Strangely, he didn’t think to include himself, but I’m doing that anyway.

I went to the White House website and the websites of my two state senators and left versions of the following.

I agree with President Obama’s statement last night that, “The American people may have voted for divided government, but they didn’t vote for a dysfunctional government.”

Now you, my elected senator(President), need to take a page out of the President’s book—from his work with the automotive industry—and stand strong on a deficit-reduction bill that will make a real difference. Support John Boehner’s bill that only lifts the debt ceiling by $1 trillion, while imposing $1.2 trillion in spending cuts.

I recall President Obama’s steadfastness, when dealing with the automotive manufacturer’s bailout. He refused to let those automotive leaders avoid reality or do things the “way they always been done.” His team required real change in attitude, planning and focus.

That real change is needed in this debt-limit crisis.

Stop letting the nation’s long-term economic health deteriorate as you tremble at the thought of making tough decisions that groups of Americans will oppose. Do what is right for the long-term good of this nation, not what is least damaging to your political base.

Support the Boehner bill that takes action NOW, and requires cuts greater than the additional debt burden you are placing on me, my children, and my children’s children.

Sincerely,

Tom Keefe
(phone and email)

Yes, they probably never will actually read this, but one of their staff members might. Will it change the course of history? Not likely.

But the President asked us to speak up, and our elected representatives need to remember that they are being paid to make choices that are best for our nation. Those choices aren’t always clear, but who in their right mind thinks that adding trillions to our debt will be good for our nation?

In an Associated Press news article titled, “Obama: No weeknight television for Malia, Sasha,” the U.S. president says the one sure way to help kids learn is to stop them from watching television on school nights.

The story quotes Obama as saying, “The girls don’t watch TV during the week. Period.” He later adds, “Very early on, we set expectations for Malia and Sasha in terms of them taking responsibility for their own education. They got alarm clocks at age 4 to begin waking themselves up, making their own beds and getting themselves ready to get to school on time. We monitor them. But they are expected to be prepared to learn when they go to school.”

I’ve fought a losing battle for years in the Keefe household around time spent in front of the TV. Unfortunately, my wife was in the habit of using television to fall asleep at night, and that habit continues to this day. The kids watch some television “to wind down” after school, and actually spend several hours in front of the tube every day.

Most of the shows we watch add nothing to the value of our lives; they are just time-wasters. I have enough other interests and commitments to keep me from lasting long in front of the TV, and the kids are active enough in sports and church groups so that they do engage in healthy pursuits.

I just wish that they could see how much of their lives are being wasted in front of the boob tube.

The article, “Web-savvy & cynical: China’s youth since Tiananmen,” quotes and compares Chinese citizens who either lived through the June 4, 1989 military crackdown against demonstrators in Beijing, or who were born after it. The difference in political knowledge and concern is striking.

Here is one portion of the article:

Wu Xu, 39, was a Tiananmen participant. His generation was plagued by insecurity, he says, and hoped that China could “catch up” to the West politically and economically.

“This generation is totally different,” says Wu, author of a recent book about Chinese cybernationalism. “There is no kind of feeling of inferiority. … They have had the advantage of the last thirty years of China’s economic performance.”

Wu contends that China’s youth know more than they let on, and while they tend to be fiercely proud of their country they are also highly critical of their government. He calls them “a double-edged sword with no handle,” because their opinions cut in many directions and are not guided by any single ideology or organization.

Although young people in the United States also have opinions that go in many directions and are not guided by any single ideology or organization, they have something that Chinese people don’t: the freedom to speak their minds and to hear dissenting views.

The last presidential election is a case in point. Young people in large numbers supported the ideas of Barack Obama, and used social media tools and techniques to energize that campaign. But Obama’s opinions and promises weren’t unopposed, and voters were able to sift through messages from every candidate (Republican, Democrat and several others).

Further, as a Christian, I appreciate having the freedom to speak truth as I have learned it, in a country where people with other views also have the right to state their views. The mention of a double-edged sword in the article above reminded me of the verse in the bible that states,

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. � Hebrews 4:12 (New International Version)

I truly believe that the situation in China cannot be sustained, and someday, that nation will face truths that have been long suppressed.

Anyway, the BIG news is coming via Twitter. Barack Obama is going to release the name of his vice presidential candidate TODAY! On Twitter!!!

Only the people with the 140-character attention spans will know this life-changing news�
for about 30 seconds. Then the news will be spread like wildfire to every traditional news outlet, where the REST of us out-of-touch saps will hear second-hand.

Thirty seconds after it is announced.

I can wait.