A 93 Year Old American

From the Green Bay Press Gazette editorial
What has our country come to. What has happened to our society?
Where have all the other Americans like this gone? They've gone to the middle, they've become moderates, their now progressives!
God Bless this fine lady.
Thank You Doris.

Posted April 3, 2008
Guest column:
Observations from a long journey
By Doris E. LaLiberte
I have been watching and listening to the ongoing debates and discussions on the forthcoming election, and I feel a need to make myself heard on some of the issues.
I am a 93-year-old widow, and yes, I am writing this myself without the aid of anyone, and I am of sound mind.
I remember when Social Security went into effect. What we have today is a far cry from what it was designed to be. Politicians, regardless of party, messed with it until it is a hopeless give-away program to noncontributors, noncitizens and criminals.
I had no choice when I joined the work force. I had to contribute. When I married, I still had no choice, but when I retired, I then had a choice: Receive benefits on my own earnings or a percentage of my husband's, whichever was greater.
By that time, my husband had died, so I collected nothing on his despite all his working years. Is that fair?
Perhaps our legislators should have no choice just like the rest of us, and they should become part of the system, if that is what it takes to correct it. I am sure the issue would then be addressed seriously.
I am indignant that my representatives in government voted against making English our national language. My parents were both immigrants — mother from Germany, father from Scotland — and they both learned English because they wanted to be a part of this country.
Today, we have people coming to our country, illegally or legally, and trying to change us. We are forced to provide foreign language in our schools, at our expense, to appease them. Is this right or fair? I think not. If someone doesn't want to become a part of us, he should not be here.
We are told that 84 percent of Americans support the Christian faith, displaying the nativity or other scenes, showing the Ten Commandments in our government places, forbidding prayers in public places and proclaiming ours a Christian nation as our forefathers clearly stated.
Why are our legislators pandering to the 16 percent? What about my feelings?
I asked that of a local merchant who I support regularly, when he said, "Happy holidays" to me and I said, "What happened to 'Merry Christmas'?"
Of course he was afraid of hurting someone's feelings, to which I replied, "What about mine?"
Why is everyone caving into the 16 percent?
I have been listening to excuses about the cost of oil. Has anyone really made an effort to change the situation? It doesn't appear so. I am forced to give up other things to pay the atrocious cost of heating my small home, where I live alone and will continue to do my best to do so.
I do not want to become one of the Medicaid many.
Because I worked and saved money, which I am now drawing very small interest, I am not qualified for help with heating oil or even Homestead Credit. Again, where is the fairness when we honest, working-class people have to sacrifice while our tax money is being doled out to illegals and criminals?
I am irate when I read of our servicemen being prosecuted for "abusing" the very enemy who is trying to annihilate us. Where is our common sense? I lost a brother in World War II, and even that pain is surpassed by what is happening to our servicemen today.
So, I am not impressed with the promises I am hearing. If this country is going to survive, our senators and congressmen are going to have to take responsibility for what is happening. You must stop pandering to big donors. Stop selling us out. And seriously develop a program of honesty and integrity, which is sorely lacking as of now. Listen to the people who put you there; you are supposed to be representing us.
Please let me see some honest, constructive effort to face up to these issues and get this great country back on track, heading in the right direction. If some of the changes do not occur soon, there will be a most decided effort to clean house. Vote each and every incumbent out; and try to replace them with better people.
I am from Niagara, a small town in Northeastern Wisconsin, which has just been dealt a deathblow by New Page Industry. It is sad to see and to realize that we are one small fragment of what is happing to our United States.
And during all of this, I am hard pressed to find something that is not made in China or a multitude of foreign countries — the result of further Washington sellout.
I will be glad to get some response.
Doris E. LaLiberte lives in Niagara.