You know how hard it is to stifle a cough?  You try to swallow or bite your tongue or chew on your lower lip.  You try thinking non-coughy thoughts.  You purse your lips together but that just makes your cheeks puff up, your eyes boggle out and your ears rattle.  And then, you cough anyway.

I’ve had this rant in my head for some time and like that nagging cough, it has to come out.  Let me say now: I am sorry.  I did not mean to offend.  You have an interesting point of view.  There are many ways to look at it.  Different beats for different feets.

You’ve been warned and apologized.  Save the flame mails.

There is a presidential election this year.  Perhaps, some of you have noticed.  I say “some” because only half of you who are eligible to vote are registered.  Of those who are registered, approximately 45% of you in Pennsylvania bothered to show up to cast your vote in the recent primary and that percentage was double the state average.

So, that means there are just a few people telling the rest of us how to live.

I hate being told how to live.  It makes me cranky and out of sorts and usually motivates me to do the exact opposite, if for no other reason, out of spite.  I don’t think my feelings are uncommon.

If the last eight years have taught us nothing else, we know, without a shadow of doubt; it really matters who we elect president.  At the present time, we have three candidates with wildly different views, experience, talent and personality yet 10-18% of you are undecided.

Undecided?  Are you kidding me?  You know what your values are and what is important to you.  Study the candidates and pick the one you believe matches.  It’s not hard to do and excuse the sermon for a moment, it is the least you can do for the privilege of living in this country.

America has its problems.  Boy, does it have problems but we’re allowed to point them out.  Most countries don’t allow that!  In those countries, you risk your very life and the lives of your family if you protest.  People kill themselves every day in their attempt to enter this country and many yearn for the chance.  That freedom has produced some beautiful things: poetry, art and theatre, blues music, basketball, Doritos, M & M’s and Oreos! 

Do you honestly think a repressed society could create an Oreo? 

This presidential election guarantees that there will be someone new in office on January 20, 2009.  However, many feel despair over the state of our union.

It’s easy to see why.  In 2000, gas averaged $1.27 a gallon.  Today, in Texas the average tops out at around $3.79/gallon.  In New York, it’s around $3.99 and in San Diego, the highest average for regular gasoline is $4.09 a gallon.  Globally, the price of rice has trebled since the beginning of 2008 and the United States has seen a 26% increase in just the last month.

The housing market is a disaster.  Why?  Because the current government leaders wanted to “deregulate” the industry.  “Deregulate” is code for taking away the rules.

When you don’t have rules, Enron happens.  Without rules, the people in the Gulf area are still cleaning up Katrina.  Without rules, the housing market collapses causing some people; people, not flippers or investors or conglomerates, real families to have lost the roof over the heads. 

There are exceptions, but for the most part, if you follow the rules; you will make less money.  And I have yet to meet a business owner that when given the choice to make less money or more money, chooses less money.  So given the nature of people, we need rules and regulations and entities with the power to enforce them.

Currently, we are ridiculed because our president is unable to speak in his native tongue. Our country is disliked around the world.  We can argue over whose fault it is but the fact remains, it is dangerous to be an American in many parts of the world.  God bless our troops for voluntarily fighting for us because I have seen some of the possible recruits and I don’t think any of them are sufficiently intelligent to qualify.  They wear pants that are rarely pulled above their thighs, have so many piercings their heads whistle in the wind and smoke.

If there is anyone out there who thinks smoking cigarettes is still cool, I just have to say: please, smoke a lot.  Get it over with and clear some space for the rest of us.

When the current president took office, there was a $236 billion surplus.  In just 7 ½ short years, our current deficit is around $396 billion.   We’re at war in Iraq because someone confused it with Afghanistan 1,425 miles away.  Is geography elitist?

For the first time since I have been old enough to vote, I can say something positive about the three remaining candidates.  I can also name a few negative things about each of them.  Regardless of whoever wins in November, know that my vote will be counted.

And so should yours.