What
type of legacy will we leave behind for the next generation of Americans? I have the sneaking suspicion that the United
States of America is becoming the butt of some sad the joke on the global stage. A superpower loses its status as the leader
of the free world because the blind was allowed to lead the unresponsive into
the proverbial ditch. And the blame lies
squarely at the feet of every citizen, including me.
We
remain bystanders as The Doomsday Clock jumps forward for our country. The POTUS was willing to use taxpayers’ money
to force a foreign government to provide the ammunition for a planned smear
campaign during the 2020 presidential election cycle. Yet, there are no collective cries of horror every
time his defenders suggest the crime of attempted extortion, along with the threat
to the democratic process, can be ignored because of a relatively solid economy.
Homegrown
crimes against humanity are that much more painful. The prince in his ivory tower allowed
children to die at the border in the name of a flag-waving. Worse yet, the dire issues evolving in the realm
of Twitter are more worthy of his concern.
The powers that be no longer bother to put up the pretense of touting
America as a place where immigrants, hoping to become part of a vibrant melting
pot, are welcome even if Spanish is their first language.
I
am pointing a finger at myself. Every
one of our children has been failed.
American students live with the fear of staring down the barrel of a
semi-automatic machine gun alongside unarmed sons of a certain complexion
realizing not enough people care about them being slain in the streets under
the shadow of bruised and battered daughters not being rescued from dangerous
homes after their names get lost in the paperwork. This land is on the brink of disaster.
I
would like to blame the downturn in homeland security on “those politicians” in
Washington. However, it is us who elect imposters
with charisma instead of public servants who labor to enrich the lives of all
voters by reaching across the aisle.
Talking heads are rewarded for pandering to what one side or the other
supposedly wants to hear. We are
pigeon-holed into being either bleeding-heart liberals or conservative
right-wing Christians. So many voices
are silenced when the subtle aspects of our concerns and dreams are disregarded
like this.
The
skirmishes in the streets and up on The Hill reflect a deep-seated unwillingness
to redefine the definition of community.
A nation really is a ginormous extended family filled with people who
should not spend the holidays together but must support each other at critical
moments. There is a death knoll ringing
from sea to polluted sea. We will
continue to be a part of decaying potential until each patriot holds herself accountable
for not getting involved. We become stumble
blocks to effective collaboration if we are not activists at the grass roots.
By
the way, good ole Uncle Sam has not remained true to his roots. Our nation was founded on the ideal of
bestowing the blessings of liberty upon anyone regardless of race, sexual
orientation, or her desire to practice the religion of Islam. Hate-crime violence has hit a 16 year high
according to the F.B.I. The diversity
found in our society has become a curse instead of a blessing. We have allowed the treachery of an
us-versus-them mentality to taint the consciousness of our society.
Let’s
return to the children. The smorgasbord upon
which impressible minds and souls presently feed: class struggles during race
riots, animal species going extinct, criminality in the White House, the possibility
of gunplay on school grounds, coastal cities under water after prolonged global
warming, voluntary segregation, politicians conducting business as usual while
the less powerful are forced to bear heavy burdens like inadequate healthcare… Need I continue?
You
got the bad news first. The good news
lends itself to brevity. Americans still
have the choice to change the course of history by being brave. Respond to the pleas of huddled neighbors,
despite the superficial differences.
They grow weary waiting for compatriots to embrace the honor of working
together to shape the USA into ground zero for offering justice to all, for protecting
the environment and wildlife, and for allowing kin to know the freedom of
safety in wide-open spaces.
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