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American Dream or Nightmare on Main Street?

For more than a century the American Dream has revolved around housing, and our ideal picture of the perfect family always included their own home. But the current financial crisis seems, for many, to have turned their dream into a blood-sucking vampire, bent on destroying the very foundation upon which their dreams were built.

Has the dream of home ownership been nothing more than a fairy tale, an expectation built upon a false assumption, as in the movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” when everything works out just right in the end? Is our dream now being crushed on the rocks like a ship driven by a vicious storm?

No, the American dream isn’t dead, but it does have a serious illness, one transmitted and fostered by the very government that now seeks to effect a cure. Past programs intended to help housing have contributed to the economic crisis that now envelops our country.

While it’s easy to place blame, and there’s ample to spread over congress, past presidents, bankers, and Wall Street tycoons; wasting time trying to determine who has the largest share does nothing to raise us from the mire. Sure, political leaders have failed us, but the job now is to move forward. We, the American people, collectively must become involved in the process. For much too long we remained on the sidelines, blindly hoping Washington would do the right thing. Many times neither they nor we knew just what that right thing was. WE weren’t involved and the politicians knew it.

Those in political office fear an informed electorate, for it reduces their power. It was Thomas Jefferson who said: “We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.”

Declining home values have now wiped out a great portion of the wealth of average Americans; and the financial crisis will affect the lives of our children and grandchildren. But our generation will determine whether that effect will be positive or negative. If we fail to educate ourselves about this problem; if we fail to try to understand the actions of our leaders; if we spend our time focused upon our own small piece of the problem; then we’ll deserve the future our inactions will create.

We do have an opportunity for great change. But change won’t come from politicians whose vision doesn’t extend beyond the next election, and it won’t come from a people who can only regurgitate political rhetoric and partisan beliefs. Change will come from an American people, once again ignited in the fervor of a common goal to better our great country.

For lots of helpful information about buying, selling, building, remodeling, or repairing a home, visit: www.TheHousingGuru.com

Posted by John Mulkey, Housing Guru on 04/05/2009 07:41 PM

Comments (80)

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Originally posted at: John Mulkey, housing guru: American Dream or Nightmare on Main Street?

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80 Comments on American Dream or Nightmare on Main Street?

APR

Although the housing markets decline has been somewhat of a disheartning event I do still feel that the American Dream still lives and that many, many people want to achieve home ownership. I saw a young couple expecting their first child at my open house today and it is a nice reminder that they are still out there!

Yes, Bridget it is alive, but as I mentioned, it's up to all of us to help insure a long-term recovery.

John, "government by the majority who participate". A provocative statement. I believe we are now in a era of increasing participation. The mass media replaced the town square, but technology is replacing mass media. Maybe there is hope.

Jay

John, that's the spirit! We all must do our part. It is our duty to stay informed, and to participate. It is through our individual efforts, and a united purpose, that we all will prosper.

Jay - I think and hope you're right. Perhaps the Internet will be the tool to help the US to once more be a government "OF THE PEOPLE."

Michael - Yes, we must do our part and that includes those times when we think we're too busy.

Great post John. Its easy to turn away in revulsion and sometimes its a coping mechanism but you need to pay attention to politics and participate. I used to brag about having never voted in my life and yet was always very political. It took a smart professor and friend for me to see the light. That and my wife talking some sense into me finally.

Shane, I have never been as involved with the actions of our political leaders as I have been in the past 5 years. My representatives now know that I'm paying attention to their votes and actions. I honestly believe it's part of my duty to my country. Thanks for the comment.

It would be nice if politicians were actually accountable to the public, but the public can only make them accountable by kicking them out of office by voting them out if they cannot or will not do their job as it should be done. Sadly, I doubt this will ever happen, which is why there is so much corruption.

I agree with you but I'm losing hope that the system can actually be saved.

I think the system is rotten to the core. I don't even trust that our votes are being counted correctly. I've seen first hand how the news is distorted and manipulated by the sources that most people trust without a second thought.

But I love a good fight and am willing to do my part.

Gregory - I see a growing interest among the populace to become more involved. In the past, only the rich and powerful and their lobbyists had the politician's ear, but that may change. Only time will tell.

Tim - I understand and share your frustrations, but we cannot yield to our fears. I truly believe that we can change the system; we're facing the best opportunity of our lifetimes. Most of the system is rotten, and will have to be THROWN OUT.

John -

Profound, indeed!

If more people PARTICIPATE in the process, we could actually effectuate the optimum outcome for our economic mess.

But, even then, it will not be easy!

However, I am giving the Obama Administration kudos for effort, even if I don't agree with every single detail.

DEAN & DEAN'S TEAM CHICAGO

Hi John,

Loved this post, "it's easy to place blame, and there's ample to spread..." is so true. And "We have government by the majority who participate." gave me goosebumps. In truth, I'm one of those who've sat on the sideline myself too long.

Thanks for the wake up call.

Dean - Unless more people participate, nothing will change.

Linda - I've been guilty too, and have not done my share in the past.

Good thought provoking post. I still think the media dictated who won the election. Hilary was always the one to beat and when the media turned on her it was over.

Free media will always lead the sheep, the turn out was not that much different than in the past it was just how the media played the game.

This country has faced horrific economic conditions in the past, and yet we got to where we were prior to this crisis.

My bet is on this country getting through another rough patch.

Charles - Yes, the media have a lot of influence, but their power fades when the electorate take time to study all the issues. We're not there yet, but there are some signs we're awakening.

Andrew - Certainly we'll overcome this crisis. The question is: "What will we sacrifice to achieve success?"

John,

Congratulations on the feature, it is about time, you have a lot of great content. :)

The best way to preserve a democracy is to continue to participate in it.

Hey John,

Congrats on the feature, and your post is right on. We can't count on the politicians to be our savior in grace. We the people need to step up and do what we need to get our country back on track.

-Lisa

Hi John -- What a positive and inspiring post, thank you! I absolutely love your background that shows up when your page loads, very cool!

I like the quote "Government by the majority who participate." We just need more to understand and to participate. We have the capacity to be a great, strong country again; it just requires work and the right direction.

John - I also love that quote - hadn't heard it before. This post makes one stop and think.

APR

John - Great post with strong passion and good advice. Our representatives should be hearing from each and everyone of us about our priorities and the issues that affect our lives. Contact them often when legislation is introduced and before scheduled votes.

John - an excellent post, I especially like Jefferson's quote, it has never been so timely. We will not move forward until we, that is congress and the electorate, learn how to determine root cause before acting upon a rash and poorly thought out solution. It is easier to afix blame, and that usually only partially correct.

Great post. I do feel that housing was used by the financial system, packaged in a way that they thought twould minimize risk for them but not for housing or who they were given to. I also don't think that is as simple as declining home values. The bubble prices were artificial and we are now adjusting back to real affordability index prices. The great fallout that I see right now that has major affects are overbuilt areas, where builders, banks, and developers went beyond reason or market, and the incredible job loss that is taking people out of their homes, lowering the tax base, and putting a strain on government resources already strained to the limit. I hope we participate, and that what emerges is a better America. It is not so much about a stumble, it is about the recovery so we don't hit the floor.

Hi John - That's a great post! Yes, much of the accumulated wealth of the average American has been wiped out by declining home values. With government in charge of everything and with the dishonesty of politicians, I wonder what's next.

Mary

Mark - Thanks. If we don't participate, we leave government to the lobbyists and special interests.

Lisa - Thanks, it will take all of us to make a difference.

Chris - Thanks for your comments.

Christine - Sure, it's work, but the results are worth the effort.

Jason - Thanks. Hopefully enough will begin to take notice to make a difference.

George - We should all be on a "first name" basis with our representatives.

Mike - You're right. An intelligent, measured response is what we need.

Joe - Thanks. We all succumbed to the notion that the train couldn't stop, not realizing that its ever-increasing speed would someday derail us. Yes, we're hurting, but we do have the ability to bring about a strong recovery, just not one brought about by more easy credit.

It sounds trite, but it's the truth when you hear people say...we all have to work together to build economic recovery and the confidence up in the country"

Patricia Aulson/Portsmouth NH Real Estate

Patricia - It's not trite; it's a truth we've just drifted away from. The founding fathers certainly understood the importance of government of the people.

Excellent post, John! The "blame game" has contributed to many of the problems we're facing today. I think we need to be careful in this country about demonizing entire industries, or people by their stature; imo, CEOs, bankers and Wall Street as a whole are being castigated and I think that's undermining faith in our financial system. Consumers are scared!

Thanks for the food for thought.

Leslie - Thanks for your comments. If we put half the energy towards seeking a solution that we put into placing blame, we'd probably already have a solution.

Great information. You are right that we all need to shift our mentality about the current crisis. Once we embrace and face it we can begin to change it for the better. Now let us get consumer confidence back in line.

Thanks John,

the internet, and particularly AR, gives us the chance to speak our minds and share great ideas instantly. There is hope!

Charles

Nice thoughts but do you have any specific thoughts as to how we can improve things in the short term or are you just generalizing? Any suggestions? Whare do we start? Any advice for Realtors?

John ... Thanks for your article. At the grass roots level, it is up to us as Realtors and leaders at our local assocations to work toward restoring confidence in our economy system and the true local value of homes and real estate.

Best wishes.

Let me see if I have this straight.

NAR participated in the abuse hand in hand with gov't. But we shouldn't lay blame. The largest taxpayer theft in human history is occurring right before our eyes(don't believe me, check out Bill Moyers, Glen Greenwald and others and then weep for this country) but we shouldn't lay blame. We should what? Email our leaders? Call them? During one of the bailouts emails to Pelosi and others were running 99% AGAINST the bailout and it sailed right through. We have a President simply rolling over and and doing the bidding of Wall St.

The truth hurts but we need a new direction and a new vision. Getting folks to spend money they don't have is NOT a solution. Consuming the planet in a mad lust for more of everything is not a solution. Rebuilding the broken system that brought us to this point is NOT a solution(don't believe me, try reading some of the most notable geniuses alive(and dead) on the planet...try dieoff.org for starters).

I say until we lay blame and lock up these crooks there will be nothing to stop them from continuing on their destructive merry way.

BTW, if anyone else has any solutions, please post same!

John - Congratulations on this featured post!! You're right, change will come from the American people! I look forward to doing my part.

Kathy

Very well said! People have to start participating and taking responsibility for their actions. The government cannot solve everyone's problems, people have to start taking initiative and making the necessary changes to improve their situation.

Personal responsibility and ingenuity will get this country back on track. Seeking the whole truth and not the shallow results that agree with our point of view is the only way out. We can't just elect and turn away. We need to hold them accountable to their word by using every means given to us in the constitution.

I think the main thing we need to do is convince the American public that real estate is not to be bought and sold like a common stock. It's meant to be lived in for years and years and years, to raise a family in, perhaps even to die in. Trying to use it like a stock, to play the market, has been part of the problem, and it wouldn't surprise me that, with the high cost of real estate and the commissions that we Realtors make, there have been a few Realtors -- perhaps more than a few -- who have egged the American consumer on to get that next fat commission paycheck.

Tea Parties are being held all over our Land. I suggest we all get involved right now and be sure to attend one of these Parties in our Communities. Basically, we the People have been ignored and continue to be ignored. Our Legislators need to know we will vote them out of Office as their election time rolls around. But be sure to write, call or email all of them, Democrat or Republican.

In our Community of Fresno, CA. prices have dropped so low, the first time homebuyers and investors are out in droves. We are experiencing multiple offers, driving the prices up. Our supply of homes is dwindling. News reports of retail sales are up, Car sales are up, housing starts and resales are up. This is the signal our economy is turning around. We don't need any stimulus plans, we are turning around my ourselves with just the normal spending.

We are all very fearful of the socialist approach to governing by this Administration and we cannot sit idly by. In my lifetime, I have never experienced this sort of revolt by the People.

Good Post and thanks for getting us riled up. smile.

Carole

Sabrina - Yes, we need to focus upon finding a real and lasting solution.

Charles, - The Internet is a great tool for getting the right information out.

William - I didn't attempt to write "nice thoughts." My hope was to inspire one or two who can share the message with one or two more and use their brains to discover the basis of our problems. The information is there if we truly want to know. We have experienced a massive credit problem that was fostered by both the banks and our government. Our representatives collaborated in creating a false economy that was doomed to failure. Knowledge is the key, and it's a simple solution. Inspiring the people to action is the challenge.

Harrison - A grassroots effort can have a dramatic impact.

Kathy - Collectively we have great power.

Patricia - Government and their past efforts are a great part of the problem.

Ed - I agree.

Jim - It almost became a cultural phenomenon to buy and flip homes.

Carole - The Tea Parties may be a start, but I hope the enthusiasm will not wear off once the excitement ends. Participation in government requires our full-time attention, and is many times a boring, but necessary affair.

John....What a great post! If only the American people really WOULD stand up!

As I watched the G20 (or was it 8...I forget!) Summit in London, and I was the demonstrations in the street, I thought to myself....that's what THIS COUNTRY NEEDS! Really! I think we need to demonstrate! But there's a problem with that idea! There are still to many people in our very own country that would never do such a thing.....I don't think we are a collective people at times.

Imagine if every single homeowner with negative equity STOPPED PAYING THEIR MORTGAGE! That would bring someone or something to it's knees! It's like when gas was $4 per gallon. Just ONE DAY, if nobody would of bought gas (gas up a day before or the day after) but just ONE DAY, the oil companies would of buckled.

I see many people's lives being destroyed....losing homes, jobs, etc. I've never witnessed such a thing....and it scares me as to when and where it will end, and when will the turnaround begin.

Remember, the great depression ended because of a war......certainly NOT our option this time.

But thanks for getting us all to think about it!

Hi, John. I sit here trying to think of a way to express my appreciation of your gift for writing, but I keep coming up short. The best I can do is to say you write like a well-educated Southern gentleman. There's a certain delicious flavor I recognize but can't describe. When I looked over and saw you're from Georgia, I was not at all surprised. Your way of stringing words together pleases me no end. Good writing calls no attention to itself and fools readers into thinking the words they're reading are really their own. I can't believe I'm only now discovering you. I subscribed to your blog and look foward to future posts. Congratulations on the feature.

I agree with you that something needs to be done. And I am all for blaming politicians. But you did not state what you think should be done; specifically, at least beyond education. But whose education. I am trying to teach my children about Freedom, Free Markets, and the importance of property rights to Free People. Other people would attempt to brain wash them with mindless socialism and failed feel good solutions.

To that end I suggest everyone go to a Tea Party on Arpil 15.

John,

I am sorry I did not read all your comments throughout, at first, and now see that you are for the Tea Parties. A lot of what you said was vague and I felt people with exact opposite opinions could agree with many of the things you stated.

When a politician(s) tell the masses that everyone should have a home and put force legislation into the system as had been done in the early 1990's one could expect the fiasco we now see. A remedy is to rid ourselves of the politicians that put this into effect and get back to basics. The idea that everyone should have a home is ideal but the practicality is that they have to meet the conditions and demonstrate that they can purchase the property.

What has happened is that the "contract" that a person signs is no longer a valid document or it is being jerked around so that it appears that it is not valid. Politicians see this, know this but expect to save face by forcing some other party to pick up the garbage that was created in Washington. Most mortgage contracts have been sold to other (third) party individuals and I am sure they will not take the hit.

So the dream of owning a home is still valid IF Washington stays out of the arena.

John Duffner

APR

Very provocative post, & seemed designed to get people thinking and talking. Good job on that. Really liked the quotes, and enjoyed reading the comments as much as the original words. Very important to be active and let elected folks know what you think, and that you care, and that you vote!

Very well written piece, WE all must get involved daily to bring about change-WE THE PEOPLE...

When the alternative is Potterville, how does anyone sit on the sidelines? Start with your own local issues - it all feeds up to the top. Even in a small town, perhaps especially in a small town, it is hard to find the truth amid the politics - at the national level, forget about it! I watched a PBS show about frogs the other evening and saw the huge chemical sprayers in the Salinas Valley dousing the crops that make their way across the country to our grocery store chains - - I think between the housing crisis and the salmonella outbreaks, we will be returning to an agrarian economy where people, living with extended family, tend their plots beside simple, small, energy efficient homes in co-op like communities. No one will have cars but it won't be nearly as isolating as the internet has made us. OK, so I need another cup of coffee. Very provacative post, John.

****************

From John's lead, a few more relevant quotations from Thomas Jefferson :

"If our house be on fire, without inquiring whether it was fired from within or without, we must try to extinguish it."

"I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around [the banks] will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs." (Source)

****************

I think we've been duped by the money changers and power brokers as far back as you'd like to take it. The American dream of home ownership enslaved, and continues to smother people with a life time of debt.

We've been brainwashed into accepting thirty years as a necessary gauntlet for achieving home ownership, and at the end of the rainbow, hopefully live a few years after the mortgage burning to enjoy it.

Who does it serve to burden people with any interest on their mortgage above a nominal amount for administrative costs ? Why not a nominal 1/2 percent or whatever interest rate ? We've all seen the gargantuan cost in interest paid over the lifetime of a mortgage. Who benefitted/benefits from this interest debt paid to Lenders ?

If the "powers that be", our government of the people, for the people, and by the people, really wants everyone to achieve home ownership, why not give them a shot at it by a near zero interest mortgage. Let the people achieve ownership sooner in their lifetimes, and channel what would otherwise be interest payments going into some bottomless pit, into discretionary spending that will benefit them and us a whole.

Some great stuff here. Its all words. Lets see what the future brings.

I appreciate the post. As centers of influence, we can make a difference! As we educate prospects and clients about the market, we influence their minds and can help bring about change in the right direction. I don't think we need to be running for office, but doing our best to serve the public. Our influence, individually and collectively, makes a difference one person at a time no matter what our party or background.

To be or not to be..That is the question..

Thom & Ray - Collectively we have incredible power, but if we fail to join together for the good of the country, our voices are smothered by the noise from the media, the politicians, and lobbyists.

Kay - Thanks for the kind words.

Gene - Yes, we must educate our children, but we must begin by educating ourselves, becoming aware of what our leaders are doing. If we fail to grasp the current financial crisis, we need to study it until we do understand. We are sufficiently intelligent to see what has happened, but if we waste our time on trivial pursuits, we fail to do our part for our country. And Tea Parties may be helpful, but they're only a small beginning.

John - Home ownership is a privilege that the government can assist, but when they become so involved as to make it appear to be a right, the system becomes unsustainable.

Alexsandra - If we fail to participate in the process, our complaints are meaningless.

Arthur - That's what it's all about.

Terry - Thanks. Quite honestly, I think we have grown lazy, and the attention we manage to focus is limited to our own small piece of the world. We have the potential for greatness, but we squander our lives in mindless pursuits.

Wolf - The important point is that it can be a government of the people, but if the people fail to participate, the vultures swoop in to fill the void.

Raymund - Words can stimulate us to think. Perhaps a few will take the challenge.

Kevin - Yes, we always make a difference, and those who fail to participate sometimes make the greatest difference.

Dimi - And we have the choice of determining what both we and our country will be.

John, I love your ending:

Change will come from an American people, once again ignited in the fervor of a common goal to better our great country.

Right you are my man!

Now featured on the Optimist Group.

Mirela, I do believe that positive change can come, but it's not automatic. We all have to work to make it happen.

Loved the post. Very thought provoking. While a lot of Americans lost wealth through this recent housing bust, there's still a lot of folks who have great value in their homes. This is why diversification is so important and I think my generation (X) will get it right.

Thanks Jeff, we're depending upon your generation to do a better job than mine did.

John the issue is that we all may agree that something is wrong, but we would all approach it differently. There is the romance of the agricultural and agrarian society, but the realty of that was hard work, child deaths, and early deaths for many people. Industrial society has it's benefits. As to Jefferson he had many good things to say and yet was at odds with Adams and more Federalist elements who are also patriots. Neither was completely right and something greater than both sides could have imagined rose up. Jefferson was anti expansionist, but jumped at the chance to make the Louisiana Purchase. So much for the integrity of his ideas, but a good choice.

The elephant in the room is that our Government has violated the social contract and in effect has thrown the Constition out the window. Yet we are a nation of laws and I still believe in the law. I am still hoping for a revolution within the law.

I think the true spirit of the body politic is somewhere between conservative elements in the traditional sense and libertarian elements. So how did we get a communist as President?

Gene - There is something to be said for a "Silent Majority," and it's neither political nor extremist. Far too many of us have ignored our responsibility to help maintain our Constitutional Republic. Perhaps that will change; only time will tell.

Great post John. However I feel that before we participate we must become informed about the issues. The results of the last election is the outcome of un-informed people participating (voting) based on little to no knowledge of the consequence of their vote. You were correct in saying "Those in political office fear an informed electorate". This is why we will see another attempt to silence alternative media outlets such as talk radio. If and when they succeed at that the next to come under attack will be blogs. The more ignorant of and dependant on government we become the more power politicians will have over all of us. The American Dream is more than home ownership. It is freedom and independance.

Wow John, I only wish your message was heard by every American who values freedom. Freedom to own a small piece of this great land. It would seem that this message has been heard before, perfhaps many times, but heeded not. I too think this time it at the brink and will drastically affect our children. We can,as those in business, rise up as a group and turn the heads of the lliberals who wish to give our country away. Keep up the good work!

Lucien - Yes, we must become informed; that's why I stressed the following: "If we fail to educate ourselves about this problem; if we fail to try to understand the actions of our leaders; if we spend our time focused upon our own small piece of the problem; then we’ll deserve the future our inactions will create." We all must stay involved in the process.

Don - If only a few are awakened, they can awaken others, who will awaken others ..... It's a duty we have to our children and grandchildren.

John - Great post. Love the quote from Jefferson and thought it very fitting. Your call to action is definitely what our country needs in these trying times. I hope more will finally realize it is their duty to participate.

Thanks for the post and the reminder.

John, Wonderfully thoughtful post!! Thank you so much!! I can see from reading the comments that we are waking up and becoming informed. People are beginning to talk to their neighbors and friends and discussing what was once politically incorrect. Our great country is worth fighting for. I am very thankful for Great Americans like you!!

Just to remind everyone there is a revolution brewing. The NATIONWIDE TAX DAY TEA PARTY.

But beware. Power is at stake and those who are trying to take our Country to its knees are willing to fight so we must as well. We must fight with dignity and Pride, Just as you post does.

But please be aware of what is going on around us. From Michele Malkins blog.....

On the ground, the tax-subsidized and Soros-subsidized troops are going to try and wreak havoc every way they can. Many readers and fellow bloggers have seen signs that ACORN may send in ringers and saboteurs to usurp the anti-tax, anti-reckless spending, anti-bailout message.

It's already happened once before - at the Denver anti-porkulus rallylast month, when the Media Matters/Daily Kos crowd shifted media attention away from the policy message by manufacturing fake outrageabout some stunt-puller who showed up with a sign comparing Obama to Hitler that I didn't see and asked for a picture. The local newspaper, the Rocky Mountain News, took the bait.

The Rocky Mountain News, incidentally, no longer exists. But the Tea Party movement has flourished despite the best efforts of national media outlets to ignore it, belittle it, and debase it.

Another tack: As Beckel signaled, leftists are going to use fear-mongering to paint mainstream taxpayers who believe in the Second Amendment, the Constitution, limited government, low taxes, and fiscal responsibility as fringe wackos. They have already exploited the Binghamton and Pittsburgh shooting sprees for political gain. They have no shame. Be prepared. Confront them with their own rank hypocrisy and unhingedness. Don't get distracted. And don't let your local media get away with lazily recycling their smears.

Shockingly, a purportedly conservative website, Culture11, is disseminating yet another Tea Party smear - that the movement is racist:

HERE IS A ROUND-UP of all the links you need to find a tea party near you:

Tax Day Tea Party
TCOT Report
DontGoMovement
Smart Girl Politics

Check out the full list of TDTP sponsors and supporting organizations here. Get some Tax Day Tea Party gear here. Track #teaparty tweeters here.

You can watch a Tax Day Tea Party coalition broadcast here.

Stay involved be informed. Just as Lucien stated "The American Dream is more than home ownership. It is freedom and independance"!

Kathie - Thanks. If there are any positive results from the financial crisis, I hope one may be that we (the American people) do become more involved in the process of government.

Alice and Jim - Thanks for stopping by.

Alice - If we can awaken the American people it will be good for the country. I truly have no political ax to grind, but do believe that we have collectively lost both our focus and our willingness to do our part. And while the Tea Parties are generating a lot of interest, I hope it's more than just following the noise, and that those involved will still be willing to step up when the excitement fades. The change we need will take many years to implement.

John,

Great Point. That is why I think it is so important to be educated on the issues. Because when the Tea Party is over that is when the real work begins. Holding all politicians accountable.

I believe that is why time is of the essence to Obama. Many who voted for him where not aware of what the consequences of there vote would be on the Country they love. To be educated on the issues gives the people the power. That is exactly why Obama and Congress are cramming everything they can in as quick as they can.

What they are not counting on is what makes America great in the first place. A free people of America. To many have given their lives for my freedom. It is our turn to protect our country from within because I believe that is where we are being attacked. "From Within"

APR

Hear, hear! It's time we woke up as our country is heading in a vary dangerous direction, if enough of us become involved and we, the silent majority, is heard then we will prevail. Attend a tea party near you.

Thank you for your post.

Jill, yes, become involved--but remain involved long after the excitement is over.

Having a dream or a goal is what drives us who live in a capitalist society. These dreams and goals are a good thing. Combined with the responsibilities that we have to ourselves and to our families it is what gets us out of bed in the morning.

But not all dreams come true. That is the sorry fact of life. I never got to pitch for the NY Yankees or play goal for the Rangers or take a snap as quarterback for the Giants.

The word HOUSE and the word HOME are similar in spelling but vastly different in meaning. A house is a nice arangement of wood and concrete that acts as a shelter from the elements. It could be a 3/2/2 in the burbs or a 2 bedroom walk-up in a busy urban setting. Your home is where your family is, where your loved ones wait for you. You come 'home' each evening, you don't come 'house' each evening.

Our government did no one any favors when they made "house ownership" a guaranty under the "American Dream". You always own a home because home is a spiritual state of mind. It is not the government's to give, take away, nor guaranty. A house is structure, property, and in that it must be earned.

Remember... 90% of Governments job is correcting problems they create. The other 10% is denying any involvement.

There is one neighborhood in my area which has over 60% of the homes for sale. It is causing mass panic.

Michael - We need government, just one vastly different from what we've had for far too many years.

DeAndrea - Sounds a bit frightening to me. I'm sure the homeowners who remain are suffering.

It is time to throw all of our politicians out and start anew.

Kevin, yes, but most are still not willing to get rid of THEIRS.

APR

Outstand post John.. thank you and after reading many of the comments from all over the country and all kinds of backgrounds and political ideology it is clear that we are all concerned for our Country without the rantings of partisanship. We can all point fingers and throw accussations but (as a baby boomer) I have had my head in the sand far too long.. I have been semi watching elections since Kennedy and Nixon and quite honestly saw really little difference in any of the candidates. They never kept their promises, they did the best they could and sometimes we elected the better one and sometimes not.. but its different now.. the whole political system seems to be rotten to the core, greedy, self serving and selfish. I believe the people are waking up. We have been a country for 230 years and it's time that we the people shake the tree and let the rotten apples fall. I have faith and hope that the people of each state will see to it that their rotten apples are disposed of so we can regain what makes our Country great and that this will be a lesson to younger generations. IT WILL HAPPEN... I just know it will.. it has to.. :)

Gloria, thanks for your positive outlook. I know we can do what is necessary; I just hope enough are awakened to accept the challenge.

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