I don't think Obama is stupid, but....

I have been out of town for the last 10 days and went backpacking in the San Juan Mountain range in Southwestern Colorado. I had some time to think and this is one of the things i figured I would blog about when I got back. I have to admit, it was a little nice to ponder the macro view of what is going on with this country when you are not bombarded by the daily news focusing on the little things happening in this country.

One of the thoughts I have been saying to myself ever since Obama has been elected is that people can't be this stupid. People can't believe that Socialist ideas are going to work, since they have NEVER worked in the past. What i have learned about people is, yes they are that stupid. And why are they that stupid... because of ignorance and laziness. They just choose to believe the bill of goods these politicians are selling and don't take the time to check up on the history of Socialism.

I used to hear the saying " Those who choose to ignore history are doomed to repeat it". As a kid, I thought well we know the history, we have it in books, we have people who study it, how could we possible repeat the mistakes of the past. How naive I was then. What I didn’t take into account was that there are versions of history. There is the history that actually happened and there is the history that people wish happened and therefore represent it as the history in their minds.

And you know what, I get that. I am a white woman, born in the USA not so long ago. I can tell you my view on history is a lot different than let's say a black man who grew up during the civil rights movement. I'm not saying we all look at things the same. But we do have history on nations as a whole, we do have history on the rise and fall of nations past.

So this got me to thinking, Obama is a smart man, no doubt. But I fear his image of the past is much different than what really happened. I read his books and I see the skewed image of America. He lived in a much different America than I did. We had a lot of the same circumstances as children. A Father who left, Grandparents who help the Mother raise the child, a poor upbringing. The difference between him and I, I didn't see it as the world giving me a bad hand; I coped with it and became a stronger person from it. He views it as he struggled so much that he doesn't want others to go through what he did. But I hate to remind him, it is the struggles in life that build character and integrity and that is why he is where he is today.

His view of a Socialist History is far from what mine is. And I fear people believe his history, not mine. I have to think of the old saying my Mother used to tell me when I would do something stupid because all my friends were, "If everyone was jumping off a bridge, would you do it too?" What a great saying to drive home to a child. It says so much. No I wouldn't jump off a bridge, I would find out the reason hy they were jumping off the bridge, I would want to know the risk, how high it was, what would be the safety measures, etc. etc. So why don't people do that with the future of our country.

I think there are several kinds of people in this world, followers, leaders, the strong ones and weak ones, the players on the field and the benchwarmers. Not everyone has to be a leader, but they do need to be educated. And with the internet and modern advances it is easier than ever. I don't see it as a chore, but my duty as a citizen to uphold what my Founding Fathers willingly offered their lives for and the countless men and women who dies for my freedoms. I choose not to be ignorant, I choose not to follow. I choose to be the citizen this Country will need in order to survive and if we all consciously make that decision, this country will be what it once was!