An Apology and Promise to my Son

As you approach the conclusion of your first year of life, brought into this uncertain World by your Mother and I, I offer you a preemptive apology for the things that you may encounter that your Parents' generation may bring to you.

I apologize for the state of our economy. There were people that felt their personal gain was more important than the well being of the rest of civilization (and the non-civilized World for that matter). They made decisions based on outdated ideals and tired ideas that generally seemed to benefit them and their families while assuming that our family would prosper because they did. We voted these same people into positions that allowed them to keep their ideas alive despite the fact it did not help us. We have done what we can to provide for your future education, provided these men do not further pillage the economy even after it's downfall during your infancy.

I apologize for the state of our environment. There were people that didn't understand that using natural resources without consideration for the fact that they were limited and could run out or be ruined. These people were more concerned about their profits than whether it was the right thing to do. They didn't listen to science, they listened to their Accountant. We have some of the greatest minds and are looked at by the World as the leader for innovation. Somewhere that stopped happening. Their profit was more important than doing what was right, and insuring their wealth was more important than your future.

I apologize for the hatred and pain in the World because these men, and men like them felt they were more important then the rest of humanity. They felt that people that didn't believe as they did were wrong and should be eradicated. Their thirst for power over people like us was insatiable. We allowed them to thrive. People lost the ability for empathy. If it didn't effect them, it wasn't worth their time...and money.

I apologize for having neither the Wealth nor Power to bestow upon you to avoid the problems we have handed you.

I voted for George Bush.

However, I promise that I will always do what I can to put your future ahead of my needs. There are others that feel this way. Droves and flocks of others that actually see that if everyone else is in pain, they cannot truly be happy. As I grew older, became a husband and then a Father, I realized more and more that this country and our World need to be reformed and taken back. That allowing those men that ruined it for you to ramain in power was inexcusable.

I want you to never know what trash or pollution is, and feel awed by the fact that we actually threw things away and didn't recycle them. That is was actually a choice to pollute. I hope you will shake your head in disbelief when hearing that we used to drill for Oil, which created wars and pollution because some rich people wanted to stay rich instead of using renewable, non-polluting sources of energy to fuel our electric cars. People actually did what made sense.

I want you to never know that people less fortunate than us died from starvation and disease, in this very country where the most wealth in the world accumulates, despite the fact that we became a nation because people were finding refuge from persecution.

I want to you gasp that the Land of the Free enslaved people because of the color of their skin, and discriminated because they were a woman like your Mother. They felt their marriages were made less important because two people of the same sex wanted to marry each other, as if it really effected the reason and feelings that you would have for your spouse. Or, that their Religion was more important than someone else's, or those without Religion where wrong.

I want you to be able to thank us, as your generation would all do, when being passed the torch and handed the keys to our Country, and be proud of what you parents have done for you.

I voted for Barack Obama.