I am by nature an optimist. Those of you who follow me may not believe it, because I write about the political evils in our nation, and report about the worst of things which occur in our country. I fear for the America where I was raised, but I have hope because the people of the United States are basically good and caring. I will never stop railing against those in power who deceive us while seeking power and financial success; that is my promise, and I will always be truthful.

It’s hard to look at 2016 and believe that the coming year will be good for our nation’s people. We are forced to experience Donald Trump; Rush Limbaugh remains the leader of those who hate and seek the destruction of our American way of life; and religious extremists continue their cowardly attempts to create fear and turmoil. Mass shootings continue daily in our nation, and the middle class is disappearing while more and more families slide into poverty.

I refuse to despair. We have the power to take the country back. It must be returned to the majority and special interests be damned. Join me and refuse to continue living in fear. Replace anger and hatred with compassion and hope. Let’s return to the principles of our founding fathers, and embrace their legacy. The Constitution is a living document; but it cannot be interpreted to satisfy individual goals and ambitions. Be strong; be informed; be a loyal American, loyal to the people, not the government.

Our second President, John Adams, said: “Fear is the foundation of most governments.”

Centuries ago Plato said: “Excess generally causes reaction, and produces a change in the opposite direction, whether it be in the seasons, or in individuals, or in governments.”

Knowledge gives great power to the voters. If we have the courage to retake our nation and move it forward into the 21^st century instead of allowing it to continue to regress, all men will be treated equally and individual freedom will once again be the rule of law.

I believe that our country can be returned to its once great status. Our values have been twisted by political rhetoric, and therefore the weaknesses of our people have resulted in distrust of our fellow man. This purposeful creation of anger has resulted in continual violence.

Our nation was not designed to be fearful and violent. It was not evolution which made us the most violent nation in the world. We are here because far too many of our people have been intentionally led to the ‘cool aid trough.’ The easiest way to control the minds and actions of human beings is to use fear tactics. The reality is that we have nothing to fear if we, the people, demand changes in our government which will move us into a future of hope and positive action.

There is far too much emphasis on terrorism, and little concern for what is truthfully the safety of our people. Safety is not exclusively about the threat of physical harm, although that is a real concern as thousands of our people are murdered yearly from the use of lethal weapons; it is also about the quality of life. Financial security is a must for every man, woman, and child in our nation. Not a single person should go to bed hungry; no one should be forced to nightly seek a safe place to rest; families must cease to be concerned that if they miss a single paycheck, they will be forced to live in abject poverty; no one should be forced to suffer from illness or disease because they can’t afford adequate health care.

Finally, if there is to be a future for our nation and the world, we must ensure that our planet in inhabitable for our grandchildren. Politicians are in denial of science, and that could be a fatal mistake for the environment. When 99 percent of the world’s climate scientists agree that the use of fossil fuels is destroying our air, water, and land, only ignorant individuals, or those who profit from the destruction of the earth can deny the facts.

Please, please; I ask you to join me in the renovation of our country. We can be a great nation filled with the most positive and forward thinking people in the world. It’s your choice; we have two directions to choose from. We can move into the future with hope and belief in one another, or continue to move backwards until we are forced to relive all of the mistakes of our past.

You have the power; you must vote, and vote intelligently. If you agree with me, please repost; I want all real patriots to join me in 2016.

Op-Ed

By James Turnage

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