How You Lost The United States of America

You have. How? Wait for it…

I have a friend whose sister is an elementary school teacher. She had difficulty with one of her second-grade students, in that he would untie his shoes several times a day, but couldn’t tie them again; he would whine about their being untied incessantly until she tied them for him. So, at a scheduled meeting with his mother, she mentioned that the tyke needed to learn to tie his shoes. The response?

 “That yo job.”

That is a quote. And an example, for she was in no way alone in that opinion.

Nationwide, Americans think it is "someone else’s" job… to do everything. This is well acknowledged. Nearly everyone has a story about someone they know, wanting, even expecting special treatment from others at some time.

But there is a second aspect, invisible and truly horrible. 

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The average American – by extension, you – decided you would assign the entire job of “education” to teachers, even aiding and abetting the absolute myth that teachers are nobles, of special status if not divine.

Here are problems, giant ones:

• Parents lose respect in their own home as they claim apathy and ignorance every time their children ask a question
• The teaching profession has evolved into a political entity with no personal experience other than… attending school.

More than half of the instruction, training, and education previous generations received is now gone.

_____________________ 

Almost nothing is learned from family, as arguments about “education” revolve around testing and money. The teaching profession takes an adversarial position to parental involvement, which somehow has turned into a battle for “self-esteem” which somehow has become disconnected with either aptitude or achievement. Kids don’t learn anything substantive? Ignore that. Make sure they feel OK about it, instead. Be hostile to those who insist that your judgment is suspect.

How did you lose the United States of America? By wanting nothing whatsoever to do with maintaining it. For wanting to avoid judgment of people you knew in your heart were wrong, foolish or evil, because that was not only unpleasant but would expose your inactivity, your uselessness in matters of ethical import. You seized on the idea, "Judge not, lest ye be judged" at once, utterly fearful of Jesus' command at the real end of that story: "Go, and sin no more!"
You have never noticed that the founders of this country set up a system depending on you.

 

In all aspects of American society.
Including family. Which you’re teaching to be selfish and entitled.
I’m sure you’re a wonderful person, otherwise.

So you get a “participant” trophy, too.

Loyalty

You look for a dog that is loyal ...why not a partner?

We are told that somewhere in the vicinity of 50% of marriages in the USA now end in divorce.

I suggest that this is not necessary, though it is understandable.

As time passes, more people are taught that what they want now is the supreme consideration. Nothing whatsoever should stand between themselves and utter satisfaction. The evidence permeates media: we are shown a parade of celebrities who have decided they are tired of what has turned out to be the flavor of the month. We are shown athletes in every major sport who reject marriage, for whatever reason... we even celebrate their casual relationship that has produced a child.

But marriage is not the point, however it may speed probate courts and enable emergent medical decisions.

If you embrace a simple idea, commitment, before you engage in what you think may be serious relationship negotiations, and if you find a partner who recognizes its value...

...you may beat those odds. Especially if tough times come your way.

This lady DOES understand: a promise is the heaviest thing you will carry, and that the rewards of life are often on the other side of a... challenge.

May you find your own way so gifted, that your partner can actually be serious.

Who is in charge?

It's not "government". It's YOU. But not really.

As the political season has been extended to a year-round activity, apparently by popular demand, let me apologize beforehand for any offense you might encounter in reading only part of the story.
If you're not interested in politics, you can stop now. I don't blame you.

Only part of the story? Yeah, you're not really looking at legal actions in the news. For decades, I have watched political expediency set aside law. Please note that Reagan, both Bushes, both Clintons and Obama were surrounded by and buried in a pile of criminals. None of them got touched, no matter how much lying they did. You know you saw their fans loudly proclaim they didn't care, too - even before Facebook, outrage was not linked to education, logic, or reason. The list of offenses against the Constitution are countless.

Each generation has had the opportunity to fix this - to see that the candidate was *not* a liar and conniving miscreant bent on enrichening themselves.
You know in your bones that you now have one person in mind. Now, be honest: this applies to *your* favorite, too.

Each generation has been distracted so well that they only *react* to offenses already complete. I am sure none of you has an idea HOW to get a deserving person on the national stage for the next election - I don't know how to do that - but it's clear that the existing political machines are self-serving, that we have no moral superiority anywhere in sight. Nearly half of the country realizes that the existing government does not serve them - yet the other half is certain that this machine holds them dear.

Okay, I guess. Some owners do love their slaves...

The founding documents of this nation say that YOU are in charge, and that there are commensurate responsibilities YOU must exercise.
But that's the most unpleasant and most hastily-denied word on the planet: "responsibility".
All this time, you've been delegating *authority* to elected officials, to act on your behalf. In the process, you probably didn't notice that your collective attitude, "I pay my taxes, now do your job" has undermined us all. Having no idea whatsoever about what you want to happen, your will is now irrelevent, replaced with whatever that ruling class wants.

So you might be offended now that someone doesn't like your stance on a political issue. Sorry - you have to deal with it. No one gets to ignore a society's rules while they interact with it. That's not me talking. It's one of the laws of cause and effect.

Meanwhile, steady pressure exerted by the actions of Congress will determine whether hobnailed boots come to your house.

You might want to look at that now and then.