Reel Urban Politics:

As the US military is taking brutal blows in manpower and resource cuts, Cynthia Shaffer, Political Editor for Reel Urban News, is drawn to the veterans who served in an era that is incredibly different than today. Please meet Mr. Rick. That is what Cynthia calls him. It is a compromise for both of them. When Cynthia first addressed him as Mr. Phinney he insisted she call him Rick. After explaining she couldn’t because it is one of the few ways to extend respect, she asked if, “Mr. Rick” would be ok. He reluctantly granted her request…every now and then she slips in a, “Sir”. He calls her Miss Cynthia. Mr. Rick is the final California Republican to whom Miss Cynthia posed the question, “What do Republicans mean when they say, “We’re going to take our country back.”

Fifth Response:

Rick Phinney, a Viet Nan Combat Veteran and registered republican.
Rick Phinney, a Viet Nan Combat Veteran and registered republican.

Born a 5th generation Californian, Rick is a Viet Nam combat Veteran, retired real estate broker, and a free thinker basing his position in both life and politics on his own experiences and observations. He is an American Legion Rider (motorcycle). One of the things they do is escort the remains of Veterans from the mortuary to their final resting place. Rick says, “We are honored to do this as it is a privilege to show our respect and gratitude for their service to our country.”

“What does it mean (to me) when I say, “I want to take my country back”?

I was fortunate enough to be born at a most wonderful time in our modern day history here in America. It is called, “the golden age”. It was when Dad went to work, earned a good living, and mom stayed home and took care of me and my two sisters. Life was relatively simple then; love in my family was abundant and obvious. We spent endless hours playing board games together, Chess, Checkers and for me and my dad, it was baseball 300+ days a year. Playing catch, fielding fly balls and ground balls, with each passing year, dad hitting them harder and harder at me. School was a place where we respected our teachers and we learned reading, writing and arithmetic…

Somewhere in the years since, we, as a country seem to have lost so much. Our government has grown exponentially and we now have over 21 million government employees. Our country is approaching 20 TRILLION  dollars of debt, we are being overrun by immigrants, a great deal of whom are entering our country illegally and then getting benefits that they have never paid in to.

The cronyism in Washington DC is so rampant now that we are being fed news and information by people who are related to elected government. Officials who dictate what, where, when and how we are told things and then they are not credible sources because of their connections.

I want to “take our country back” and get back to basics, stop illegal immigration, elect officials who are not career politicians but genuinely people who understand that they work for the American people not each other. I want redo our tax system so that corporations are penalized/rewarded for bringing their money back to America or not bringing it back. I want our trade agreements to finally be done in such a way that American goods are not taxed at ridiculous rates when being imported by other countries and the playing field is leveled.

I want us to stay out of these endless wars that are costing us trillions of dollars, which only feeds the well-connected corporations that make billions of dollars profit from them and more importantly cost us the lives of our fearless warriors who so proudly serve this great nation. Let’s take care of our boarders with these people instead. I am a Viet Nam vet so I know the cost of war to each individual all too well and it is a cost that we should never, without real cause, ask our young people to bear.

I am sick to death of the obvious corruption in Washington DC that seems to go either unpunished or unnoticed. It is time we hold our congress and senate accountable in every way. These are the people who have the power to change our direction and yet they do nothing. They must like the fact that all these things are wrong otherwise they would or could change them. Why aren’t they doing this? Why aren’t they holding each other accountable?

This is what I mean when I say “I want to take America back”! We are heading for self-destruction slowly but ever so surely……..

I would like to add: this is not a Republican/Democrat thing; both sides of the aisle are guilty of what amounts to dereliction of sworn duty as far as I am concerned. They are not serving the America people and haven’t for a very long time.”

On tap for the final iteration of the “Political Series: We’re going to take our country back!” are two Republicans who requested anonymity. One because of his job and the repercussions that often comes with being on the wrong side of the boss’ politics. A shame. The other one? Well, he had a very interesting twist in answering the question. Let’s call him Blackout as he doesn’t enjoy the spotlight. Like Erieka Paige-Dangeau (https://www.reelurbannews.com/erieka-paige-dangeau-taking-our-country-back/), he, too, addressed the racial aspect of this phrase. You gotta come back to ReelUrbanNews.com for the thought-provoking conclusion to this political series.

Check out previous responses from Republicans Terry Schroeder,(https://www.reelurbannews.com/political-series-were-going-to-take-our-country-back-the-role-of-government/), Brian Burleson (https://www.reelurbannews.com/?s=Brian+Burleson), and Robert Empasis (https://www.reelurbannews.com/political-series-going-take-country-back-u-s-national-interests-foreign-policy/). Reel Urban News. Always Compelling, and Always Exceptional!

Cynthia Shaffer, Political Editor, Reel Urban News, covers and writes about local and national politics from Northern California.
Cynthia Shaffer, Political Editor, Reel Urban News, covers and writes about local and national politics from Northern California.