By Ed Fancher

I have been giving a lot of thought to our upcoming general election for the office of the president of the United States. This election may well be the most important in our history, when one considers the current financial crisis we are experiencing and the attacks on our constitutional rights.

Is it not time for the rhetoric and broken promises to stop before it’s too late? Remember, we are talking about the future of our country; it’s not about choosing a winner of an “American Idol” show. I am also talking about the future of our children and their children.

So while trying to decide for whom I will cast my vote, some questions came to mind.

Who do I feel would be the best one to lead our great country back to its former exceptional status? Who do I think would be the best one to put a plan into action to stop the out-of-control spending that has wasted trillions of taxpayer dollars? Who do I think would be most qualified to generate and create jobs to put people to work?

Being poor is terrible, and I have been there, but I don’t want the government buying my servitude for handouts, when I know I can do better.

Who do I think will not apologize to the world for a country that has done so much to protect the freedom of others? I have lived and worked in numerous countries, and Americans are not arrogant. Anybody saying such a thing might not have stopped to visit the cemeteries of American war dead around the world.

Who would be the one to pursue a strong free-market economy and not turn us into a Third-World country? Who would maintain a strong military presence that would deter any thoughts of attack from an enemy who might think us weak?

Who would be the one who could enter into more fair-trade agreements with other countries so that our dollar would stay strong and not be devaluated further or collapse? Who would be the best one that would return America’s AAA credit rating? We have been downgraded twice in the last two years.

And who do I think would secure our borders and make anyone wanting to come here respect our sovereignty and wait in line like others have done?

I could go on, but I hope I have provided at least some food for thought.

This is not just about jobs and the economy. It’s also about freedom and our rights under the Constitution. We must be free to make our own choices and not be told by the government what we can and cannot do.

We are also a Christian nation, and I refuse to allow anybody to tell me how I may or may not celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Keeping all this in mind, I will try to make the best choice for my family and for our country.

I hope everyone else will do the same.

Ed Fancher is a Suffolk resident. Email him at eddie_seawolf26@yahoo.com.