Freedom

This note is sparked from highlights running through my mind during tonight's debate. This will be short and sweet and is off the cuff, so bear with me. No tangents, I promise.

America was founded on a few simple principles, a couple of which include trust in God, freedom from too much power in any one facet of government, separation of church and state, and the pursuit of happiness to name only a few.

I feel empowered because I am and American and have limitless possibilities. I could rise to the Presidency and become the "leader of the free world". (Well not exactly, too many bad decisions that have been photographed in a drunken stupor would come back to haunt me and my credibility regarding decision making...oh yeah, no tangents.)

Where else in the world could an individual rise from poverty to prosperity in a lifetime? I thank God for being born in a nation with no class structure--where my rights are just as important as any other citizen's rights.

With that said, I am also proud that we demonstrate the prosperity that Capitalism can bring to a society. Our poor can be obese! They carry cell phones and own computers! We used to worry about groceries and heating oil, but why would we anymore when they are going to be guaranteed by the government?

The socialist tendencies we are exhibiting scare the crap out of me because the desire to succeed beyond your wildest dreams is being crushed. Before you hit $250,000 you'd better quit because all you are doing is contributing to someone else's free ride. **Now some of you are saying, "Jesse, if you have a quarter of a million dollars and are living in North Da'colder', can't you afford to toss some change to the less fortunate?"** My answer to that is a resounding, "YES, and I will!" (Granted I don't make that amount and probably never will!)

My point here is I am glad to help out where I can, and if I had that amount I would, but I can choose for myself where that money goes. I don't need the government making decisions for me. I don't need the government telling me it is "patriotic" to pay taxes. I will take care of me and my own(family, community, county) so that I can see the benefit. There are things government can do, but I believe they should be taken care of at the lowest level possible.

Let's wrap this up....and if anyone is still reading, thank you. It may sound preachy and impossible, but we need to tighten our belts, pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, lean on each other when necessary, and only look to the government in an emergency. Conservative values will guide the way through these troubled times, not the liberal answer of throwing money or more bureaucracy at the problem. We as Americas are going to be revealed in the coming years. I hope what we reveal is the America I hold dear. The America that is a shining beacon of hope and prosperity which has made us a world leader and will for generations to come.

Education: Privilege or Entitlement?

This is a letter submitted to the editor of the Dakota Student that has yet to be published. We will see if it ever makes it into print.....

Welcome to UND, our fine institution of higher learning. While pursuit of post-secondary education is a distinct privilege we enjoy in this country, I say to you, it is not an entitlement.

In Michelle Obama’s address to the Democratic National Convention given August 25, 2008 she says, “[My dad] and my mom poured everything they had into me and Craig….thanks to their faith and hard work, we both were able to go on to college. So I know firsthand from their lives-and mine-that the American Dream endures.”

There is no substitute for hard work and dedication. Why then, does Barack Obama propose a tax credit of $4,000 to basically everyone going to college when his wife is so proud of her parents’ hard work that put her and her brother through college? Avenues are already in existence that will allow anyone with ample fortitude to seek a college education. Having some student loans after college or a few years of a military commitment upon graduation can easily be viewed as motivating factors for working towards a successful career.

There is no fear of failure or loss when you are gambling with someone else’s money. Unless there is some accountability for this money, there will be even more failing freshmen that don’t know how valuable the education they are receiving really is. Classrooms are already overcrowded and professors are overworked. Why should we burden them with more underachievers that delay learning for the rest of us? Now if the University expands to accommodate more students, more costs will arise and be passed on to the student or to the taxpayer that will basically negate the effect of the tax credit.

It is an evident truth that not everyone will be wildly successful in life. The difference between success and failure is that successful people don’t even see failure as an option. There may be rough stretches, but never do they abandon ship or wave the white flag. Accomplished individuals embrace challenges that adverse situations present, and excel when put under stress.

One trait that makes me most proud to call myself an American is our desire to rise up and overcome when the challenge is daunting. I believe it is our spirit to be trend setters on the world stage. My national pride is hurt when I see other nations passing us academically as well as economically, with little or no desire being shown to reverse these trends.

Having ambition and self-discipline in America can take you far because freedom affords us that opportunity. If you set your mind to it you can achieve it, but not because you are entitled. I am proud of my country and I hope every one of you is too.

“If you can read this, thank a teacher; if it’s in English, thank a soldier.” –Anon.

Jesse Roth
Senior, Civil Engineering

CROCS!!!!!!!!!

I found this picture in the facebook group, I Dont care How Comfortable Crocs Are, You Look Like A Dumbass. If you are reading my blog, you deserve to laugh....please come back sometime and laugh again!

More Options!

In years of late, I have developed an appetite for politics. It is an appetite that seems to grow the more it is fed. The races for each parties respective nominations have been great up to this point. The Republicans have already chosen Sen. McCain and the Democrats are still fighting as to whether Sen. Obama or Sen. Clinton will represent the party in the Presidential election. At this point I can see that the next president of the United States of America is going to be a former senator that isn't necessarily conservative. These are two traits I am not very excited about.

I would like to see a candidate that is fiscally and socially conservative as well as supportive of a dominant military. We need to protect our borders and take care of our own before we go out and try to save the world. I understand we are a world superpower and wield the power to fight tyrrany, world hunger, etc....but we need to revert back to American ideals which are hard work, patriotism, and desire. We have to re-establish who we are and quit killing each other in gang-wars, quit disrespecting each other through racial injustices, and quit being satisfied with mediocrity. America is the greatest country on Earth because we desire to excel at everything we do, we are tolerant of each other and each other's beliefs, and we can co-exist in the most diverse ethnic melting-pot the world has ever seen. What American doesn't want to see our Olympians dominate with the chant of U-S-A, U-S-A in the background. Who doesn't get goosebumps when one of our athletes stands atop the podium and the Star Spangled Banner plays. I never get tired of hearing about Americans dominating something on the worldwide scale. And on the converse side of things, I HATE, let me emphasize HATE hearing about how other countries are scoring higher on math tests, how the U.S. is more obese and exercises less than other countries, how our murder rates are higher even though other countries own the same amount of guns, etc.

All of the previous is said so as to emphasize where I'm coming from, and to emphasize that being conservative doesn't mean being indifferent and insensitive. Where all of this ties into politics is that I am disappointed with the choices we are left with for the leader of the free world. I feel like there's no new direction that is a worthwhile new direction. As a matter of fact, Sen. McCail doesn't really propose much of a new direction.(at least that's the drift I'm getting.) And from the Democratic side, all I hear is keywords and phrases that are the product of test groups that "respond well" to them.(meaning give the voter a warm-fuzzy so they'll vote for the respective candidate, i.e.-"change"....gag me!) Where is the original thought? Some real substance? A true proposal for "change"? It seems the two Senators aren't willing to propose anything controversial that may be exploited by the media or their counterpart, so they choose to propose nothing at all. I hear empty claims that there will be some sort of revolutionary differences made, but no original ideas. The one candidate, dare I say, with some new ideas was Ron Paul. Now anyone who really listened to him for an extended period of time, like I did when he was on Meet the Press, could see that he is by no means prepared for the Oval Office. He had some new and original ideas but no way to implement them. I also couldn't get over the irony when he said he would veto anything with an earmark when he was responsible for plenty of earmarks benefitting his own voting district.

This rant has gone on longer than I thought, and it seems it will have to be subdivided into another installment as I haven't even started to talk about the optional candidates I would suggest or what likeness these options should emulate.

To all who have made it this far, remember this--there is nothing more worth being proud of than being proud to be an American. It is the responsibility of this generation to keep it that way!