Posts Tagged ‘elections’

A Cure For What Ails Us

Posted on: October 29th, 2012 by R.W. Hampton 2 Comments

So the debates are behind us and the only thing now between today and the election is a gigantic storm named Sandy. If you’ve been following the posts and comments here and on my Facebook page, you know I feel strongly about this election. I want everyone to educate themselves on the issues, the candidates and then go vote if you haven’t already.

I am a pretty conservative guy, I won’t tell you how I voted and I don’t think any of the candidates have all the answers but for what it’s worth, here is my take on things.

Okay now, don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t EVER want to do a four year stretch as President but if I ever was punished like that I think I’ve got a plan for easing our health care & economic woes. That’s right a simple one step plan.

CURE CANCER! Yes, just cure cancer.

As JFK did with the race to the moon, I would challenge us as a nation to find a CURE before this decade is out. That’s right, if we turned our energies & resources towards the obliteration of cancer just think of the positive effects on healthcare, insurance, productivity, and personal finances. I would venture to say all of you in some way or another have been touched by the devastating ravages of cancer.

On a personal level I know what I’m talking about because I’ve dealt with Malignant Melanoma three different times. I’m healthy and have been in “remission” for years now but the last round I went through it without insurance and of course am now one of the millions of un-insured Americans who live in fear of health issues because of a pre-existing condition. (For more about our feelings towards Obama’s Healthcare bill please go here. )

I’ve heard the bad news, had the surgeries, done the treatments and faced the stress of each follow-up. I’ve lost dear friends and a sister-in-law at 48 years old. We’ve got to find the causes and cures and put our efforts into those instead of expensive ad campaigns. I don’t know about you, but I’m getting real tired of visiting cancer clinics, hospice care, local fund-raisers and funerals for folks who should’ve had a lot more years ahead.

Pink RibbonNow I’m realistic enough to know that there is a cost for everything and I know that a cure for the “Big C” would wreck out the mortuary, pharmaceutical and pink ribbon industries, but what the heck, we can always move on to something else to support. Yeah, like curing the commonsense deficit amongst our leaders. But no, that wouldn’t be hope and change, no, that would be an outright miracle!

Do you have any suggestions for our illustrious leaders on how to fix our economy and the state of our country?  Did you know that every month except August & December are some type of Cancer Awareness months? 

 

Why I Talk Politics

Posted on: October 5th, 2012 by R.W. Hampton 14 Comments

Flags at Sunset

Folks, last night someone commented that they didn’t like politics coming from my Facebook “music page”. Obviously they don’t know me very well.

You won’t find me telling you how to vote, just telling you TO GO VOTE. I like to hear the facts (when I can find them) and I want people to be interested in what is going on in America.  I am proud to be an American & I am proud that my father, forefathers & my son have all stood up & swore to protect this great nation – and some of them have died doing it.

I won’t ask you to vote for my candidate, and I won’t tell you who I want to win; but I will tell you that you should be praying for our country and for all of the candidates that they will be leaders who are guided by values other than personal greed and self-empowering goals.

This country can not stand with the polarization that is happening among us – right or left we need to learn to look towards the middle in order to build our great nation’s strength back.  And we need leaders who will do the same.

It takes each of us learning the facts and educating ourselves, holding to our values and then working hard to reach a compromise with those who have different values and ideals to achieve a plan that works for those who are willing to work hard to make it work.  There is not a one of us who is not able to do something for the good of our country and our neighbors; no matter our financial well-being or our physical abilities.

America was built by hardworking people who all came here to follow a dream. They didn’t come here for a hand-out, just a hand-up.  These same people made it great for all of us who live here today.

Working together to put strong leaders in our government is important if we want America to get back on her feet.  We can no longer sit by and say that someone else will take care of it while more and more of America is bartered off to foreign countries when we have a wealth of human and natural resources right here.  You have heard me say it before, America is not for sale!

I want to hand my children and grand-children a great nation to grow up in but I know it will take an effort of hard work.  Telling others how to vote just won’t work. But helping to find and support leaders worthy of voting for on both a local and national level does help.  Making sure I’m as educated as possible before I vote and knowing what my own principles and values are, and praying for our leaders those are ways I can help.  And, if doing my part includes reminding people what values I think are important – through my music, my writing and this page…. then so be it.

God Bless America!

I’d love to hear from you.  How do you educate yourself about the candidates?  Do you vote along party lines? What issues are the most important to you?

9.11.2010

Posted on: September 9th, 2010 by R.W. Hampton 4 Comments

It seems like only yesterday that I watched in horror, disbelief and anger as our world was forever changed. Changed in the way we travel. Changed in the way we view our neighbors. But most profoundly for me, it is the fact that once again, we are sending our sons and daughters off to war.

Now let me be the first to say that I believe this is a must! For when you are attacked by a ruthless and cowardly enemy, you cannot shiver in the darkness waiting for the next hit. Nor can you afford the naïve and idealistic thinking that sanctions, trade embargoes and talks will stop it.

No, I believe that “taking it to them” is not only the right thing to do, but the only thing to do. I can say this with honesty because my oldest son is, as of this writing, doing just that, “takin’ it to ‘em!”

Coop and his buddy TBird

The problem for me is the nagging doubt I have that our government will let our sons and daughters do the job for which they are trained and willing to give their lives for. This doubt is strongly reinforced every time I read about how the troops remaining in Iraq are already back in the action and under fire. It is reinforced now when I hear Washington has already told our enemies in Afghanistan when we are going to be done and headed home. We need to let our sons and daughters know that we are behind them and let them win for a change and the payoff is a safer world for them to come home to. We owe this to our finest so that no one will have bled and died in vain.

At a time when elections are on the horizon and much is at stake politically, I want to tell our politicians from all parties , “Do what you must, but do not use my son or anyone else’s as your pawns. No, let them do their jobs. You cannot fight this war from your cherry-wood-and-leather-appointed chambers. No, it must be fought outside and over there, and it must be fought to win, and your Senate or Congressional seat be damned!”

As I close, I am looking at the picture of a young, proud, square-jawed Marine. At the bottom he has written, “We are the unwanted, doing the unthinkable, for the ungrateful. WE ARE THE MARINES.” This is my own son, and I pray his sentiments are wrong, and I pray for our leaders.

God Bless America and May We Never Forget September 11th!
R.W. Hampton