ONCE UPON A TIME
Once upon a time people took responsibility for their own lives. If they felt unhappy, suffered a setback, were hurt physically or emotionally, they might ask for temporary help or consolement, but would work towards, and then would, pick themselves up and move forward. Not diminishing the hurt and pain, but learning from it, working to see that it did not repeat itself.
Once upon a time, people were honest, or at least tried to be. When they made a mistake they would admit it, take responsibility, face the consequences, and, again, learn from it.
Once upon a time, people did not blame all their problems on others, without taking any responsibility for themselves, without acknowledging that sometimes life just isn’t fair, that things happen.
Once upon a time, people actually believed that things happen for a reason; reasons that mere mortals may not understand at the moment.
Once upon a time, people did not live only in the moment, needing immediate gratification and resolution. Instead, they had and respected the concept of patience, understanding that things take time to evolve and to come to fruition. Understanding this, they were also willing to work for their and society’s goals without receiving immediate gratification or compensation or awards for their efforts.
Once upon a time, people did not need scapegoats for their or their nation’s problems. They did not villainize based on first impressions or political agendas.
Once upon a time, people did not rush to judgment but instead waited for facts and evidence which they then weighed to arrive at their own well-thought-out decision. They did not simply repeat conclusions delivered to them by others.
Once upon a time, people paid attention to rules, laws, authorities. They did not do as they pleased but rather were guided by laws created by the society in which they live. They used non-violent civil disobedience to voice displeasure with laws or their outcomes rather than violent and destructive riots (which they call “peaceful protests). They also believed that laws should be enforced equally, rather than based upon where the violator falls on the political spectrum.
Once upon a time, people cared about things bigger than just themselves – family, country, God. These concepts helped them to live and join together for a common purpose and good of all, even when they might differ about their own personal beliefs.
Once upon a time, people believed that people were more than the color of their skin or their political party and they could treat one another as individuals rather than cardboard cutouts of this or that identity group. They saw humanity as One, rather than a bunch of separate warring groups and their “Intersectionalities” constantly urged by those seeking power to hate one another.
Once upon a time, people were tolerant of their differences
one from another. They were able to live
together despite those differences, form families, communities, and a country,
and work together and with patience to ever better their society.
THAT WAS THEN. THIS IS NOW.
Today, too many people expect that every moment of their waking (and sleeping too) life should be happy and enjoyable. If it is not, there is no looking within, but rather an unending need to blame others for every problem.
At the same time, these people demand others take care of them, believe that everything that they want is simply a “human right” to which they are entitled to be provided – by the government (which really means by their neighbors who pay the taxes that will pay for their gifts), by those who have worked hard (and perhaps just been lucky in the face of life) and acquired more than the people making demands, by those who their political leaders have labeled as oppressors or other villains.
Today, too many people demand immediate gratification; they
are without patience. They are willing
to jump to judgment on any issue without examination of facts or consequences
of varying forms of actions. When their
initial judgment is proven to be in error, rather than admit as much they will
double down with hate against those whose truth has proven them wrong.
Today, too many people do not care about God or country or family; rather, their focus is exclusively on themselves and their own pleasure. That prohibits them from working with others for the better of all humanity; but that does not matter to these people whose primary, if not only concern is simply their own satisfaction.
Today, too many people think that everyone should think as they do, that all should march in lock step to their singular belief structures. They easily label those who are different, whether in thought, appearance, class, or other distinction, to be something evil, something less than they are, something that one should have no remorse about destroying.
Today, too many people are caught up in a superficial self-absorption that is moving at rapid pace to destroy individuality, individual freedom, family, country, society, and ultimately the world.
WE ARE ON THE WRONG TRACK - CAN WE CHANGE TRAINS?
That was a lie. Indeed, one of the first things we learned about Joe the conductor is that he is a pathological liar. He has told lies about every major policy action of his administration: Afghanistan; Inflation; the “infrastructure” acts, their cost, their content, their intent; taxes and the middle class; illegals in this country; the border; his opposition; his interactions with school unions and CRT; he and his family’s relations with foreign oligarchs; his travel; his health; his Vice President; his appointees; the economy; US independence from foreign oil and other needs; Coronavirus; and many many others.
Even when he makes a statement that is false and the proof of that falsity is placed squarely before him, Biden nonetheless doubles down on the lie rather than admitting his mistake. Then he begins finger pointing to set the blame and responsibility anywhere but on himself.
Our conductor is not only a liar, he has no respect for the rule of law. He repeatedly proclaims guilt and innocence (e.g. the border agents & allegations of whipping that were proven false; calling Rittenhouse a white supremacist and murderer before any trial). He ignores law and court rulings that contradict his position (e.g. going ahead with the OSHA vaccine mandates even after a Federal appellate court declared this overbroad and unconstitutional).
Indeed, making judgements in several politically sensitive cases before or during trial removes the jury’s duty, obligation, and right to make such decisions, as well as very possibly affecting the outcome. Doing what he wants despite the law and legal processes is authoritarian behavior that is a clear attack on democracy and its rule of law.
Our conductor Biden also has problems following laws of his professed religion that he doesn’t like or which are not politically convenient for him. That is a problem between he and his God; nonetheless, it does give us further refection of his true character.
There is a selfish, “let them eat cake”, attitude within this administration and its supporters as they suggest that in light of the huge inflation that it would be good for our health to simply eat less. Tell that one to the mother of a couple of teenage boys whose food bill has nearly doubled along with the gas she needs to buy to get to the grocery store and to her job (if she still has one) where her paycheck buys less due to higher prices across the board along with higher taxes. And with what little spending power she may have left, she has to deal with empty shelves due to supply chain issues - issues that our conductor Biden tells us are actually good for us and the economy.
Our conductor also, rather than giving us a ride of unity and peace, is dividing us into different cars based not only on external identity characteristics and political beliefs, but also on our core beliefs and values. Not the gentle, kind “Uncle Joe” as was promised, our conductor is full of hate for all who do not agree with him and his policies.
It is possible that there are those today who are fine with all of the above, those who, because they are not personally affected by any of the above (YET!) ignore what is going on or simply accept it. These are the people who are helping our conductor, shoveling the coal (or the clean new energy) into the engine, allowing our conductor to keep us on his track.
This train is chugging along at a faster and faster
pace. It is headed for a crash.
If this were a country and not a train, we would call that conductor authoritarian and anti-democratic. Oh, wait, it is a country and that conductor is our president. And he is moving with enormous speed to destroy America and society as we know it.
WE NEED TO GET OFF AND FIND ANOTHER TRAIN.
First step: the majority need to admit that they were bamboozled by the brochure and picked the wrong train. ( If they still think they are on the right track they may want to get their heads out of the sand or listen to something other than CNN, or they are simply completely self-absorbed without concern for the society around them).
It’s hard to admit mistakes, but if they are to be corrected, that is the first step.
Nest step: the majority need to stop blindly accepting what they are told - by the President, by the politicians, by the media. Everyone needs to instead start asking for all the facts, questioning those facts, considering conclusions and their consequences, and making up their own minds.
Next step: the people need to speak up and do so civilly as a democracy allows and requires. Speak to friends, but also to leaders and politicians. Make everyone's' voices heard. Ask the questions that need asking of the people who will be making the decisions that will ultimately affect the lives of all of us.
Next step: become educated about our government and our political system. Read the constitution. Read about the three branches of government – who each is and what each’s role is and what are the limitations on each. Understand how the three branches serve as a necessary system of checks and balances on one another. Learn this from an objective standpoint, not from someone with a biased political agenda.
Next step: Vote. Not based on party. Not based on what one is told. Based upon investigation of the individual candidates, their role within their party, the role of the seat they are seeking within our system of government. Understand what things that role can affect, how the individual candidates will carry out their role, and the effect that person’s decisions will have.
Begin your education today. Consider what sort of train you want to be on. Every election is an opportunity to change trains, but in order to choose wisely you must be prepared with knowledge and the ability to think critically about what you are told. That preparation cannot wait until the trains are in, or about to leave, the station. It is up to all of us how our the story of our journey ends.
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