Interview

Name: Cary Staton
Age: 50



(Q) When you were young what did you think that America Dream was?
(A) Home ownership and personal freedom

(Q) How did you think obtain this dream?
(A)Hard-work

(Q)Now that you are older what is your American Dream?
(A) Same thing

(Q)Have you obtained it?
(A) Yes, not so much person freedom.

(Q)Why do you think you haven't received personal freedom?
(A) Because over time we have given up our personal rights and privileges, offered by the constitution.- we no longer can bear arms- we're unduly taxed- we lack representation - the only thing that has gotten bigger is gov't- gov't should be smaller-that's the cost of every bodies freedom

(Q) What would you do to change this?
(A) Follow the constitution of the US strictly, it was written at a great time by great men- we are incredibly vain to think we know better then they did

(Q)Are their any exceptions?
(A)Personally I think their are a few, but as a society NO; we made amendments to the const. that I don't think are all great ideas

(Q)What do you think of the 2008 election/ candidates?
(A) I think we, I can't think of a worse group to chose from at a more critical time in our history, "there are no leaders, it's like watching American Idol, it's a fame game, this is why we watch American Idol"- there are no leaders in our country anymore, our country doesn't respect conviction & we have been as a society dumb down by the media to a mob mentality similar to most great civilizations were brought down from within, that is what is happening to us. Rome fell from within, not the barbarians; that is what is happening right now, to the US. We have nobody to stand up, we as people are cowards.

(Q)What needs to happen within the US for each individual to have an opportunity to reach the American goal?
(A) Far less gov't, more personal responsibility that is easy to say but it means so much, it is the key to all of us, and we have to quit blaming our problems on other things. Personal responsibility is what it is about; you can't constantly bail people out for poor decisions. Our society make people like me out to be monsters of some kind, which I’m far from I am as passionate as any if I think people are trying.

(Q)In the 1920's the called that the era of greed; what would our era called if you were to sum it up?
(A)I would say, self interest, everybody was out for themselves everyone has their own little pet project, what about us? It’s not their fault, its just they way they have been led

(Q)What is the effect of this on community?
(A) It fragments the community, society, country our greatness is our oneness, we are one nation under god "doesn’t mean we don’t have to worship god" but our oneness is a single god, I by no means am religious but I will stand up for what needs to be done, for us to discourage it to were nothing counts when our country was founded on that is ridiculous. The way to keep us at bay, the way to keep the country from rebellion basically is to fragment them. "We're worried about Mexicans" "Mexicans are worried about the black" "rich about poor" they initially divert our attention while gradually stealing our rights. They being government, media, the same...really it is all the same. What people do is they listen to main stream media and main stream media talks bad about alternative media sources, they discredit them, but they put their own spin on every story; spin journalism. We always hear about who's dying in Iraq, when we hear about schools being built, people being saved....but that isn’t sensational.

(Q)What is to come of my generation in 10-15 years?
(A) There is going to be an education crisis, especially in colleges and college education. I think we will have a weak economy for the next 10-15 years, your generation will probably be the first to feel full weight of entire baby boom gen. - people my age, between 50-65 all hitting retirement more us then you, you will have to work hard enough to support self plus pension, retirement basically you'll have to work for 2-3 people. - Short term social security will be cut, people my age wont get any, probably true. What you do get won’t be proportional as is now. We also are loosing jobs to world market, we may loose retired people to other countries where their money will go farther. If I thought a solution, bring back trade-semi skilled work. So people can make a living doing so.

(Q)Any last things you would like to say about our economy, the American dream?
(A)If I had to tell young people anything, it is don't wait to get involved in your gov't. Strive to make it smaller, don't ask what they can do for you, tell them how you are going to do it for them.

Ask yourself everyday, if I dropped off the face of the earth, would the earth miss me? If your answer is no, you need to find something else to do.

Everyday we go without fighting back, it is a battle lost. By the time you hit my age you think, what kind of world am I leaving for my children? Have we made this world better? I would have to say for my generation the answer is, we haven't.

One more thing,

The second most important rule, after do unto others, is if you do not know your history you are doomed to repeat it. If you don’t learn anything else in high school learn your rights, freedoms, and the constitution don't get wrapped up in today’s gov't get wrapped up in the gov't of 1776.
















Reflection: You never really realize how wise one is until you take a momment to sit down and just talk. My step-dad (Cary) and I tend to never get along, we don't talk to eachother, we live in the same house, but in two completly different worlds. I didn't realize until tonight how much Cary has to offer, how much we have in common and how much I can acctually learn from him. The thing that stood out to me most about this interview is the fact that Cary said "people look at people like me as some sort of monster, but really if I see you are trying I can be just as passioniate as anyone else". This stood out becuase I myself have thought of Cary as something like a "monster" but when he said this it made me acctually take a look at myself, and for once I realized it really is me, not him.