Yeah, I love that video, despite the fact that it obviously creates a sad feeling in anyone watching it who cares about America. But sometimes the truth hurts. And ignoring it will not make it go away; it will only make it worse.
Wescli Wardest wrote: I chose to act.
Every thing we do makes a difference... go be that difference.
Yes, but... (slight rant to follow)
What can make it so difficult, though, is when you do everything you can and yet you still feel your efforts being pulled down by the overall mass consciousness that is so prevalent in America today. I do the best I can, to keep my head down and do a good job at work, at home, in public, with family, when voting, etc. But when you look around you and you continue to see all these people that just plain don't do their jobs any more, who don't know the meaning of hard work, who don't value it in others. People who are just looking for whatever they can get, preferably without having to lift a finger (e.g. all the government handout programs, and the frivolous law suits bogging down our judicial system and jacking up the cost of medical care). And also people who spit on or denigrate our brave military men and women, as though they're the real problem.
The education system is a joke; we should call it the test preparedness system. As long as you can pass the next "standardized" test (i.e. one dumbed-down to the lowest common denominator), then you get passed along to the next grade, as if that means you know the first thing about applying what you've learned or making good choices. Many times kids get passed along even when they fail. It doesn't even remotely mirror the real world. And many parents seem to expect that the school system should do their job for them. Yet if the school so much as touches the child in punishment, they get sued for it. And let's not even go into the whole Ritalin thing. "Does your child have a problem learning? No worries, medicate them!" It's no wonder so many kids are so messed up these days, even to the point of murdering each other.
I realize that everything is in a constant state of flux, that what seems bad today may have passed away or improved by tomorrow, but things seem to be getting worse, not better. And it makes me angry, in a way that very few things do any more. I love this country, or at least, I love what it was and very much has the potential to be again. Whenever I stop to salute the flag, feeling pride in my heart toward the timeless ideals it embodies, of tenacious courage, patriotic sacrifice, justice, freedom, fairness and equality... it feels so strange and sad, to know simultaneously that the same symbol is hated and despised, and even burned, elsewhere in the world, and not always for poor reason.
Now, don't get me wrong -- I have faith in humanity in general. I think we're making definite progress globally in human rights enforcement, health care, spiritual advancement, etc. But I feel like America should be at the forefront of these advances, not lagging behind with a limp in her step. I just hope that those of us who still have our eyes on the prize, who still know and care what honor means, can make enough of a difference to eventually turn this thing around, to sap the momentum from this runaway train we have become.
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