HELP ME DEAR LORD
(A Prayer For Humanity)

Help me dear LORD - For I can’t understand
What’s happening to us - In such a great land
The richest on earth - But it still must be said
So many are hungry - When tucked into bed.

‘’Love thy neighbor’’ YOU have told - So simple it be
But it’s ‘I’ and not ‘us’ - Seems quite true to me.
We lock all our doors - For privacy and fear
So we sometimes don’t know - If trouble is near.

The ‘left’ and the ‘right’ - Seem to argue most days
While peoples shake heads - Their eyes all a’glazed.
Neither side gives an inch - For fear they’ll be seen
As weak or not smart - Isn’t that just obscene?

We claim that our children - Mean most to us all
Just don’t ask us to forsake - Our beer and football
When new schools need built - To keep our kids best
They rarely get done - Guess we flunked our ‘test’.

Our elderly are treated - With indifference at best
(You fought in ‘the war’? - Please, give it a rest!)
How long must we listen - To your boring tales?
Don’t bother me ‘grandpa’ - Just got one more sale!

Everywhere that you look - Is WAR in ‘YOUR’ name
They profess YOUR beliefs - Yet kill all the same
Dear LORD how much longer - Must we have to wait?
While ‘love’ seems losing - To something called ‘hate’

TallPockets - 2008

Food banks face rising costs, need

Food and gas prices squeezing charities just as more seek assistance
The Associated Press

updated 11:21 p.m. ET, Mon., May. 26, 2008

STOCKTON, Calif. - Jackie Hoffman sifted through a laundry bin filled with aging bread, choosing a loaf of white.

Like nearly a third of the first 50 customers to arrive at the Emergency Food Bank of Stockton that morning, Hoffman was new to the pantry. But since she lost her sales job at a local newspaper in December, she has not found work in Stockton, which has the highest foreclosure rate in the country and a hurting job market.

"I'm down on my luck," Hoffman said, squeezing and sniffing the bread. "And food is going through the roof. I need help."

Hoffman, 55, is one of the growing number of "nontraditional" food pantry clients across the country. They include more formerly independent senior citizens, more people who own houses and more people who used to call themselves "middle-class" — those who are not used to fretting over the price of milk.

"We're getting calls all the time from people who want to know how to get here," said Kristine Gibson, community outreach manager at the Stockton food pantry. "And when I ask where they live, they give an address of a nice neighborhood, one where you or I would want to live."

Food prices up, wages down
April saw the biggest jump in food prices in 18 years, according to the Labor Department. At the same time, workers' average weekly earnings, adjusted for inflation, dropped for the seventh straight month.

To meet growing demand, America's Second Harvest-The Nation's Food Bank Network, pressed lawmakers for the past year to increase the annual level of funding for The Emergency Food Assistance Program, commonly know as TEFAP, from $140 million to $250 million annually.

A survey it conducted of 180 food banks in late April and early May found that 99 percent have seen an increase in the number of clients served within the last year. The increase is estimated at 15 percent to 20 percent, though many food banks reported increases as high as 40 percent.

‘We're going to have a food disaster’
The money was included in the Farm Bill recently approved by Congress, but won't be available until the next fiscal year, which starts in October.

"The way it's going, we're going to have a food disaster pretty soon," said Phyllis Legg, interim executive director of the Merced Food Bank, which serves 43 food pantries throughout foreclosure-ravaged Merced County.

Food banks across the country are in similar straits: While demand is up, supplies and donations are down. The food banks, like their customers, also are suffering from high gas prices and struggling with the impact of rising food prices on their operations. Some have had to cut back on how much food they give, or how often.

"If gas keeps going up, it's going to be catastrophic in every possible way," said Ross Fraser, a spokesman for America's Second Harvest.

Food banks sometimes have to move food 150 miles to a food pantry, he said.

"You're going to get to the point where they are going to have to decide whether it's cheaper to just give a food pantry a check," he said. "The price of gasoline is going to drive the price of everything else."

Prices at the pump are at record highs, averaging just below $4 a gallon, and are expected to climb further.

Food banks under pressure
Stories of want and need are mounting. In informal surveys, America's Second Harvest has found a growing number of food banks in crisis mode.

In Albuquerque, N.M., the Roadrunner Food Bank reported that the pantries it serves are turning people away and running out of food.

In Baton Rouge, La., the public school system has found students hoarding their free and reduced-price lunches so they can bring them home and have something to eat at night.

In Lorain, Ohio, the Second Harvest Food Bank is finding that it is meeting only 25 percent to 30 percent of the need for food.

In Merced, the food bank is planning to curtail a brown bag program, which supplies groceries to senior citizens, from once a week to once every two weeks, Legg said.
Increase in customers
Even in San Francisco, a city that has been relatively unscathed by the foreclosure crisis and economic downturn, food pantries are seeing hundreds of new clients.

"We've gone from serving about 450 to 600 clients a day since Christmas," said Sara Miles, director of The Food Pantry.

"This is one of the worst times that our food banks have experienced in recent years in terms of the level of need and our ability to meet the need," said Vicki Escarra, president and chief executive officer of America's Second Harvest.

The Emergency Food Bank of Stockton, which operates out of a cavernous warehouse at the fringe of town, now finds customers lining up several hours before it opens at 10 a.m.

That's because, clients say, the best food — the fresh meat and eggs — goes first.

"If I get here too late, I'll be left with Marshmallow Fluff for 14 days," said Sondra Pearson, a mother of seven. "Not," she added, "that I'm going to turn that down."

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24832584/

“TallPockets At Fifty Seven”
(The Times They Are A Changin“ - Bob Dylan)

*NOTE: For the past few years, TallPockets has written about the prior 12 month cycle as a new birthday milestone approaches. These are his current sentiments.*

Another calendar year is about to expire on old, grumpy TallPockets. The body is fast telling him what he USED to do is NOT always do-able. The brain is telling him that as smart as he ‘thinks' he gets each year, he truly does NOT comprehend MOST of life. In FACT, it seems each year brings MANY ‘answers’ but FAR more ‘questions’.

The FIRST word that comes to what’s left of this feeble mind at the time of this year‘s writing, is ‘’PROGRESS”. As in, the evolvement of something that ENCHANCES situations and life experiences and growth. SADLY, and admitting there IS alot of GOOD ‘progress’ I’ve seen over this short earthly spin, I think we are often OVER Progressing? Let me see if I can explain that description, given my lack of the English language compared to many. Please, I most humbly ask those reading this to not hold ‘’how’’ I ‘talk’ against me. After all, it seems to have elected a Prez’. TWICE. WINK.

TallPockets was born the first of NINE children in June of 1951 on a Sunday afternoon. When he was born, the doctor slapped HIS MOTHER! (Sorry, couldn’t resist folks. Old Rodney Dangerfield joke. R.I.P.!)

It was a different time and place. Those who are of his ’generation’ knows of what he speaks. Those far ’younger’ may not. A little history is now due for those such ’youngsters’ and maybe a MUCH needed ’reminder’ to some of us OLDER folks, also?

In T.P.’s day and time, he could walk the local neighborhood, ride his bicycle anywhere to and fro. As he often did. One could even safely hitch-hike and get many kind folks to assist. If one’s car broke down along side the road, almost everyone passing by STOPPED to ASSIST those in need.

Were there BAD people in the world back in those days? Of course. There have been since time began and always will be. But, there seemed to be a less ’coarseness’ in society during that time. People could disagree and be AGREEABLE while doing so. It was not a ’venomous’ type of atmosphere that exists these days.

When we moved into a new country home, for the next few days, all the neighbors would stop by and introduce themselves by name and tell you where they lived. They offered HELP anytime we needed it. Many brought their children along and a ’dish’ to WELCOME a new family to THEIR neighborhood. Most folks did not even HAVE to lock their doors at night in those days. We then RETURNED said favors and niceties to the next NEW move in of our neighborhood.

They further told us they’d look out for ALL the local children and ASKED that WE do the SAME for THEIR children. Not like today, sadly, where if anyone even DARES to ’question’ another parent about THEIR children, we’re seen as BUTTING IN to their personal business. Yes indeed, the times they are a changin’. And NOT, to THIS old man’s views, for the BETTER, necessarily.

I’ve seen the advent of some AMAZING ‘technological’ gadgets and wizardry of my ‘57’ years. COLOR t.v. My FIRST experience with it was watching the classic movie, ‘’The Wizard Of Oz’’ at my uncles home. WE were far too POOR to afford ‘color’ t.v.s back then. Can you say “OUTHOUSE” even, boys and girls?

I watched on t.v. as the Russians launched the first ‘satellite’ into space, called SPUTNIK. It shook America awake, BIG time. I then watched America enter the ‘space race’ and the historic summer night MOON landing. Out of this world stuff, to use a bad pun for a stunning achievement by ‘man’.

Then came cable t.v. Over ‘300’ channels to watch and choose from. And STILL can’t find much GOOD to watch.

And, what has sprung up on ‘cable’ from MY view, is NOT always a GOOD thing by any means. That, along with TALK RADIO, has seemed to bring out the EXTREMISTS of the EXTREMES on BOTH sides. WAR on the airwaves is what passes as TELEVISION and RADIO far too often these days, from my humble perspective.

I wonder what would happen IF all these TYPES of ‘news’ shows (really POLITICAL points of views shows) would take a YEAR hiatus or so? Would folks be FORCED to actually TALK with their neighbors about their DIFFERENCES in PERSON? And realize that no matter any one’s viewpoints, they ALL were not EXTREMISTS in any way near the manner of those SEEN from BOTH sides on the boob tube?

Along comes “CELL PHONES”. MANY folks have them these days. I see them all talking on them as they HURRIEDLY drive to wherever they THINK they HAVE to be and can’t WAIT to call in a few minutes where and when it might be SAFER to them and others to do so.

You can be reached 24/7. By your BOSS or by a relative you wouldn’t spend more than a few hours with on any HOLIDAY! (“Fish and visitors smell in three days - Benjamin Franklin).

I see and hear about teenagers talking on them to their friends at night. For HOURS. What’s THAT all about? In TallPocket’s day, IF he ever tried talking at night on his parent’s telephone, after five minutes my father would say, “Hang that thing up! You SEE him or her at SCHOOL EVERY day! Talk to them THERE!”

Heck, dear folks, when TallPockets was growing up, his family had ONE phone. A ROTARY type. AND, he and a few neighbors were on a PARTY LINE system. That was when a few families all ‘’shared’’ a telephone line.

If someone HAD to get a call through and you’d picked up your phone and two ladies were chatting, you simply KINDLY interrupted and asked if YOU could use the phone (it was also where IF you were able to ‘lightly’ pick up the phone at your house, you could ‘listen in’ to what the local ‘gossip’ was).

Enter the COMPUTER age. These days they proliferate the landscapes in higher numbers than the number of times that a ’young’ TallPockets got his behind whacked for being ‘bad’.

It seems, like ‘cell phones’, every KID has access to one or has their own.
With often FAR too little parental watchings or understandings of just HOW much TROUBLES their kid can get into with one.

I’ve always wondered and asked and told my siblings who have children (TallPockets has NONE. HE’s never grown up enough yet to even CONSIDER having/raising his own and he helped raise the younger ‘8‘ in his teenager years) just WHY they think it OK to allow the full use of cell phones and computers given their ‘ages’?

When I mention to them that they would NOT let their kids, at that age, view ’adult’ magazines and pictures, talk with ‘’certain people’’ (who MAY or may NOT be WHO they SAY they are) let along correspond with them on an ongoing basis or find most ANYTHING about life ONLINE in a regular STORE or BUSINESS, they all look ‘sheepishly’ my way. Still, they say, “It’s the way things ARE these days, TallPockets”.

To which TallPockets kindly replies, “Kids have to be a certain ‘age’ to get a DRIVER’s LICENSE, to get ‘married’, to buy ‘alcohol’, to have their OWN telephone ‘account’ BILLED to THEM, to buy a ‘gun’ and to purchase even a PLAYBOY type magazine at a local store. So WHY, he asks them, do THEY feel it OK to access many of the above mentioned things ONLINE? (Again, more ‘sheepish’ looks and stammerings).

I submit to all, YES it IS a different world we all live in. MOST for the BETTER. But, to THIS dumb old man, it seems WE have LOST that which BINDS US as ONE in GREAT numbers. That of HUMANITY. Human to human CONTACT.

*** Not sure what to DO some weekend? ***

Try going to and/or taking along your children, (age appropriate of course) to a local FOOD bank/pantry, to a DOMESTIC ABUSE shelter, to a local VFW in your area or to a Veteran’s Hospital where you live or a HOMELESS shelter. SHOW your ‘humanity’.

More often than not these days, one is known by their USERNAME online. NOT by their REAL name. (By the way, if you’ve never seen BRAD PAISLEY’s video called “ONLINE”, give it a view! A funny and often SAD, true version of the world above from my humble perspective).

So, as this old geezer HOPES to enter the beginnings of the ‘58th’ cycle of his planetary life (where he currently measures ’years’ NOT by birthdays but similar to how one measures the age of TREES by the number of it‘s TREE RINGS), his fervent hope is that mankind can once again “CONNECT”.

Not just ONLINE, but IN PERSON.

Every so often TallPockets ‘dreams’. His FIRST and most feeble dream, of course, is legendary(?) to those who know him. That of the lovely Miss Halle Berry becoming his first lady and bearing him a son. TallPockets Jr. ~SIGH~

However, he also experiences NIGHTMARES, at times. As in one ‘holiday’ encounter whilst he slept one night he vividly recalls. He envisioned the upcoming THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY. In his dream, he saw EVERYONE was ONLINE with a WEB CAM showing everyone else. Each participant showed a picture to the others of the ‘dish’ that THEY had prepared for the “FAMILY GET TOGETHER”, as it were.

Furthermore, EACH participant uploaded the BEST picture of themselves to the others (Those who knew how to use PHOTOSHOP had a DISTINCT advantage, btw.)

So, TallPockets being TallPockets, did similar. He hopes that Mr. ROBERT REDFORD won’t ever hear of some IDIOT named TallPockets using HIS picture! (YOU won’t rat out TallPockets, will you?).

Lastly, in THIS part of my year review, to THIS old man, what REALLY changed the DYNAMIC of America was when TWO parents HAD to work in order to compensate for rising living costs. Costs that wages did not keep up with. In MY day, ONE parent was the NORM, by FAR, that it took to support a family.

To THIS old geezer, THAT was the ONE MOST INFLUENTIAL SOCIETAL sea change among many along the years/way, that took the MOMS out of the FAMILY unit it once was. In MY day, I would guess that about 90% of moms stayed home to raise the children.

Don't get me wrong here. I think it should be a MOM OR a DAD who is HOME with kids for the MAJORITY of time for the BEST end results. It makes NO difference to ME, WHICH sex does that part of the equation. PLEASE, the LAST thing TallPockets has been all his life or NOW is a SEXIST. He has FIVE amazing sisters and a SAINTLY 79 year old mother he'd DIE for if the situation so presented itself, without hesitation.

I just DEEPLY feel that when TWO parents HAD to work to pay bills, the kids were left ALONE for far too many of them without a substantive 'network' of support and oversight.

SADLY, to MY thinking, we now have PRISON GUARDS doing PARENTAL duties of MUCH older once teenagers. At a MUCH higher price, I might add, to SOCIETY. In MONETARY costs/terms AND in SOCIETAL and HUMAN costs to those victimized.

On the eve of this upcoming Memorial Day Holiday weekend, TallPockets asks EACH to remember:

Soldiers wore the uniform for US. So that we may live in as PEACEFUL a world as is POSSIBLE”. Every soldier who has done so should be ‘saluted’.

However, and THIS bears REMEMBERING dear folks, they will ALSO TELL you that WAR is the LAST resort -- ALWAYS. It is this man’s HOPE that We, The PEOPLE, will ALWAYS give said returning vets ALL they NEED and WHEN they require it. Without regards to MONETARY costs.

Since THEY have always done THEIR ‘duty’ as it were, how about WE PEOPLE decide to do OUR part. As in treating HUMANITY as HUMANELY as possible? Just a simple thought and idea from a simpleton, old, GRUMPY man.

Progressively UN-Progressive these days yours,

TallPockets - 2008

(C‘mon now, dear folks .… Sing along with old, GRUMPY TallPockets:

“Those were the days my friend .… We thought they’d NEVER end”

“Gone Too Soon”
(The Casualties Of War)

Earthly trip - Sun and moon
Killed in war - Gone too soon
Fought brave fights - Distant lands
Left us with - Praying hands

Loved ones must - Onward go
Dad or Mom - Kids won’t know
For they rest - Beneath ground
Laughs and Hugs - Never found

Hearts broken - Tears rain down
Smiles once there - Only frown
Wedding bliss - Special day
No parent - ‘’Give away’’

Even worse - Greater strife
Wounded souls - Maimed for life
Try to fix - Broken parts
Body limbs - Minds and hearts

Some won’t know - Who they are
Mirror look - Won’t see scar
Will just know - What they see
Not the who - Used to be

Add to this - Innocent
Folks close by - Life’s blood spent
Gone too soon - Shooting stars
Casualties - Of all wars

TallPockets - 2008

ALL:

TallPockets just received this chain email from a MOST KIND SOUL that he RESPECTS and LIKES very much. One he KNOWS to be of only GOOD heart and soul. With that caviat, he continues:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*EMAIL MEMO CIRCULATING THE INTERNET*
----------------------------------------------------------------------
This is attributed to Jay Leno.
I don't know if he actually said this but whoever said or wrote it is
right on.

Jay Leno on President Bush

No matter what your political convictions are this is eye opener. What
a thankless people we are!!! Jay Leno on President Bush (Surprising)
it's the Jay Leno we don't often see....

As most of you know I am not a President Bush fan, nor have I ever
been, but this is not about Bush, it is about us, as Americans, and it
seems to hit the mark. The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine
and came across some Poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must
be true given the source, right? The Newsweek poll alleges that 67
percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is
headed and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance
of the President. In essence 2/3 of the citizenry just ain't happy and
want a change. So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking,
"What are we so unhappy about?''

A.. Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7
Days a week?

B.. Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the
summer and heating in the winter?

C.. Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job?

D.. Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time
and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?

E.. Maybe it is the ability to drive our cars and trucks from the
Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present
identification papers as we move through each state?

F.. Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find
along the way that can provide temporary shelter?

G.. I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from
around the world is just not good enough either.

H. Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show
up and provide services to help all and even send a helicopter to take
you to the hospital.

I.. Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home.

J..You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a
fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use
top notch equipment to extinguish the flames, thus saving you, your
family, and your belongings.

K.Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a
burglar or prowler intrudes, an officer equipped with a gun and a
bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against
attack or loss.

L.. This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or
militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90%
of teenagers own cell phones and computers.

M.. How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we
enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world?

Maybe that is what has 67% of you folks unhappy.

Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the
world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S., yet has a
great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most
blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we
don't have, and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the
good Lord we live here.

I know, I know. What about the president who took us into war and has
no plan to get us out? The president who has a measly 31 percent
approval rating? Is this the same president who guided the nation in
the dark days after 9/11? The president that cut taxes to bring an
economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been
called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the
spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist attacks? The commander in
chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me?

Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk show? Did
this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn't take a
look around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad?
Think about it......are you upset at the President because he actually
caused you personal pain OR is it because the 'Media' told you he was
failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day. Make no
mistake about it.

The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in
many cases may have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft
in this country. They didn't have to go. They are able to refuse to go
and end up with either a ''general'' discharge, an 'other than
honorable'' discharge or, worst case scenario, a ''dishonorable''
discharge after a few days in the brig.

So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of
Americans?

Say what you want but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds it leads
and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with
blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner?

The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations.
They offer what sells, and when criticized, try to defend their
actions by 'justifying' them in one way or another. Just ask why they
tried to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write a book about how
he didn't kill his wife, but if he did he would have done it this
way......Insane!

Turn off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the
bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as
country. There is exponentially more good than bad. We are among the
most blessed people on Earth and should thank God several times a day,
or at least be thankful and appreciative.' 'With hurricanes, tornados,
fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms
tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of
bird flu and terrorist attacks, 'Are we sure this is a good time to
take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?'

Jay Leno

Please keep this in circulation. There are so many people who need to
read this and grasp the truth of it all

END MESSAGE ABOVE ……….
----------------------------------------------------------------------

TallPockets REPLY to above message:

FIRST: This Chain Email is NOT from Mr. Jay Leno. Just like the ‘numbers’ of similar Chain Emails that proliferate the internet are not usually what they ‘claim’ to be or state.

FACTS often seem to go by the wayside in such chain emails. Yet, GOOD folks with GOOD hearts and GOOD intentions, continue to circulate them without even QUESTIONING them. WHY, I humbly ask?

To be FAIR, I see such chain emails from BOTH sides of the ‘political’ aisle. Being an INDEPENDENT, it strikes me how EACH side just takes THEIR email viewpoint sent their way, passes it around to all, and never seems to question IF EITHER side of the ‘argument’ has ANY valid points in the debate, as it were.

WHY, I again, MOST respectfully ask ALL of BOTH sides who FORWARD these emails along without such thinkings before hitting the SEND button?

To ME, this BELOVED American nation of OURS, gets itself into TROUBLE when it TOTALLY gives NO credence to the OTHER’s views. THAT, to me, is NOT in the BEST overall interests of a POSSIBLE BEST America. Which we ALL should want, I would think?

TallPockets grew up in the ‘Vietnam War’ era. The most often used slogan during those days was, “America, love it or leave it”.

I took that statement to be a ‘false’ choice THEN and I STILL think it to be such regarding the above email chain forwarded letter that makes the rounds (faster than trips to the bathroom after eating one of TallPocket’s home cooked meals!).

TallPockets LOVES America. UN-CONDITIONALLY. MOST folks he knows of ALL persuasions, also, LOVES America.

I liken it to being a PARENT. In charge of the WELFARE of one’s CHILDREN. They LOVE their kids, UNCONDITIONALLY. That goes without so saying or stating PUBLICLY daily. It’s a GIVEN.

Yet, while raising their children, TRUE parents ATTEMPT to make their own child’s lives the BEST they can be from THEIR perspectives and life experiences. They also ADMIT to their children's FLAWS and make the effort to correct them when found. DENIAL of such, serves no real purpose to this old man's thoughts and views. It is a dereliction of parental duty if such occurs, in my humble view.

In NO way, whenever they try to ‘correct’ their children, or make their children BETTER, should it EVER be taken as a sign of DIS-RESPECT.

In fact, it should be taken as a TRUE sign of LOVE. PURE love for a child they VALUE in ''immeasurable'' terms, but would give whatever they own and even their lives to assure they pass along to THEIR children the BEST circumstances that are POSSIBLE.

“Politics’’ of these times, to this DUMB old man, are either ALL “WITH” us or ALL “AGAINST” us. WHY, I humbly and MOST respectfully state and ask? WHY?

Can one not LOVE America and SPEAK UP about it’s NOT so good points as THEY see them to be?

“I” LOVE America. In MY area, I know of NO ONE who does NOT.

The Declaration Of Independence, The Bill Of Rights, The Constitution are EACH and ALL things I REVERE, in fact.

*** Yet, EACH had their ‘flaws’. SOME folks were 3/5ths of a citizen/person at ONE time in OUR nation’s history.

SOME folks, WOMEN, had NO right to VOTE or own land at ONE time in OUR nation’s history.

Over time, BECAUSE enough Americans SPOKE OUT and SPOKE UP about the INEQUITIES of what THEY saw, things CHANGED in America. For the BETTER, MOST would AGREE, looking back.***

Women to this day, STILL make LESS than MEN do for the SAME work.

*** YES, America IS a MAJESTIC country. Without doubt.***

*** YES, America is a standard bearer of the world.***

*** YES, America is the BEST experiment in democracy yet seen in the world to date. ***

*** And, YES, America not only CAN become EVEN better, and MORE fair to MORE of it’s citizens, but it MUST in order to continue it’s UPWARD curve into history.***

For, to this dumb old man, whenever we take anything for granted and do NOT try to IMPROVE on it, things STAGNATE and even REGRESS.

What THIS dumb, old, Grumpy TallPockets WISHES for HIS America, is that the HIGHEST amount of it's citizens at least have the EQUAL chance to obtain their best possible circumstances.

Through EFFORT and HARD work, of course. NO hand OUTS, but LOTS of HANDS UP to HELP. I find that SO SIMPLE to me. Yet, I find SO many folks seem to discount it. WHY, I humbly ask?

We are NOT all BORN EQUAL or into EQUAL circumstances.

Being a 'spirtual' person myself, I see things like the MILLION DOLLAR ''Crystal Cathedral'' in California for it's worshippers, yet next county over, folks try to find MEALS daily. HOW can this be GOOD for AMERICA?

So, what do you say, GOOD folks of ALL views and persuasions of America? Can WE, The PEOPLE, AGREE that OUR America IS a WONDERFUL place but is also a place that can be made EVEN BETTER?

Let’s attempt, at least, to have some much needed ‘balance’ in America. Those who LOVE it should not simply buy the ENTIRE process without making sure it’s FLAWS are soon corrected. For the BETTERMENT of America.

And, those who also LOVE it, should not simply COMPLAIN about the ENTIRE process and it’s FLAWS without giving PROPER DUE to what America does WELL.

Coming upon the verge of another MEMORIAL DAY holiday weekend, where SO many have given SO much, to not only KEEP the America we ALL LOVE, but to ALLOW the America we ALL LOVE to GROW even more, I leave those who read my commentary with this:

In the words of an old song from TallPocket’s generation:

“C’mon people now ….
Smile on your brother ….
Everybody get together ….
Try to love one another right now”

(SONG: GET TOGETHER - BY: THE YOUNGBLOODS).

“America, LOVE it AND make it EVEN BETTER” yours,

TallPockets - 2008