They send me emails.

[The Straight Story]

(please forgive me if I rant again, I just need to)

I get them at least once a week. Party folks want me to help them out. I get them from the White House as well.

Send them some money. Help them with their campaigns.

They want me to do what I can to elect them.

I didn't work one tenth as hard as most here, didn't send tons of money to the party. Just did not have it. Did what I could though, posted online and made a video - and one thing that still sticks in my mind about that video was some protesters holding a sign that said "Bring the troops home now or face mutiny". It is here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-10_iPus9g

I hated these wars before I ever even knew my son (and most likely my youngest one now) was going to be fighting in them.

At one point, I did think they were a noble and good thing. I bought into it all. As time went on though, I realized I was just plain wrong. Hell I was all for going over there to stop them from killing us here. I was Mr. Pro-war. I did everything I could to find a reason why we were there. I convinced myself that we were doing the right thing.

I hung a banner out over the front porch (the X and I lived on the second story of a place in Circleville at the time) on 9/11 saying 'remember the families that lost loved ones today' because we both felt so sad that so many lost their lives. I left work to be home with her and my daughter - was not about to let her sit home alone with our baby girl on such a day. And we cried. I still remember that night - we heard some jets overhead, but no regular planes.

We wanted something to be done. We were scared. Then the whole anthrax thing popped up. It just got worse.

Back then, in my life, I was a really happy guy. Best times of my life in some ways. Had a good job. Good benefits. Suddenly I was afraid for those I loved. Things bigger than me and my life were playing out.

Things now are the same in some ways. They are bigger than me.

They are bigger than my own personal issues and pain.

You. Your kids. Your friends. People I don't even know.

Screw me and my pain, no matter what I have dealt with in life it is not as bad as some others have here.

And I ask - WHY? We were all ready to go to war to save lives. But we won't spend the money to help out the sick and homeless and those trying to get a job?

You care about people dying during an attack on 9/11 - I do too. But I also care about all the other people here day to day.

Me? Screw me. There are a bunch of people out their losing their homes, breaking up over finances, families destroyed not by attacks from some guys in a plane but by our inability to help them when they need it the most.

You send me emails. You told me the wars we waged were to save us.

There are so many out there hurting right now. They didn't do anything wrong. They just tried to live a good life, and it came crashing down on them.

You send me an email when you have something good to do for them. I don't buy all this 'let's take it slow' crap, if you want to keep your powder dry then you are not serious about fixing the problems that are hurting so many.

It is not about a sad old man like me. It is not about some lobbyist sipping coffee with you in your office. It is about them. Those folks who most need you, it is about those little girls and boys suffering each day because you won't help them because you are worried about getting elected next term.

Me. I will go away in time. I will pass on. There are many others though, like my X and my kids, who NEED YOU.

Your time to stand is now.