I was born in the early fifties. The Nazi legacy was fresh in everyone's mind. People were being tortured in "bad" places. Saturday morning cowboys wore white or black hats so you always knew who the good guys were. America was good. We were proud of our country and we felt good about ourselves. Americans didn't torture people. I've been doing an internal headhanging for a long time. My government has done so many things that I've been ashamed of but felt I could do nothing about.
In other developed countries if you try to give money to elected officials, it's illegal and they call it bribery. In America we call it lobbying. It's an ugly process that has been beating down ordinary Americans for a very long time.
These are the two most important reasons that I feel so good about Barack Obama.
When I listen to George Bush, I get a stomach ache and feel like I'm being lied to "for my own good." I think he may actually believe that he knows what's best for all of us and is willing to force or trick us into going along with it--George as the "benevolent" dictator.
When I listen to Senator Clinton, I get that same stomach ache. I think she honestly believes that if she can only be president she can give us what she "knows" we need and she seems to be willing to tell us what she thinks we want to hear.
When I listen to Barack Obama, my stomach doesn't hurt and my heart seems to multiply in size until I feel like I'm soaring. Come fly with me.
