David Letterman wrote this; it's the David we don't often see...

' As most of you know I am not a President Bush fan, nor have I ever been, but this is not about Bush, it is about us, as Americans, and it seems to hit the mark.
'The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some Poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true given
the source, right?
The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the President. In essence 2/3 of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change. So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, 'What are we so unhappy about?''

A.. Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 Days a week?

B.. Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter?

C.. Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job?

D.. Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?
E.. Maybe it is the ability to drive our cars and trucks from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state?

F.. Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter?
G.. I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough either.
H. Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all and even send a helicopter
to take you to the hospital.

I.. Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home.

J.. You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames, thus saving you, your family, and your belongings.

K.. Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes, an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss.

L.. This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90% of teenagers own cell phones and computers.

M.. How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world?

Maybe that is what has 67% of you folks unhappy.

Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S. ,yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what
we don't have, and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.

I know, I know. What about the president who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The president who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the same president who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11? The president that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist attacks? The commander in chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me?

Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk show? Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn't take a look around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad? Think about it......are you upset at the President because he actually caused you personal pain OR is it because the 'Media' told you he was failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day. Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan
have volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go.. They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general'' discharge, an 'other than honorable'' discharge or, worst case scenario, a ''dishonorable' ' discharge after a few days in the brig.

So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans?

Say what you want but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds it leads and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sells, and when criticized, try to defend their actions by 'justifying' them in one way o r another Just ask why they tried to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write a book about how he didn't kill his wife, but if he did he would have done it this way......Insane!

Turn off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as
country. There is exponentially more good than bad. We are among the most blessed people on Earth and should thank God several times a day, or at least be thankful and appreciative.' 'With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, 'Are we
sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?'
David Letterman


Please keep this in circulation. There are so many people who need to read this and grasp the truth of it all.

Was it Letterman, or was it Leno?

Truth is, it was neither: http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/hitnail.asp

Sorry but this is not true. Letterman never wrote or said this...

http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/hitnail.asp

aww damn :(

No mater if Leno, Letterman, or Smith wrote this I tend to agree with a lot of it. I Think we as a country do tend t complain about every little thing and are very ungratful for what we have. This is just my honest opinion though and am okay if people do not agre with it.

No mater if Leno, Letterman, or Smith wrote this I tend to agree with a lot of it. I Think we as a country do tend t complain about every little thing and are very ungratful for what we have. This is just my honest opinion though and am okay if people do not agre with it.

:yes I don't think it matters who wrote it. It was forwarded from my grandpa though so I'll have to show him the snopes thing hehe

yes i agree we are spoiled brats. but these "unhappy people" who are oh so fortunate to have all the things listed in this essay are also probably in debt. therefore, they do NOT really have everything this essay claims. it's like the person who lives in poverty, yet drives a car with $1000 rims. something here isn't adding up in American Economy.

....Perhaps it's the father who has been laid off from his job twice since 9-11 despite his incredible educational background, 30 years of experience, high praises, intelligence, and wonderful work ethic.
....perhaps it's my dad.

...sorry...

yes i agree we are spoiled brats. but these "unhappy people" who are oh so fortunate to have all the things listed in this essay are also probably in debt. therefore, they do NOT really have everything this essay claims. it's like the person who lives in poverty, yet drives a car with $1000 rims. something here isn't adding up in American Economy.

....Perhaps it's the father who has been laid off from his job twice since 9-11 despite his incredible educational background, 30 years of experience, high praises, intelligence, and wonderful work ethic.
....perhaps it's my dad.

...sorry...

Oh, no. I'm so sorry.

Oh, no. I'm so sorry.

it's alright (well, not really, but not your fault :P)

don't want to thread-jack but wanted to point out that while he still has running water & a house & all the "american luxuries", we are NOT happy with the direction of this country and we DO need a change.

yes i agree we are spoiled brats. but these "unhappy people" who are oh so fortunate to have all the things listed in this essay are also probably in debt. therefore, they do NOT really have everything this essay claims. it's like the person who lives in poverty, yet drives a car with $1000 rims. something here isn't adding up in American Economy.

....Perhaps it's the father who has been laid off from his job twice since 9-11 despite his incredible educational background, 30 years of experience, high praises, intelligence, and wonderful work ethic.
....perhaps it's my dad.

...sorry...

People in America have the choice though. They chose to buy (hypothetically speaking) the $1,000 rims versus food or paying off debt. That was their choice which we are fortunate enough to have the option of chosing.

I am sorry your dad has been laid of twice from his job, that is definately unfortunate.

I think too that until you have gone to a third world country and have seen a population of an entire area dying of starvation or AIDS or whatever else is going around you can never fully grasp just how fortunate you are to have been born an American. Yes, we have starving people here and people dying of AIDS but we don't have entire populations like this.

(General you btw)

but isn't that the point of this country to be able to be unhappy with the direction our government is going in?
regardless of 'status'?

aww damn :(

Don't be upset because people put names on things, because...someone out there wrote it and it's the truth

People in America have the choice though. They chose to buy (hypothetically speaking) the $1,000 rims versus food or paying off debt. That was their choice which we are fortunate enough to have the option of chosing.

I am sorry your dad has been laid of twice from his job, that is definately unfortunate.

I think too that until you have gone to a third world country and have seen a population of an entire area dying of starvation or AIDS or whatever else is going around you can never fully grasp just how fortunate you are to have been born an American. Yes, we have starving people here and people dying of AIDS but we don't have entire populations like this.

(General you btw)

Well sure, i understand your idea of choice, but i think the mentality of america ("keeping up with the jones") presents a whole other set of problems, which are not as desperate as third world countries, no. but nonetheless, we like to pretend we have more money than we do and consequently rack up thousands in debt. so the display of "wealth" that we see in america is not as wide-spread as this essay likes to portray.

but isn't that the point of this country to be able to be unhappy with the direction our government is going in?
regardless of 'status'?

Exactly, when these things are posted it gets annoying because it means that people cant have opinions.

Well sure, i understand your idea of choice, but i think the mentality of america ("keeping up with the jones") presents a whole other set of problems, which are not as desperate as third world countries, no. but nonetheless, we like to pretend we have more money than we do and consequently rack up thousands in debt. so the display of "wealth" that we see in america is not as wide-spread as this essay likes to portray.

I fully understand the display of wealth, however that is a "luxery" we are given. We have the choice to spend money where other countries' people have no money.

I do want to point out that I do see where everybody is coming from, I am just offering the other side of it too so I hope I do not offend anybody ;) :D

People in America have the choice though. They chose to buy (hypothetically speaking) the $1,000 rims versus food or paying off debt. That was their choice which we are fortunate enough to have the option of chosing.

I am sorry your dad has been laid of twice from his job, that is definately unfortunate.

I think too that until you have gone to a third world country and have seen a population of an entire area dying of starvation or AIDS or whatever else is going around you can never fully grasp just how fortunate you are to have been born an American. Yes, we have starving people here and people dying of AIDS but we don't have entire populations like this.

(General you btw)

Re the bolded: I think the example of rims is a bit sensationalist. More often, people become accustomed to the lifestyle that their jobs/careers allow them to live. There's no reason that someone who is making a good living shouldn't spend some of the money she/he has on luxury items. Realistically, most people aren't making a choice between $1000 rims or $1000 worth of food; people will provide for their families and then if it seems reasonable to take on a debt, they do it.

If that job/career is suddenly pulled out from under you, gone without warning, as is happening to a lot of people today, that's when things go to shit. And when LOTS of jobs are going away, there are fewer places for those skilled, hardworking, talented individuals to find a comparable replacement job. Add in the loss of benefits, and any nest egg they may have built can be wiped clean by a month or two of paying for expensive medical treatment or medications that used to be covered by insurance.

[B]Say what you want but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds it leads and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sells, and when criticized, try to defend their actions by 'justifying' them in one way o r another Just ask why they tried to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write a book about how he didn't kill his wife, but if he did he would have done it this way......Insane!

Turn off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as
[B][FONT=Arial]country.

This offends me as a journalist.

No mater if Leno, Letterman, or Smith wrote this I tend to agree with a lot of it. I Think we as a country do tend t complain about every little thing and are very ungratful for what we have. This is just my honest opinion though and am okay if people do not agre with it.

THAT is true - however I do love snopes because I hate passing on inaccurate info.

so those that agree with it, do you turn your AC off in the summer, buy only what you need nothing what you want? Or do you just say I agree with this while hanging out in your ac house, watching cable tv, typing online.. Just a tad hypocritical to condemn those when you are doing almost the same thing.

Re the bolded: I think the example of rims is a bit sensationalist. More often, people become accustomed to the lifestyle that their jobs/careers allow them to live. There's no reason that someone who is making a good living shouldn't spend some of the money she/he has on luxury items. Realistically, most people aren't making a choice between $1000 rims or $1000 worth of food; people will provide for their families and then if it seems reasonable to take on a debt, they do it.

If that job/career is suddenly pulled out from under you, gone without warning, as is happening to a lot of people today, that's when things go to shit. And when LOTS of jobs are going away, there are fewer places for those skilled, hardworking, talented individuals to find a comparable replacement job. Add in the loss of benefits, and any nest egg they may have built can be wiped clean by a month or two of paying for expensive medical treatment or medications that used to be covered by insurance.

i originally put out the extreme example of the $1000 rims to demonstrate that some are putting their priorities in the wrong places and appearing to have luxuries, when in reality the banks own their luxuries. we are buying things we don't need and can't afford. in my mind, some of the examples in the essay just don't hold up. there IS a beauty in america in that we have the option to attend college to obtain a better career, take loans to own a home, and participate with the technologically advanced parts of the world. but when the college educated individual cannot get a the job scholastically promised, and the home is repossessed because banks are approving more than the buyers can afford....some of that beauty dies for me. and THAT IMO is why we are not happy with the direction America is heading.

This offends me as a journalist.

It should.

But if I tell you the author of this 'piece' writes for WorldNetDaily, would you feel better? :wink

It should.

But if I tell you the author of this 'piece' writes for WorldNetDaily, would you feel better? :wink

A little. :giggle

I just hate how everyone loves to shoot the messenger. I could go on and on, but yeah, I found it to be in very poor taste, inaccurate and offensive.

You can be unhappy with the direction the country is going and still be grateful for what you have. It is not a one or the other proposition. It is BECAUSE I am grateful for what I have that I care so much about what happens in my country. I want us to maintain it.

This offends me as a journalist.

Read "The Culture of Fear" by Barry Glassner.

The media is far from innocent when it comes to making us fear things we shouldn't.

so those that agree with it, do you turn your AC off in the summer, buy only what you need nothing what you want? Or do you just say I agree with this while hanging out in your ac house, watching cable tv, typing online.. Just a tad hypocritical to condemn those when you are doing almost the same thing.

No, but I appreciate what I have and don't complain about it.

Was it Letterman, or was it Leno?

Truth is, it was neither: http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/hitnail.asp


You beat me to it

Hmmm, so as long as you shut up you can consume to your hearts content and it is acceptable...

Hmmm, so as long as you shut up you can consume to your hearts content and it is acceptable...
that was my thought too. That I can't be unhappy with how the country is going because I have stuff. :puzz

that was my thought too. That I can't be unhappy with how the country is going because I have stuff. :puzz

I have an extra TV and microwave. I should send them to people in third-world countries.

I also don't care so much who wrote it. I think we do need reminders of how amazing our country is. I understand being upset with what is going on wanting to effect change, but I think we often forget how much we really have.

We are amazingly blessed. We are even blessed to have debt. My car loan enables me to have working, reliable transportation to and from work. My credit card made it possible for me to get new glasses and buy a plane ticket home for Christmas. My school loan enabled me to have a fantastic education. And hopefully someday, a home loan will be given to me so that I can put down roots and have a place to call my own. As much as I hate making all those payments, I am blessed that I can. Not everyone is so lucky.

You can be unhappy with the direction the country is going and still be grateful for what you have. It is not a one or the other proposition. It is BECAUSE I am grateful for what I have that I care so much about what happens in my country. I want us to maintain it.

:tu and :yes

Material belongings do not a great nation make. Sure I have stuff, I have stuff I like. However it still doesn't stop me from wanting change on a government level. It still doesn't stop me from pondering if we are or are not headed towards dictatorship in this country. Having stuff, and being grateful for it, and grateful for it has NOTHING to do with how I feel about my government. It is a straw man argument that distracts from the real issue which is the government and what it is doing.