Gotta love Jay!

Yesterday I joined the Above Rubies Yahoo group. I thought I'd set it for just a daily e-mail but apparently that didn't happen so I have a mailbox full of posts. The first one I read had this letter written by Jay Leno. You don't often see this side of him, but when I do, I just want to kiss him. Enjoy!

Very interesting perspective by Jay Leno...I hope you will all read to the end. Jay Leno puts it into perspective andmakes us think about the pathetic negativity. That's right, Jay Leno!! Jay Leno wrote this; it's the Jay Leno we don't often see.... "The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some polldata I found rather hard to believe. It must be true, given the source,right? The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with thedirection the country is headed, and 69 percent of the country is unhappywith the performance of the President. In essence, 2/3's of the citizenryjust ain't happy and want a change. So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, ''What are we sounhappy about?''Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 days aweek?Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer andheating in the winter? Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job?Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time, and seemore food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year? Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the AtlanticOcean without having to present identification papers as we move througheach state?Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along theway that can provide temporary shelter? I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around theworld is just not good enough.Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and Provide services to help all, and even send a helicopter to take you to thehospital. Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home. You maybe upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group oftrained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment toextinguish the flames thus saving you, your family and your belongings. Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar orprowler intrudes , an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vestwill come to defend you and your family against attack or loss. This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias rapingand pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90 percent of teenagers owncell phones and computers.How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoythat are the envy of everyone in the world? Maybe that is what has 67 percent of you folks unhappy.Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world hasever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S., yet has a great disdain forits citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in theworld who do nothing but complain about what we don't have , and what wehate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here. I know, I know. What about the President who took us into war and has noplan to get us out? The President who has a measly 31 percent approvalrating? Is this the same President who guided the nation in the dark daysafter 9/11? The President that cut taxes to bring an economy out ofrecession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in thebook for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful brats safe fromterrorist attacks? The Commander-In Chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defendingyou and me? Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk show?Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn't take alook around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad? Think about it...are you upset at the President because he actually causedyou personal pain OR is it because the "Media" told you he was failing tokiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day.Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan havevolunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom.There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go. They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general'' dischargean ''other than honorable'' discharge or, worst case scenario, a 'dishonorable' ' discharge after a few days in the brig. So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent ofAmericans? Say what you want, but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds, itleads; and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crashwith blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at thecorner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations.They offer what sells , and when criticized, try to defend their actions by justifying" them in one way or another. Just ask why they tried to allow amurderer like O.J. Simpson to write a book about "how he didn't kill hiswife, but if he did he would have done it this way"...Insane!Stop buying the negativism you are fed everyday by the media. Shut off theTV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your birdcage. Then start being grateful for all we have as a country. There isexponentially more good than bad. We are among the most blessed people on Earth, and should thank God severaltimes a day, or at least be thankful and appreciative."With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding,severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, andwith the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, "Are we sure this is agood time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?" Jay Leno2007