Thanksgiving In Texas-
No, I'm not going to Texas for Thanksgiving, although my sister who lives there is coming here.
No, this entry is about The President and his family heading off to the ranch for the Holidays and the reception the protestors got when they followed.
I've been of the mind that the current administration is a bit out of touch with the Public. It was something I saw in Papa Bush as well, but at least he had the excuse that he was out of the country for so much of his political career. (being an Ambassador) No, The current president has gone to great lengths NOT to encounter the general public. His public speeches are either from Military bases or closed Republican party fund raising events. There are no protestors allowed anywhere near the locations or on the way TO the locations. Sure, you can protest, but you must do it over here, out of sight of the President.
Which brings me to the current issue with the road to the ranch. No protestors are allowed there now, so they don't have any publicity like this summer and the President doesn't have to see it.
Some may argue that the ranch is his private residence and he should be allowed that. But, I don't recall a president ever using a private home to conduct so much Public policy before. Seems to me, that's why we pay to have Camp David. That's where sitting Presidents go to relax and get away from Washington DC. They even have informal meetings with others there. And all of it is public record..... OH! Could this be why President Bush conducts HIS business at his own Private residence? How much of what is discussed at the Ranch becomes Public record?
In any event, if a President chooses to conduct the Country's business from his home, then I believe he gives up some of his Privacy there. If he's going to spend weeks and weeks there, then if you want to speak to the President, if you want to get his attention, if you have something you feel he strongly needs to know, then you must go where he is. What is the purpose of protesting HIS war in Washington DC if he's not there?
incidentally, I have written to the President, but got no reply. I've added my name to a form letter and sent it to my Congressman, and I got the reply that he does not respond to form letters from people other than those he serves. I wrote back that he IS my congressman and He DOES serve me. I received no mail back from that letter. Of course, when I say "letter" I'm meaning email. Apparently, Republicans don't read email. I guess they think it's not real mail, so it doesn't count. I did get a reply from a democratic congressman once. Of course, all it said was the issue was a complex one and then went on to try to tell me why it was so complex. I'll give them an "a" for effort, but I was a little pissed off that they wrote so condencendingly to me. I've got an IQ of around 140, so I understand what the issues are. Hey, I'm not saying it was easy, but I was saying what was the right thing to do. (according to me- but it was my letter)
Ironically, things have changed on that issue and have moved in the direction I thought they should be heading in, so maybe I'm not so stupid afterall.
I am tired of red and blue states. I'm tired of public officials NOT listening to the people they serve. I am tired of people in office doing what they wish and the people we never elect being in power. I'm tired of grand Juries spending too long to investigate and I'm tired of presidential Pardons that clear wrongdoers of all charges before we really know what they did wrong. I'm tired of it always being about who you know and not what's best for the people of the country. I'm just tired.