Dear LD

The country I was born into was a country that had existed steadily, for over two centuries, as a nation in which everyone thought—wherever they were from, whatever their circumstances—that their children would have better lives than they did. I have lived in this county for many, many years and I would say most of us have felt this way about the United States and Texas and Liberty County all of our lives – until recently. That was what has kept people pulling their boots on in the morning after the first weary pause before heading to a long work day: “My kids will have it better”. They'll have it a little better or be a little more educated, they'll have a better job or a better house, they'll take a step up in terms of rank, class or status. America always claimed to be, and meant to be, a nation that made little of class, but a great deal of individual effort. But America is human.

And among us we have elected officials like some that have been mentioned locally who will use their power and their discretion to help their selves and their children at the cost of us all. They will overload the system with their wrongdoing. They will charge their profits and their schemes to the taxpayers mercilessly in one breathe and then they will dispense a perverted type of mercy out to criminals who predictably will harm society again. The system then will have to demand more of its citizens and eventually a vicious cycle of decline will cause us to lose our ability to build a better and better economy and a stronger society.

We see it in the Democratic party’s willingness to allow people to break in line, as immigrants imitate the lawlessness of some of our public officials. They will justify their “rights” by mentioning the names of their children and their desire to improve their lives. The same with the housing bubble. Though much it of it was caused by speculators and rich people over extending themselves as they took advantage of Democrats like Barney Frank and Chris Dodd’s promotion of easy lending practices, much too much of it was done in the name of the poor “so they can afford the American dream too.” As this country starts to falter the poor instead of finding a steady safety net for hard times, they will find a shrinking safety net caused by the overload – and America will then truly have some living in third world-like despair.

Those who love this country can no longer afford politicians or policies that may be defendable legally but they game the system. We must throw people out of office that have built their little kingdoms of power by using our money and our distaste for hard ball political truth. We must start now. Locally. Statewide. And nationally. The United States is in a crisis and we must listen to the good, the bad, and the ugly about those running for office and we must refuse to settle. Who cares whether Charlie Rangel of any of these other people win in court or work a deal, Liberty County needs to be the type place that votes these types out of office. Let them settle their legal problems as defeated candidates.