I was absolutely amazed by the stories I heard in the media concerning the release of Apple's new i-Phone last week. People stood in lines hours long, even waiting through the night, to be the "first" to get this phone. Some people even paid hundreds of dollars to secure a better spot in the line!
This is more evidence that the people of our nation are totally distracted and focused on material things that don't even matter. We can't get 50% of the people to vote. A majority of parents never attend a parent teacher conference at their children's school. Widows and orphans languish in institutions for lack of attention. Many organizations trying to do public projects to better their communities suffer for a lack of volunteers. Many churches are bordering on empty on Sunday mornings.
The most common explanation? People lack the time to do these important things. Yet, people have the time to waste to sit in a line for a product that the manufacturer will supply in more than adequate quantities. It's not just the i-phone. People stand in unbelievable lines for new movie releases, new book releases, concerts, sporting events, etc. It is totally insane and a sad commentary on modern American culture.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Time to Get Honest About College Athletics
It seemed as if the entire nation was mesmerized by the recent chaos surrounding major conferences within college athletics. University alumni from coast to coast expressed their heartfelt opinions (and some panic!) concerning whether their team or that of a rival should or shouldn't leave/join specific conferences. It was particularly acute here in Kansas where the state's two major universities faced banishment to "obscurity" in the face of the impending demise of the Big 12 Conference.
However, most people missed the most critical point of this entire spectacle: that of the place college athletics should have in our society and within our universities. The time has come to stop pretending that college athletics, particularly the major sports like football and basketball, still has any genuine connection to the academic purpose of a major American university. Major college athletics is out of control and is now the primary driver of policy and strategy in most major universities. College football and basketball coaches almost universally earn more money than the President of the university (the equivalent of the university CEO). A university's athletic record and reputation has supplanted the university's academic reputation as it's marquee promotional tool.
Universities and alumni routinely overlook violations of NCAA rules regarding recruitment of and incentives to potential athletes. Too many (though not all) athletes are not really students at all, but rather semi-professional athletes biding their time until their sport "allows" them to turn professional. Massive fundraising organizations are able to raise tens and hundreds of millions of dollars for the most modern sports facilities while ignoring aging and lacking facilities and equipment in the sciences, engineering and the arts. Oh, and academic scholarships!
The time has come to cut these semi-professional endeavors out of the university setting and let them operate as the huge business enterprises they have become, somewhat like the minor leagues in baseball. Free them from the often conflicting and hypocritical regulation of the NCAA. In an age when there is a growing criticism of the academic vigor of the American university, it is imperative that we re-create an environment in which academics is the paramount focus of our universities. It is time to allow students-in-name only to pursue their impressive athletic opportunites elsewhere while freeing up resources for young people with a sincere interest in learning.
However, most people missed the most critical point of this entire spectacle: that of the place college athletics should have in our society and within our universities. The time has come to stop pretending that college athletics, particularly the major sports like football and basketball, still has any genuine connection to the academic purpose of a major American university. Major college athletics is out of control and is now the primary driver of policy and strategy in most major universities. College football and basketball coaches almost universally earn more money than the President of the university (the equivalent of the university CEO). A university's athletic record and reputation has supplanted the university's academic reputation as it's marquee promotional tool.
Universities and alumni routinely overlook violations of NCAA rules regarding recruitment of and incentives to potential athletes. Too many (though not all) athletes are not really students at all, but rather semi-professional athletes biding their time until their sport "allows" them to turn professional. Massive fundraising organizations are able to raise tens and hundreds of millions of dollars for the most modern sports facilities while ignoring aging and lacking facilities and equipment in the sciences, engineering and the arts. Oh, and academic scholarships!
The time has come to cut these semi-professional endeavors out of the university setting and let them operate as the huge business enterprises they have become, somewhat like the minor leagues in baseball. Free them from the often conflicting and hypocritical regulation of the NCAA. In an age when there is a growing criticism of the academic vigor of the American university, it is imperative that we re-create an environment in which academics is the paramount focus of our universities. It is time to allow students-in-name only to pursue their impressive athletic opportunites elsewhere while freeing up resources for young people with a sincere interest in learning.
Monday, June 21, 2010
I'm Back....Here's Another Centrist Thinker in Kansas!
Ok, I'm back again. I was sidetracked by my oldest daughters high school graduation and a promotion at work. However, I have a number of ideas in the old brain pipeline and hope to once again blog more regularly. For now, follow this link http://www.hutchnews.com/Columns/arnhold-2--1 for another Kansan who is also seeking a center path. He's also proof that not everyone in Kansas is a registered conservative.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
The Real Lesson of the Gulf Oil Spill
The people of the United States are rightly up in arms about the ecological disaster that is unfolding off the coast of Louisiana. As important as the lessons to be learned about off-shore drilling are and as important as the debate about whether to allow off-shore drilling is, they really are secondary to the more important issue: the dramatic institutionalization of financial greed into the American character.
Although British Petroleum is technically a British corporation, businesses around the world long ago integrated the American business model into their operations, thus it is still an example of the corruption of the modern capitalist model. It is clear from the evidence that has been shared to date that BP and its partners on the Deepwater Horizon rig put profits ahead of the safety and well-being of their employees and the American people. This has become the standard and expected practice of American business as the nation has come to worship the almighty dollar above all else.
Do not misread my criticism as condemnation of capitalism, it is the best economic model ever conceived. However, capitalism in its original and pure form never placed profits above morality, safety and community. The capitalism practiced by far too many American businesses today is a prostituted version that views profits as the ONLY concern, especially among the large national and multi-national corporations. It is not limited to off-shore oil drillers. Mining companies ignore the hundreds of safety violations in their mines, ultimately resulting in the deaths of dozens of miners. Trucking companies regularly and knowingly run trucks above legal weight limits, playing Russian roulette with the lives of ordinary people who share the highways with trucks that are exponentially more dangerous as they move farther overweight. Even companies that once were known for their commitment to consumer safety have changed their ways and put profit ahead of everything else. Compare the response of Johnson & Johnson to the Tylenol contamination in 1982 to their response to similar problems in 2010 to see how the morality of business has changed in the last generation.
Where is the outrage among the American people? Is this the kind of economic system we want to be known for? Are we really willing to exchange greater short term profits for decreased consumer safety and greater worker mortality? Where is the leadership in this nation that is charged with representing and protecting the interests of the people (oh, yeah, their beholden to the contributions of the business interests!). And where is the American church that seems so concerned about the morality in my home, yet seems so unconcerned about the morality that actually affects peoples lives?
If there is outrage to be reflected in the Deepwater Horizon crisis, it should be directed at businesses who sell out the well-being of the American people for a few more dollars. Only a dramatic change in perspective and business practice will ever prevent future industrial disasters.
Although British Petroleum is technically a British corporation, businesses around the world long ago integrated the American business model into their operations, thus it is still an example of the corruption of the modern capitalist model. It is clear from the evidence that has been shared to date that BP and its partners on the Deepwater Horizon rig put profits ahead of the safety and well-being of their employees and the American people. This has become the standard and expected practice of American business as the nation has come to worship the almighty dollar above all else.
Do not misread my criticism as condemnation of capitalism, it is the best economic model ever conceived. However, capitalism in its original and pure form never placed profits above morality, safety and community. The capitalism practiced by far too many American businesses today is a prostituted version that views profits as the ONLY concern, especially among the large national and multi-national corporations. It is not limited to off-shore oil drillers. Mining companies ignore the hundreds of safety violations in their mines, ultimately resulting in the deaths of dozens of miners. Trucking companies regularly and knowingly run trucks above legal weight limits, playing Russian roulette with the lives of ordinary people who share the highways with trucks that are exponentially more dangerous as they move farther overweight. Even companies that once were known for their commitment to consumer safety have changed their ways and put profit ahead of everything else. Compare the response of Johnson & Johnson to the Tylenol contamination in 1982 to their response to similar problems in 2010 to see how the morality of business has changed in the last generation.
Where is the outrage among the American people? Is this the kind of economic system we want to be known for? Are we really willing to exchange greater short term profits for decreased consumer safety and greater worker mortality? Where is the leadership in this nation that is charged with representing and protecting the interests of the people (oh, yeah, their beholden to the contributions of the business interests!). And where is the American church that seems so concerned about the morality in my home, yet seems so unconcerned about the morality that actually affects peoples lives?
If there is outrage to be reflected in the Deepwater Horizon crisis, it should be directed at businesses who sell out the well-being of the American people for a few more dollars. Only a dramatic change in perspective and business practice will ever prevent future industrial disasters.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
America's Real Fundamental Problem....Leadership!
While there is wide agreement throughout the United States that it is facing huge challenges and perhaps our very survival is threatened, there is a vast list of reasons offered by people as to why this is true. People blame large government, over-reaching government, too much government spending, Wall Street scandals, activist courts, greedy business leaders, the worship of money, advancement toward socialism, welfare mentality, mediocre schools, too many liberals, too many conservatives, removal of prayer/religion from the public sphere and ....add your own cause here.
I propose that the real problem, the one that rises above all those listed above, is the dangerous lack of real, honest, committed leadership throughout our national institutions and within the citizenry in general. A close examination reveals a prevalence of poor leadership in the primary institutions of government, business, education and religion. Real leadership is defined by focus, commitment, honesty, selflessness and sacrifice, attributes that are clearly missing from the majority of leaders within this country.
Government is an easy target for blame in this problem and rightly so. Especially at the national level, politics has ceased to be about public service and doing what is right for the entire nation and has become destructively partisan and hypocritical. Congressmen oppose good legislation simply because it is proposed and supported by their opponents, especially if that opponent is the President. Congressmen are against a bill after they are for a bill....after they are against it (???). The political parties purge those in their party that don't walk a narrowly defined party line. Compromise (which is the only thing that allowed this great nation to be created!!!) is viewed as weak and/or corrupt. Lost to history are the men and women who went to Congress and worked for the good of the people, even if it meant not getting everything their beliefs would desire or that they didn't get re-elected.
Business is also an easy and appropriate institution to place blame. American business leaders have become completely oblivious to the lives of their employees and the damage their pursuit of ever-greater profits is wreaking upon this nation. CEOs of already profitable companies have no shame in shutting down American factories and moving jobs to lower cost nations simply to increase profits (and their compensation). Companies engage in risky and dangerous practices with the attitude that any financial consequences are just "a cost of doing business", even if it costs people their lives. National and international conglomerates have completely discarded the concept of community and the benefits a fair and vibrant enterprise contributes to the entire community. They only see a need for greater and greater profits, even if it means treating employees as simply another input resource instead of as neighbors and family.
Although significantly impacted by factors beyond their control, schools also lack critical leadership. Grade inflation is not a myth because schools have caved to the pressure of parents who all think their kids are exceptional. Parents come after teachers who have difficult grading practices because it puts Johnny or Susie's chance at Harvard at risk (forgetting that most of those children have no chance at Harvard to begin with). As a result, too many students graduate without the skills necessary to succeed in college. Parents routinely undermine teachers who attempt to enforce discipline and academic standards. Administrators routinely avoid the discomfort of releasing poor teachers. Testing has shifted the burden of learning from the student to the instructor, even when most people acknowledge that a willingess to learn is paramount to academic success.
Finally, even churches in modern America show a lack of leadership. Modern megachurches build multi-million dollar monuments to their righteousness while millions in their communities wallow in hunger, underemployment and homelessness. Pastors across the nation extoll the virtue of believing the right thing, saying the right thing, doing the right thing in order to receive God's financial and material blessing. Capitalism and Christianity have merged into an indistinguishable duo. Rare is the call to selflessness and sacrifice demonstrated by Jesus! Tolerance and compassion have been replaced by a "spiritual" search for personal, materialistic, emotional, and political fulfillment
Unfortunately, much of the blame must be born by the people of the United States. Most all of us decry the wickedness of those things with which we disagree. We demonize those who disagree with us. We call for others to sacrifice while ourselves being unwilling to sacrifice. We criticize Congress but re-elect our representative at a rate above 90%. We are angry and distrustful of business and its priorities and practices, yet continue to clamor for more consumer goods at ever lower prices. We profess ourselves a Christian nation, yet woefully fail to live a life a Christ like life of love, generosity and sacrifice.
The fact is that none of that long list of problems will be successfully solved until a group of real leaders steps forward. We desperately need a broad and diverse group of people with the ability to problem solve, to motivate and to inspire. We desperately need people willing to be honest about the difficulty of the challenges we face and tell us the truth, not what we "want" to hear. We desperately need people willing to lead the charge of commitment and sacrifice that is necessary to solve these problems. We desperately need people willing to sacrifice their own careers/positions (in every institution) to tell the truth and push people to do what is necessary. We desperately need a populace that is willing to reward, rather than punish, real leadership.
I propose that the real problem, the one that rises above all those listed above, is the dangerous lack of real, honest, committed leadership throughout our national institutions and within the citizenry in general. A close examination reveals a prevalence of poor leadership in the primary institutions of government, business, education and religion. Real leadership is defined by focus, commitment, honesty, selflessness and sacrifice, attributes that are clearly missing from the majority of leaders within this country.
Government is an easy target for blame in this problem and rightly so. Especially at the national level, politics has ceased to be about public service and doing what is right for the entire nation and has become destructively partisan and hypocritical. Congressmen oppose good legislation simply because it is proposed and supported by their opponents, especially if that opponent is the President. Congressmen are against a bill after they are for a bill....after they are against it (???). The political parties purge those in their party that don't walk a narrowly defined party line. Compromise (which is the only thing that allowed this great nation to be created!!!) is viewed as weak and/or corrupt. Lost to history are the men and women who went to Congress and worked for the good of the people, even if it meant not getting everything their beliefs would desire or that they didn't get re-elected.
Business is also an easy and appropriate institution to place blame. American business leaders have become completely oblivious to the lives of their employees and the damage their pursuit of ever-greater profits is wreaking upon this nation. CEOs of already profitable companies have no shame in shutting down American factories and moving jobs to lower cost nations simply to increase profits (and their compensation). Companies engage in risky and dangerous practices with the attitude that any financial consequences are just "a cost of doing business", even if it costs people their lives. National and international conglomerates have completely discarded the concept of community and the benefits a fair and vibrant enterprise contributes to the entire community. They only see a need for greater and greater profits, even if it means treating employees as simply another input resource instead of as neighbors and family.
Although significantly impacted by factors beyond their control, schools also lack critical leadership. Grade inflation is not a myth because schools have caved to the pressure of parents who all think their kids are exceptional. Parents come after teachers who have difficult grading practices because it puts Johnny or Susie's chance at Harvard at risk (forgetting that most of those children have no chance at Harvard to begin with). As a result, too many students graduate without the skills necessary to succeed in college. Parents routinely undermine teachers who attempt to enforce discipline and academic standards. Administrators routinely avoid the discomfort of releasing poor teachers. Testing has shifted the burden of learning from the student to the instructor, even when most people acknowledge that a willingess to learn is paramount to academic success.
Finally, even churches in modern America show a lack of leadership. Modern megachurches build multi-million dollar monuments to their righteousness while millions in their communities wallow in hunger, underemployment and homelessness. Pastors across the nation extoll the virtue of believing the right thing, saying the right thing, doing the right thing in order to receive God's financial and material blessing. Capitalism and Christianity have merged into an indistinguishable duo. Rare is the call to selflessness and sacrifice demonstrated by Jesus! Tolerance and compassion have been replaced by a "spiritual" search for personal, materialistic, emotional, and political fulfillment
Unfortunately, much of the blame must be born by the people of the United States. Most all of us decry the wickedness of those things with which we disagree. We demonize those who disagree with us. We call for others to sacrifice while ourselves being unwilling to sacrifice. We criticize Congress but re-elect our representative at a rate above 90%. We are angry and distrustful of business and its priorities and practices, yet continue to clamor for more consumer goods at ever lower prices. We profess ourselves a Christian nation, yet woefully fail to live a life a Christ like life of love, generosity and sacrifice.
The fact is that none of that long list of problems will be successfully solved until a group of real leaders steps forward. We desperately need a broad and diverse group of people with the ability to problem solve, to motivate and to inspire. We desperately need people willing to be honest about the difficulty of the challenges we face and tell us the truth, not what we "want" to hear. We desperately need people willing to lead the charge of commitment and sacrifice that is necessary to solve these problems. We desperately need people willing to sacrifice their own careers/positions (in every institution) to tell the truth and push people to do what is necessary. We desperately need a populace that is willing to reward, rather than punish, real leadership.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
My Positive Experience at a Tea Party Meeting
Last week, I decided to attend the meeting of a local Liberal, KS group that is loosely affiliated with the Tea Party. They actually go by the name We The People, but their genesis was the Tea Party movement. I know a few people in the group who assured me their purpose was not radicalism, but rather educating the electorate and motivating involvement of the ordinary citizen. So, curious and professing an open mind, I attended. As a point of disclosure: I have already blogged about several areas of concern I have about the movement.
I sat in the back, determined to just observe and listen, to give a fair evaluation of their actions and purpose. Although there was some early discussion of national events, this group actually focused most of its energy to local and state races. The most consuming discussion centered around whether to endorse candidates, how to evaluate candidates and how to encourage more people to run for local offices. I applaud their discussion because it was civil, well informed and genuine. Although, there were several points where I felt I could add to the discussion, I purposely chose not too, as my goal really was just to watch and listen.
However, toward the end of the meeting, the moderator asked a direct question of the attendees: how many of you have a negative view and how many have a positive view of the Tea Party movement? No one raised their hand expressing a negative view and about 1/2 raised their hands with a positive view. I spoke up and asked what about a neutral view? The moderator asked me to explain what I liked and what I disliked about the Tea Party movement.
My response was that I liked the fact that the movement was encouraging the participation of ordinary people in ways not seen for some time and that they were attempting to hold our political leaders accountable for their decisions. Of course, this received a positive response from those in attendance.
Then I ventured into the areas I disliked. Here I discussed the rancorous, seemingly partisan nature of the national debate (which is not limited to Tea Party members) and the need for the movement to quickly and forcefully remove radical elements (racists, anarchists, etc.) who see the Tea Party as a possibly mainstream vehicle for their radical views if they wished to remain relevant in the political system. I was also concerned about how the movement often appeared to exist just to be anti-Obama.
However, I devoted most of my discussion to the question of whether the Tea Party truly wants to represent ALL the people or if it was just a front for a dedicated conservative movement. I explained how my own centrist views were viewed as liberal in places like Kansas and Utah, but conservative in places like Connecticut (all places I have lived). I also pointed out that there are many in our own town who are not conservative.
I will admit I was pleasantly surprised by the response I received. I was not attacked, though some asked some good, probing questions. After the meeting, I had several people approach me and thank me for my input and compliment what they saw as a well thought out, reasonable and relevant observations of the movement. Obviously I can't speak to the behavior of most Tea Party groups, but I have to commend those in my hometown Liberal, KS for what seems like a genuine and effective commitment to the idea of a truly inclusive, grass roots political movement without an excess of ideological extremism.
I sat in the back, determined to just observe and listen, to give a fair evaluation of their actions and purpose. Although there was some early discussion of national events, this group actually focused most of its energy to local and state races. The most consuming discussion centered around whether to endorse candidates, how to evaluate candidates and how to encourage more people to run for local offices. I applaud their discussion because it was civil, well informed and genuine. Although, there were several points where I felt I could add to the discussion, I purposely chose not too, as my goal really was just to watch and listen.
However, toward the end of the meeting, the moderator asked a direct question of the attendees: how many of you have a negative view and how many have a positive view of the Tea Party movement? No one raised their hand expressing a negative view and about 1/2 raised their hands with a positive view. I spoke up and asked what about a neutral view? The moderator asked me to explain what I liked and what I disliked about the Tea Party movement.
My response was that I liked the fact that the movement was encouraging the participation of ordinary people in ways not seen for some time and that they were attempting to hold our political leaders accountable for their decisions. Of course, this received a positive response from those in attendance.
Then I ventured into the areas I disliked. Here I discussed the rancorous, seemingly partisan nature of the national debate (which is not limited to Tea Party members) and the need for the movement to quickly and forcefully remove radical elements (racists, anarchists, etc.) who see the Tea Party as a possibly mainstream vehicle for their radical views if they wished to remain relevant in the political system. I was also concerned about how the movement often appeared to exist just to be anti-Obama.
However, I devoted most of my discussion to the question of whether the Tea Party truly wants to represent ALL the people or if it was just a front for a dedicated conservative movement. I explained how my own centrist views were viewed as liberal in places like Kansas and Utah, but conservative in places like Connecticut (all places I have lived). I also pointed out that there are many in our own town who are not conservative.
I will admit I was pleasantly surprised by the response I received. I was not attacked, though some asked some good, probing questions. After the meeting, I had several people approach me and thank me for my input and compliment what they saw as a well thought out, reasonable and relevant observations of the movement. Obviously I can't speak to the behavior of most Tea Party groups, but I have to commend those in my hometown Liberal, KS for what seems like a genuine and effective commitment to the idea of a truly inclusive, grass roots political movement without an excess of ideological extremism.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Taking Back Our Country?
Ok, did I miss something? People are rallying across the nation with calls to "take back our country." Exactly who do we need to take our country back from?
Were we invaded by a foreign power and nobody told me? Were we conquered by a roving band of barbarians and I missed it? Did we become a colony of another world power and I am just unaware? Obviously not, since I think Iraq and Afghanistan would take a back seat to a foreign invasion of United States soil.
So did we have an insurrection within our borders that transferred power to a king or dictator? Are we living under martial law? Have we come under the control of aliens from outer space?
As far as I can tell, we still have our sovereignty and enjoy the same rights and privileges that we have for the last 223 years. The Constitution IS still in effect. We STILL have freedom of speech, religion and assembly. We are STILL protected against unreasonable searches and seizures and arbitrary law enforcement. We STILL have the right to own personal weapons. We STILL have the right to vote in local and national elections. We STILL have the right to live and work where we choose. We STILL have the right to travel freely throughout our country. We STILL have the right to raise our children with our values. There hasn't been one Constitutional amendment or principle repealed since prohibition was repealed.
We STILL have a vibrant press that allows the expression of political ideas covering the entire spectrum. We STILL have a peaceful transition of government as political leadership moves fluidly from one party to the other through the years. We are STILL a nation operating under the rule of law. We are STILL the one nation that immigrants from around the world most want to come to. Current hardships not withstanding, we are STILL a prosperous and affluent nation.
So just exactly what is that needs to be taken back? Is it a longing for the good old days? Do we want to take back the years and rollback to the days when racism was prevalent and in fact restricted the rights of large groups of people? Do we want to go back to the pre-World War I era when women often weren't even considered citizens, but rather property? Do we want to take back the safety net that has been created to help the most needy and vulnerable portions of our population? Do we want to take back the advances in education that changed a system that often denied a reasonable education to many minorities? Do we want to take back the advances that have reduced the ability of business owners treating employees in unfair and capricious manner? Do we want to take back our welcoming nature and stop accepting immigrants from other countries...especially those that don't look like us? Do we want to take back our civility and return to the frontier days when often times the law was made by he who had the quickest draw? Do we want to take it ALL back and return to a long gone time when any mob with the greater strength and weaponry could seize the government?
Honestly, I find this whole idea ridiculous. Our country operates under the same principles as it always has. Certainly it's facade may look different from year to year, generation to generation, but the core remains the same. Throughout our history there have been movements of people wanting to "take back our country" or "return to the America I grew up with" or a variety of other similar phrases. They have always sprung up from discontent among groups of people who were upset that there ideas had fallen out of favor or failed to garner sufficient support to dictate social and political policy. Fortunately, for them, they live in a nation where it is STILL acceptable to voice that dissatisfaction and to believe that somehow our government has been hijacked by those who would prevent the very discourse taking place in the public square today!
Were we invaded by a foreign power and nobody told me? Were we conquered by a roving band of barbarians and I missed it? Did we become a colony of another world power and I am just unaware? Obviously not, since I think Iraq and Afghanistan would take a back seat to a foreign invasion of United States soil.
So did we have an insurrection within our borders that transferred power to a king or dictator? Are we living under martial law? Have we come under the control of aliens from outer space?
As far as I can tell, we still have our sovereignty and enjoy the same rights and privileges that we have for the last 223 years. The Constitution IS still in effect. We STILL have freedom of speech, religion and assembly. We are STILL protected against unreasonable searches and seizures and arbitrary law enforcement. We STILL have the right to own personal weapons. We STILL have the right to vote in local and national elections. We STILL have the right to live and work where we choose. We STILL have the right to travel freely throughout our country. We STILL have the right to raise our children with our values. There hasn't been one Constitutional amendment or principle repealed since prohibition was repealed.
We STILL have a vibrant press that allows the expression of political ideas covering the entire spectrum. We STILL have a peaceful transition of government as political leadership moves fluidly from one party to the other through the years. We are STILL a nation operating under the rule of law. We are STILL the one nation that immigrants from around the world most want to come to. Current hardships not withstanding, we are STILL a prosperous and affluent nation.
So just exactly what is that needs to be taken back? Is it a longing for the good old days? Do we want to take back the years and rollback to the days when racism was prevalent and in fact restricted the rights of large groups of people? Do we want to go back to the pre-World War I era when women often weren't even considered citizens, but rather property? Do we want to take back the safety net that has been created to help the most needy and vulnerable portions of our population? Do we want to take back the advances in education that changed a system that often denied a reasonable education to many minorities? Do we want to take back the advances that have reduced the ability of business owners treating employees in unfair and capricious manner? Do we want to take back our welcoming nature and stop accepting immigrants from other countries...especially those that don't look like us? Do we want to take back our civility and return to the frontier days when often times the law was made by he who had the quickest draw? Do we want to take it ALL back and return to a long gone time when any mob with the greater strength and weaponry could seize the government?
Honestly, I find this whole idea ridiculous. Our country operates under the same principles as it always has. Certainly it's facade may look different from year to year, generation to generation, but the core remains the same. Throughout our history there have been movements of people wanting to "take back our country" or "return to the America I grew up with" or a variety of other similar phrases. They have always sprung up from discontent among groups of people who were upset that there ideas had fallen out of favor or failed to garner sufficient support to dictate social and political policy. Fortunately, for them, they live in a nation where it is STILL acceptable to voice that dissatisfaction and to believe that somehow our government has been hijacked by those who would prevent the very discourse taking place in the public square today!
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