John F. Youmans is a retired USAF major and a well decorated disabled Vietnam Veteran who served at Bien Hoa AB from 1966-1967. Mr. Youmans served 30 years in the USAF. Since his military retirement in 1993, Mr. Youmans has become a well published journalist and a reporter for the Daily Record in Dunn, N.C. for several years when forced to resign due to his health and disability stemming from Hodgkin’s Disease and Agent Orange. Mr. Youmans continues, however, to write articles for newspapers across the nation from home. In addition, he is a featured columnist for Military.Com and staff writer for several other Internet web sites including www.supportthevets.com, www.usdr.org and several others. Mr. Youmans has taken the task of advocating improvements for veterans’ benefits as a personal goal.
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I recall the days not too long ago when this great country was truly the United States of America. Our proud red, white and blue American flag was flown daily across this nation and it represented all American citizens. It was one flag and one country.
America is certainly a very patriotic country. Patriotism was raised to new heights following 9/11. The country was united ... we were one country. But what has happened since then? We were told by our leaders following that horrific day that our country would never be the same. How right they were.
What a great country we live in. We are the richest nation in the world with a very powerful economy, our growing military is the strongest and best equipped in the world and we are committed to spreading democracy across the globe, regardless of the cost in lives and national treasure. What a noble national agenda. God has certainly blessed our great country.
At the same time, many think our country is going through hard times and sliding in the wrong direction. We have the largest national deficit in our nation's history with no relief in sight. Our manufacturing base is disappearing. Our health care costs are rising faster than our businesses and citizens can afford to pay. The middle class is disappearing while corporate America enjoys record profits and growth, increasing political power and control while also enjoying a decreasing tax burden. Social Security is being threatened by privatized savings accounts while the money paid into the Social Security Trust Fund continues to be looted of billions of dollars annually. And our moral values no longer include educating our young, assisting our senior citizens, providing health care for everyone and providing for the poor a priority.
Many believe we are becoming a third-world country and headed toward bankruptcy. And many are truly concerned that government propaganda is replacing the truth, while the real truth is being classified Top Secret and held from the public.
What it all demonstrates is that we are now a divided country. Everyone is Republican or Democrat, Red or Blue, Right or Left or Liberal or Conservative. Think about it! Almost every topic discussed in Congress, covered on the nightly news or read in newspapers is described as Liberal or Conservative, Democrat or Republican, Red or Blue. This division has torn this country apart and has to stop.
Our very constitution is being questioned and subject to change almost on a daily basis in the House or Senate. The nuclear option is being discussed in relation to filibuster rules in the Senate, judges are being threatened because of judicial decisions. And separation of church and state issues rise almost on a daily basis.
Surprisingly, most Americans, and I stress the word Americans, are tired of it. The majority of the citizens in this country, regardless of their political or religious affiliations, would prefer our leaders to solve the problems of running our country in a representative way ahead of this constant party ideology at any cost. We are the United States of America. Our national flag is Red, White and Blue .. not Red.
Things are getting so bad I fully expect to walk into a grocery store one day and see the isles labeled red or blue instead of the present numbering system. Perhaps airplanes, trains, and busses will have designated red and blue seating.
What a change it would be to see our elected representatives discussing priorities that benefit all Americans, Republicans and Democrats, such as reduction of the record setting national debt (that should include the funds looted from all of the trust funds) improving education, providing affordable health care, maintaining our manufacturing base, improving our infrastructure, and enhancing our technology.
We are capable of doing great things in this country if we could focus on doing that instead of just pushing party ideology. There is more to life in these great United States of America than who has the most power and the most money. The majority of the citizens of this country are tired of it.
In my opinion, we need to return to a prior time in our history when America was united and represented by three national colors -- Red, White and Blue; a day when we were all Americans working together on common goals to improve the country and all of its citizens.
