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Administration is slowly destroying America

Published on Wednesday, October 21, 2009 9:19 AM MST

Dear Editor:

I received this via e-mail and thought perhaps you would think it worthy to print in the Courier.

Once upon a time, I was invited to the White House for a private dinner with the president. I am a respected businessman with a factory that produces memory chips for computers and portable electronics. There was some talk that my industry was being scrutinized by the administration, but I paid it no mind. I live in a free country. There's nothing that the government can do to me if I've broken no laws. My wealth was earned honestly, and an invitation to dinner with an American president is an honor.

I checked my coat, was greeted by the chief of staff and joined the President in a yellow dining room. We sat across from each other at a table draped in white linen. The Great Seal was embossed on the china. Uniformed staff served our dinner. The meal was served, and I was startled when my waiter suddenly reached out, plucked a dinner roll off my plate and then began nibbling it as he walked back to the kitchen.

"Sorry about that," the President said. "Andrew is very hungry."

"I don't appreciate. . ." I began, but as I looked into the calm brown eyes across from me, I felt immediately guilty and petty. It was just a dinner roll.

"Of course," I concluded and reached for my glass. Before I could, however, another waiter reached forward, took the glass away and swallowed the wine in a single gulp.

"And his brother, Eric, is very thirsty," the president said.

I didn't say anything. The president is testing my compassion, I thought. I will play along. I don't want to seem unkind.

My plate was whisked away before I had tasted a bite. "Eric's children are also quite hungry." With a lurch, I crashed to the floor. My chair had been pulled out from under me. I stood, brushing myself off angrily and watched as it was carried from the room. "And their grandmother can't stand for long."

I excused myself, smiling outwardly, but inside feeling like a fool.

Obviously, I had been invited to the White House to be sport for some game. I reached for my coat, only to find it had been taken. I turned back to the president. "Their grandfather doesn't like the cold."

I wanted to shout – that was my coat! But again, I looked at the placid face of my host and decided I was being a poor sport. I spread my hands helplessly and chuckled. Then I felt my hip pocket and realized my wallet was gone.

I excused myself and walked to a phone on an elegant side table. I learned shortly that my credit cards had been maxed out, my bank accounts emptied, my retirement and equity portfolios had vanished and my wife had been thrown out of our home. Apparently, the waiters and their families were moving in.

The president hadn't moved or spoken as I learned all this, but finally I lowered the phone into its cradle and turned to face him.

"Andrew's whole family had made bad financial decisions. They haven't planned for retirement and they need a house. They recently defaulted on their sub-prime mortgage. I told them they could have your home. They need it more than you do." My hands were shaking. I felt faint. I stumbled back to the table and knelt on the floor.

The president cheerfully cut his meat, ate his steak and drank his wine. "By the way," he added, "I have just signed an executive order nationalizing your factories. I'm firing you as head of your business. I'll be operating the firm now for the benefit of all mankind. There's a whole bunch of Erics and Andrews out there, and they can't come to you for jobs groveling like beggars."

I looked up. The president dropped his spoon into the empty ramekin in which had been his créme brulée. He drained the last drops of his wine.

As the table was cleared, he lit a cigarette and leaned back in his chair. He stared at me.

I clung to the edge of the table as if it were a ledge and I a man hanging over an abyss. I thought of the years behind me, of the life I had lived. The life I had earned with a lifetime of work, risk and struggle. Why was I punished? How had I allowed it to be taken? What game had I played and lost? I looked across the table and noticed with some surprise that there was not a game board between us.

What had I done wrong?

As if answering the unspoken thought, the president suddenly cocked his head, locked his empty eyes to mine and bared a million teeth, chuckling wryly as he folded his hands. "You should have stopped me at the dinner roll," he said.

WAKE UP AMERICA! DO YOU HEAR ME? WAKE UP!

Pat Barnes

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Comments

32 comment(s)

Russ wrote on Nov 5, 2009 7:40 PM:

" Sorry Rasco politics and principles don't mix. But to give you the broadest latitude and benefit of doubt.... is it a great democrat principle to provide medical insurance to some while denying it to others? Or is it a great democrat principle to ignore social security? Or is it a great democrat principle to pass such a massive debt onto our citizens and our prodgeny? Of course it is. These are your halllmarks and your legacy. The list is endless. Go ahead with your snappy comebacks. We can't wait. "

Jay Rasco wrote on Nov 4, 2009 2:59 PM:

" Russ and Joker. The facts are that time and time alone will prove whether the Obama administration is doing the right thing and then of course you will still continue to live in DENIAL.

Little minds talk about people, larger minds talk about events, great minds talk about principles. Now go ahead and prove me right with some diatribe which I am sure you are capable of. ROFL.

Are we having fun yet?

Remember Russ we are just poking a little fun at you. So have a big laugh.

As for the joker, well? "

Russ wrote on Nov 4, 2009 6:39 AM:

" Guess you have not been following the blogs then eh? "

Come on Russ wrote on Nov 3, 2009 9:56 PM:

" I don't believe for a minute that Sasquatch lives in the desert and if they do, they probably don't have access to a computer and, how could they get their big hairy fingers on the keyboard? Get real!!! "

Russ wrote on Nov 3, 2009 1:08 PM:

" Well its difficult to argue with facts that are backed up by respectable sources but it is equally difficult to back up propaganda that is delivered from the mouth of a sasquatch. "

Well... wrote on Nov 3, 2009 10:25 AM:

" It is my personal opinion that Russ is a little minded, mean spirited, ride the fence type of guy. He doesn't always stay on topic either. Still, I don't see anyone blasting his posts. He must be really special in some sort of way. I can only guess... "

Russ wrote on Oct 28, 2009 4:43 PM:

" I am really not surprised Jokers WIld. The propaganda must not cover what you are asking for. "

Jokers Wild wrote on Oct 27, 2009 11:02 AM:

" Mr. Rasco- Your still avoiding my request. Give me facts and figures that will prove your point, that Obama's plans for the future of Americans is a good thing. Quit with the simple comebacks and challenges and give us all some facts. "

Russ wrote on Oct 26, 2009 11:47 AM:

" Yep a legend with a little "l"! "

Jay Rasco wrote on Oct 26, 2009 11:39 AM:

" RE Joker I have no time to be lonely. I have far and away to many things going on to be lonely. Bur believe what you will if it makes you happy in your arrested developement. "

Jay Rasco wrote on Oct 26, 2009 11:33 AM:

" Re Ed, Russ and Joker. I am rolling on the floor laughing at your perceptions. WOW.

Sometimes when people get to know each other they find that the perceptions they had of the 'Other" had no basis in fact at all.

Russ you may know who I am but you don't know me at ALL!. "

Ed wrote on Oct 25, 2009 3:37 PM:

" The gun control legislation is just one of many detrimental moves our president has planned for us. Every thing this president has done and is planning is designed to restrict Americans lives and liberties.

It's scary to think we elected a person as president solely on his skin color. It was a totally emotional decision having no basis in reality or facts.

No one knew anything about this man. What his politics were, how he was raised, where his loyalities were. He hid everything about himself and we still elected him. Insanity rules today. Incredible. "

Ed wrote on Oct 25, 2009 3:24 PM:

" I keep getting the idea that you're awfully lonely, Mr Rosco. Is that why you keep inviting perfect strangers to lunch?

This country is in serious trouble if it's people can't recognize what Mr Obama is doing to it and stop him. The very idea that the president would support any legislation that would take away or cripple a persons right to own a gun should be enough to convince every American that Obama and his government is not on the side of law abiding Americans. "

Jokers Wild wrote on Oct 25, 2009 9:36 AM:

" Mr. Rasco- It’s not about meeting you and getting to know who you are. Reading your many comments pretty much tells us who you are and your presumption that if we meet with you we will change our minds is ridiculous. Instead of a friendly visit, why don’t you take that time and educate all of us with facts and figures on how Obama’s plans are helping 95% of Americans not just his supporters! Then we can have a real conversation with you. "

Russ wrote on Oct 24, 2009 4:46 PM:

" I know you Rasco and have for a very long time. Yep you are a legend. "

russ wrote on Oct 24, 2009 2:12 PM:

" Harry there has sought fit grace us once again. "

Jay Rasco wrote on Oct 24, 2009 6:33 AM:

" RE jokers wild. You have no clue as to who I am or what I have done, obviously so why don't you come by my humble little abode that I have worked for over the last 55 years and for FYI I am still working at 73 years of age because I think work is dignified and I enjoying working. Why don't you come join me for lunch sometime and lets get to know each other? 928 428 2820 jyrasco@yahoo.com.
Obnoxioius like beauty is in the eye of the beholder. "

Truedat wrote on Oct 22, 2009 10:29 PM:

" Perhaps we can petition to change D.C. to Weasel town D.C. The weasel population has just exploded since Obama took office. How do we get rid of them? Impeachment perhaps? Just curious! "

Jokers Wild wrote on Oct 22, 2009 7:11 PM:

" Mr. Rasco – For some in this valley the sky IS falling. There are hard working people loosing their homes, their jobs or taking big pay cuts. These are families trying to survive in a depressed economy brought on by many factors. You must be a lucky man with all your ducks in a row, possibly a retired government worker with a pension? What ever your situation is, you are also a rude, obnoxious person with empathy for some and none for others, solely based on your politics. "

Russ wrote on Oct 22, 2009 12:50 PM:

" Harry has what to say about what? "

Jay Rasco wrote on Oct 22, 2009 12:09 PM:

" ...Much like I sounded when Bush was in office!!! "

Jay Rasco wrote on Oct 22, 2009 9:30 AM:

" RE; Barbie, sounds like a little Schaudenfraude there on your part.

Barnes post sounds like Chicken Little, the sky is falling, the sky is falling.

What catastrophic thinking!

Barnes you go ahead and create the world you believe in. Life is a perception, life is an experience to be lived. let get on with it. If we live under your umbrella of fear we will be stuck where we are forever.

The Staus Quo just won't cut it anymore.

Wake up graham County. Move intto the modern age. "

Russ wrote on Oct 22, 2009 8:36 AM:

" In my opinion, anybody that pulls the racism card out and uses it where there is none is perhaps the biggest racist of them of all. "

AKA Dora wrote on Oct 22, 2009 6:57 AM:

" I question the intelligence of anyone questioning the intelligence of a blog poster. As if anyone really cares. It gives you superiority the moment you press send, but everyone else sees it as Simple-Minded name calling! Can you comment on the article? In all satire, allegory or comedy, there is an element of reality. Thank you for printing this. I appreciated the story. Ps. It made me all warm to question someone else’s intelligence. "

Jay Rasco wrote on Oct 22, 2009 5:58 AM:

" "The sky is falling, the sky is falling. Wow what catastophic thinking. Barnes you create the world you believe in. sounds like Brent Moody, Justin Salem and Loren Behmlander all rolled into one.

WAKE UP GRAHAM COUNTY, WAKE UP!

By the way is the industry you mention the "Health insurance industry" that has free reign to rip people off? "

Pat wrote on Oct 22, 2009 3:51 AM:

" Pat is right on! We are slowly lossing every right we have, goverment take over, before our very eyes. I say, "Come Lord Jesus, and come quickly!" "

sure.... wrote on Oct 21, 2009 9:46 PM:

" this is jibberish. you have lived here in racist, religiously phanatical mayberry for too long. your a kook just like the author of this story. "

Reality in Politics wrote on Oct 21, 2009 2:06 PM:

" Barbie, this is a satirical letter. You do realize that right? The guy never really went to the White House and had these things happen. I also question your intelligence if you seriously believe the allegory insinuated. "

Barbie wrote on Oct 21, 2009 1:50 PM:

" I know it's not nice but I do hope that the people who believe the letter above is nonsense are the first ones that are affected first. "

YEAH RIGHT wrote on Oct 21, 2009 11:26 AM:

" Another case of mindless dribble taken off the internet passed on like there is something to it. keep on dreaming. "

What do we do Bury our heads in the sand wrote on Oct 21, 2009 11:05 AM:

" "What had I done wrong?" Buried our heads in the sand and hoped that someone else would "fix" it for us. Yesterday I heard a news story about the unemployed and lost insurance and how "important" it was to push the healthcare bill through. I laughed myself silly realizing how many would buy into that thought process. Hurry up and lose it all. Don't work for anything and get it for free. Tax us 60%, right on. Let's not forget that the majority of the unemployed already qualify for AHCCS, so what do they need insurance for? Think about that. "

Jim HUSSEIN Henson wrote on Oct 21, 2009 11:00 AM:

" That is the dumbest thing I have ever read. You should've used muppets as characters, then at least it would've been interesting. "

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