I'm 63 and I Tired by Robert A. Hall

Robert A. Hall is the actor who plays the coroner on CSI. He is much more than an actor. Read to the end.

This should be required reading for every man, woman and child in the United States of America.

I'm just as tired as he is....

I'm 63. Except for one semester in college when jobs were scarce and a six-month period when I was between jobs, but job-hunting every day, I've worked, hard, since I was 18. Despite some health challenges, I still put in 50-hour weeks, and haven't called in sick in seven or eight years. I make a good salary, but I didn't inherit my job or my income, and I worked to get where I am. Given the economy, there's no retirement in sight, and I'm tired. Very tired.

I'm tired of being told that I have to "spread the wealth" to people who don't have my work ethic. I'm tired of being told the government will take the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy to earn it.

I'm tired of being told that I have to pay more taxes to "keep people in their homes." Sure, if they lost their jobs or got sick, I'm willing to help. But if they bought McMansions at three times the price of our paid-off, $250,000 condo, on one-third of my salary, then let the left-wing Congress-critters who passed Fannie and Freddie and the Community Reinvestment Act that created the bubble help them with their own money.

I'm tired of being told how bad America is by left-wing millionaires like Michael Moore, George Soros and Hollywood Entertainers who live in luxury because of the opportunities America offers. In thirty years, if they get their way, the United States will have the economy of Zimbabwe, the freedom of the press of China, the crime and violence of Mexico, the tolerance for Christian people of Iran, and the freedom of speech of Venezuela.

I'm tired of being told that Islam is a "Religion of Peace," when every day I can read dozens of stories of Muslim men killing their sisters, wives and daughters for their family "honor"; of Muslims rioting over some slight offense; of Muslims murdering Christian and Jews because they aren't "believers"; of Muslims burning schools for girls; of Muslims stoning teenage rape victims to death for "adultery"; of Muslims mutilating the genitals of little girls; all in the name of Allah, because the Qur'an and Shari'a law tells them to.

I'm tired of being told that "race doesn't matter" in the post-racial world of Obama, when it's all that matters in affirmative action jobs, lower college admission and graduation standards for minorities (harming them the most), government contract set-asides, tolerance for the ghetto culture of violence and fatherless children that hurts minorities more than anyone, and in the appointment of U.S. Senators from Illinois.

I think it's very cool that we have a black president and that a black child is doing her homework at the desk where Lincoln wrote the Emancipation Proclamation. I just wish the black president was Condi Rice, or someone who believes more in freedom and the individual and less arrogantly of an all-knowing government.

I'm tired of a news media that thinks Bush's fundraising and inaugural expenses were obscene, but that think Obama's, at triple the cost, were wonderful; that thinks Bush exercising daily was a waste of presidential time, but Obama exercising is a great example for the public to control weight and stress; that picked over every line of Bush's military records, but never demanded that Kerry release his; that slammed Palin, with two years as governor, for being too inexperienced for VP, but touted Obama with three years as senator as potentially the best president ever. Wonder why people are dropping their subscriptions or switching to Fox News? Get a clue. I didn't vote for Bush in 2000, but the media and Kerry drove me to his camp in 2004.

I'm tired of being told that out of "tolerance for other cultures" we must let Saudi Arabia use our oil money to fund mosques and mandrassa Islamic schools to preach hate in America, while no American group is allowed to fund a church, synagogue or religious school in Saudi Arabia to teach love and tolerance.

I'm tired of being told I must lower my living standard to fight global warming, which no one is allowed to debate. My wife and I live in a two-bedroom apartment and carpool together five miles to our jobs. We also own a three-bedroom condo where our daughter and granddaughter live. Our carbon footprint is about 5% of Al Gore's, and if you're greener than Gore, you're green enough.

I'm tired of being told that drug addicts have a disease, and I must help support and treat them, and pay for the damage they do. Did a giant germ rush out of a dark alley, grab them, and stuff white powder up their noses while they tried to fight it off? I don't think Gay people choose to be Gay, but I damn sure think druggies chose to take drugs. And I'm tired of harassment from cool people treating me like a freak when I tell them I never tried marijuana.

I'm tired of illegal aliens being called "undocumented workers," especially the ones who aren't working, but are living on welfare or crime. What's next? Calling drug dealers, "Undocumented Pharmacists"? And, no, I'm not against Hispanics. Most of them are Catholic, and it's been a few hundred years since Catholics wanted to kill me for my religion. I'm willing to fast track for citizenship any Hispanic person, who can speak English, doesn't have a criminal record and who is self-supporting without family on welfare, or who serves honorably for three years in our military.... Those are the citizens we need.

I'm tired of latte liberals and journalists, who would never wear the uniform of the Republic themselves, or let their entitlement-handicapped kids near a recruiting station, trashing our military. They and their kids can sit at home, never having to make split-second decisions under life and death circumstances, and bad mouth better people than themselves. Do bad things happen in war? You bet. Do our troops sometimes misbehave? Sure. Does this compare with the atrocities that were the policy of our enemies for the last fifty years and still are? Not even close. So here's the deal. I'll let myself be subjected to all the humiliation and abuse that was heaped on terrorists at Abu Ghraib or Gitmo, and the critics can let themselves be subject to captivity by the Muslims, who tortured and beheaded Daniel Pearl in Pakistan, or the Muslims who tortured and murdered Marine Lt. Col. William Higgins in Lebanon, or the Muslims who ran the blood-spattered Al Qaeda torture rooms our troops found in Iraq, or the Muslims who cut off the heads of schoolgirls in Indonesia, because the girls were Christian. Then we'll compare notes. British and American soldiers are the only troops in history that civilians came to for help and handouts, instead of hiding from in fear.

I'm tired of people telling me that their party has a corner on virtue and the other party has a corner on corruption. Read the papers; bums are bipartisan. And I'm tired of people telling me we need bipartisanship. I live in Illinois , where the "Illinois Combine" of Democrats has worked to loot the public for years. Not to mention the tax cheats in Obama's cabinet.

I'm tired of hearing wealthy athletes, entertainers and politicians of both parties talking about innocent mistakes, stupid mistakes or youthful mistakes, when we all know they think their only mistake was getting caught. I'm tired of people with a sense of entitlement, rich or poor.

Speaking of poor, I'm tired of hearing people with air-conditioned homes, color TVs and two cars called poor. The majority of Americans didn't have that in 1970, but we didn't know we were "poor." The poverty pimps have to keep changing the definition of poor to keep the dollars flowing.

I'm real tired of people who don't take responsibility for their lives and actions. I'm tired of hearing them blame the government, or discrimination or big-whatever for their problems.

Yes, I'm damn tired. But I'm also glad to be 63. Because, mostly, I'm not going to have to see the world these people are making. I'm just sorry for my granddaughter.

Robert A. Hall is a Marine Vietnam veteran who served five terms in the Massachusetts State Senate.

What horrible football teams I follow: Indianola(freshman team), Dallas, ISU, Iowa and they all lost...Bright note; my HS team the Warhawks won....but I haven't followed them forever. Time to start switching teams?? Can't told myself that decades ago, these are the teams I'm stuck with.

Blaise has another game tonight.

Quiet weekend for the best....

Austin is leading the fantasy FB this week..If 49ers lose, it's up to hit total from tonight's game to break the tie.

Temp is all about his new smash the can and kick it through the up-rights game for Saturday.

Diamonds Are Not A Girls Best Friend...and here is why...Was just thinking about going through and documenting this, glad someone else did...Had to have a discussion with someone about this over the weekend. Amazing how some people are totally ignorant, even with presented with the facts and common sense says otherwise. I know I am about stuff, but I'm willing to listen.....

Deep Thought of the Day: We tend to scoff at the beliefs of the ancients. But we can't scoff at them personally, to their faces, and this is what annoys me.

Austins team lost a close one against Ankeny. They played well for the most part. Austin did not quarterback. Of course the kid that did, threw 4 interceptions two for touchdowns. That's besides the point. He has a tougher football mentality then Austin does, the one thing I wanted to make sure he had or try to help him get....I remember mine and it finally all clicked when I was a junior in school..happens at different ages for all these kids. You can tell by watching them, some have it.... Austin did return several punts, handled the ball fine. He did strip the ball from Ankeny on their opening drive resulting in a recovery for us. Anyway they played hard and didn't give up.

Blaise game was fun to watch(flag football). He was quarterback for the second half. I have to admit his passes were very nice! This surprises me. I need to work with him more, but it's not the same with him as it was Austin. Blaise doesn't really care about playing. Austin doesn't really care about improving.......They are themselves, some for the wrong reasons. In the end, they are themselves.

Weekend hmmm?

Can they beat Chicago?

Due Date looks good

Note: Don't brush teeth, then eat cottage cheese....

Deep Thought of the Day: I thought a good way to get people to dig your flower beds for free would be to call the police and say you buried some bodies in your backyard. But here's the catch: They dig everywhere, not just where you tell them to.

Golf Ball hitting steel at 150 mph

Amazing how long these balls last, maybe that's why the Pro's use new balls ever time they play...

After taking pool league off for a year for apparently the wrong reasons, I came back strong last night and punished the guy I played. I think I got those frustrations out, so I'll be going back to being average.....or maybe even below. We won easily...now I'm the damn anchor, least for a week.

Got smoked again last night....thank god for those adult beverages to ease the pain.

Two games tonight, luckily both in Indianola......

Civil What?

Army crew tears apart, rebuilds Jeep in four minutes

One reason I have always had my eyes open looking for an old Willey's. Simplistic!

Pool league tonight & Kickball tonight too....

Jennifer is having a party for work and full adult beverages are supplied on Friday. Is Marshalltown too far or too close??

Two boys, two starting quarterbacks on Thursday.....Wish it was as good as it sounds. I think Blaise's team they are just taking turns every game....When he puts the pads on next year he will be well over weight for a back position.

Marijuana on Four Ballots

This Civil War thing is getting old!!

Softball on Monday night was normal, didn't break anything...I think I need to get off that kick....

Deep Thought of the Day: It would be terrible if the Red Cross Bloodmobile got into an accident. No, wait. That would be good because if anyone needed it, the blood would be right there.