Recently a reader wanted to shake rattle and roll me outta bed cause they couldn’t believe I would be so flippant about the state of our country.

Well, just so you know, I do care about the state of our country, but I also know that it ain’t my fault, and its not going to be this way forever.

I am unwavering in my faith that our nation will overcome the huge obstacles we are faced with at the moment. This nation has done it many times before, and will continue to do so no matter what.

The problem started a long time ago when the folks running our country forgot what the term “commonwealth” meant. Or perhaps they just decided they didn’t want the citizens of this country to all have one thing in common: wealth.

Some folks get really up in arms about what is happening and make a lot of noise about it. Why not run for office and start knockin’ some heads together instead of being like rest of the American public who would rather stand on the sidelines and shout epithets and shake their fists over the wrongdoings that the government and our elected officials see fit to keep right on doing? You know what they say...the squeaky wheel gets the grease!

I can’t say anything about the housing market heading south because Hubs and I sold our house at just the right time and decided to wait on buying another. We didn’t go in for an ARM or any other deal that we could ill afford, which a lot of Americans have done. A lot of folks got way over their heads with credit debt, mortgages they could not handle, and now...well, the bank called and said the balance is due. The only place to blame stupidity is on stupid people.

This scenario is not just happening now. Its happened in cycles throughout the course of this country’s history. It is worse now in that the numbers are greater than ever.

A lot of what has happened in this country is that businesses got greedy and ran off with big sacks o’ cash, leaving their companies, employees, stockholders, and the rest of the bottom feeders holding empty wallets. A true case of wham bam thank you ma’am. Did I see that coming?

Sort of.

Enron did it.

WorldCom did it.

Even though it isn’t the government’s job to keep tabs on the greedy s.o.b.’s, it was someone’s job.

Whoever that someone is or was, has long since left the building and will probably never have to address the huge problems they helped to create.

But the American public got greedy too, when interest rates were lowered and the enticement of “everyone being able to own their own home” was waved under their noses like that delightful confection of a Little Debbie cake. They did not make grown-up decisions about getting themselves into a hole called “debt.” Which would then lead to another hole called “foreclosure.” Banks got greedy, people got greedy. Now companies are asking for bailouts that they do not deserve to have, but it is necessary to do in order to keep things stabilized...for whatever that’s worth. I don’t particularly agree with it, because it means that some folks are getting away with financial murder.

Another issue the reader had was with energy. I have no doubt we will become an energy-independent nation. Our country’s best and brightest minds have already been hard at work developing plans to make us so. It is not out of the realm of possibility. It is very real, and it will happen.

The price of gas is the way it is because oil companies and their distributors are what? Greedy. Don’t like it? Don’t buy it.

I don’t sit and fret over the state of this country. I can’t. I have to think in positive terms because I truly do believe that the United States will get its butt in gear, the financial woes will get worked out, and we will see ourselves rolling onward and upward.

Perhaps I have a Pollyanna view on the world, but it’s because I know that we live in the greatest country on earth. Without doubt, the United States is better than any other country.

Sure we’ve had boobs sitting up there in the White House every now and then, but we’ve managed to get past them and keep on keepin’ on. We can thank our lucky stars, and our forefathers, that we have a voice. Its up to each of us to use it or not.

This country does everything in its power to provide the best it can for its citizens. If it isn’t working for you, write to your senator or congressman and light a fire under his or her tail.

I have faith, because I believe in our country.

I hope the dear reader does too.