It is less than a week before Nov. 4 and I have been watching political ads on television, reading political fliers stuck in my doors, and receiving political phone calls on my cell. I am happy to report that I have learned a very valuable lesson from all this campaigning, in fact, I have been enlightened not by Maverick McCain, nor have I finally taken something of value away from Obama's rhetoric of change and hope.
As of today, I no longer need to worry about my standardized test scores, my GPA, my applications to graduate school, my job with the university -- heck, I don't even care about graduating with my degree in May. Why the sudden nonchalance concerning my future? Because, guess what: President Obama is going to make sure I'm OK. I don't have to pursue a college degree, I don't have to try to make something of my life, I don't even have to make minimum wage. I can sit at home all day long peaceful in the knowledge that Obama is looking out for me, an average middle class citizen. With Obama as my president, I can rest easy knowing that my fellow classmates whom I would have graduated with in May are going to work every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and pay taxes to support my relaxation indefinitely. Who's with me?
Oh, wait ... this is reality and I still have some common sense about me. I still have to graduate, get my master's degree, find a job with a firm and start paying back graduate-school loans. But it gets better! I also now get to pursue a better life and earn money not just to support my family and myself. No, no, now I get to help support everyone who is too lazy to work for a living.
Wake up, America. We as citizens of the United States aren't guaranteed a "spreading of the wealth" as Obama so adamantly desires. Our great nation was founded by the very same men who declared that inalienable rights included the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; that's it. Do my eyes fail me or is the right to money mentioned somewhere in there? Oh, sure, you may argue that the pursuit of happiness means a right to monetary happiness but I'd say check again, folks, the word is "pursuit" not achievement. You have every right to pursue happiness and if that means monetary wealth, fine. What you don't have is the right to expect money from the government simply on principle. And guess who wants to extend a right not mentioned anywhere in the Constitution -- your friend and mine, our very own modern day Robin Hood -- Barack Obama.
Now, I assume that plenty of people have already scrunched the paper up, huffily told whoever is nearby that I am ... well ... a lot of profane things, and stalked off. If you're still with me, thanks. I am all for helping people who need brief assistance to get back on their feet. I am not for helping people who don't help themselves, and unfortunately, to help yourself, you need a job. This is my bone of contention with Obama's socialist ideal of "spreading the wealth." Why should I work everyday to help support people who won't help themselves? Maybe I'd like to do nothing, sleep late every day and catch up on Jerry Springer. But I have work ethic; I'm not going to ask someone who works every single day to support my lazy butt and I am outraged that Obama wants me to break my neck every day to support folks who just expect the government to give them money because -- darn it all -- they deserve it for sitting around waiting for their government check to arrive in the mail. I mean, they sit all day long. Please, where is my incentive to help people like that? No one gives me money for nothing; every dollar I have deposited into my bank account gets there because I juggle a job in addition to school. I work hard for my money and as I enter the "real world," I will only have to work harder for that financial security. And you can be darn certain that if I have to work so hard for what I earn, then by heaven you can bet I'm not about to give it up to people who don't have a job. Here in America, you have the opportunity to be something great if you apply yourself and work for it. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you don't have a guarantee to any sort of success; every step you gain has to be the result of hard effort on your part. So while Robin Hood sounded great when I was six, I have to admit the luster has worn off now that it's my income being taxed to support those who don't work themselves.
What I don't understand is how so many people are OK with working hard every day in essence to pay for those who don't. I think if the truth be told, Democrats are all fine and good with espousing a utopian "spreading of the wealth" but if push comes to shove, I'd like to see exactly how many of those same people would be willing to give their money to people who don't deserve it. So before you vote on Election Day, think about whether you really want to vote for a president who wants you to give up the sweat of your brow for people who blindly expect government support because after all, they deserve it, right?