by Edna Thackeray

Created on: April 29, 2008

Ordinary, everyday people of the United States are to be commended for the way they are showing resolve,courage and ingenuity in order to preserve their well-being and future economy. Americans are being asked to adapt to a myriad of social changes across a wide spectrum of traditions. Many changes are long overdue and are a result of a generational struggle that began over thirty years ago. We now are considering the election of person of color as well as a woman. Many new forms of alternative forms of energy are now becoming mainstream and are reaping huge benefits for fledgling industries. New forms of mass communications arrive everyday to change the world at a highly rapid rate. Ecological changes are melting the ice caps and changing ecological habitats, all of which result directly or indirectly on the survival of the human species.

It would appear that all these changes are somehow related and will result in unprecedented changes small and large, locally and globally. Doom-and-gloom naysayers thrive. Apocalyptic stories abound. As of late, I am reluctant to watch the evening news, horrified at the barrage
of videos containing more violence, social change and upheaval since the Vietnam War and WWII.
I am expecting our President to respond to us as a people deserving of leadership we can trust.
Policies that undermine our strength and accomplishments risk progress and stability. Our current administration is promising to spend billions of dollars in the MidEast for years to come.

Many social programs needed by thousands of people are near bankruptcy. How will this affect the availability of Social Security for millions of baby-boomers? A war that negatively impacts the price of oil cannot promote economic stability. World governments are too pre-occupied with religious fundamentalism and political domination to consider the signs of mass starvation as the price of food increases day by day. We are answerable to the people of the United States as well as the world. Millions of lives are in jeopardy; thousands of displaced people who cannot help themselves.

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