If Hillary Clinton really wants to be my champion

I read this article in the newspaper this morning, where Hillary Clinton announced her candidacy (again), and just can't keep my yap shut about the impact it has on me as an "everyday American."

First of all, to avoid the barrage of media questions (again) that follow her around due to her evasiveness on certain issues (such as Benghazi, email server, donations to foundation while she was SoS, claiming she and Bill were broke, blah, blah, blah), she made the second announcement via video. The first was on Facebook. Be that as it may, she outlined a four-point fight that she would wage: 1) equitable economic growth, 2) national security, 3) better treatment of children and 4) less corrupt government.

In response to that I say:

Regarding your first point, Mrs. Clinton, for you to be my champion of equitable economic growth, you'd have to realize that I worked hard for my education. I paid for it myself, at a reputable state university, where I could afford to go. Sometimes I had to borrow money to go, but I paid it back by the end of every semester/quarter. How did I afford to do that? I worked. I had two jobs at school that paid part of my tuition. I had a third job at a restaurant, where I worked from 4pm until 11pm or midnight six days a week. And in the summer, I also worked two minimum wage jobs; one from 9am-6pm and the other from 6pm until 11pm or midnight. The first job was seven days a week, the second was six days a week. Was it hard? You bet it was. But my champion would realize that I did it so I could get ahead without help from the government. I did it so I wouldn't have to rely on a minimum wage job to support a family. My champion would know that minimum wage jobs are not designed to be a living wage. I went to graduate school on a scholarship, working a job (as well as two others), so I could increase my marketability for a decent job. When I finally got my first "real" job, I earned less than minimum wage. Was that great? No, but I did a great job anyway. I worked hard, got noticed by someone else and moved to my second "real" job (at age 27) where I made a bit more than minimum wage, but finally received benefits. Was that easy? Not really, but that job got me noticed by another company. This time, I made a "real" wage for the first time in my life. I was 32 years old. I believe I have paid my dues, and my champion would understand why I resent the implications that I have somehow cheated someone else who hasn't had the success I've earned.

I pay my bills, I pay my taxes, I pay for my own phone, I pay my own cable bill. I realize that not everyone can do this. However, what I do realize is that my equitable economic growth champion must be willing to recognize that while poverty is rampant in our country, there are ways to remove poverty from being a factor when it comes to education. And just giving people money, benefits, etc., without requiring anything in exchange (such as education, work, etc.), will never, ever work.

As to point number 2, Mrs Clinton, for you to be my champion of national security, you must be honest. You need to come clean on Benghazi. You need to come clean on the second email server. You need to be honest about the donations to your foundation from countries you were working with while you were Secretary of State. You have to put all the lies on the table, fess up and tell the truth. Will that be hard? Not really, because most of us don't believe you anyway. But you would certainly gain some respect if you would actually take responsibility for your actions.

And, if you want to continue to earn my respect regarding national security, you'd have to get rid of your snarky attitude. The prevailing attitude you portray that makes it seem you believe you are better than everyone else. Being above the law. Your attitude after Benghazi ("What difference does it make...") was disgraceful. It matters. Those lives matter. Every life matters. And the spin that the government put on the truth (result of a video, changing talking points, spreading disinformation on news programs) was also disgraceful. Your attitude about the second email server was disgraceful. You said it was for convenience. Are you above the law? Do we have to change every policy and procedure for your convenience? For you to be my president and my champion of national security, you have a long, long way to go to earn my trust and respect.

Regarding point number 3, Mrs. Clinton, for me to even consider you as my champion for better treatment of children, you'd have to take a step back and re-evaluate what you even mean by that. Your entire history as a politician, everything I have read and heard about you shows you clearly believe that being a woman is tied solely to reproductive issues. I am more than my ovaries, and my champion should understand that. My champion should understand that treatment for children will never get better if we have no respect for them in the womb. If a mother can kill her own child, up to the very moment before birth, what does that say about us? What does that say about a champion (and a woman, no less) who would think that could be ok under any circumstance? You have repeatedly said that "religious beliefs about abortion have to be changed." Anyone looking to be my champion would understand that placing yourself about the law of God (and nature) is a dangerous proposition. You equate being a woman with reproductive freedom, but I say that my champion would understand that women have all the freedom in the world to avoid pregnancy. That decision (in cases except for rape, abuse and incest) is made prior to engaging in reckless sexual behavior. My champion would understand that until our country can truly respect life at all stages (from natural conception to natural death), our children will not have the peace they seek and so desperately deserve.

And finally, Mrs. Clinton, for you to be my champion of a more efficient and less corrupt government, you'd need to refer back to item number 2. You need to tell the truth. Be honest. Transparency is about honesty. It's not about sneaking secondary powers into laws that need to be passed on their face, but have so many riders filled with pork and politics they become unjust. My champion would understand the necessity of term limits, the common sense of eliminating PACs and lobbies and allowing the elected to truly represent the people who put them in office rather than vote the way their pockets are stuffed with perks and dollars. To have a more efficient government, my champion would not look for ways to sidestep the law; my champion would consider the ramifications of every single statement of law, defend and uphold the constitution, and lead this country soundly based on the laws of this land, not for personal gain or historical legacy.

To bring it all into perspective, Mrs. Clinton, you have a lot explaining and changing to do before you consider that you represent the "everyday American." I think if you did some serious soul searching, put aside your personal political aspirations and focused solely on what the "everyday American" is telling you that he/she wants, you'd see that you extremely far off course. There's certainly time to correct it, but you better get started now.