Today is my Birthday ....

... and I am 67 years old today.  And for the next year I will continue to wonder at how large that number is getting to be.  And I still wonder what it will feel like when I get to be an adult.

However.

I think I have something I want to say - I NEED to say.

I watched President Obama's speech, and during that speech I couldn't help but think of some people I know who are very anti-Obama, but not for the reason you might think.

They are recent emigres from Eastern Europe and they see President Obama and his policies as being very Socialist - and they lived with Socialism and they didn't like it.

Two things about that.  First, they didn't live under Socialism - they lived under Communism masquerading as Socialism.  Not Socialism at all.  And Communism is not the path the President wants to take us down.

Second - Socialism is NOT the dirty word the Conservative Right would have you believe it is.  Think of Policemen.  We all pay into a pool of money which is used to hire men to patrol our communities and keep us safe.  Socialist concept.  Socialist practice.  Firemen.  Same thing.

Socialism, in this country, is the notion of spending the Common Wealth (the tax pool we all pay into) for the Common Good (police, firemen, road building, parks, schools and hospitals) and Social Security - which IS NOT and DOES NOT NEED TO be broke.  Properly tended to, Social Security (our country's biggest Social Program - Socialism at its best) can remain viable and healthy - for us, and our kids, and our kids' kids.

That's all I can say for now.  Europe is a different place and time for those of you who came here from there.  Don't look to the past to inform your future.  Your past was a lie fed to you daily by Governments meant only to maintain power with no regard for its people.  That is not and never has been this country - and President Obama isn't going to let "Europe" happen here.

Ndinombethe.