Any mother who has ever taken a flight with a child is poignantly aware of the flight attendant's message: "In the event of an emergency, secure your own oxygen mask before you attempt to help your child."
You can hear those words dozens of times, but they go straight to your heart when you are traveling with little ones you love.
Of course, the airline procedure is common sense. You can't help your child if you can't breathe.
What is obvious on a personal level also applies to us as a nation. We are suffocating in debt. It's vital to secure the economy. Then, and only then, can we carefully assess other priorities.
The United States is over $14 trillion in debt. That works out to $46,000 per person. Every man, woman, and child will carry that heavy burden. The national debt causes lost jobs, lost homes, and lost dreams.
It shows up in family vacations that aren't taken, fewer kids who can choose college, children who are left unattended while both parents work hard just to get by, too many meals of cheap macaroni and cheese, and countless other ways we can't foresee.
The President expressed concern over whether Social Security checks can be sent out in August. That's trillions of dollars the government has collected from us over the years with the promise that it would provide "social security."
Now, the very politicians who assured us our future was secure may have other priorities. But don't worry. They have created a separate retirement system for themselves. And they only have to serve one term to qualify for their luxurious retirement benefits, so they'll be OK.
What's hard to understand is that politicians think it's more important to send billions of dollars to Chile, Greece, Brazil, Pakistan, and almost every other government under the sun, than to fulfill their sacred trust to the American people.
For example, the Obama administration is giving $9 billion a year to help Argentina. Although Argentina's leaders welcome the help, they have $54 billion in reserve. Why are we bailing them out when we are on the verge of economic collapse?
And I won't even mention the dubious wisdom of starting and fighting wars on multiple fronts. The cost in trillions of dollars is only exceeded by the tragedy of life lost for a questionable foreign policy. But that subject takes far more time and energy to discuss than we have here today.
It's time to secure the United States of America. We owe it to our children.
