Are you a Democrat or a Republican? Are you a conservative or a liberal? How many times have you been asked these two questions and how many more times have you heard it on TV or read it in a newspaper.
The ongoing battle of which "team" is better, smarter, richer, and more importantly, more powerful, goes on relentlessly.
For the record, I would like to state that I am neither.
By this I mean that I am an American citizen, living in the United States, with a sound mind which enables me to make judgments I believe are the best to my ability.
Now, after all this is said and done, guess what?I am still subjected to the constant strifes of who is doing what, who is not doing what, and on, and on.
When will the American people stand up collectively and make their voices heard.
We are not going to favor one side just because of the name they carry.
Each side has lost our faith in them numerous times.
Some have showered us with greed that is beyond belief, while some have made promises of changes that with a wee bit of time were soon forgotten.
America needs to shout from the mountaintops and even send banners into the black holes of outer space.
As Americans we are "free thinking" individuals who do not need to be lied to, force fed deceit and false promises, and worse yet, we will not allow scores to bekilled for the ego driven goals of some radical "fools" who can't decide which hand is their right or left, but want to "threaten" and keep everyone "afraid" of terror that is lurking at every bus stop and behind the counter of every convenience store.
We are people who have survived generations of bickering, fighting, and strain but for the reason of securing peace and prosperity.
We are now faced with the very real "fear" of a dictatorship, as well as years of losing loved ones because "might makes right" and the "mission accomplished" was lost years ago.
Prancing around in a bomber jacket, and getting out of a cockpit of a fighter plane does not make a "pilot".
It doesn't make a "hero" either or a "rational" thinking individual.
Lies, stretches of imagination, and repeated "prepare" yourself for the worse is yet to come speeches have had their day.
We are Americans and we know what freedom is, as well as what war and dissent can do.
We can stand tall because we have been brought down in shame.
We are a country that has a shoulder that other nations can cry on, but we melt in our very souls when our own families are torn apart because of greed, lies, and exaggerations.
As a country, we don't need our news made to fit someone's agenda - we want the truth.
We don't want to have hearings, after hearings and be subjected to the sad tales of how "I can't recall" caused thousands here and millions across the sea to die horrific deaths with no end in sight.
We pay for the plane trips, fancy dinners, and designer suits and gowns that these weavers of the fictional status of our situation continue to carry on.
Air Force One now causes uncontrollable demonstrations world-wide, as it lands.
Remember when it was showered with flowers and platitudes of greatness - oh, that's right, that was before the truly grimm fairy tale of how deceit and fabrication can bring a country into ruin, and its citzens led around by the nose like a throng of cattle that are not sure exactly where the slaughterhouse gates are.
When the good 'ol boy raises his voice to tell everyone in the land that all is fine, getting better, and will turn out the way the lies intended it to play out - let us not forget the billions and billions of dollars that are foolishly spent and most of it can't even be accounted for.
Citizens of this great nation are struggling daily to keep roofs over their heads, food on the table, cars moving to and from daily life, and have some semblance of decency when they look in the bathroom mirror.
However, waves of glory have turned to waves of delusion, and memories of Honest Abe are tarnished foreverbecause the world saw and knew that the falsehoods would make the mountains cry and the seas roar in disbelief.
But wait - Americans are not alarmed - not really.
They still listen, look behind when they walk, and even applaud when the perpetrators appear and smile their Grinch sneers (oh, I'm sorry smiles).
Just couldn't quite get the picture of that Old Grinch out of my eye vision, I do believe that the lips curl at just the same angle.
Americans need to be Americans and stand up for what is righteous and good, no matter the trappings that the lies are wrapped up in.
We are a proud people, and our history must once again shine as a beacon for all free people.
We must not be pushed under that perverbial bushel basket because we were told that the "sky is falling.
"It would not be falling if integrity, and common decency were once again waving on the banners and peace and unity were the words etched in everyone's heart.
We are a great nation, but we have forgottenthis.
We have bowed down and knuckled under tyranny in the disguise of democracy, and war-mongering under the camoflauge of "a war on terror.
"The terror that the government now spoon-feeds to the national public is full of unnatural ingredients, and uncharacteristic components.
Let the sun shine on our great nation once again, and all of us with heads held high can join hands with our brothers and sisters across the seas of the world, sharing, enjoying and loving all that this world has to be proud of.
We once were - cannot be where it ends - we are and always will be must be the next line of the tale of America.
©Arleen M.
Kaptur May, 2007