America is divided. We are vulnerable. Our young folks are being inundated with visual, verbal, and behavioral worst practices that they will copy and support because they are naïve, inexperienced, and susceptible to adult influence.
Real adult leadership must step up now and show the courage to put country before party, freedom before ideology, integrity before personal agenda, and our young folks before self.
Growing political correctness, removing God from our founding and future, refusing to stand for our American principles and freedoms, picking and choosing which laws and constitutional principles to abide by, and creating a culture of cowardly finger-pointing are fundamental violations of simple right versus wrong.
The very principles that made this great country exceptional are under attack daily. Too many of us are accepting the unacceptable. When we see things as adults that are not acceptable and we don’t act, then we are encouraging more of the same.
Martin Luther King Jr. said, “in the end we will remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends”. We have a government of the people, by the people, for the people of the United States — but only if ‘we the people’ hold government officials accountable. Quiet apathy will destroy us.
We are a nation of laws. Our constitution is the law of the land in America. But many elected officials, courts, and lobbyists are advocates for a competing ideology. Our freedom of speech, religion, education, bearing arms, and other fundamental rights are in jeopardy.
Our young folks watch as our leaders mislead, point the finger at others, spend recklessly, and make critical decisions based on what is best for them politically — not what is best for our city, county, state, and country. Elected officials work for us! Our young folks hear words that tantalize, see no accountability for poor performance, watch adults accept spin as facts without checking, and witness negative attacks getting more positive attention than positive efforts to address issues.
Too many politicians respond more to special interest pressure and contributions than what is right for the country. Special interests care only about their agenda and what is best for them. Our government and policies cannot be for sale to the highest and most influential bidder regardless of impact on our country and on us.
We see growing intent on rewarding those who have not been successful and punishing those who have taken the initiative to succeed. Purposeful attempts to divide people by race, color, orientation, political ideology, or economic status will keep us divided.
Our public education system fails many students. Too many students pass to the next grade without the necessary skills to do the work. Yet, a one-size fit all education approach dominates the system. Our competitive ranking with industrialized countries continues to decline. Focus in our public education system is on adults and money — not students. There is no accountability to perform. People working in the public education system get paid whether the students learn or not. Union pushback and legislators limit competition options. Our tax dollars are used to strengthen status quo approaches. It is time to turn the spotlight on unacceptable government education approaches and results and come to grips with what needs to be done to provide our students with the education they deserve in America to compete with anyone.
Media generally turns a blind eye to their favored public servants, challenges little, and furthers their personal philosophies and agendas. Traditional media is failing as a real check and balance on government. When media gave up their objectivity and factual reporting, the people lost a basis for forming informed, objective opinions.
Our legislative and congressional representatives pass voluminous bills without the time to understand what is in the bill, the ramifications on costs, the impacts on individuals and businesses, and what else these bills change. Some bills blindly delegate important decisions to bureaucrats who cannot be held accountable and who are not subject to any check and balance. These processes are broken but they prevail.
The prerequisite for freedom is courage. The courage to speak up, to go against the politically correct grain, to lead.
This statement is true — you stand for something, or you stand for nothing.
The time to make that choice is now. Time is of the essence. If we are going to preserve any aspects of what made this great country exemplary, we better act now.
The prerequisite for freedom is courage. This is for our kids.
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