The Long Winter

Here we are, December is upon us and the long winter nights have begun. Temperatures hover at the freezing mark and we anxiously await the first signs of burgeoning life once April arrives. Politically speaking, life in our nation's capital will remain in a deep freeze for the next two years. The electorate has spoken and voted for change. The requisite question however, is what change, specifically, have we voted for? Change, in and of itself, need not necessarily lead to positive outcomes. The Democrats have been long on condemnation and short on policy reformation. Well, the proverbial ball is now in their court. Their sole objective for the next two years will be to position their party for victory in 2008. If the electorate believes that they will discover a new light shining out of Washington D.C. then, they have deluded themselves. The Beltway has always been isolated from the electorate and its search for, "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness".

The month of November was a busy travel month. I was provided with the opportunity to observe Americans from all walks of life as I moved about. The month started in the vastness of the Idaho panhandle, Montana, and Wyoming. My travels took me from Billings north to the Mussellshell River basin where I loaded rock from a quarry run exclusively by women hardened by life on the northern plains. They were a tough looking bunch with wind whipped hair, straight backs, a plethora of wise cracks, and painted finger nails. They seemed more concerned with running their quarry, friendships, raising their kids, and making a slim profit from their toil. The self important postulating from politicos back East seemed far away. I took the rock to Jackson, Wyoming and delivered it to the new residence of a TV actress. Luckily for me, she wasn't on site thus enabling me to stare at the luxurious homes and barb wire fences dotting the winter range of the local mule deer and elk herds. I wonder if these folks ever think about the ecosystem that they have disrupted in order to maintain an elevated social status within the fabric of Hollywood social circles? They regularly search out available microphones to tout their concern for the environment so the question begs to be asked, why build obnoxiously extravagant homes in a pristine, fragile alpine environment?

From Jackson, I crossed the Continental Divide, drove along the Wind River to Riverton, Wyoming and then turned north through Thermopolis and on to Cody. I wonder if those rich folks over in Jackson have ever spent any time on the Wind River Indian Reservation? The Continental Divide does a magnificent job of hiding the reservation's poverty from the self indulgent crowd in Jackson.

Later in the month I traveled from Oregon to Tennessee. For all of the turmoil boiling out of Washington D.C., all seemed uneasily quiet in our heartland. I wonder if Congress even recognizes the fact that the common citizen has grown tired of their inability to function effectively as a governing body? Historically, our Congress has never enjoyed anything much better than a tenuous existence with the American public so, our current situation is really not all that unique. The difference this time is the fact that while the two parties bicker over power, and the electorate loses interest, our enemies abroad are salivating at upcoming opportunities for operations against us. Our government's refusal to acknowledge the ideological aspect of our battle with Islamic Fundamentalists has blindfolded the public and created a national disinterest in our activities abroad.

Political hacks from both sides of the aisle can point fingers at President Bush, Vice-President Cheney, Secretary Rumsfeld, Senators Clinton, Schumer, Durbin, Kennedy, Kerry, Congresswoman Pelosi and the like, however, this battle we now find ourselves in transcends transient political personalities. We often feel ourselves to be untouchable however, I must remind you that once again December 7th is upon us and September 11th will soon follow. While we need not live in fear, we must acknowledge the fact that we can never be all things to all nations or people and some will live to destroy our way of life. It is up to the common man to defeat our opponents, not Washington D.C. Informed, polite debate is requisite for the survival of our republic but the overreaching component which binds us together must forever be our unified stance as proud Americans.

De Oppresso Liber