Well my two cents on the coming New Year. I really feel for all the people who are out of work, and/or facing forclosure on their homes, or eviction. Especially the ones with children, small or half grown. The general economic climate in this country is as bad as it has ever been since the Great Depression. The cause of this one is the same as the Great One. Unfettered Capitalism. Yep market economies just don't work...the banks lend more money, people borrow and spend money they don't have, and borrow to pay off previous debts. The debts come due, nobody will lend anymore money to cover them, and poof..recession or depression. This one has been building since the middle 1970's. I remember when bank loan interest rates were like 20 percent, and people were scrambling to get those loans before they went higher. Why?? Because they wanted the money before the rates were so high they couldn't
qualify for them. The rationale was, as soon as the interest rated drop, I'll just re-finance and pay off the high loan and replace it with a lower interest rate loan. Soon Big Business decided, "Hell if it works for the consumer, it'll work for us" and did the same things..borrow at high rates, pay off with lower rates and just perpetuate the cycle.

Yes, the Government and the economists say we've bottomed out, they're just flat lying. The have no more idea what tomorrow holds than you or I. They make wild predictions and hope that they hit the mark 10 percent of the time. That's like a baseball player with a .100 batting average. How long do you think a team would keep him? What are his chances in a trade? He'd be included in a trade of a better player just to get him off the payroll.

Real estate people who know what is happening say a second wave of forclosures is just around the corner..with over a million more
homes predicted to go into forclosure. Rosey picture isn't it.

Folks it's going to get alot worse before it gets better. If you've got a decent place to live, clotheson your and your childrens backs,, transportation and the ability to purchase food. Thank your lucky stars. Food Banks are running out of food, Banks can't unload forclosed houses fast enough, some Banks are praying for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to absorb them before they tank completely.

My wish for the coming year is for the economy to at least stabilize, and start to shed some of it's "burden". For all people to be able to afford or maintain shelter, and food, and for families to become closer and start "supporting" each other. If you've got a mom or a pop...who's disabled, ill, or just plain aged, contact them, care for them in what ever way you can. If your neighbor is "down and out" offer a helping hand, spread the wealth a little. If everybody does just a small part, this country can and will recover, the Government can't do it all by themselves. Remember, We are the Government!! I ask you, did the Government offer you any bail out money, did they forgive any of your debt?

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF
PLASTER AND STONE.
I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO
IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.

I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.

NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.

FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.

THE SOLDIER IN IRAQ , LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.

THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED
A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.

WAS THIS THE HERO
OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED?

I REALIZED THE FAMILIES
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.
SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM
EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.

I COULDN'T HELP WONDER
HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.

THE VERY THOUGHT
BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES
AND STARTED TO CRY.

THE SOLDIER AWAKENED
AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
'SANTA DON'T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;

I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
MY! COUNTRY, MY CORPS.'

THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.

I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED
FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.

I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, 'CARRY ON SANTA,
IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE.'

ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
'MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,!
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT.'

This poem was written by a Marine.