I just want to thank Ford Motor Company for NOT taking government bailout money! Thank you for showing the chowder heads who have that you can pick your business back up by yourself without the grimy hands of the Fed "helping you and the economy."

That is a very good question. It's a Republic no matter what anyone says. I remember visiting the Boeing museum in Washington state. My dad pointed out the "U.S. Republic" stamp that was on an old wooden box that a mannequin dressed in an old pilot's uniform was standing on. My dad looked at me and said, "See? We are a Republic." The following may be a reason, because I was curious about this, too, when I was learning about the Cold War in school: Did the Soviets destroy the title "Republic" for us? It seems we started labeling ourselves as a democracy during and after the Cold War. Could that be a possibility?

How can he be our president if he wasn't a natural born U.S. citizen? We have every right as Americans to have our president's birth, school, ALL of his records public, and he should be more than willing to share these with us. Since he's not, something definitely fishy is going on. I don't trust him (I never have). Having this mistrust is not healthy. We should all be able to trust the president of our country. Because we don't, Obama doesn't deserve the title.

Since I'm a young person, I would suggest we try to reach parents. I've learned my views and values from my parents enough that it is a part of who I am. Now, I am educated enough to share my new opinions with my parents, too. I thank my parents for the discipline and values they've instituted with me. Everything starts in the home. For those unfortunate families that are broken or problematic, then we should reach directly to the kids. For me, I like to see the facts. When people are trying to influence and persuade me politically, I look through their opinions and focus on the facts. The Heritage Foundation, Human Events, and Newsbusters.org are sources that I can think of right off the top of my head whose facts and statistics they create through their analysis of bills and extensive research that interest me a lot. These foundations, however, aren't spoken about to young people. Mention them to people and let their interest be fueled by their own research. Another way to reach out to young folks is through churches and schools. If this is done, don't create FDR- or LBJ-like programs that are funded by the people's taxes. They should be funded by donations. One thing that I think is very important is not to be hypocritical: being Conservative, anti-Liberal, yet using Liberal strategies. It's very important not to become corrupt when trying to reach out to people, especially, young people. I hope I've helped some. Thank you for your willingness to reach out!

Hey, didn't they also stage our landing on the moon in California? (sarcasm)

I found this interesting, so I researched a little bit more. You are correct that Rupert Murdoch created Fox News, however, he hired Roger Ailes as its founding CEO. Also, if you read further down Murdoch's political past, it says, "In June 2008 despite what he said, Murdoch supported John McCain and donated $2,300 to the campaign." The true CEO of Fox News, Roger Ailes, was a "consultant to Ronald Reagan in 1984. He is widely credited with having coached Reagan to victory in the second presidential debate with Walter Mondale." I hadn't researched Fox News' history, though, so thank you for deepening my interest!

I just emailed Glenn Beck. Hopefully, something can be said or done.

Here's another example about how messed up our country is. I have a wonderful English teacher who is Finnish. She's been teaching in America for twelve years. She's not a citizen, but she is legally here under a visitor's visa. She also has a worker's visa, as well. So, she's come in the front door and done everything right. She was contacted by the government a little after Christmas to be told that they'd messed up her worker's visa. They noticed it, to begin with, because her visa was coming to a close and needed to be updated. She works hard. I've never seen a person dedicate so much to her class as she does. She got her lawyer involved. They tried to connect with the government a couple of times, but they weren't getting anywhere. With this problem, she was no longer getting paid. She was assured that the problem would be fixed in two months and she'd get her pay back. However, being so dedicated, she continued to teach (as a volunteer) us without pay. She had a substitute sitting in her class doing nothing but collect her paycheck. She went to Washington, D.C. to try to get things figured out two months later. She was reassured another two months. She still held up hope. I felt so horrible for her that I had her over for dinner with my family. The classes she teaches are terrible to her. They make fun of her accent and treat her like she doesn't have any authority over them. Some of the school's staff even treated her poorly because she was still working even though she wasn't getting income for it. She came to America because her husband and baby were killed in a car accident. She's fought bone cancer. This woman has gone through so much and has given so much. She could no longer stand volunteering anymore and took off. I hadn't heard from her in a month, so I emailed her. I saw her and talked to her while I was going to my art show. She told me that the government is sending her back to Finland. The paperwork is so messed up that she has to go back to Finland. My family was so upset. I don't understand how this happens. There are illegals in this country that are on welfare and are getting all of this government assistance. My English teacher (who learned our language enough to TEACH it to us) was being sent back to her country for our government's mistakes. She came in the front door and we are pushing her out. She got the letter and called her lawyer crying. She has to be out by May 28th. She's going back to Finland to teach. She can't come back to America, she says, for two years. I apologized for the stupidity of our government. Please remember her in your prayers.

As a Christian, I’ve been bothered a great deal by something I read in my Bible. Christians here it all the time, and it’s something that we’re known for. But, do we really understand what it means? I’m talking about love. The scripture is I John 4:20-21, “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar; for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.” That is the greatest commandment—to love your neighbor as yourself. This sounds simple, but I find it so hard to do. To truly love everyone with all of your heart. Even if you disagree with someone on everything religiously and politically, we are still commanded to love them. I get so angry at the politicians running the country, that the word “politician” has a negative connotation when I hear it. Do you have hard times loving, sometimes? I’m sure someone here does. The comments I read here in the vent section seem to echo my every thought. Let’s keep this scripture in mind as we deal with people we don’t see eye to eye on. How I wish I could see people as God does!

Yesterday, I was in history class debating with a fellow student who's liberal. I explained how I have dropped the current Republican party and have taken on the Constitution/Libertarian party. He told me he thought that the Constitution should be REVISED to modern language. I flipped out on the kid. I told him that our Constitution is just as relevant today as it was in 1776. I said we have destroyed the English language.

I am sick of such ignorance from my peers. I fear for the day my generation is put in power over this country.