I have a family member who voted for President Obama in the last general election.  She is a moderate who generally voted Republican in the past.  However, in the last election she was concerned that the country would continue going down the same path with McCain as with Bush.  So, she voted for Obama.  Now, after the State of the Union (2012) speech, she has decided that she will most likely vote for  Republican in the presidential election, no matter who that is.

I finally saw “Moneyball” last week.  I was thoroughly engrossed in this movie based on the true story of Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland A's.  Beane’s goal was to reinvent his baseball team on a tight budget and turn it into a playoff ready team.  In doing so, he realized that baseball's conventional wisdom is wrong and he will have to outsmart the richer clubs.  Like “Moneyball,” we find ourselves at a crossroads here in America, do we keep on doing what we’ve always done and keep on getting what we’ve always got? Or do find a way to reinvent or reinvigorate politics so as to get something done at a lower cost of money and drama to America?

Men make more money than women and white Wall Street men make the most.  A recent article in the Atlantic Wire reports that “white males working in finance make significantly more money than those who aren't white or aren't male.” Does this suggest gender and/or racial discrimination? Or is it simply a case of numbers?

What will you be doing this Veterans Day?  Honoring our veterans at local events, visiting military cemeteries, spending time with family or friends who have served or are serving in the armed forces? Or will you be spending your day sleeping in, shopping, or at a movie?  It seems that Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day have all become holidays to honor the almighty dollar.  Sales, sales, sales.  Even Thanksgiving has become a day to prepare for Black Friday.  Between the power of media advertising and businesses trying to capitalize on more available shoppers the reason for most of our holidays is lost in making or saving money.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I like a good sale.  I actually enjoy Black Friday.  But, when attending my children’s school for their Veterans Day assembly I realized that the celebration of many of these holidays happens before the holiday itself as our children learn about them in school.  I am grateful that our educators take the time to discuss and celebrate some important moments in our country’s history. They cover holiday topics like freedom, civil rights, the founding of our nation, honoring those who have served our country, and economic and social contributions of workers. They also tiptoe around as they try to cover the religious significance of other US Holidays without offending the cultural variety of today’s classroom.