One American's Pretentious Resolutions for a Decisive New Year

The New Year of 2012, a general election year, will be a year when the fortunes of political parties and politicians will rise and fall; it will be a year of unprecedented social and ideological confrontation; most important, it will be a year when "we the people" once again have the opportunity -- the obligation -- to make necessary adjustments or corrections to the course of our society, our nation, even the world.

Call me pretentious, presumptuous or both, but I hope to influence such course corrections -- even if it is in a minuscule way -- through my actions, | swtor credits my writings and my vote. To that end I make the following New Year's resolutions:

• I will do my best to live by our traditional "American Values," but I will not allow those Values to be used as a tool to deny others their inalienable rights.

• I will help make our nation safe from terrorist or foreign threats or attacks, but I will not tolerate the use of national security as a justification for denying our own citizens their Constitutional rights or for depriving others of their basic human rights and dignity.



• | buy swtor credits I will not accuse those who legitimately feel that military force must be used of being warmongers, but neither will I condone the use of "un-American," "unpatriotic" or similar labels to vilify those who in good conscience oppose military action.

• I will dismiss out of hand accusations that not supporting a military action implies not "supporting the troops." On the other hand, I will insist that when we must send our troops into harm's way, we truly support them by providing them with the best protection and equipment | cheap swtor credits on the battlefield and the best care, honor and gratitude when they return home.



• I will support strengthening our borders and enforcing our immigration laws, while opposing any efforts to massively uproot millions of law-abiding families and the persecution of undocumented aliens based solely on racial profiling.

• I will continue to hope for a quick economic recovery, but I will spurn those who would obstruct or forestall such a recovery for political opportunism.

• I will acknowledge that people can express disapproval of or feel uncomfortable | swtor gold around those of a different sexual orientation, but I will not condone demonizing, ostracizing and legislating against gays and lesbians.

• Similarly, I understand that many Americans oppose abortion on religious or moral grounds, but I will also recognize that some women resort to such a procedure under certain circumstances.



• I will continue to proudly proclaim that America is the greatest country in the world, but I will not approve the use of our good fortunes to deride or denigrate other countries, societies, religions or customs.



• I agree with those who say that discrimination in America has decreased, but I maintain that we still have work to do and I will certainly call out bigotry when and where I see it.

• I am also grateful that poverty in America has diminished, but I will not turn a blind eye to the poverty and misery that still exist in the greatest country in the world, nor will I permit political, racial or work ethics labels to be attached to or associated with such conditions.



• I will expect that those politicians who tout family values truly live up to those values and not merely use them as conveniently timed political epiphanies.