Make sure we elect the right people

I am a concerned neighbor of yours. Here is why: Early last month I marched in the 40th annual Schaumburg Labor Day parade down Summit Avenue. I saw all of those wonderful families lining the street and thought about what kind of future they will have and do they all realize how much in peril their futures are compared to the way I grew up in the 50s and 60s.

Of course, Americans have experienced challenges going back to our founding. But this time it is different because the challenges to overcome are within our own country and ourselves. I am afraid our freedoms and our money are slipping away from us one day at a time.

We have always had the best democracy in the history of mankind founded by people who sacrificed everything for the freedoms and opportunities we enjoy today. As time went along, we delegated that responsibility to people we elected to represent us.

Now the system has deteriorated to the point where only about 20 percent of Americans have confidence in our elected federal representatives. I sense an awakening of our country to the realization that we have to take more responsibility for sending the right people to Washington D.C. If something isn't done soon, our country's debt level will reach such a proportion that it can't be fixed without major, major dislocations of what we are used to in our country as respects our life styles like on Summit Avenue in Schaumburg.

One-third of our country's $13 trillion debt will come due within the next two years or so. If worldwide investors insist on much higher interest rates in order to re-finance this debt the interest alone will eat up most of our federal budget. Prices on food, clothing, gas and other essentials are sure to rise.

We can all pay more attention to electing the right people. Let's be sure to vote our conscience on Nov. 2 and beyond. If we continue to ignore our responsibilities we can only blame ourselves when the consequences come due.

Michael Howard

Palatine