Foreign Service Workers

Career diplomats versus political appointees. In my opinion, in foreign service work, there should be no political appointees. That just shows favoritism and that high government positions can be bought by the rich through donations to presidential campaigns. I feel that ambassadors should not be selected by the president from an outside source, but should be selected by working at that post for an extended period of time. The ambassador should hold his or her post for more than the four to eight years a president is in office. This way, a stronger relationship can be built between the ambassador and the country he or she is working in. In leadership, power should be earned and respected through devotion, time, and experience, not money, contacts, and owed favors. The ambassador for the United States of America represents the people of the United States as a whole to the people of the country he or she is located in. Do we want some self-absorbed CEO or a lazy individual born into money to be the symbol of American? I don't think so. We need someone who worked from the bottom of the State Department all the way up. We need someone who has devoted their career and life to serving the American people.

Presidential Campaign

I know that there is all of this scandal going on in the Republican race for the nomination but I'm not going to talk about that right now. What I find far more interesting is why it almost always is the case that the major candidates in an election are either rich businessmen or high ranking government officials. I understand the reasoning behind it, because the government officials have the experience, and rich businessmen can afford the expenses of a campaign and know how to organize and delegate duties. However, I feel that it is also important to remember the little guy. For all we know. There could be a small business owner in the middle of Montana, or a farmer in Iowa who could do a great job at being president. I know that it is a long shot, but too many people give up because they think that there is no way they could do something. New blood is always needed in order to bring change to a group. The bureaucracy is becoming too mechanical in American government. The stagnant political scene should not be rocked by scandals like those in the tabloids in the supermarket, but by unexpected, responsible people running for office. Media should stop preying on the negative aspects of presidential candidates, and start looking at the good aspects of people that we as Americans don't know about. Media should look for the good, not just the bad.

Voting

We are all about to become eligible to register to vote. Unfortunately, not all of us will take advantage of this right that so many have made the ultimate sacrifice for. Without voting, I feel that no one should complain about our government. The system is nowhere near perfect, but the best way to change it is to make your voice heard. Inaction shows a lack of passion for your country, and your people. Personally, I will be registering to vote on my birthday. I look forward for voting for and promoting what I feel will be the best decisions for our country. I will most likely register a Democrat, but will not be afraid to cross party lines in my votes. People who feel they will not make the right choice when voting shouldn't worry, because there is no "right" way, because in the end we all want what is best for ourselves, our neighbors, and our country. If everyone was afraid to vote or too lazy to register, our government officials could walk all over us. Voting is vital to keep power in balance, and to keep democracy safe. One of the most key principles our Founding Fathers worked for was to ensure the right to vote. It would be a crime not to use this gift.