America –
the beautiful – and the ugly. For a country as
gorgeous as it is, as strong as its citizenry has been, the freedoms we’ve touted for so long are now driving us
apart on multiple levels.
It can be
seen painfully, crystally clear in our responses to government mandates such as the wearing of the masks to stop our virus spread. So entitled have we
become with respect to ‘our rights’ (and trust me, I don’t take them for
granted), that we’ll argue over even this. While the rest of the world acquiesces
(and their numbers go down), we argue the validity of whether
we should or shouldn’t do it (which we have the right to do). But our numbers keep going up, up, up.Occasionally, how about just doing what we’re told without too much static?
“I’m an
American! There's laws, we got rights!”
Yeah, we do, but the paranoia over having them ‘widdled away’ might wind up being
a contributor to a country decaying around us (among many other things). When you have to debate everything, and can’t
be of one mindset to move forward on anything, you basically paralyze yourself.
And it’s not just on our populace, it’s the politicians too. Our governing bodies are supposed to be in place to govern, but how hard is that when you're pulled in every direction at once, not to mention your own agendas while you're in office? Guess we're all in the same boat.
I used to pay no mind to it in the past, just us being us. But now, in
light of a global situation where being unified is the way to get through it,
then seeing how we as a nation balk at what we’re asked to do, I think maybe I
see us as more problematic than I wanted to admit. I am thankful, however, that
as I venture out in my day-to-day, that most everybody seems to be doing what
they’re asked. Yay, team!
Ironically,
I’m writing this around Independence Day, go figure. And while we celebrate our
freedoms (as we should), we’ll also sturdy ourselves that we’re the best the
world’s got, and we’ve gotta stand tall, be patriotic and proud. Maybe too
proud? Too – stubborn? Perhaps a little (or a lot).
It’s one
thing to be proud (good, kinda); then picking fights over differences; race,
gender, sexuality, politics, because your pride’s in the way (bad, really!) I
do understand the need to stand up for diminishing core values, believe me, but
a lot of times we do it in a way that disrespects others (in a time where
everyone’s ultra-sensitive about being respected). I don’t know what the answer
is, but seems to me like one hand needs to grow a thicker skin and the other
needs some sensitivity training). Yeah, I’m talking about the left and the right (hands) there ;o)
Why am I speaking
about any of this at all? Well, as a TV program I was watching this week put
it, ‘freedom requires responsibility.’ I guess, as I’ve begun to take this
writer thing more seriously, perhaps I feel some sense of that – to at least share an opinion. To take the voice I’ve been given (and while trying to make something
of it); just talk about what needs to be talked about, lending my two cents, for whatever that’s worth…
