Say What?
© David Volk

There's nothing like a trip to a third world country to remind you what's important. Like clean water, sanitation, a good standard of living and high quality health care.

Admittedly, prescription drugs and doctor's visits are more expensive here, but when someone we shared a meal with got food poisoning and fell ill on the plane last week, I couldn't help but be thankful that none of us (including her) had required medical treatment while we were in Morocco. I'm sure there are great doctors there and that we probably would have found a high end clinic favored by local expats, but it still would have been a concern until we got home. The whole experience again made me realize how lucky we are to live where we do.

It also got me to thinking about a McCain/Palin talking point.

We shouldn't vote for Obama, they say, because he's an over-educated elitist.

Say what?

Let's put aside the stupidity of country club Republicans calling a man who just recently paid off his student loans an elitist and look at that comment a minute.

If your child were sick late at night, you'd take them to the best hospital emergency room in town, wouldn't you?

If you had a life-threatening illness, you'd seek out the best doctor and the best treatment money could buy, wouldn't you?

If you were on trial for your life over a crime you didn't commit, you'd hire the best attorney to defend you, wouldn't you?

So, why would you want anything less than the best when it comes to running your country in these trying times?

After all, when the economy is in the toilet, recession is looming, and the world seems on the verge of global conflagration would you rather rely on a middle class guy who finished at the top of his class at Harvard or a Navy brat who finished 894th out of his class of 899 at the Anapolis?*

Maybe there are times when being elite isn't such a bad thing.

From a man who needs to get back to work--

David H(oping it will all be over soon so that we can just get on with our lives) Volk