Now that I’m a bit older I have been taking better notice of various things our Congress and President does in “in our best interest.”

Why can’t the president and Congress quit acting like a bunch power-hungry greedy little children and start voting in favor of what’s in the best interest of America. It’s time they quit spending the nation into bankruptcy with “bridges to nowhere.”

For starters begin policing our borders. The parking lot is full. The taxpayer is tired of paying the bills of illegal people, not so-called immigrants, who disrespect our flag and the very freedoms that men and women of this God-given nation have died for, and who even now are shedding their life’s blood for these freedoms as we speak.

Our schools, infrastructure, Social Security system, the economy, health issues, corruption in Congress itself and the incompetent “fatcat” bailouts to name only a few, must surly be more in need of our “leaders'” attention than who is in power or who gets the credit for convicting a baseball player who took drugs 20 years ago or which party is responsible for turning down that fatcat bailout to the “the big three automakers.” Maybe the CEO fatcats of these three automakers are afraid that their $3 million bonus is in jeopardy this year. It’s been said, build a better mouse trap/car and everyone will flock to your door. We used to be the best and can be again if pride in a job well done and workmanship returns to the American workplace and is once again on American soil.

I don’t think the people of America are really asking too much of our “leaders” to start acting in an adult, honest and responsible manner. I’ve heard it said out here among the people that shed the blood and pay the bills that “America is at war and the people of America are out at the mall.”

We should be as united behind our men and women in uniform today as we ever were regardless of our at-home political interests. The people in our streets, our “unbiased” press, our president and on down to the floor of the Congress, who saw fit to send our mighty and proud military into harm’s way, should never be allowed to exploit their precious sacrifice. Our very own members of Congress have stood on the floor of our Senate and House of Representatives and called our military “baby killers and terrorists” for no other reason than political gain. Dear God, what must he and the people of the world think of the United States of America? I’m 66 years old and in my lifetime, I really think the United States of America has regressed not progressed on both the national and international scene. I truly believe that our “leaders” of today are leading the people of the United States down the garden path to destruction. In the 1960s. Mr. Nikita Khrushchev, the president of Russia said, “We don’t need to fight the Americans on the battlefield they will fall from within.” History does repeat itself. People seem to forget little details in history like the fall of the Roman Empire that also fell because the selfishness, greed and corruption of the people and the members of their government who took advantage of their position as “leaders.”

When the people, the president-elect and the Congress of the United States quit playing politics, stop finger-pointing and start playing America, I might live to see a better nation of free and proud people who care more about their country, children, grandchildren and even their great grandchildren than fulfilling their need for greed, power and wealth.

I have also seen a bumper sticker that says “I love my country but fear my government.”

I have proudly served the people of the United States both as a United States Marine and as a law enforcement officer since I was 17 years old. Never in my wildest thoughts did I think I would ever see such a profound statement on the rear end of a car belonging to a citizen of this good, generous, kind and proud country.

God bless our troops, our newly elected president and our Congress. They and we are going to need it. We must fight to become a united country and not just say no this time. We must again become a country of “For the people and by the people,” with the leadership that we deserve who has the guts to make the hard decisions regardless of political gain or loss. We have been bloodied at Pearl Harbor and 9/11 but the leaders of those that bloodied us learned that we will never live on our knees.

Semper Fi. God bless America..

Stephen W. Sharp is a resident of Wallowa.