PRESIDENTIAL SCENE

As I sit here watching Gerald Ford's funeral I am struck by how many times I hear the phrase "midwestern" way of doing things. As if family cohesion, modesty, straight talking and logical reactions to situations is only a legacy of the midwest. As a born and bred Michigander and former resident of Grand Rapids for several years, I am both flattered and puzzled. Regardless of the make-up of your family, your background and who your ancestors are, most Americans exhibit these same attributes.

However we tend to provide fame, notoriety and attention to segments of our population who least deserve it. Most of us deal with the devastating arrows of life through quiet strength and responsibility, taking care of the issues, protecting our families and moving on. We are told we receive the government we deserve, yet it appears we elect people based upon a popularity contest or whose nasty ad we heard last. I do believe that our choice of leaders are carefully orchestrated and we never hear about the honest, straight talker unless we search form them-men and women. I would rather have someone vote with their brains wide open, looking at the facts and even change their mind if they need to, over someone who blindly follows partisanship out of fear of others.

Although I admire a free press, we need to go beyond the sound bites and do our own research. Unfortunately so much of what passes as "news" appears to be the flavor of the hour or as a PR person put it "if it bleeds it leads". I believe we receive the news that we deserve and it is time to start asking for the truth and the difficult rather than the entertainment.

So this isn't all heavy I will pass on a joke my sister came up with New Year's Eve. Nasty, politically incorrect but funny. "With the passing of Gerald Ford, James Brown and Sadaam in the past week they are greeted at the pearly gates with the exclamation Oh Look, it's the Good the Bad and the Ugly."