So it's been a while since I've posted anything. Like most Americans I am growing tired of the political scene, all the mud slinging, opponent bashing rhetoric that has for too long gone unchecked. It's a pitty. This country has strayed from the principles upon which it was founded, the principles that George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and countless others devoted their lives to securing for us.
Recently I got a job working for a Judge. This man has got to be the most patriotic man I have ever met in my life. He is the co-founder of Patriot Week. Every year from September 11th until September 17th (Constitution Day, the day the Constitution was signed) people are asked to show their love for their country. It can be as small as wearing a red, white, and blue shirt, or even simply reflecting on our first founding principles all the way up to holding an event at their homes or someplace else. (visit http://www.patriotweek.org/ for a full run down)
It literally pains me to look around and see what this country has become. We used to be a nation of people who would help one another in a time of crisis, whether we knew the person or not. We devoted our lives to the betterment of mankind and strived to become better people through our actions. Things have changed. Nowadays people are so concerned with where they have to be in 15 minutes, they are so caught up in making money only to spend it on themselves. The other day I saw a homeless man outside my work (they probably aren't supposed to be there, it is, afterall a court house) and a lawyer in a designer suit walked right past him without giving him a second thought, then I saw an older gentleman walk past him, pause, turn around and hand the man a $50 bill. The homeless man was shocked, I heard the older gentleman say "It's only money, I can get more. Besides, we're too busy helping out everyone else in the world we forget about our own here at home..." he paused for a moment and I could see he was reflecting on something and he said "If we don't protect our own then nobody else will."
There is nothing better than being an American. I think if everyone would relax, look around them, and appreciate the opportunities and the privileges they have been given then this world would be a much better place. We've grown complacent and myopic. We only think of ourselves. I firmly believe it is when we give that we receive, however as of late, America has been giving to other countries a whole lot more than we receive from other countries, and yet all they do is dislike us even more. It is time for Americans to rise up and say "no more!" It is time for Americans to demand that we help those here at home first. I am not talking about social programs like welfare and socialized medicene because that does more harm than good and is only a short term solution to a long term problem. I am talking about something bigger, and I don't know what but I am open to suggestions. It is time to have a free, open, uncensored debate, which we can in this country. And that is why America is the greatest country on Earth.
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Sean
ReplyDeleteI agree with your assessment, there was a time when neighbors would help neighbors and people would look to "pull up the boot straps" rather then simply putting their hand out.
I think a big part of our problem is the way we are raised today as opposed to years past. Today, everyone is special, everyone is a winner, everyone gets a trophy, kids dont really make mistakes and everyone is given positive reinforcement. People should win at an early age that there are winners and losers, not everyone makes the team, there are times of failure and times of success, everyone is DIFFERENT and UNIQUE but I dont believe everyone is SPECIAL (Michael Jordan was special, Doogie Houser was special ;) )
We have a generation of people who have tons of rights but no responsibilities. People expect everything but have to earn nothing. Our government has helped to foster this environment so now we have people (usually the older generation) who scoff at giving handouts because "they were never given anything" or the younger generation who simply believes it is the governments role to help people.
America IS great and people ARE generally quite generous, but it is tough when people with expendable income are forced to give it to the government or are "forced" to help out - if we have learned anything, legislating morality and "goodness" will never work.