RETRENCHING

So here we are in the middle of year 2008. We should be celebrating our nation's position as the number one power militarily and economically. More people today own a home than ever before. A presidential election will take place and there will be a peaceful transition from the current office holder to the new one. New York just put on an All-Star show for the ages without any hitches; displaying what can happen when people in charge bring a "can do" spirit to the task ahead.

And it is that can do spirit that all of a sudden seems to be lacking in our proud and successful country. Yes we are still the place that millions around the globe look to as the shining example of what life could and should look like. But our position is getting more tenuous each day as problems multiply and we seem not to have the answers.

To a people who conquered the frontier, overcame a depression, took victory in a titanic world war, and put a man on the moon, you would think that today's crises could be overcome. But as we inch closer to this century's second decade, a creeping feeling of despair has sunk in.

We seem to be at the mercy of the oil sellers who hold us hostage as we sip their black gold in our large vehicles. We can't seem to find a way to help our fellow citizens from losing those homes to foreclosure. A potential bank run, based on a federal loosening of loan procedures and a fear of monetary collapse, has caused bankruptcy and collapse. A man named, bin Laden, hides in some far off mountain compound, laughing at what he wrought some seven years ago.

In this summer season, before we all go back to full time work and school, we ought to take some of our vacation and reflect on the past and use its lessons to guide us in the future. Perhaps we can find a way to reduce our troop and financial commitment to Iraq so that we can employ those resources to problems here at home. Perhaps we can get a "to the Moon" type scientific project to find real long term solutions to our energy situation. Perhaps we can finally find a way to make our schools work so that more young Americans can move up the economic ladder and create more stable communities.

We are Americans. There has never been a problem that we could not solve. Why should we stop now?