Thanksgiving in Paradise

As Theresa and I sit beside our pool this thanksgiving morning we feel lucky to have two days to give special thanks for all the good things in our family's life. While much of the country is in snow and freezing rain we swelter in 80 plus heat with not a cloud in the sky. We are so thankful for the opportunity to experience this weather because it has so much impact on my health. I am sure Doris and Theresa feel the same way.

Here I view the conditions in the State of Florida where 18 million people live and come from all over the world. During the past weeks service providers scrambled to get resources to feed the hungry on Thanksgiving day. The lineups at the food banks have never been longer and the shelves more bare. Some 11% of the people are out of work and soon out of programs to provide basic needs. What is wrong with this picture ?

In a land that can land a man on the moon, provide policing around the world in dangerous places, offer tremendous help to Haiti and a dozen other countries but practice deficit budgeting which eats up nearly 40% of its taxes just servicing the debt makes it impossible to bring America back to its former self. On this Thanksgiving I am happy to benefit from all the good stuff but have a guilt complex for the poor and needy. Hopefully this next year will be better and when we sit down for our turkey dinner more people will share in the plenty and America will be a better place for all of us .

On a very personal note I wish to express my most sincere desire for all people to share and experience the joy that comes from living in the wonderful countries like Canada and the United States who provide the democratic environment for a better world.