UNCOMMON CENTS 73

POLITICS IS THE BUSINESS OF SYMBOLISM - AS DEMONSTRATED BY PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH'S STATE OF THE UNION SPEECH, TUESDAY NIGHT, JANUARY 23RD. CITIZENSHIP, HOWEVER, INVOLVES THE REAL WORLD WITH CONTRASTING VIEWS. CONSERVATIVES ARE NOT NAIVE, BUT REALISTIC, AND LIBERALS ARE DOUR BECAUSE THEY ARE IN DENIAL. WHAT TO DO? LIBERALS ANSWER ALL 'PROBLEMS' - WHICH ARE INFINITE- BY GOVERNMENT SPENDING, I.E. GARNISHING YOUR TAX DOLLARS. CONSERVATIVES RE-DEFINE PROBLEMS AS 'OPPORTUNITIES' - AND THEY TOO NEVER END - WHICH MAY BE SOLVED BY INDIVIDUAL EFFORT.

WHICH ACTOR ON THE POLITICAL STAGE DO YOU THINK TOLD ME TODAY THAT "ALL CHILDREN ARE SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN?" A CONTRADICTION. SHE TOLD ME THAT "EVERY CHILD IS UNIQUE." TRUE, BUT HOW CAN SHE THEN SAY THAT "WE ARE ALL WORKING FOR THE SAME STANDARDS?" "NO CHILD WITH DISABILITIES SHOULD BE LEFT OUT OR LEFT BEHIND." IS THIS REALISTIC? THESE WORDS OF CONTRADICTION, DELUSION AND JUSTIFICATION WERE EMOTED BY A SPOKESMAN FOR A GOVERNMENT SPONSORED AND FUNDED PROGRAM FOR SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN IN LOCAL SCHOOLS.

PRESIDENT BUSH SHOULD HAVE CUT HIS ADDRESS SHORT AND SPOKEN SWEETLY TO THE FACT THAT THE TIME FOR SYMBOLS IS PAST. GOVERNMENT SPENDING, I.E. YOUR TAX DOLLARS, IS NOT A SYMBOL OF EQUALITY BUT A REAL SYMPTOM OF A SICKNESS, OFTEN WELCOMED IN THIS COUNTRY, WHICH ATTEMPTS TO EQUALIZE THE EXPERIENCES AND FATES OF UNEQUAL INDIVIDUALS. NOT JUST A SYMBOLIC LEVELING BUT A REAL LIFE 'LEVELING’ OF THE ‘PLAYING FIELD' TO THE LOWEST COMMON DENOMINATOR ORIGINATED WITH LIBERALS.

HINT: WHEN THE WELFARE OF OTHERS REPRESENTS A REAL, NOT ASYMBOLIC STRIPPING OF YOUR PAYCHECK, IT'S TIME TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE STATE OF YOUR FINANCIAL AFFAIRS.