The United States of America is now the super power of the world. We are perceived as a dominant and powerful nation. But when examined closely, we are a country filled with major problems too weak to spend time and money solving them.

For many countries, the United States is a big brother. Whenever another nation is in trouble, we are instantly there to help, ready and willing. For example, a few years ago, when Iraq invaded Kuwait, President Bush sent thousands of troops to fight back Iraq from Kuwait lines. The United States won the conflict, but not in the long run. Many of the troops are now being diagnosed with serious diseases. How far will our government go? And at what cost to our people? Once again Iraq's leader, Saddam Hussein, is invading Kuwait, and once again the United States has sent troops.

Other examples are the troops that have been sent to Haiti and Rwanda. Has the United States turned into the policeman of the world? Why must our country always be smack in the middle of every foreign affair when at the same time we, the country's people, are suffering heavily from crime, drugs, homelessness and guns. Why is the United States' government placing other countries and their problems before our own?

There are many serious problems in the United States. Other countries should be strictly secondary. People here are constantly dying from drugs and crime, but the government is not taking any drastic steps toward any solutions. If the same effort was given in the United States, many problems would have solutions. The billions of dollars used to send troops to every corner of the earth could have been put toward a cure for diseases, such as AIDS, that prey on our people.

In conclusion, one can only hope that our beloved country does not fall to pieces while our government's back is turned, too busy worrying about what is going on thousands of miles away. Before you go to clean up someone else's mess, first make sure your mess is taken care of. ?