Problems

It would seem to me that we here in Fayette County do have our share of issues and problems. But, it is also apparent that little is ever done about these issues and problems until they reach a bursting point. So often we can point out what others are doing wrong but rarely can we bring ourselves to do anything about it. It's a contagious syndrome that affects every one of us on a certain level. We all see problems, but we assume that someone else will take care of it. We subconsciously hope, often erroneously, that we will not be forced to deal with the problems before us. If everyone were to "step up to the plate", as the saying goes, every time they saw a problem, I would guess that bursting issues would be few and far between, a welcome thought in our "knee-jerk reflex" world.

Also, we seem to choose issues that inflame our passions the most. The McIntosh Myspace story, while indeed informative and interesting, seemed to provoke mass indignation, possibly rightfully so. Issues such as gay marriage which provoke the passions of people from all sides have very little effect on my personal political decisions. Gay people are at the very bottom of my worries. If I was old enough to vote in the upcoming election (alas, I'm a few months shy), I would attend as many candidate question sessions as I could. I don't want to know what they think of gay marriage, school vouchers, or whether or not their opponent is a flip-flopper. I want to ask what they would do to alleviate our drought. I want to know how they are going to steady the stock market, raise the dollar's value to its previous status, and slow the sub-prime mortgage meltdown. I want to know what they would do if the country ran out of oil and coal. I wan to know how they would preserve the Constitution, including all of its 27 amendments. I want to know how they would protect the environment for my children to enjoy as much as I have. I want to know how they would balance corporations, workers, and consumers in the business world. I really don't care that much if there is gay marriage, or an amendment to the Constitution banning it (though I am a firm believer in balancing states' rights and the federal government). I just want to see changes for the greater good of America, on a level we can all agree on.