As I start my 61st trip around the Sun today, I find myself reflecting on this Great Nation in which I was blessed by God to be born. And on the incredible speed at which we, as a People and a Society, have changed. Most of which has been good, but then again, some not so much. The bulk of the good has been brought about by the actions of the market and the inventiveness of the American People operating within that market. The bulk of the bad has come about because we’ve strayed from the Values and Principles on which this Nation was founded.
The first car I really remember was the first new car my parents ever owned, a 1958 Ford Custom. No seat belts, no power steering, no power brakes, roll-up/down windows, no air conditioning and an AM radio. Oh, and a solid steel dashboard with no padding and a glove box where you kept your maps. And it got 12-15 mpg. In just over a half century, look at today’s automobiles. For less money, in inflation-adjusted dollars, you can own a “near luxury” car, with power EVERYTHING, safety EVERYTHING, air conditioning, multi-speaker AM/FM/CD/Satellite sound system with GPS navigation, Bluetooth connectivity and will get 30+ mpg. Simply amazing.
Our first television was a General Electric black and white, huge tube-filled box, which was almost equally as wide, as it was high and as it was deep. And it had to weigh about 100 pounds. And we had 3 channels, unless the weather was real stormy, then we only got two. I was in the 3rd Grade when we got our 4th channel, PBS. And to get the best picture, my brothers and I would go outside and turn the antenna until it was clear, sorta. Now, for less money, in inflation-adjusted dollars, you can by a 60” High-definition flat-panel television that with a <$50 table top antenna pick up 20+ channels, and can be hung on the wall. And we’re not even talking about cable, satellite or an internet receiver, like ROKU or Apple TV, where you can get over 1000 channels.
And how about home appliances. I remember when we got our first window air conditioner, for one room in the house when I was in the 3rd Grade. We were living in a town in North Texas where it was not unusual to have several weeks in a row over 100 degrees. Today, you see very few houses or apartments that don’t have central air conditioning, and none are built without it, even government housing. And the refrigerators and ovens of today are over the top compared to those just 20-30 years ago. And how about the microwave oven? The first one I ever saw was one my Dad bought my Mom for Christmas when I was in the 7th Grade, 1968. It was huge and heavy and cost over $500. And had a single dial on the front to set the time. Now you can get one for $50 that has push-buttons to cook anything from potatoes to popcorn and anything in between. And don’t get me started on countertop kitchen gadgets. Have you walked through a Wal-mart appliance department recently? Whatever someone comes up with they need, somebody designed and built an appliance to do.
Now, the things that have happened in my 60 years that makes me fear for the future of our Country and our Culture.
I still remember my first grade classroom where above the black board there were two large posters that had the first two texts we memorized and learned to read. One was the Lord’s Prayer, and the other was the Pledge of Allegiance. And we started EVERY day reciting these two texts. This was the firm and moral foundation that children of my, and previous, generations were built upon. We have lost this foundation as a Culture built on understanding that without the basic understanding that there is a higher power, Societies crumble.
Next, we have totally lost the understanding of how our government is designed to operate. We have allowed the “leaders” to turn our government upside down. The design of our government is for the power to start in the family, move to the township, then to the county, and then to the State and the last stage of government that should touch any Citizen’s life, is that which is in Washington, DC. We have allowed those in DC to seize power and we must take it back or this Republic will cease to function. And we’re real close to that Abyss today.
And finally, We The People have surrendered the vast majority of our next generations to the dark and soulless entity that is our corrupt government education industry. This has been the greatest mistake of the last half-century, for the next century. As we are now graduating our third generation of civics, history and economic illiterates, there is little chance of the kind of advancements we’ve seen in the past. It is CRITICAL that we empower parents, to parent, and quit allowing the government to raise their children. If this does not change, I see little hope for future generations.
So, as I move in to this 61st trip around the Sun, where do I think we are as a Nation and a Culture? I think we’re winning. Say what? Five years ago I would have ended this essay with “WE’RE DONE”. But over the last five years I have seen many cases where my fellow Americans are stepping in to the breech and standing against the destructive forces that are assaulting US. I believe that we must continue to take back our communities and our schools from the evil that is Washington, DC. The rest is easy from there. I’m all in for the fight for the Heart and Soul of this Nation and I hope you are too!
God Bless America! And America, Please Bless God Again!!
