Opinion
OCTOBER 28, 2012
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Children of liberty: To the undecided ...
By Scott Allegrini CHildren of Liberty
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It is OK to not vote for Obama
our years ago, many people got caught up in the “historicalness” of the 2008 presidential election. Then-candidate Barack Obama was the man who could make us forget about our troubles. He was “The One” who could restore our credibility with the world, “The One” to provide good jobs for the jobless, “The One” to help the helpless, “The One” to slow the rise of the oceans and “The Only One” who could heal our country’s original sin, slavery. Obama was a blank slate on which we could project all of our hopes for change. In 2008, we knew in our gut that something wasn’t right because the world was hurting and our families were, too. We were spending too much, and we believed his promise to cut the deficit in half in his first term. We were tired of war, and we believed his promise to end it. It all sounded wonderful, a utopia, and because the self-professed “guardians” of the truth, the media, didn’t question any of his promises, it got caught in the whirlwind and helped us cling to that utopia without question.
Now, in 2012, it’s hard to find areas in which we are better off today than we were four years ago. In fact, financially many of us are worse off. The U.S. government has added $5 trillion to the national debt and President Obama has not cut the deficit in half but instead has increased it. The president promised that he would get us out of the wars, and while our military troops have withdrawn from Iraq, we have troops in at least 90 countries and have been aiding rebels in Libya and Jordan. The cost of the war in Afghanistan has increased during Obama’s presidency along with the number of casualties. Additionally, despite the stimulus spending and money thrown at companies like Solyndra and all the shovel-ready jobs that the President promised, the national unemployment rate is about the same as it was when Obama took office. There are a record 46 million Americans on food stamps; 8.7 million Americans are on disability and almost 48 percent of Americans pay no income tax. These are all stark reminders that President Obama has not accomplished what he promised during the whirlwind of his election. So what is the president’s plan for his second
term? More of the same, it seems. He is using the same 2008 playbook, as though he has not been president for four years. He talks about hiring more teachers. (that was what the 2009 stimulus was supposed to do), infrastructure jobs (again the 2009 stimulus) and of course the always popular investment in green energy (once more, stimulus 2009). Mr. President, this plan did not work the first time and even I know that if you try something and it doesn’t work, trying it again may not be the best course of action. As a country we will not survive if this trend continues. Given all of this, the silliness of this election season is astounding. With all the frightening and systemic changes happening in and to America, are we really talking about Big Bird, binders of women and whether the military still uses horses and bayonets? Our country has a 100 percent income-to-debt ratio, yet we are talking about a tall, yellow bird? (That would be like making $30,000 a year and having 30 thousand in credit card debt.) We have 7.8 percent unemployment and millions who have stopped looking for work, yet we debate horses and bayonets? The Titanic is sinking, and we are being told to listen to the utopic music of the on-deck string quartet to calm us into the “there is nothing
to worry about” mentality. I, for one, am sick and tired of being treated like a child who can’t handle the truth. I suspect that most feel the same way. President Obama has promised more of the same, more government spending and more government handouts. Americans don’t attack problems with government; we face the problem and tackle it. Entrepreneurs create jobs, not government. Small business grows our economy, not government. If neighbors are having a hard time, we care for them, not the government. At least that is what Americans used to do, have we changed? On Nov. 6, we will have a choice. Undecided? Understand that it’s OK to not vote for Obama. When a leader is not getting the job done, it’s time to vote him or her out. No regrets for the past. What’s done is done. It’s not too late to change course, but time is running out. Don’t put all hope in “change.” Put hope in the future of America: one that is focused on God-given freedom for all, and believes in the potential of each individual to pursue happiness. O Email columnist Scott Allegrini at letters@ toledofreepress.com.
Profile of Excellence: Kevin Williamson Owens Community College Alumnus
Kevin Williamson was born in Zaneseville, Ohio and moved to Toledo, Ohio when he was six.
About eight weeks into the 27-week training program, he was offered a job by the Toledo Fire and Rescue Department.
Williamson knew in the second grade that he wanted to be a firefighter. He remembers playing with a firefighting toy set during a PTA meeting. From that point on, he learned everything he could about it.
“The Patrol training was good for me. I learned leadership skills and was away from home for the first time,” said Williamson.
He enrolled in Owens Community College immediately after graduation to start in the Fire Science program. “At Owens, I built relationships and networked. My professors were area chiefs and firefighters,” said Williamson. While attending Owens, he worked at a movie theater and taught tennis in the summer at Jermaine Park. In 1991, he graduate from Owens and sat for the Civil Service Exam. That year, 4,800 people took the test and only 100 would be hired. “Owens prepared me for the test. I knew the material very well,” said Williamson. While he was waiting for the results, he continued teaching tennis and working. In May of 1993, he decided to take the State Highway Patrol test as a back-up. He was hired and started training in Columbus. Kevin Williamson Lieutenant, Toledo Fire and Rescue Department Instructor, Owens Community College 1991 Fire Science Graduate
Even so, he quit his training and headed back to Toledo to start his dream job. Williamson continued to play and teach tennis. He even played in an Owens alumni tennis league. In 1997, at Owens the athletic director asked Williamson to teach the new tennis classes. In 2002, he was promoted to Lieutenant. As Lieutenant, he supervised fire dispatchers for two years and worked in the relief-pool as a substitute Lieutenant for various stations for several years. In 2011, he moved to Station 25. “I can’t see myself leaving my station until I retire,” said Williamson. He continues to teach at Owens and is now a United States Professional Tennis Association certified tennis instructor. His dual careers work well for him. “As a firefighter, I can teach classes at Owens and work,” said Williamson.
“At Owens, I built relationships and networked.”
Come Join The Fun Join the Alumni Association today and experience cultural events, community service, legacy scholarship opportunities and more. Reconnect with Owens online at www.owens.edu/alumni.
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