Today was election day in the United States.  A lot of people take for granted all of the lives that were given so that every citizen of America could have the right to vote.  It saddens me that America has so much freedom that people use their own freedoms against the machines that provided us with the current rights we have, just because we are citizens.  Television and radio are filled with ads that encourage people to vote.  This is so crazy to me because teenagers will run to the DMV the moment they are of age to obtain a driver’s license, the under-served will stand in lines for hours to receive financial assistance,  your average joe will spend his last dollar on a lotto ticket and the “chance” to win, but all of these people have to be encouraged to vote.  Is it that they don’t see the benefit of voting?  I don’t know.  I’m going to ponder this a little more, we must find a solution.

I was in the Netherlands this past weekend when I came across the magazine seen above.  The photograph and the caption truly caught me off guard, but when I really looked at it, I wondered why such a cover story was even possible?  I’ve seen first hand how the world truly watches every aspect of America and responds to the cues that we send out.  There are some special interest groups that are truly trying to discredit Obama in any way possible with overt and covert tactics that inadvertently cross the seas and influence the perception of America.  The recent, often childish nature of politics has created a very bad image of America, and all for seemingly for the personal gain of these special interest groups and not America as a whole.  Often when I travel I’m very proud to be an American, but I’m always cautious because I’m just not sure anyone else is happy to have me around.