Information

[baltoscrapper]

or an extreme change is going to happen? Like 2012, as they predicted?


I just don't know, sometimes things feel so hopeless. I get email after email about the president, how the Muslim religion is going to be our religion? (God, I hope not!). The healthcare crappola? The economy? The oil spill? Extreme weather? The mortgage industry?



Something just doesn't feel right to me and I don't know if it's me, or if I'm being a human barometer. What scares me most is not for me, or my dh. I'm scared for my son. What kind of crap is he going to have to deal with?



I'm REALLY scared about the Muslim thing though. I'm not one to be "controlled". Do you think these are "scare" tactics by people who do not like Obama? I voted for him but am wondering about my choice now. I also can't stand all the "freebies" for the people who don't work, don't want to work, ran their debts up so high, and than to have them forgiven, people who bought houses they couldn't afford etc..... all the while, I have lived in a house smaller than we can afford, driven older cars, kept a tight rein on the money, all in hopes of building a brighter retirement/future. Is it all for not?

[megamay]

I don't think the Muslim thing is anything to worry about. That's GOT to be a scare tactic, it's just not possible.

As for worrying about our kids - yeah I do too. I worry about the economy, global warming etc.

Healthcare, and the oil spill - those are just the worry du jour. I'm not too concerned about that stuff. I mean, I was happy about the healthcare reform stuff, but I still worry about the future of that, however, that is the kind of thing that will sort itself out. (well maybe not itself, but it'll work out) same with the oil spill. Im not saying there wont be consequences but it'll be ok.

Same with the mortgage thing. Yeah I hate people getting bailed out too. I feel like they should have been living within their means like I have, but in the end, that will be ok too. We - as a country, or as a world - might not be able to maintain the standard of living that we are at now, because really, the wasteful excessive lifestyle of this country is pretty much predicated on the fact that other people are being exploited, or working for pennies. Nevertheless, the world isnt coming to an end. We arent going to run out of food or necessities any time soon.

[AnnOminous]

No, I don't. It's a cycle. You always have a group of people who try (and sometimes suceed) in gaining power using scare tactics. There's always someone/group being portrayed as the boggyman. The communists used to be portrayed the same way the Muslims are being protrayed now. We were all going to be Red or Dead. Heck, back in the Dark Ages the Muslims were the big boogyman.

[HCayH]

I tend to ignore the political stuff but the weather and earthquakes have me a bit scared! Especially after watching 2012, it just seems so real, like it could really happen with all the stuff that's going on right now!

[LyndaKay]

Vote in November! But in the mean time, just spend some charitable time, which makes a person feels awesome! You'll be making a difference in this cynical world.

[JulesinParadise]

I would like to think that things will change for the better. We have been on the same path for a long time now and I am seeing people (in general) changing. Instead of waiting for someone else to solve big problems, individuals are banding together to get a job done or take positive steps. The status quo is no longer an option and this is being reflected in how we vote out the established 'career' politicians lately.

I read about a woman who was appalled by the lack of clean up efforts in New Orleans the year after Katrina. She fund raised, went to N.O. rented a dumpster and started on one block to clean up by herself. The next day, there were a few more people helping and then dozens and dozens. When they finished that block, they moved to another with another dumpster. The 'powers that be' said, You can't do that...you don't have a permit, the city has not approved this. And she went public...by the end of that week, she had permits, tons of workers and more dumpsters donated. I believe (and I could be wrong here) by the time she was done there was a 16 block area cleaned up and ready for rebuilding.

I read this in the paper and if it is an urban myth...well, maybe we need those to motivate us to do something . I am a firm believer that one person can make a difference...I think if we each invested a bit of time into something or someone who needs help we can shift things. Call me Pollianna but I do believe this.

[Janshotgun]

I feel the same way you do. We live a few hours away from Detroit (my hometown when I was young) and to see the destruction and the hopelessness is too much to comprehend. A whole generation has been lost - the people just don't care about anything - their kids, their homes, the schools.


And then the unemployment - I have too many relatives and friends that are affected by this. I worry about my kids (who have children of their own) and wonder if they will be able to survive. When our kids were young, we struggled to make ends meet and had a nice house but we were very conservative with our spending. We never would have thought about not making a house payment but then drive a new car.



I resent all the handouts being given to people who are too irresponsible to manage their money and try to find jobs. Don't get me wrong, I know that it is a difficult time to try to find a job, but we have a whole generation that has that welfare mentality and they keep perpetuating it. I'm not talking about people that have had jobs and lost them due to the economy.



The muslims and their beliefs do scare me - their culture is so different than ours and I guess I've read too many scary articles about how they want to take over the world. The countries making nuclear bombs scare me - will they be responsible or use them to scare everyone into submission?

The amount of oil spewing into the gulf is incomprehensible. Those poor people who make their livelihood fishing!



There seems to be so much more violence - no one knows how to talk to each other and resolving their conflicts in a peaceful manner. What made some people act the way they do????



I think I need a drink!

[JulesinParadise]

I'll open the TIKI BAR...and we can solve all the world's problems....who is going to take notes? I plan on my hands both being wrapped around a nice big glass of vino!

[JeanG]

Obama is Christian, not Muslim. That's just scare tactics.


I think things are crazy right now, too. I don't think the world will end in 2012, but I'm not buying Christmas presents until the 22nd that year, just to be sure!! DH says the next Presidential election is in November 2012; if "they're" right about the world ending, no one has to worry about who's elected anyway.



There really ARE a lot of weird weather happenings going on and the oil leaking has me nearly as crazy as Katrina did. I know some sea life will never come back; but I'm encouraged that BP said today they will not cap the money - they will do everything they can to reduce the wreck caused by the oil leak. We'll see.



As for health care - every single person in the country should have it. On the TV news here Sunday night, there was a story about a woman in Iron Mountain, MI. (That's about 100 miles from here.) She injured her shoulder a few months ago, but couldn't see a specialist because she has no money, so they wouldn't let her in. So a week ago the pain was driving her so insane that she decided to shoot herself in that shoulder so an orthopod would HAVE to see her. From the look of the wound, she used a .22 pistol. She was taken to the ER, the bullet removed, patched up...and SENT HOME!! It wasn't bad enough to call an orthopod!! She said she feels totally stupid now...and to add to the stupidity of this all, the prosecuter is considering chraging her with shooting a firearm within city limits!!! She should have been able to see an orthopod a few months ago when she first injured that shoulder; the lack of health care for those in need in this country is shameful!!



I can see why you're upset and worried; putting it all in perspective is really hard. I think this poor old world has a long way to go yet before we finally blow it to bits. I worry about my Great-Grandkids' lives. I won't be here by then anyway, but I hate to think of what they'll inherit from previous generations.

I am worried about the way the world is headed as well. Can't add a lot that already hasn't been said. . . except . . ..


you referred to people being bailed out who don't live within their means. Sometimes, we are forced into situations like bankruptcy because of things beyond our control. My husband and I are in the midst of a bankruptcy. We have struggled with this issue for over a year on what to do. We have no insurance. In January of 2007 I had an emergency back surgery (cost was over $20,000). in April of 2009 I had to have gallbladder surgery . . .again another huge hospital bill ($15,000). Throw into the mix that we own a house that has an apartment. We went for 4 months without rental income because we had to evict a tenant and they trashed the place, causing us not only lost income for the rent, but several thousand dollars for repair work. Plus we had some credit card debt, a hefty mortgage, but without the added medical bills we were making ends meet. I spend over a year trying to work with our creditors to no avail, so this last month we opted for filing bankruptcy. It was a very hard thing to do, as I always felt like you do, that you need to live within your means and pay your bills. However, we weren't able to do that... and in the past two years we had cut out many "luxuries" like reducing our tv to basic, reducing cell phone service, changing the types of food I buy at the grocery store, etc. My DH and I both have good jobs, but just weren't making it.

[JDs Mom]

You have GOT to be kidding me--people are still trying to pull that Obama is a secret Muslim crap?! Really?? Over a year after the election???

[Retiree3]

I have faith that good will prevail and I don't think the world will end in 2012. I am 55 years old and I can't tell you how many times that people have predicted that the world will end.

[gonecamping]

Maybe its my age, but this past year or so has been the most involved I have ever been politically and the most uneasy I have ever been about the path this country is taking. I don't feel like the president is a secret muslim but I don't feel like he is a strong christian or a strong president. (and does the president need to be a christian? maybe not) I don't like the socialist way our society is becoming and the way its being shoved down our throats. I don't agree with the health care reform that was forced upon us. There definitely needs to be health insurance reform. Everyone who wants health insurance should be able to afford to get it. It insane that some one like Mindysue should go bankrupt because of medical bills. However, this health care reform that passed isn't going to solve the problem. There is nothing in it that will prevent insurance companies from raising our co pays and our out of pocket caps to unaffordable limits. (IMO) I didnt' vote for him and won't be voting for him at the next election.

All of the earthquakes and natural disasters are very unsettling to me. That scares me more than anything. The bible tells us that earthquakes, volcanos and other disasters will increase in the end. We have had alot of that happening. Its scary.

I saw something somewhere that said by the year 2050 (or something like that) the muslims will be the majority. They are procreating at a rapid rate while the rest of the world is not. I don't know a whole lot about the religion but what I have heard is downright scary to me. My son accuses me of being judgemental but I think our younger generation isn't judgemental enough. They expect entitlements and have a do what makes you feel good attitude. I worry about that for our kids when they are grown and have families of their own. What is the world going to be like for them?

[scrapgram]

OK here is my two cents worth! We cannot blame anyone president for the current situation. Every leader in each country has contributed to the way things are now in the world.


1. I agree that we should have healthcare for everyone. I am 67 years old now and have Scan and Medicare so I am ok for now with healthcare. But there are millions that have nothing and it should not be that way. I worry about our future generations will there be these kinds of things available to them?



2. When I was in school we had all types of activities to keep us healthy and feed our minds. now kids don't have anything. I am all for exploring space, but we should be investing in our future(children) and making sure that they are educated so that we can continue to make sure we don't wind up a third world country. Teach them to make a living and they will be able to take care of their families.



3. This oil thing is ruining our waters. People who depend on fish for making a living or for food will not be able to because the fish are being contaminated. And who is BP? I hear this alot but don't know what it stands for.



4. Violence. It is horrible, each day things are worse. I don't read the paper much anymore, because all you read is son kills family, policeman beat or abuse someone, neighbors shoot each other over whose fence it is. There is no respect for anyone anymore.



5. War, I know we want to help everyone and I admire our country for that. But what price are we paying, how many of our boys and girls are being scarficied. So many in our country don't appreciate what our armed forces are doing and instead of standing behind them they turn their backs on them. And when we need help where are these other countries? They have excuses for not being able to help.



6. Weather, tornadors, earthquakes, volcanos, hurricanes etc. etc. all leave such devastation and destruction.



7. Family does not mean together anymore. One little problem and off to divorce court.



8. Sickness, everything we eat & drink seems to have something in it that will turn into a diease.



9. Drugs, so easy to get and the horrible people that love to get kids hooked



10. I could go on and on but I am now depressed so I will stop here.







I think one day soon GOD is going to say enough is enough an it will be





LIGHTS OUT!!!!!

[PezKat]

Scrapgram, BP stands for British Petroleum but they are just called BP - they have gas stations here in the Midwest.

[kittymomma]

You have GOT to be kidding me--people are still trying to pull that Obama is a secret Muslim crap?! Really?? Over a year after the election???

Maybe that is crap--but you have got to wonder why he had to fly to Hawaii and have his birth certificate sealed! Why not just have full disclosure--heck, I am a teacher and I have to be fingerprinted background checked--all those documents examined.



Here is the guy with the key codes to the country's nuclear arms and he doesn't have to show us his certificate? Hmmm....

[3 Pals]

FYI - there has been a great deal of misinformation out there regarding the valididty of his citizenship and even more disproving these theories... do you really think someoen could fake this and become the president of the most powerful country in the world?

[lilkoala3]

Uh... What's wrong with Islam? My boyfriend is Muslim, and my ex was Muslim, too. They aren't much different from Christians in the broad scheme of things. Not only that, but I find it odd that people are so afraid of other religions. Guess what? That type of fear is what caused the Holocaust. I don't agree with many of the beliefs of all religions, but that's okay. I don't really fear them, either. Hell, I think Christianity is just as ridiculous as Islam, which is just as ridiculous as Judaism, which is just as ridiculous as Hinduism.... and I could go on. But I respect others that hold those views, and I really don't give a crap that my country is a majority Christian when I'm a happy little agnostic. Cec, I'm wondering what you mean when you said you are worried about Islam becoming the major religion in the US because you "don't like to be controlled." Can you elaborate?
People are worried about our current political/econimic/social situation, but everyone has been doing that since the beginning of time. If I had a dime for everytime my grandma used to complain and worry about the world, I'd be rich. And guess what? My mama has started doing it, also.

Sure, alot of stuff about our current situation stinks. But if you think about it objectively, you may think that things are better now than say when were in the grips of the Cold War or when almost ALL of our young men were fighting in Vietnam. Yes, unemployment is high, people are suffering. But we ain't in the Great Depression! All I know is that I'm 28, and people have been saying the world is coming to an end for as long as I can remember. And we're all still here... We've survived alot, and I'm confident we'll be fine.

So keep your chin up, ya'll! All that worrying is going to put you into an early grave and give you wrinkles.

[writerlady]

I'm afraid of the fighting in the middle east and the weather changes...

[PezKat]

Not to turn this into a big religious discussion, but... as a Christian and someone with (Christian) relatives living in Islamic countries, I can tell you there is a huge difference. The most important difference IMO: Christians believe in a loving, forgiving, self-sacrificing God who wants to have a personal relationship with each of us and give us salvation through Christ (not any works of our own besides belief/trust). Muslims believe in a strict, demanding, non-loving God who requires them to earn their salvation through works (such as sacrificing themselves for the cause, which is why many Muslim terrorists do what they do).

When a government is Muslim it is generally very strict, and this can involve limiting the rights of women and persons of other religions (e.g. in some countries it is illegal for a Christian to tell a Muslim about his own Christian beliefs), etc. Christians' rights are already limited enough here with the government we have and they are becoming more limited all the time, while those of other religions seem to be expanding. I do not think the President is a practicing Muslim but there are a lot of factors I see making me more concerned about the future of America, yes.