I mentioned in a past post that 80 is the new 65, and this has prompted the direction of my posts for the next few months. In the past I was willing to remain silent on issues believing that I “wouldn’t be here to see” the results of the actions of a few to the detriment of the many. As the years have passed, and I am still “here to see,” I realize that I have an obligation to my children and grandchildren to do my best to help preserve and protect the principles laid down by our forefathers almost 250 years ago.
During the next few weeks I’ll be writing about my observations concerning a number of the actions and activities that have dominated the news media during the past few months. I believe that most of what we see and read is merely a reflection of the symptoms of some 
underlying problems, and so, at first, I will attempt to just identify symptoms. All too often the media concentrates only on treating symptoms, and never discovers the true underlying problems. This is much like a doctor treating a patient’s symptoms with medication, and never finding and curing the root cause of the illness or affliction. A “manage, don’t cure” philosophy.
In a later post I will compile my observations of symptoms and present a list of the possible underlying problems. Once we have agreement on the problems, I will present a framework for possible and practical solutions to many of them.
What makes me think I can solve problems that our politicians and social activists can’t seem to address, and why should you listen to me?
It’s really pretty simple:
• I am older than most – a senior thinker
• I have a wide range of experiences both here and abroad with other cultures
• I have no personal agenda, other than making this a better world for my children and future generations
• I deal in numbers and seat of the pants logic, and seek only the truth (numbers don’t lie, and they are unemotional)
As my first order of business on this quest for truth, I have compiled the following list of various demographics concerning the population of 
the United States. This list was taken from readily available statistics uncovered by a Google search, and are not meant to be 100% accurate as of the current date. They are, however, representative. I make no judgements based upon these demographics, and present them for information purposes only. Some of them may come into focus in later posts
Well, there you have them. Are there any surprises? I am very interested in hearing what you think are the major problems facing the country today, and would appreciate your comments and suggestions on solutions.