Frustrations..

So a little background here.

For the last two years, I believe, there has been a reenlistment bonus of around $40,000+ for Donnie when he reenlisted this next time. We have been "looking forward" to this bonus to say the least, because it seemed that his last two reenlistment's he BARELY missed the big bonuses. So like I said this bonus was something we REALLY looked forward to. Well today, I looked up the bonuses for the fiscal year of 2010, which in the military starts on October 1st. Guess what, the bonus is GONE!! Go figure, he will get a bonus of a big fat $0.00.

So yes, I am FRUSTRATED. Am I ungrateful for what the Marine Corps provides for my family, ABSOLUTELY NOT. I am WELL aware that we get GREAT health coverage, job security, ETC, but really, I am FRUSTRATED. When Donnie and I first got married, it was under the Clinton administration, and the condition that the military was in would disgust so many. When we got married Donnie was making LESS then $400 a pay check. LESS, that is just absurd to me!! They did not even have enough GEAR for everyone. Really, it was PATHETIC the condition that the Clinton administration let the military get into.

The Bush administration came in and did their best to bring the military as close to equal to their civilian counterparts as they could, and to make sure that each and everyone of these men and women had the gear necessary to make sure they stayed safe. The military has come a LONG way in the last 8 years, A LONG WAY; but now with the new administration taking over, it seems that the military will be put on the back burner yet again. They are already taking budget cuts, being seen first and foremost with the bonuses.

Is my initial frustration that the money that we had HOPED we would see is gone, YES of course, is it a bit selfish, of course; I don't know many that wouldn't be frustrated with that situation though. My bigger frustration is, I see where this is heading and it seems it will be heading that way rather quickly.

When this administration took office, we knew that there would be changes that we would see on "this side" of it all, just was hoping it wouldn't be this soon. These men and women that sacrifice so much, deserve so much more then they get already. If you look at the overall population, there are very FEW who are willing to sacrifice EVERYTHING, for this entire country to have the freedom's that they have. We all take it for granted, every single day, from getting on the Internet and writing our blogs and e-mails, to driving our OWN vehicles down the street, and yelling at the guy who cut us off, to going shopping at grocery stores, to getting up in the dark to go pee and flipping on a light switch and having power, to being able to say "i don't like this government" whether past or present government. There are many governments that would have you killed on the spot for disagreeing with them. I could go on and on with the freedom's we Americans have that we take for granted every day. I do it myself.

Donnie has lost a few great friends, and my good friend, Carrie, lost her husband. I am lucky to say I knew some of these men..and feel EXTREMELY lucky to say I knew Chris. Not a day goes by that I don't think about Carrie and her son, and all the other men and women who have given everything. So in times like this, when my own selfish motives try to take over, I think about them, and what they have given up, and what we can do to help ourselves in these tough times.

We as Americans are all going through a tough time. Now is the time we all need to stand up for ourselves, and quit letting the government tell us what is best for us. Do we need "change"?? ABSOLUTELY, but that change does not need to come from the top! It needs to start at the bottom with the average American. "The President earns (and this comes from Wikipedia) $400,000 per year, along with a $50,000 monthly expense account, a $100,000 non-taxable travel account and $19,000 for entertainment.", how can he know what the American that is working for minimum wage need? How does he know what it is like to have to live off of a budget that really doesn't get you through the month?? He doesn't. That is why the change needs to start at the bottom. That is why the little guys voice does matter.

There are a lot more "little" guys out there then their are the big ones. Have you seen the movie "Bug's Life"?? I quote "You let one ant stand up to us, and they all might stand up! Those puny little ants outnumber us a hundred to one, and if they ever figure that out, there goes our way of life! It's not about food, it's about keeping those ants in line!" We as Americans are those puny little ants.

The people in the "government" are no longer "for the people", for the most part, at least not like they use to be. They are out for themselves, and for those that they "owe" a favor to. If this nation is in such a HUGE deficit, why do they get a pay raise every year?? I guarantee you, they don't take that pay raise for a few years, that will take a HUGE chunk out of the deficit. No, they would rather take money from the schools, military, and other NEEDED programs, then take money out of their own pockets.

It is not just this administration that my frustration is with. Are they catching most of my wrath?? Of course, because they are the ones in office, but honestly..whether Republicans or Democrats, they are just a bunch of crooked people, only out for themselves and not the good of the American people in general.

We need to put God back into our country. This country has thrived for 233 years, and was FOUNDED on God, and once people decided that they knew better then God, and took him out, we have started our decline as a country as a whole.

It starts with the "puny little ants"!! Once we realize we outnumber them, and our voices really do matter, is when we will see our "change" that we need!!