Dear America

I'm back and am ready to take it on, as the saying goes. I have now begun three different columns because I wasn't sure in which direction I should veer here in the new year. (I just made a rhyme in case you missed that.)

After the back and forth aloud for all (cats) to enjoy, I concluded that I shall continue to attempt some sort of weekly “entertainment” ranging from political rants to Todd the Cat blather to Mother information.

In other words, I will not go totally “nutso” every week but will be a partial nut-bar instead—mostly more of the insanity to which you've become accustomed.

For this first column of 2017 I feel I must and I shall be nutso this time. Due to the startling nature of what our country and area are facing, I simply cannot skip along merrily as if everything is “normal,” because it is NOT. It has not been so for a long time but Oh Orange One (OOO) has awakened many to the reality of our collective situation. If one looks at it in a truly fair manner, he/she should conclude that this could be good. We could become more alert due to OOO, I guess I should say thank you to Agent Orange at this point.

Moving along, the following is a bit (if bit is now defined as LOT) different than my usual blather so bear with or simply light the paper on fire. Those are your ONLY two choices of course. Nothing as simple as turning the page would work in my peculiar world.

I wanted to try something wild, crazy, out of the ordinary (since I'm usually extremely ordinary and always solemn) and unique. The following is geared toward the government or the actual nation but not to the citizens.

Sort of pretend like America is an entity with a mind of its own or something along those lines in order to grasp the theme of the following. For crying in a bucket, I think you will understand but am always leery as people become overly offended for the silliest of reasons.

Perpetual (life-long gentleman suitor) is terrified that my “activism” in print might lead to this home being bombed or plastered with graffiti. (That would actually be an improvement, by the by.) I respectfully request pitchforks only, if at all possible and thank you in advance for your consideration in this matter. Be considerate to Perpetual as he has to deal with me on a fairly regular basis and that's enough punishment for one lifetime.

This sort of theme will NOT fill this space every week so calm down right this instant. You may now exhale—WOW Todd the Cat has once again been airlifted.

Dear America,

My name is Lisa and by happenstance of birth I am a resident of your land. I'm writing to you in this new year because I feel the need to express myself openly and honestly. I hope you can take some time out of your busy schedule to accommodate my blather.

I hope you don't find this to be too inconvenient as I will only hold you captive for maybe 15, 20 or 4,789 minutes of your precious time.

I've always been a rather content member of your citizenry but some things have come to my attention concerning the entire population of this little blue dot in the vastness that is our universe. Since you have always played a pivotal role from the time of your inception, I felt that I should bring some items of an urgent nature to your attention. The following is written by me but I am simply acting as a representative for many other humans within your territory.

I realize that some people cannot pen an open letter to an entity such as yourself due to the fear of being imprisoned, ridiculed, marginalized or “disappeared,” to put it gently, yet effectively. Now that I ponder, I have heard of such goings on right here within your loving arms but I digress, as is my nature.

Before I continue I must stress that I don't always agree with your decisions but I have a tremendous affinity for those who dwell within your borders. I, as well as many in my circle, possess an overwhelming sense of empathy for those not in our direct life path, so to speak.

A few examples might illustrate this for you as I've heard that sometimes you are not really engaged with your inhabitants. You are more times than not simply too busy with other pressing issues.

When we hear of children in Flint Michigan who have been damaged for life by a faulty water system that has NOT been fixed, our hearts ache. When we see Native Americans being brutalized by a militarized “oil police” force, we become nauseated. When we think of hungry senior citizens IN THIS COUNTRY it makes for sleepless nights. When we learn that you don't seem to possess the same compassion as do the ordinary folks in your realm, we cannot help but feel despair. When we read of private prisons for profit consisting of those who simply had marijuana on their persons, we weep.

Would it be feasible to cease in funding hideous foreign regimes not only monetarily but with weaponry? Perhaps 38 billion dollars over the next ten years could be best utilized within your belly. Is there any possibility of repairing a horrible, broken, easily manipulated voting system? Would it be possible to stop threatening to remove the minuscule citizen safety net funding and perhaps instead cut a smidgen of BLOATED war machine? Would you ask YOUR talking heads in the corporately funded “media” to stop asking “how are you gonna pay for that?” when it comes to helping people. Please instruct them to instead ask that of candidates who say, “I think we need to rebuild the military.” Might I ask you to please start actually representing people rather than HUGE private interest groups? Might I remind you that the human beings are just a touch more important than short term profits of the polluting fossil fuel industry?

Is it possible that you might give up screaming RUSSIA at every turn and instead yell “CROSSCHECK PROGRAM,” pretty please? Might you understand that investigations have taken place that clearly show how voters were purged from the rolls?

Please America can you hear the cries of your own children, both the stranger and the native? Could I possibly impose upon you to think of my words?

I leave you, America, with some profoundly moving words from Elie Wiesel (perhaps the most famous of all Holocaust survivors and Nobel Laureate who died in 2016). “Indifference is not an option...The opposite of love is not hate but indifference...Simple things have their own beauty...When I see a child the sadness of that child darkens my universe...We are each others hope.” These and other words of wisdom are ones that I hope you—YES, YOU AMERICA, will carry into this new era.

Thank you for taking the time.

Respectfully, Lisa Houserman of the “Concerned Citizen Political Party”

THE END.