Candidates Don't Compare To Past Leaders

I remember America.

It was a land of freedom. Of democracy.

A place where names such as Washington, Jefferson, Franklin and Lincoln were on the highest plateau.

A land where Liberty and Justice were the cornerstone of a new government, not just empty words etched into mortar.

I remember the Declaration of Independence, a document proclaiming the desire to rule without oppression.

The Constitution, a trail or words which tried to ease a young nation's birth pains.

I remember the Civil War, bringing about a semblance of freedom for blacks enslaved in the South.

I remember Jim Crow laws, a group called the Ku Klux Klan, and a strong-willed woman named Rosa Parks.

I remember listening to Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, crying for the soul of a nation.

I remember my elementary school teachers telling me I could be anything I wanted when I grew up.
A doctor. Fireman. Astronaut. Cowboy. Baseball player.

President.

Yes, one day I could be president.

And then in learning what the textbooks omitted, I began to discover the big lie we call government.
It his in such places as My Lai, Cambodia and Cuba.

It was defined in terms like Watergate, Abscam and conta-rebels.

It was exposed in stories on Kent State, Iranian hostages and Daniloff.

And through all of this, we had an esteemed leader of the so-called "democratic process."

A crook, a schnook, a peanut farmer, a B-movie actor.

My friends, i remember America. Beyond the glitz and glamour of Lady Liberty's refurbishment or the skyward flight of a space shuttle.

It's important to remember, with the election approaching.

Remember these names. Repeat them out loud, forming a distinct image in your mind.

President Bush.

President Dukakis.

President Bentsen.

President Quayle.

America, I'm worried.

It's Pied Piper time again. Of the thousands of politicians in this country, these are the most qualified?
I say it's Pied Piper time again because that's all we Americans seem to do in times of elections, We say, "Gee, this guy looks like Robert Redford, so I'll choose Mr. Voodoo Economics."

Or: "Well, my grandparents came from the 'old country,' so I'll vote for Mr. Eyebrows."

We vote, not so much because of the issues, but because of the commercialization.

Only 50 percent of this country's registered voters will take part in electing our news leader. Much of this is due to the dissatisfaction of the American voter.

Let me take this one step further. I'm ware of who to vote for because I'm not only dissatisfied, but I'm outraged at what my choices are. This is like choosing between a plain, no-salt potato chip and a stale, chip-your-tooth potato chip.

No flavor, No satisfaction. No additives or preservatives.

The sad truth is that we know too much about Bush, not enough about Dukakis, and Jesse Jackson (remember him? - he's the dynamic one) decided to play the game by the rules.

Bush has so many skeletons floating around his campaign, bot in and out of the closet (Iran-Contra, Nixon aides, etc.) that it resembles a Vincent Price horror film.

In Massachusetts, medical malpractice and the tax base are so far gone that Dukakis is viewed as being out of touch with the middle class.

And you can bet Jackson, who decided to wait until 1992, will be more than read to assume the lead Democratic role, should Bush win this year.

If this election isn't enough to worry you as it does me, then America is worse off than I thought.
I cry at the realization of seeing higher taxes in the next four years. It doesn't matter who we have in the hot seat; after seeing our national debt soar beyond the trillion mark, there is no doubt this will happen.

Along with more taxes being depleted from paycheck, there will be cutbacks.

When talking tax increases and cutbacks, the Republican attitude is to blame Congress. If they hadn't (a) threatened to override that veto; (b) approved the arms sale to that Mid-East country; or (c) wasted those hard-earned dollars on nonsensical issues, then we wouldn't be in the mess we're in today.

On the same subject, the Democrats feel a little differently. If Mr. Teflon hadn't been (a) treating the budget like a credit card; (b) imposing his desire to fund the contra-rebels with another billion or so; or (c) so eager to blame Congress that he forgot where the buck is supposed to stop - with the President himself - then our debt wouldn't be so far out of the ozone layer.

So much for our taxes. How about Central America?

Let's see. A majority of the citizens in this nation are opposed to any interaction in Central America.
Yet, only one of the four main performers in the 1988 insult derby is opposed to contra aid - Dukakis.
And how credible is he on this when his choice as a vice president is opposed to Dukakis's opposition?

My biggest problem, I guess, is seeing Ying and Yang as our candidates; two men slinging so much "doo-doo" around that the shovel brigade has resigned. Two men who can't get me to agree with them entirely.

And I don't know what do to anymore. I'm lost.

I remember, America. I remember. And it scares the hell out of me.

This article originally appeared in Central Michigan Life.