Well, Barak Obama is now the President of the United States of America. Many people I know are optimistic, and so am I. Some are optimistic because of the President, but not me. I am optimistic because of what America is, and because I believe that God has blessed this land with freedom and resources that few other countries have.
Too many people believe the status of America rises and falls with the President, or with government policy. But many times the people have acted on their own, independent from the goverment, to solve problems and meet needs. Who are the first people to respond to major disasters? The American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and other churches too many to mention by name. When govenment does show up, usually the first ones there are the local fire department and law enforcement, followed by LOCAL emergency management. That is as it should be, for the local agencies are nearby, and they have resources at hand. When those local resources get overwhelmed, that's when the state and then the federal emergency management agencies should come in.
In short, people should try to solve their problems themselves, or with private resources before relying on the government. Government should be the last resource we look to for solutions. But people don't want to do that, because it will require personal effort and sacrifice. Some will say that is a negative view of people, but the opposite is true. What I am saying is that people do have more ability and resources to solve their own problems than what they realize. That is true hope, and a true reason for optimism.
