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I'm 63 and I'm Tired
The Old Jarhead ^ | February 19, 2009 | Robert A. Hall

Posted on 04/06/2010 2:05:01 PM PDT by Art in Idaho

Robert A. Hall is a Marine Vietnam veteran who served five terms in the Massachusetts state senate. He blogs at www.tartanmarine.blogspot.com

I'll be 63 soon. Except for one semester in college when jobs were scarce, and a six-month period when I was between jobs, but job-hunting every day, I've worked, hard, since I was 18. Despite some health challenges, I still put in 50-hour weeks, and haven't called in sick in seven or eight years. I make a good salary, but I didn't inherit my job or my income, and I worked to get where I am. Given the economy, there's no retirement in sight, and I'm tired. Very tired.

I'm tired of being told that I have to "spread the wealth around" to people who don't have my work ethic. I'm tired of being told the government will take the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy or stupid to earn it.

I'm tired of being told that I have to pay more taxes to "keep people in their homes." Sure, if they lost their jobs or got sick, I'm willing to help. But if they bought McMansions at three times the price of our paid-off, $250,000 condo, on one-third of my salary, then let the leftwing Congresscritters who passed Fannie and Freddie and the Community Reinvestment Act that created the bubble help them-with their own money.

I'm tired of being told how bad America is by leftwing millionaires like Michael Moore, George Soros and Hollywood entertainers who live in luxury because of the opportunities America offers. In thirty years, if they get their way, the United States will have the religious freedom and women's rights of Saudi Arabia, the economy of Zimbabwe, the freedom of the press of China, the crime and violence of Mexico, the tolerance for Gay people of Iran, and the freedom of speech of Venezuela. Won't multiculturalism be beautiful?

I'm tired of being told that Islam is a "Religion of Peace," when every day I can read dozens of stories of Muslim men killing their sisters, wives and daughters for their family "honor;" of Muslims rioting over some slight offense; of Muslims murdering Christian and Jews because they aren't "believers;" of Muslims burning schools for girls; of Muslims stoning teenage rape victims to death for "adultery;" of Muslims mutilating the genitals of little girls; all in the name of Allah, because the Qur'an and Shari'a law tells them to.

I believe "a man should be judged by the content of his character, not by the color of his skin." I'm tired of being told that "race doesn't matter" in the post-racial world of President Obama, when it's all that matters in affirmative action jobs, lower college admission and graduation standards for minorities (harming them the most), government contract set-asides, tolerance for the ghetto culture of violence and fatherless children that hurts minorities more than anyone, and in the appointment of US Senators from Illinois. I think it's very cool that we have a black president and that a black child is doing her homework at the desk where Lincoln wrote the emancipation proclamation. I just wish the black president was Condi Rice, or someone who believes more in freedom and the individual and less in an all-knowing government.

I'm tired of a news media that thinks Bush's fundraising and inaugural expenses were obscene, but that think Obama's, at triple the cost, were wonderful. That thinks Bush exercising daily was a waste of presidential time, but Obama exercising is a great example for the public to control weight and stress, that picked over every line of Bush's military records, but never demanded that Kerry release his, that slammed Palin with two years as governor for being too inexperienced for VP, but touted Obama with three years as senator as potentially the best president ever.

Wonder why people are dropping their subscriptions or switching to Fox News? Get a clue. I didn't vote for Bush in 2000, but the media and Kerry drove me to his camp in 2004.

I'm tired of being told that out of "tolerance for other cultures" we must let Saudi Arabia use our oil money to fund mosques and madrassa Islamic schools to preach hate in America, while no American group is allowed to fund a church, synagogue or religious school in Saudi Arabia to teach love and tolerance.

I'm tired of being told I must lower my living standard to fight global warming, which no one is allowed to debate. My wife and I live in a two-bedroom apartment and carpool together five miles to our jobs. We also own a three-bedroom condo where our daughter and granddaughter live. Our carbon footprint is about 5% of Al Gore's, and if you're greener than Gore, you're green enough.

I'm tired of being told that drug addicts have a disease, and I must help support and treat them, and pay for the damage they do. Did a giant germ rush out of a dark alley, grab them, and stuff white powder up their noses while they tried to fight it off? I don't think Gay people choose to be Gay, but I damn sure think druggies chose to take drugs. And I'm tired of harassment from cool people treating me like a freak when I tell them I never tried marijuana.

I'm tired of illegal aliens being called "undocumented workers," especially the ones who aren't working, but are living on welfare or crime. What's next? Calling drug dealers, "Undocumented Pharmacists"? And, no, I'm not against Hispanics. Most of them are Catholic and it's been a few hundred years since Catholics wanted to kill me for my religion. I'm willing to fast track for citizenship any Hispanic person who can speak English, doesn't have a criminal record and who is self-supporting without family on welfare, or who serves honorably for three years in our military. Those are the citizens we need.

I'm tired of latte liberals and journalists, who would never wear the uniform of the Republic themselves, or let their entitlement-handicapped kids near a recruiting station, trashing our military. They and their kids can sit at home, never having to make split-second decisions under life and death circumstances, and bad mouth better people then themselves. Do bad things happen in war? You bet. Do our troops sometimes misbehave? Sure. Does this compare with the atrocities that were the policy of our enemies for the last fifty years-and still are? Not even close. So here's the deal. I'll let myself be subjected to all the humiliation and abuse that was heaped on terrorists at Abu Ghraib or Gitmo, and the critics can let themselves be subject to captivity by the Muslims who tortured and beheaded Daniel Pearl in Pakistan, or the Muslims who tortured and murdered Marine Lt. Col. William Higgins in Lebanon, or the Muslims who ran the blood-spattered Al Qaeda torture rooms our troops found in Iraq, or the Muslims who cut off the heads of schoolgirls in Indonesia, because the girls were Christian. Then we'll compare notes. British and American soldiers are the only troops in history that civilians came to for help and handouts, instead of hiding from in fear.

I'm tired of people telling me that their party has a corner on virtue and the other party has a corner on corruption. Read the papers-bums are bi-partisan. And I'm tired of people telling me we need bi-partisanship. I live in Illinois, where the "Illinois Combine" of Democrats and Republicans has worked together harmoniously to loot the public for years. And I notice that the tax cheats in Obama's cabinet are bi-partisan as well.

I'm tired of hearing wealthy athletes, entertainers and politicians of both parties talking about innocent mistakes, stupid mistakes or youthful mistakes, when we all know they think their only mistake was getting caught. I'm tired of people with a sense of entitlement, rich or poor.

Speaking of poor, I'm tired of hearing people with air-conditioned homes, color TVs and two cars called poor. The majority of Americans didn't have that in 1970, but we didn't know we were "poor." The poverty pimps have to keep changing the definition of poor to keep the dollars flowing.

I'm real tired of people who don't take responsibility for their lives and actions. I'm tired of hearing them blame the government, or discrimination, or big-whatever for their problems.

Yes, I'm damn tired. But I'm also glad to be 63. Because, mostly, I'm not going to get to see the world these people are making. I'm just sorry for my granddaughter.


TOPICS: Government; Health/Medicine; Politics; Society
KEYWORDS: government; obama; politics; society
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I'm 65 and was blown away when I read this. Could have written it myself. The guy is spot on. Maybe it's guys and gals in our 60's that lived through the 60's and have seen so much. I too worry and am sorry for my granddaughter.

We may be tired of all the crap, but we have just begun to fight!


1 posted on 04/06/2010 2:05:02 PM PDT by Art in Idaho
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To: Art in Idaho

THis makes either the third of fourth appearance of Mr. Hall
s piece on Freerepublic.
THIS is the original draft, written months earlier, than the one from about 5 days ago, where he’d ALREADY turned 63.
Very little difference between the two.
Having said that, it’s still a good piece.


2 posted on 04/06/2010 2:07:32 PM PDT by supremedoctrine ("Every election is like an advance auction sale of stolen goods"--H.L.Mencken)
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To: Art in Idaho

Posted often.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&as_q=&as_epq=Robert+A.+Hall+&as_oq=&as_eq=&num=10&lr=&as_filetype=&ft=i&as_sitesearch=FREEREPUBLIC.COM&as_qdr=all&as_rights=&as_occt=any&cr=&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&safe=images

Good read, though.


3 posted on 04/06/2010 2:07:43 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd
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To: Art in Idaho
I'm not old enough to have lived through the 60s, but I am old enough to have seen the tattered remnants of the 70s, and the resurrection of the US under Reagan, and am spitting mad at the unparalleled arrogance and cupidity of those who ought to know better who want to go right back to the 70s are reimpose all of the stupidities that we know, for a fact - because we already tried them - do not work. I fear a bit for myself - although I've become resigned to the fact that I will never have the luxury of retiring - but mostly I fear for my 5 y.o. daughter's future, and I am spitting mad that such arrogant callous fascists like the democrats have stolen her future and loaded her down with debt before she's even old enough to understand what's being done to her. I really hope and pray that we can undo the biggest mistake the American electorate has ever made and repair the damage before it gets too far to fix.

Flushing Congress



Redistribution is Theft, x-small
4 posted on 04/06/2010 2:12:07 PM PDT by Oceander (The Price of Freedom is Eternal Vigilance -- Thos. Jefferson)
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To: Art in Idaho

I’m 52 and could have written it as well. I don’t know how this is going to end but will be proud to go through the fight with you gents. The liberal dems have no idea what they are unleashing. Resolve!


5 posted on 04/06/2010 2:14:47 PM PDT by Slehn (Resolve)
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To: Art in Idaho
I’m willing to fast track for citizenship any Hispanic person who can speak English, doesn’t have a criminal record and who is self-supporting without family on welfare

You cannot legally limit this offer to "Hispanic persons." I am afraid that you will find several hundred million foreigners ready to take this "fast track" offer to US citizenship. Such an influx would destroy the US economy and natural resources.

No, thanks. Apply some more thought before making such offers.

6 posted on 04/06/2010 2:19:17 PM PDT by iowamark
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To: Art in Idaho
At my retirement party, which I didn't ask for and didn't want, I noted that since I turned 17 I'd not had more than a 3 week period off from school or work or military service and was looking forward to crossing that 23 day barrier by the end of the month.
7 posted on 04/06/2010 2:19:52 PM PDT by muawiyah ("Git Out The Way")
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To: Art in Idaho
I'm willing to fast track for citizenship any Hispanic person who can speak English, doesn't have a criminal record and who is self-supporting without family on welfare, or who serves honorably for three years in our military. Those are the citizens we need.

He's going to get slammed for that one by many here, but frankly, I could (grudgingly) live with it. If I lived in a $hithole like Mexico I'd probably try to escape too.

8 posted on 04/06/2010 2:20:26 PM PDT by JimRed (To water the Tree of Liberty is to excise a cancer before it kills us. TERM LIMITS, NOW AND FOREVER!)
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To: Art in Idaho

Bump.


9 posted on 04/06/2010 2:21:50 PM PDT by Ditto
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To: JimRed

>If I lived in a $hithole like Mexico I’d probably try to escape too.

In a decade or two I wouldn’t be surprised if mexicans were saying “If I lived in a $hithole like the US...” given the rate we’ve been going in the past couple of years.


10 posted on 04/06/2010 2:23:08 PM PDT by OneWingedShark (Q: Why am I here? A: To do Justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God.)
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To: Art in Idaho

Good article! So true!


11 posted on 04/06/2010 2:23:29 PM PDT by rcrngroup
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To: Art in Idaho

No sh&t...I’m 62 and had the exact same feeling


12 posted on 04/06/2010 2:24:49 PM PDT by BubbaJunebug (s)
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To: All
Whoops. Didn't know it was posted before. Sorry. Since I'm relatively new to this, is there a way to see if something has been posted before?
13 posted on 04/06/2010 2:26:04 PM PDT by Art in Idaho
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To: Responsibility2nd
I see. Do a google search of the topic + free republic all together - I think? Thanks. Art
14 posted on 04/06/2010 2:37:08 PM PDT by Art in Idaho
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To: Art in Idaho

As you should know by now...

Free Republic’s search functions suck. Big time.

If you want to find something on FR, google search it.


15 posted on 04/06/2010 2:42:09 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd
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To: Art in Idaho

I’m 59 and he is spot on. I have often said we need a law called “The Individual and Corporate Responsibility Law”, where people and companies get the living S%$T fined out of them if they fail to do their jobs responsibly and with competence. Imagine:
1. Teenage pregnant women - want food - identify the father or starve. If you are the father, support the kids or starve.
2. You work in customer service? Solve the customer’s problem in 3 call or less or go to jail.
3. You work in construction? Get the thing done within budget and on time or go to jail.
4. You sell food? Make it fresh and wholesome or go to jail.
5. You are an elected politician? Follow the Constitution and your oath of office or go to jail.
In short, do your FU%^&Ng job well or go to jail. The libs have created an entire society where everyone thinks that just showing up is doing your job.


16 posted on 04/06/2010 2:43:15 PM PDT by majormaturity
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To: Responsibility2nd
Thanks. Shall do from now on.
17 posted on 04/06/2010 2:44:15 PM PDT by Art in Idaho
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To: JimRed

Once the border is secure, we can discuss it.

Once the border is secure, I might support a path to citizenship for English speaking illegals, who were self-supporting and had no criminal records.

But not before then.


18 posted on 04/06/2010 2:55:00 PM PDT by Little Ray (The Gods of the Copybook Headings with terror and slaughter return!)
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To: majormaturity

Who is going to pay for all the jails? You sound like a big spending conservative..:)


19 posted on 04/06/2010 2:56:27 PM PDT by montanajoe
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To: Oceander

It’s too late to rescue future generations. The only thing we can do now is make the leftist vermin pay dearly for what they have done.


20 posted on 04/06/2010 3:03:00 PM PDT by Soothesayer (The United States of America Rest in Peace November 4 2008)
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