I don't know if Jay wrote this, but whoever did write itis right on the money. This is to all you whiners out there, in this forum or not!
By Jay Leno
"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 2/3s of the citizenry
just ain't happy and want a change.
So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, ''What we are so
unhappy about?''
Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 days
a
week? Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the
summer and heating in the winter? Could it be that 95.4 percent of
these
unhappy folks have a job? 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?
Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic
Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through
each state? Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we
would
find along the way that can provide temporary shelter? I guess having
thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is
just
not good enough. 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.
Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home. 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.
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. This
all
in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and
pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90 percent of teenagers own
cell phones and computers.
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
percent 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 wr ite a book about how
he
didn't kill his wife, but if he did he would have done it this
way......Insane!
Stop buying the negativism you are fed everyday by the media. Shut 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 a country. There is
exponentially more good than bad.
We are among the most blessed peoples 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
A lot of that article is on the mark, IMO. We Americans do whine a lot. but that is also why things work well in this country. When people complain, something is done about it. And when someone goes repeatedly above and beyond, theyarerewarded often enough to encourage that kind of behavior, in general.
When people just accept bad things that can be prevented as being OK, just because the person doing the bad things looks/sounds like him or her and says things that they like, then things can go downhill in a hurry. Fortunately or unfortunately, America has built up a huge hill, so there's a long way to go down before things really hurt, at least for most of us.
I think the key is to whine constructively!
If I think something should be done better, then I should have some idea about how that might be achieved. If all I do is whine about how black people are criminals and get preferential treatment as I steal from my boss/neighbor/governmentor that I lost my buggy whip manufacturing job as I sit on the sofa and listen to Rush Limbaugh and get all worked up, then I think that is just pitiful...
BTW: The guy who wrote that is a right-wing nut. Hewrote a book claimingoil is a renewable resource. Now THAT's an optimist!
__________________
It is wise to remember that you are one of those who can be fooled some of the time.
Laurence J. Peter (author of the "Peter Priciple")
America, by Jay Leno
