The Jay Leno Message and An Informed Response

I received the following in my inbox, afterwards is my responce as a reply-to-all and a foward on to others:

Interesting fact about America even if you dislike or like the President and others.

Jay Leno wrote this; it's the Jay Leno we don't often see....

'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's 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?'' Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?

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

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

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?

Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the

Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state?

Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter?

I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough.

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.

Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a
home. You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a gro up of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family and your belongings.

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.

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

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 percent 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 Pre sident 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 discontent 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 or 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!

Stop buying the negativism you are fed everyday by the media.

Shut 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 a
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?'

Jay Leno
2007

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

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Below is "My Response", please let me know if I came across as kooky or articulate (or somewhere in between).
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I don't buy a word of this from Jay Leno. As a counter-point:

Can we walk into a grocery store and find any food we want? Perhaps,
but with gasoline so expensive the price to transport it is ballooning,
and the buck gets passed onto you and I. Plus, farmers get subsidies to
grow corn for fuel not food, but the benefits aren't apparent at the
pump, so where's the benefit?

Drive coast-to-coast without papers, sure, I'll give you that. Until
the REALID is mandated on all drivers licenses and a simple scan reveals
your continuous where-abouts to "the man", and in real-time too!

Perhaps you are one of the 70% of Americans who own a home, let's just
hope you weren't suckered in with a sub-prime adjustable rate mortgage
that the Federal Reserve and your friendly neighborhood Multi-National
Corporate Banks seemed to think were such a blessing. Otherwise you may
be living with mom and dad, again. Or maybe they will live with you?
Or maybe all of y'all will be living with Granny and Gramps, on their
social security (which is dwindling....).

It's a good thing that with the 30% of my pay check I generously give to
myself and fellow country men, when I have that helicopter pick me up
after an accident it takes me to a hospital that charges me nothing due
to my Universal Health-care. Wait nope, the USA has the pretty much the
highest medical prices on the planet. (Note: I get free medical access
for being in the military, and I don't support universal health care,
but the point above is still a valid one)

As for the president's stupifying-ly low ratings, let's analyze. War is
a bummer. And we are stuck in Iraq and Afghanistan were insurgents are
gaining more and more recruits. Why? Well imagine if Habib (vice
"Dub-ya") came patrolling thru our streets everyday with random
search-and-inspects on citizens of the USA, we'd most likely not be
happy. Then, let's roll out the fact that his administration has
authorized and accepted warrantless wiretaps on tens-of-thousands of
citizens' phones, to fight "terror". Yeah, and great job on "tax cuts
to bring an economy out of recession", phew, I am glad that is nowhere
near correct. This administration has caused our nations deficit and
debit to skyrocket, has allowed the government to borrow more money than
ever before and as a consequence the bucks I get are worth less and
less every week.

Absolutely, soldiers, sailors (myself included) and airmen
volunteeered.... to defend the USA and the Constitution, not "defend
freedom and democracy around the world". To be sure, many probably
enlisted/commissioned to promote democracy around the world, but that
isn't the vast majority. Also, multitudes of soldiers, sailors and
airmen have been "volunTOLD" that their "contracts" will be extended, so
it's not that draft, but just one step closer and all the more insidious.

This is just a handful of the things that have a lot (but not all)
Americans upset. I agree with Jay that a good majority of Americans
are spoiled. But all this coming from a man who has mansions, a
veritable FLEET of hod rods, sportsters, exotics, vintage and classic
automobiles. A man who has a warehouse dedicated to these cars. A man
who gets paid MILLIONS for very little "work" a day. I doubt that Mr.
Leno represents the good, hard-working citizens of this great country.
He even proves it by assuming that because people are "spoiled" and
"ungrateful brats" that our complaints are unfounded. To the contrary,
they are based in reality.

There are those of us in this world who aren't going to be chastised
because we see what is happening. I know I for one am not going to let
a Tinseltown big shot make me feel that my family's needs, my neighbor's
desires and our country's concerns are results of negatism on TV. If
you ask me TV isn't being harsh enough, nor using enough scrutiny on our
REPRESENTATIVE government.

BeauZC

PS - Once again, sorry for the Reply-to-all but I feel this is important.