I watched a video a little while ago that was labeled "the most honest 3 and a half minutes . . . EVER."

It was a panel on a stage that seemed like it was a college event of why America is so great.  After supposedly blowing smoke up everyone's skirt, the one man on the panel basically said America is NOT the greatest country in the world.  Of course that brought a lot of gasps, and muttering.  The other panel members and the officials along the side, sat there speechless, as he recited our world standings in all kinds of categories...like infant deaths, number of people in prisons and jails, education, and on and on and on.  Then there was silence.  After a few long seconds of silence, he continued.  In a sorrowful voice, he said we used to be the greatest country in the world.  One where we watched out for each other, respected each other, worked hard to improve ourselves and our lives through education, sweat and muscle. Where we invented the leading edge technology, and the biggest machinery and the strongest economy.  We used to be a great country.

That hit pretty hard when I sit back and think about it.  Like so many in my generation and I still see a lot of it in the generation or two right after us.  I see it in my children, basically because my wife and I taught them work ethic and made sure they got an education that meant something.  But most of all because they learned what family and honor, and respect means.  A lot of the problems in todays world is because those areas are not being passed on to a great number of children any more. It is alright for some to name call, disrespect others, whine about their plight in life, and then expect respect, not to be put down, and then to be given (not earned) what everyone else (who has actually put in the time and effort to work for what they have) has...and sometimes even want more freebies.  There is now several valedictorians per graduating class.  "Everyone gets a ribbon, because it is so hard on them to loose." concept.  What happened to consequences of actions? Not everyone can run fastest and all win a foot race. Someone wins, others loose. Fact of life....move on. It is not bad to not win. The fact that you were in the race is very respectable.  What's wrong with that?

What makes the problem even worse that that is now we have our Constitution being violated by the very people that have sworn to uphold it and protect it!  That goes from the top all the way, in some instances right down to the city level government!  Not real wide spread at the city level yet, or even not too bad at most of the State levels, but if we continue to ignore and poo poo the truth and reality of it, it will be total, and we the people have lost through ignorance and complacency.  We can NOT allow that to happen.  Lets reverse the trend.  Lets get back the America that was once a place where everyone had the opportunity to earn a living and have respect.  One of the other problems of today in that respect is, everyone wants to be the top wage earner.  Which is impossible, because not everyone is willing to put in the time, effort and expense to be educated with the information that is required of top wage earners.  Im my day, I went to a trade school, worked my way through the different parts of my trade, learning all the way, taking a pay hike every so often when the position called for it.  It took many years to progress to the level I had, but there was still more room, in other locations, should I have desired to pursue those next steps. What I am saying is that the way it works is start at the bottom and WORK your way up.  No one will pay a person who doesn't have the knowledge necessary to do the job.

To some reading this, will find offense at that concept. Why? you ask. Because they have not been properly trained in school to understand economy, the job world, let alone the basics of living and taking care of yourself.  A lot of young people today have lacked the parental guidance that the older generations have had.  I have seen evidence of a gross number of single parents, usually the woman, that is struggling hard  trying to raise the children she had been abandoned with. Lack of responsibility. Lack of respect.  It is very hard to raise children with only half the team present.  God bless the single parent that is trying so hard.  What is disturbing is those parents that aren't showing any respect to their children by ignoring teaching them the basics of life like cleaning up, being responsible for themselves by putting their stuff away, and helping Mom and/or Dad or both, in keeping the house clean and neat. Sometimes the parents have none of those skills either.  The list goes on.

America DID used to be a great country.  It is not too late to regain what we have lost.  It will NOT be regained if we all sit around and whine and sniffle about it.  Get off your backside and get to work on fixing this problem.  It can't be done alone.  WE need to do it together.  One person at a time.

Remember, keep singing, keep praying, and show some respect.

Blessings,
Gary