At this stage in the game it really doesn’t matter who voted for you and who didn’t. We’re all living in the same America and regardless of what we did as individuals, AS A NATION we voted you into the presidency.
There is a lot of speculation and a lot of people are jumping to conclusions about what you will do, what you might do, and what the outcomes will be. In truth, though, we can’t predict any of that and doing so is quite frankly a waste of time and energy, not to mention a vain attempt at fear mongering in an effort to keep certain segments of the population bound.
I choose, Mr. President, to focus on the opportunities ahead of you. You say you want to “make America great again.” I assure you, sir, the entire world has eyes on you to see how you will accomplish that.
I’ll also tell you a little secret. Down deep, most Americans have a desire to make America great again. Some just don’t know how to make it happen and, of course, there are those who don’t believe you can do it. But you already knew that, didn’t you?
I choose to believe that Jesus is still in control. I also believe that there were enough faithful Christians praying for a real change and He heard our prayers. I don’t believe in fate, or luck, or coincidences. I do believe that He can move in circumstances and situations, direct them, or turn them around for His glory and for the good of those who follow His will for their lives.
Not to mean any disrespect, but if He can use an ass to get Balaam back on the right path, He can certainly use you. If He can use an ass to right Balaam He can certainly use me, my neighbor, my children, all the people on social media (even Twitter).
I won’t put my faith in you; you’re just a man. Instead, I am putting my faith in Jesus and pray He keeps His hand in your administration.
I’ve given this a lot of thought, sir. You have quite a job ahead of you. Here are some things I hope that you will keep in mind as you make decisions that will benefit our country.
Job Creation – This is all well and good, but there is more to the story than creating more jobs and making them available to people. So many people are struggling with child care, job training, education, and transportation. I am not advocating bigger government or more government programs; people need to learn how to provide for themselves. However, they need certain tools to accomplish that. They may need transportation to and from work, child care, or even a safe place to sleep at night.
And while we are on the subject of having a safe place to sleep at night: THERE IS NO REASON FOR ANYONE IN THE UNITED STATES TO BE HOMELESS OR HUNGRY! Yet I see it every day – even in myself. I was homeless and would still be homeless if I hadn’t been able to get an RV. And believe me, I work hard to earn money and pay my bills.
The Economy – I am concerned about our economy as a whole, but for these purposes I think some focus needs to be on the individual. Our schools aren’t teaching our children basic life skills like budgeting, balancing a checkbook, filing your taxes, or how to manage a household. Every American needs to know how to do this! So many come from homes where the parents take care of everything or from homes where the government takes care of everything. Neither scenario is conducive for successfully living independently.
Immigration – This is a touchy issue for me because I personally know people who came over here illegally (who are now legal citizens) as well as those who entered the country legally and I love them all dearly. However, our borders are OUT OF CONTROL. As much as I understand the plight of the immigrants, I also believe that the law is the law and it should be respected. I realize that some of the conditions these immigrants escaped are beyond our comprehension, unspeakable. I also understand that a country is only as strong as its borders.
The process for entering the country needs some refinement. Yes, there are some people who enter the country illegally with nothing but mischief on their mind. Those people are up to no good. There are those, though, who are sincerely trying to make a better life from their families. They also happen to be extremely poor, too poor to afford all the fees and expenses attached to immigrating to the U.S. These countries have figured out that keeping their people poor and uneducated will prevent them from leaving, mainly because they won’t have the resources to do so. The only recourse these people feel they have if they want a better life, or even just to survive, is to break the law in order to escape those dark corners of the world.
Then again, we have plenty of dark corners inside our own borders. Shouldn’t we get a handle on them, get healthy, before we open ourselves up to people from outside?
I wholeheartedly agree that we need to keep the terrorists and “bad guys” out and we have to stop all the illegal traffic because that opens the door for so many horrific things like human trafficking, drugs, murder, slavery, the list goes on.
I don’t have any answers. I wish I did.
Racism – People in this country have lost their ever-loving minds over this race business! This perpetual victimization is a product of long term bondage – from government programs, from skewed thinking, from mental illness, from talking heads who have one agenda – to start a race war. I suppose that racism will always exist, but in truth, it is the result of a weak mind and inferior intellect. I am not talking about book smarts; anyone can have that. I am talking about the true intelligence that allows logic and reason, objectivity, and the ability to see beyond your own point of reference.
The good news is that just about anyone can be trained as long as there are consequences. However, there has to be a level playing field. A hate crime for one race must be a hate crime for other races. For far too long the government has drawn lines between the races, thus dividing them. Those lines need to be erased! We are ONE RACE, the HUMAN RACE – and we need to start acting like it.
Foreign Relations – Yes, it is good to help other countries who are struggling but not at the expense of those on our own soil who are struggling. I am not a fan of government programs because for the most part they keep people dependent upon the government and never teach them how to live independently. I know there are exceptions to the rule, but they are few and far between. Something needs to change, though. There are too many people who are unemployed or underemployed (income is not enough to meet cost of living expenses) so they turn to government programs.
I see at least three remedies for this.
Make it easier for working people to meet their cost of living expenses – independently. This can be accomplished through lower costs, higher wages, better training, and probably lots of other great ideas.
Make it easier for people to become more employable through training, education, and corporate programs (this could also serve to provide valuable networking opportunities for them).
Teach people how to create a household budget and better manage their finances.
The family structure is eroding because values are eroding. Parents spend the bulk of their time working to make ends meet, they come home exhausted, and little Johnny has to tuck himself into bed at night. In most families both parents must work if they want to provide for their families. My husband and I live in a travel trailer – AN RV! – and still we both have to work in order to get our bills paid – and it’s just the two of us. We live very modestly, have one vehicle, I cook all our meals at home (we rarely eat out). Still we struggle. This is ridiculous!
Food – No one is talking much about this, but families need access to AFFORDABLE food that is healthy, fresh, and natural. The processed junk that lines our grocery store shelves is cheap but it is killing us. Food stamps and commodities are not the answer. Supporting the local farmers, the small farms and encouraging the growth of non-GMO, organic produce as well as clean AB free meats is a better option. People need better access to the food, not a crutch or handout. Make healthy, fresh food more accessible to people and you will seem medical expenses go down, insurance costs decrease, and a drop in the cost of living as people get healthier and lose less time off of work.
Disability – Many disabled people are not unemployable, but they are made to believe that they are. I know, I am one of them. I was fortunate to be blessed with the skill, discipline, and will to write freelance and that is how I support my family. I realize that not everyone has these qualities, but some skills can be taught and developed. The immediate default for most seems to be: get sick or injured, get labeled disabled, quit your job, and get disability from the government. Are there are some people who cannot work outside of the home or cannot work full time or can’t work in certain positions? Absolutely. But for many there are other things they could be doing.
Education and job training can go a long way in helping people learn new skills and qualify for jobs that are more disability friendly. Providing incentives to companies that create disability friendly environments with accommodations like flex work, shared workspaces, telework, and similar initiatives would go a long way in making the disabled more employable.
Government programs should not be permanent fixes in most cases and those who are enrolled should be required to participate in activities and programs that will teach them how to be self-sufficient unless they meet stringent criteria for total disability.
My husband and I were homeless, living in our van, for a good portion of 2013 through 2015. We did not participate in any government programs, not even food stamps. I sought work as a writer and that is how we ate and paid our expenses. When my husband got a job, we started putting away money to save for a down payment on a travel trailer. It took a lot of work and we had to be very resourceful (you can’t get internet in a van and I needed it to work), but we did it. Even though I am autistic and don’t work well outside the home, I still found a way to earn a living. I realize that we are not typical, but we are proof that it can be done – if you want it bad enough.
More government programs to take care of people is not the answer. All they are doing is robbing people of their individuality, their self-esteem, their self-respect, and their power because society tells us that we should all be able to support ourselves and our family – but our government makes it nearly impossible for many.
Government programs keep people bound, but many of the people who are not on those programs are equally guilty of the bondage. They rely on the government to take care of those less fortunate so that they don’t have to do it themselves.
Those who have should be mentoring and empowering those who have not.
At this point you probably think I am an idealist – it wouldn’t be the first time someone called me that. All I know is something has got to give. We can’t keep going like this. I am not asking you to cure all of our country’s problems; no one can do that because it has to start with the individual. Only God can change hearts and minds and circumstances and situations. But there is plenty that we, as a country, can do to help ourselves.
The American people have been programmed, brainwashed, to believe that depending upon someone else to support their family, for survival is normal. There is nothing normal about it. These government programs are actually producing the very circumstances that keep people flocking to them, that keep them poor and bound. There seems to be a general consensus that in order to maintain control our government must keep the people poor (broke) and uneducated.
The American people have been beaten down long enough!
Sure, there are some who don’t want to work; they want everything handed to them. I also believe that those people are in the minority. Most people want to be self-sufficient. They want to have the ability to raise their children, support their families, and stand on their own two feet. Those who manage to accomplish that should be caring for the children and the elderly who can’t.
I will say it again. We need to be helping each other. I believe that that will be one of your biggest tasks.
This nation is in crisis; it’s people are in crisis. You are going to need to pull this country up by its bootstraps and that will shock many.
I want to believe that the world is still full of good, decent, hardworking people. I fully expect to get hate mail once this goes live. Those who want everything handed to them, those who don’t want to work, those who don’t want to be self-sufficient will certainly rail against this. I can only imagine the excuses. But think about this: if the only people participating in the government programs were the ones who truly needed them, those who were truly unable to work due to severe disability (think quadriplegic or end stage cancer patient) how much money would that free up to get people educated, working, and productive?
Please don’t let their laziness, apathy, and selfishness sway you from your task at hand. There will always be a certain segment in any society that does nothing but drain it of its resources and greedily suck up everything they can (that they NEVER worked for) from hard working people who deserve better. We hard working folks are the ants; those parasites are the grasshoppers.
Please don’t structure this nation to accommodate grasshoppers. That has gone on long enough here.
I am praying for you, for your administration. You have some hard work ahead of you. So when you are making America great again, please remember its greatest asset: its people.
Sincerely,
Stephanie A. Mayberry
A concerned citizen of the U.S. who wants to see America get great again.
Authors, Artists and Random Musings 