or let their entitlement-handicapped kids near a recruiting station, trashing our military. They and their kids can sit at home, never having to make split-second decisions under life and death circumstances, and bad mouth better people than themselves. Do bad things happen in war? You bet. Do our troops sometimes misbehave? Sure. Does this compare with the atrocities that were the policy of our enemies for the last fifty years and still are? Not even close. So here's the deal. I'll let myself be subjected to all the humiliation and abuse that was heaped on terrorists at Abu Ghraib or Gitmo, and the critics can let themselves be subject to captivity by the Muslims, who tortured and beheaded Daniel Pearl in Pakistan, or the Muslims who tortured and murdered Marine Lt. Col. William Higgins in Lebanon, or the Muslims who ran the blood-spattered Al Qaeda torture rooms our troops found in Iraq, or the Muslims who cut off the heads of schoolgirls in Indonesia, because the girls were Christian. Then we'll compare notes. British and American soldiers are the only troops in history that civilians came to for help and handouts, instead of hiding from in fear.

I'm tired of people telling me that their party has a corner on virtue and the other party has a corner on corruption. Read the papers; bums are bipartisan. And I'm tired of people telling me we need bipartisanship. I live in Illinois , where the "Illinois Combine" of Democrats has worked to loot the public for years. Not to mention the tax cheats in Obama's cabinet.
I'm tired of hearing wealthy athletes, entertainers and politicians of both parties talking about innocent mistakes, stupid mistakes or youthful mistakes, when we all know they think their only mistake was getting caught. I'm tired of people with a sense of entitlement, rich or poor.
Speaking of poor, I'm tired of hearing people with air-conditioned homes, color TVs and two cars called poor. The majority of Americans didn't have that in 1970, but we didn't know we were "poor." The poverty pimps have to keep changing the definition of poor to keep the dollars flowing.

I'm real tired of people who don't take responsibility for their lives and actions. I'm tired of hearing them blame the government, or discrimination or big-whatever for their problems.
Yes, I'm damn tired. But I'm also glad to be 63. Because, mostly, I'm not going to have to see the world these people are making. I'm just sorry for my granddaughter.

Robert A. Hall is a Marine Vietnam veteran who served five terms in the
Massachusetts State Senate.

---

Last edited by graphicgr8s; 06-11-2010 at 08:54 AM.

[Parallax]

This is an interesting read. For those that can read.

I'm sure everyone here can read. How many can comprehend the principal here is yet to be seen.

[pxpaulx]

Can read.
Daunting...wall of....text.

Honestly sounds like an old person ranting, stereotypical by the 4th or 5th line of text and not worth the time. (alright, I gave in and did read everything - Guess I was right on my first impression)

Edit: He feels sorry for his granddaughter, while espousing having did it all himself - no need for his own grandfather I suppose, so I am guessing she will be alright when he is gone.

I'm sure everyone here can read. How many can comprehend the principal here is yet to be seen.

So true. So true.

[yucatanPentax]

Sounds like the rantings of an old guy who has a feeble grasp of history, a less tenuous grasp on reality and doesn't let facts interfere with his preconvictions and stereotypes. Pretty whiny.

[clmonk]

Just curious, but with which of his "facts" do you take exception?

[pxpaulx]

Just curious, but with which of his "facts" do you take exception?

I know that wasn't directed at me, but reading through that I didn't see many facts, but rather a bunch of slants. As far as exceptions go, I think my only one is against having such a negative demeanor (not that I agree with anything that was written, I simply don't care). I do also take exception to stereotypes - but maybe I should just accept them? After all, the piece is even self-stereotypical (i.e. old person ranting).

I know that wasn't directed at me, but reading through that I didn't see many facts, but rather a bunch of slants. As far as exceptions go, I think my only one is against having such a negative demeanor (not that I agree with anything that was written, I simply don't care). I do also take exception to stereotypes - but maybe I should just accept them? After all, the piece is even self-stereotypical (i.e. old person ranting).

Seems to be a lot of that going on lately. Maybe more people should care. I know I do.

And I hope and pray that that old person ranting may someday be you. I know I am getting closer.

[yucatanPentax]

Just curious, but with which of his "facts" do you take exception?

Just about all of them are exaggerations, distortions or plainly untrue.

Here's one just at random from the center of the mess (paragraph breaks are our friends - invite them!):

I'm tired of being told that out of "tolerance for other cultures" we must let Saudi Arabia use our oil money to fund mosques and mandrassa Islamic schools to preach hate in America, while no American group is allowed to fund a church, synagogue or religious school in Saudi Arabia to teach love and tolerance.

"let Saudi Arabia use our oil money ... while no American group is allowed to fund..."

OK. Stop sending them your money. No one makes you buy gasoline. When you turn your money over of your own free will to a religious dictatorship, then you cannot complain about the consequences. Stop funding them.

I agree that Saudi Arabia is one of the main sources of terrorist funding and that it is a backwards land run by spoiled rich-beyond-belief corrupt royal family that should never be invited to the USA, let alone hold hands with the president of the USA.

But if you are giving them your money, you cannot complain what they do with it. If you give the local carpenter your money, get wonderful kitchen cabinets and then he buys roadsters and crashes them every weekend, so what? Once you paid him, it was his money -- not yours.

So, old tired man of Massachusetts, what have you done to stop funding Saudi Arabia? If we cannot build churches there, at least we can stop funding their mosques and madrasses where hate for America is taught.

Did you vote for higher mileage requirements on cars?
Did you vote for subsidizing hybrid technology?

Did you vote for a progressive tax system that taxes large vehicles and subsidizes small vehicles? (this is a proposal in a Pentagon-funded study of how to achieve energy independence in a crisis, by the way).

Did you vote for incentives to car pool? Mass Transit? Reduce highway subsidies in favor of bus lines and light rail?

Did you do anything to get us into any sort of alternative energy, so that foreign oil is less necessary?

Or did you just whine and moan about what someone does with the money that you keep giving them?

Just about all of them are exaggerations, distortions or plainly untrue.

Here's one just at random from the center of the mess (paragraph breaks are our friends - invite them!):



"let Saudi Arabia use our oil money ... white no American group is allowed to fund..."

OK. Stop sending them your money. No one makes you buy gasoline. When you turn your money over of your own free will to a religious dictatorship, then you cannot complain about the consequences. Stop funding them.

I agree that Saudi Arabia is one of the main sources of terrorist funding and that it is a backwards land run by spoiled rich-beyond-belief corrupt royal family that should never be invited to the USA, let alone hold hands with the president of the USA.

But if you are giving them your money, you cannot complain what they do with it. If you give the local carpenter your money, get wonderful kitchen cabinets and then he buys roadsters and crashes them every weekend, so what? Once you paid him, it was his money -- not yours.

So, old tired man of Massachusetts, what have you done to stop funding Saudi Arabia? If we cannot build churches there, at least we can stop funding their mosques and madrasses where hate for America is taught.

Did you vote for higher mileage requirements on cars?
Did you vote for subsidizing hybrid technology?

Did you vote for a progressive tax system that taxes large vehicles and subsidizes small vehicles? (this is a proposal in a Pentagon-funded study of how to achieve energy independence in a crisis, by the way).

Did you vote for incentives to car pool? Mass Transit? Reduce highway subsidies in favor of bus lines and light rail?

Did you do anything to get us into any sort of alternative energy, so that foreign oil is less necessary?

Or did you just whine and moan about what someone does with the money that you keep giving them?

You left one out friend.

Did you vote for offshore drilling in the US?

If we were allowed to produce our own oil we wouldn't have to turn it over to them. BTW It's not willingly. I would much rather it be to a US firm drilling in US waters, refining on US land.

[Parallax]

OK. Stop sending them your money. No one makes you buy gasoline. When you turn your money over of your own free will to a religious dictatorship, then you cannot complain about the consequences. Stop funding them.

Yes, someone does make me buy gasoline, and diesel fuel, and jet fuel, and crude oil. The U.S. Government buys A LOT, and they buy it with MY money.

[yucatanPentax]

You left one out friend.

Did you vote for offshore drilling in the US?

If we were allowed to produce our own oil we wouldn't have to turn it over to them. BTW It's not willingly. I would much rather it be to a US firm drilling in US waters, refining on US land.

It's great to do that, but there isn't enough oil offshore to supply our current consumption.

Even this gusher, spreading crude around the gulf, and a huge resource, is about 5 days worth of our national consumption. We simply do not have the resources within our nation (or offshore) to supply the demand we create.

If offshore drilling is made safer (the blowout prevention devices are known to be an issue in the industry and their failings are well-documented), I have no problem with producing our own oil in a safe way.

We need to change our demand by changing to different energy sources (becoming energy independent).

As far as the US Government buying oil... Not sure what you'd like as a solution? No US Government? No military? All electric military? All electric cars bought by government?

The US Government does indeed buy huge amounts of oil. When are we going to vote for representatives who will get us off this vulnerable foreign source of energy? "Drill, baby, drill" will not produce enough oil. Since the 1950s, the oil industry has known that the reserves just aren't there.

We could have a national energy strategy that brings us to independence. Not doing so is our own fault for not demanding it when we vote for oil-company loving politicians rather than those with our national interests truly at heart - of either party (or whatever party).

It's great to do that, but there isn't enough oil offshore to supply our current consumption.

Even this gusher, spreading crude around the gulf, and a huge resource, is about 5 days worth of our national consumption. We simply do not have the resources within our nation (or offshore) to supply the demand we create.

If offshore drilling is made safer (the blowout prevention devices are known to be an issue in the industry and their failings are well-documented), I have no problem with producing our own oil in a safe way.

We need to change our demand by changing to different energy sources (becoming energy independent).

As far as the US Government buying oil... Not sure what you'd like as a solution? No US Government? No military? All electric military? All electric cars bought by government?

The US Government does indeed buy huge amounts of oil. When are we going to vote for representatives who will get us off this vulnerable foreign source of energy? "Drill, baby, drill" will not produce enough oil. Since the 1950s, the oil industry has known that the reserves just aren't there.

We could have a national energy strategy that brings us to independence. Not doing so is our own fault for not demanding it when we vote for oil-company loving politicians rather than those with our national interests truly at heart - of either party (or whatever party).

A couple of reports I've seen have our reserves greater than Saudi Arabia's.

And as yet there are still drawbacks to all forms of energy. Whether the pollution occurs as a unit is manufactured or after its useful life there is still pollution. And in one case it lasts for over 10,000 years.

[Nesster]

I'm tired of reading that stuff.

I'm tired of the choices I made in my own life, and envious of those whose personality or ethics allowed to make their quick piles of money early. I'm tired of the old work ethic, and envious of those who don't seem to be stuck in it. I'm tired of the fabrications our corporations, managers, politicians, parties, and governments feed me. I'm envious of those who are on the right side of these divides: the haves and get-mores of the world.

I'm tired of feeling bad for those worse off than me, of the continued hopelessness and lack of future of those alienated by the media and preyed on by the haves and get-mores of the world. I'm tired of feeling that my contribution to the betterment of those worse off amounts to nothing much. I'm tired of the complaining in rich countries about their standards of living, when most of the world barely survives.

I'm tired of those who are tired and want to hurt those in need, for the good of us all. I'm tired of those who insist everyone is responsible for themselves, while ignoring all the benefits and support they have enjoyed in life. I'm tired of people who cannot put themselves into the shoes of others, whether the dispossessed or the haves and get-mores, who can't see that there for the grace of God go I.

I'm tired of selective morality in politics. I'm tired of pretending we are the policeman and judge to the world, for their own good.

I'm getting older, retirement and old age are not so far off any longer. I'm realizing that almost everyone, if honest enough, is tired at this age, and tired of their choices in life. But being tired is not the same as regret.

I'm tired of the mutual funds continuing to show me their up-turned graphs promising me (and a few dozen million more) a life of comfort in old age. I've seen the reality, and I'm tired of the lies.

I'm tired of people who let their hate and resentment forget that these others are people too, trying their best.

[Parallax]

As far as the US Government buying oil... Not sure what you'd like as a solution? No US Government? No military? All electric military? All electric cars bought by government?

I'm not looking for a solution, as I am not claiming there is a problem that needs one. I was merely pointing out that your assertion that no one makes us buy oil was inaccurate.