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"The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some polldata I found rather hard to believe. It must be true given the source,right?The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy withThe direction the country is headed and 69 percent of the country isunhappywith the performance of the president. In essence 2/3s of the citizenryjust ain't happy and want a change.So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, ''What we are sounhappy about?''Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 daysA week? Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in thesummer and heating in the winter? Could it be that 95.4 percent of theseunhappy folks have a job? Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocerystore at any time and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen inthe last year?Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the AtlanticOcean without having to present identification papers as we move througheach state? Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels wewould find along the way that can provide temporary shelter?I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from aroundThe world is just not good enough. Or could it be that when we wreckourcar, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all andevensend a helicopter to take you to the hospital.Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home. YouMay be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, agroup oftrained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipmentto extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family and yourbelongings.Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, aburglar or prowler intrudes , an officer equipped with a gun and abullet-proofvest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss.Thisall in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias rapingandpillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90 percent of teenagers owncell phones and computers.How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoythat are the envy of everyone in the world? Maybe that is what has 67percent of you folks unhappy.Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the worldHas ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S. , yet has a greatDisdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The mostblessedpeople in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have, andwhat we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we livehere.I know, I know. What about the President who took us into war and hasNo plan to get us out? The President who has a measly 31 percentapprovalrating? Is this the same President who guided the nation in the darkdays after 9/11? The President that cut taxes to bring an economy outofrecession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name inthe book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful bratssafefrom terrorist attacks?The commander in chief of an all-volunteer army that is out thereDefending you and me? Did you hear how bad the President is on the newsor talkshow?Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn't takeA look around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad?Think about it......are you upset at the President because he actuallycaused you personal pain OR is it because the "Media" told you he wasfailing to kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day.Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan havevolunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom.There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go.They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general''discharge, an ''other than honorable'' discharge or, worst casescenario, a ''dishonorable'' discharge after a few days in the brig.So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent ofAmericans? Say what you want but I blame it on the media. If it bleedsIt leads and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a carcrashwith blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at thecorner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profitcorporations.They offer what sells , and when criticized, try to defend their actionsBy "justifying" them in one way or another. Just ask why they tried toallow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write a book about how he didn'tkill hiswife, but if he did he would have done it this way......Insane!Stop buying the negativism you are fed everyday by the media. Shut offThe TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of yourBird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as a country.There isexponentially more good than bad.We are among the most blessed people on Earth and should thank GodSeveral times a day, or at least be thankful and appreciative.""With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding,severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, andwith the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, "Are we sure this isa good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"

(I did not write this. I would love to say I did, but I did not)