By C. D. “Skip” Whitlam

2078 Live Oak Blvd.

St. Cloud, FL 34771-8441

407-957-9587, 407-873-4322 cell

Member of Cassell Network of Writers

I do not know about you, but I for one am getting a little sick and tired of the Media manipulation of my mind into believing that America is going bankrupt. America, the home of the brave and the land of the free, going bankrupt?

Part of that stems from visual and publishing media in their desire to raise their ratings or circulation by reporting the most shocking or revealing secrets that stir our human curiosity. Some of which comes from a generational characteristic that screams, “How many raw goldfish can you eat?” Or how many people can you cram into a telephone booth. Of course, that was back in the day when they had telephone booths. However, I fear a large part of it stems from a root of political power struggles to be in control and how they can influence power over various media forms we have today.

In some way, I can understand if a college course in media skills is going to project the idea that you have to dramatize your presentation to keep the listener or readers attention. Watching TV or listening to talk radio and reading newspapers and magazines, you get the impression that America is going down the tubes, and everyone is grasping to get your dollars while they can. On the other hand, is it simply selfishness?

Please consider these facts based on data compiled from census and surveys in 2009. Every state in these United States has thousands of millionaires within their borders. The State of California has the most. Households that had more than a net worth of five million were 980,000. In 2009 there were seven million eight hundred thousand millionaires in these United States. To a lesser amount there were 12 million households with more than five hundred thousand dollars.

Between the years of 2008 and 2009, the U. S. Congress increased their combined personal wealth by more than sixteen percent. Of the 535 members, 261 of them were millionaires. Fifty-five of them had a net worth of more than ten million and eight have fortunes of more than 100 million. Is there any wonder why these people are out of touch with the American population? The wealthiest of these is the representative from California, the state with more millionaires than any other and by the way the state that wants the Federal Government to bail it out of its financial dilemma.

It is not that America is going broke it is still by far the most generous of all the Nations of the world and there is money out there, being hoarded by many individuals. I am not even mentioning Corporate America, and its holdings.

When I think about our first five Presidents who put up their lives and fortunes to finance the American Revolution and establish our Nation with the capability for us to produce wealth by the grace of God and His provision. How have we become so selfish with all that we have to scream, “We need government bailout?”

We do have many generous wealthy people, but we all need to exercise financial responsibility, do what we can, roll up our sleeves and get er done.