Show n n 1 Americans sacrificed HERE are stitches and T THERE patches in the quilt of life There are those who hold society together together the the stitches and those who are dependent on society the society the patches If this analogy is accurate America is rotting at the seams America is doing a great job at holding Iraq's quilt together while America is becoming torn tom and tattered Nothing is impossible when it comes to Iraq Everything is impossible when it comes to America This is the mistaken mistaken mistaken mis mis- taken message flowing from American leaders Our leaders sacrificed lives and prosperity to drive Iraq from Kuwait which in one light is noble But when it comes to mending Americas America's torn quilt this t ta task k is beyond the skills and breadth of government they contend Government and experts demand that we now make a major effort to bring democracy to Iraq But when it comes to doing something about Americas America's deteriorating public schools only modest steps can be betaken betaken betaken taken they contend The b brightest r j g h t est m minds i nd san and d Americas America's leaders are crying Save the Kurds This is a wonderful outrage But few have money or tears left for forthe forthe forthe the homeless the crack babies the single mothers the under educated under the the patches of Americas America's red white and blue quilt Our leaders say there is no money Our leaders say these problems at home are too vast and com complicated to be addressed by government govern govern- ment Well the are wron wrong The magnitude of the task and the money did not stop America in the Middle East Americas America's public education system and other problems domestic are arc areno no nomore more immense or more complicated than transforming transforming transforming trans trans- forming Iraq into a democracy For years Americas America's political and economic systems systems systems have been a model for forthe forthe forthe the world What a just when nations finally reject communism our political and economic systems systems systems show terminal signs of standstill and structural rot The youth of Germany Japan Japan and and other indu industrialized industrialized industrial industrial- trial trial- countries are transcending our young people in math and science skills Many young Americans cannot even communicate simple ideas in anything resembling bUng English Most Kurds speak better English than some of our own people Try to convince the Bush officials administration tf legislators and experts and they'll say well the American people just jus dont don't see the situation as a national national na na- donal crisis Therefore we cannot spend the rhon money y Our crisis at home hom is not painted as vividly a as the Kurds Kurd's plight The domestic problems of America are lingering and sluggish People do not see these problems as having an immediate immediate im im- im mediate effect on America But if you look closely you youcan youcan youcan can see the cloth and moral fiber of America rotting at atthe atthe atthe the seams |