two of my grandparents were born in ireland, one of my other grandparent, my grand father, was born in russia, and my grandmother who never reached more then 4' 10" was born in hungary.
because of their wish to leave their countries for a better life and emigrate to america and because of their forsight, i was lucky to be born in the united states of america, with a freedom rarely known on this planet. a freedom to chose my own path in life and with it the responsibilities that come with my choices.
every few years i am expected to participate, along with my fellow citizens to chose the crew that will manage our ship of state, and every four years we must chose, from a list of eligibles, who will captain this ship through the waters ahead that may be calm or stormy.
i have looked carefully through the list of the skills and the devotion that i believe both the captain and his assistant will bring to the helm and guide us
to a safe harbor.
i have as one choice a man who when called upon to put his life on the line, for the good of the ships passengers and who when he found the ship taking on water went to the manufacturer and presented the problem and demanded the ship be repaired, so that the next captain would not have to fear a ship that might sink. his demands having been heard, he was labeled not a team player, a liability to the ship manufacturers, a trouble maker. eventually,however, because of him and other captains and crew, they were able to persuade the manufacturers to repair the problem and for years to come ships sailed through rough seas.
as his co-captain, he selected a young lively seaman, willing to learn and willing to contribute. a man who has lived an exemplary life with never a hint of wrongdoing or scandal. a man who suffered the loss of a child, and who with his wife, decided life without children would be an empty life. his wife gave up her professional life to devote herself to family and are
presently raising children that most would be pleased to be with.
i have another choice, a man who when called upon by his country, chose to avoid his responsibility. a man with an unknown history, other then rumor and speculation. but a man with a slight paper trail of being a bit of a wild youth, which he extended past the normal youthful period, well into his 30's. a man who may have some medical problem which he avoids facing by once again refusing a medical examination. a man who late in life found religion, which turned his
life around. his faith is an undeniable success in treating his troubled mind. however he has taken his faith where few have gone, he communicates directly with his god and hears god's voice, speaking directly to him and advising him, not to lead the good life and follow god's commandments, but offering him solutions to some of life's mundane problems. god has told him
to teach the children, allow the air and the water to be fouled, and when he should kill fellow human beings. perhaps that is what god is speaking directly in this man's ear, or perhaps this man does not understand the language god speaks.
to protect this ship of state, should the captain be taken ill, he has chosen a man of advanced years with a history of heart problems, whose body is almost a time bomb. a failed battery, a sudden shock, an inadvertent bending to pick up something from the floor could end his life in a moment, literally a missed heart beat.away from death. a man with a dubious past, and a paper trail of corruption and misuse of power, that rivals the rap sheet of a known criminal. a man who is violating the law of impropriety by accepting gratuities even as he makes decisions, quietly in a darkened room, that will impact the very people paying the gratuities.
i am proud to live in a country where i can make my own decision as to who i want to captain my
ship of state.
