This day in 1941 began the greatest era of our country.<br /><br />The era of the war and years following will go down as the greatest years of the United States. It was the age of the middle class where families were families, parents worked hard and wanted their children to do more. It was all about the "American Dream."<br /><br />During this time companies were about employees and not about huge salaries and bottom line only. Labor was recognized and not identified as necessary evil. Workers were loyal and even bought their company products if available.<br /><br />Kids could walk the streets at night and feel safe. Oh yeah and what was marijuana. Morals were important and Christmas was Christmas. We lived our lives with Christian beliefs without a need of political correctness.<br /><br />A Japanese was a jap, but could become an American and be accepted as equal. However, we did not feel a need to give our jobs to them and heck no one wanted their inferior products.<br /><br />Germany was split and we worried about the communist but make no bones we would have all been ready to sign up and go after them if needed.<br /><br />All of sudden we somehow lost the idea of our government protected the people and Vietnam became a war about wealth not right or wrong.<br /><br />The morals left, Mom and Dad had to work to support the family, the rich began to distance themselves and the middle class began to shrink. Labor was convinced life was not about the dream but rather being better than poverty when actually they were only a paycheck away themselves.<br /><br />At least labor had medical insurance, a steady job and retirement. Then came global economy and corporations could abuse labor in other countries and make more money. All of sudden the image of American labor was overpaid, lazy and performing poorly.<br /><br />Where is the "American Dream", you know anyone can be President, you work hard you can make a good living, sick it does not bankrupt you to go to doctor, what happened to family picnics on Labor Day and Memorial Day and the big parades. <br /><br />I want Christmas to be about the birth of Christ. If you do not like it create your own holiday, I will not try to keep you from honoring it. Hey the 10 commandments are a pretty good set of rules for anyone so let us display them where ever we like. You got Budda rules or Muslim rules buy a monument and we can put them up also.<br /><br />Let's stop fighting the world for control, no wars for oil, hey getting rid of Saddam only means another group of crazies will take over and kill each other, bring home the jobs, let's make America strong, the best place to work, the best place to get affordable medical treatment, the home to Christians and others, tolerant but not wavering.<br /><br />Please no all is well responses. We are not the country we once were so please do not try to sell that. Let us exam how we can get back to the greatness we had and what we can do to make things better. God Bless America.
