What happened to the Land Of The Free and the Home Of The Brave?
While I look at the state of our country today, I am deeply saddened. We are slowly becoming the very same type of nation that our ancestors left for a better life. A life full of freedom and opportunity, where success was a matter of hard work and determination. So what Happened? While there is no single answer, there are many factors that when added together equal the downfall of a nation that once stood proud!
Over the past century, we have seen a dramatic change in our country. Some of these changes helped us become even greater, and some have hurt us. Industry and technology created wealth and set the bar for the world. With the free market system, those willing to take risks, and go for broke, developed goods and services that set us apart from the rest of the world. At the same time, some of the people who worked for these entrepreneurs did not believe that the ones that hired them should be so wealthy. The mentality of the people started to change.By emotion, and not fact, a class warfare started to emerge.
With the individual states giving the federal government more power, taxes and regulations increased. Remember, the power is with the states, and the federal government is a servant to the states. Every time the states get something from the federal government, taxes go up for all and liberties of the state and the citizens are lost. The federal government has been given too much power and control.
The family started to suffer in the 60's and 70's. With the cost's of goods and services rising to cover increased taxes and regulations set forth by the federal government, as well as individual taxes, women started to work out of necessity. While I respect the right for everyone to work, this started to change the family values. The days of parents teaching values and respect started to disappear. Parents started to rely on our schools for non-academic lessons.
Our schools have slowly changed over the years as well. With the family less involved in the education process, the federal government is once again given too much control. Now what is taught is not always the whole truth. If you read a history book from the 1930's, and read one from today, you will see many things that have been changed to fit a better image of America. There are also some very liberal ideas being taught to our children. They seem to teach more about the entitlements our government has, than teaching about how and why we became a great nation.
Technology in the past 30 years has had an adverse affect on our children. Video games, cell phones, social media websites, etc.. have created wealth and many jobs. At the same time, they have have de-sensitized people. The days of having a face to face conversation are becoming extinct. The value of human life has been diminished. While these things all have their place in today's world, they should be used in moderation.
This brings us to today. We currently have a President who is using these things for an agenda of big federal government and control. We have a congress who seems to ignore the very people that they were elected to represent. Since January of 2009, we have a President who is hell bent on dividing the citizens, the congress, with no plan of his own other than to have as much control as possible. He honestly believes that he knows what is best for us! Once again emotion, and not fact is governing. He has said that the constitution gets in his way, and people have stopped thinking for themselves and go along with it!
Today, too many people will turn on the news and accept it as the truth. This is the most dangerous thing to our country! The media has long been liberal biased, and will report accordingly. Videos have been edited to reflect a liberal agenda rather than showing the truth. This President has used the media to build support for his views. He is using the media in a way as to let emotion overtake common sense.
The emphasis on bigger government is dangerous to our economy and our freedoms. The fact that our President does not understand economics is truly scary. Tax and spend is not going to help us get out from under this enormous debt. Job creation should be his first priority for the economy. Instead he believes that higher taxes on the rich are the answer. Jobs have been lost because of this philosophy. Meanwhile, the increase of government benifits being paid out is setting us even further behind.
Currently we have:
A labor force participation rate of 63.6%, the lowest since December of 1981. Many who have dropped out of the workforce are now collecting social security disability. Many of them simply found a doctor who would deem them disabled and went through the proccess because they could not find work. I personally know 3 people who have done this.
Only 13 Americans working full time for each person collecting disability
SNAP- Food stamps in 2008 cost $39 billion per year
SNAP- Food stamps in 2012 cost $81 billion per year
Welfare is paying out $168.00 per day for each household below the poverty level
Median income for the working class is $137.00 per day
The fact that the majority of Americans think that there is nothing wrong with this, is beyond ignorance! Cost is cost, and to think anyone is immune to this is just crazy! Each and every one of us who pays taxes is hit by this. Rather than trying to correct these problems, our President is spending his time trying to take more government control.
Gun control is just that, control. Nothing to do with the root of the problem! Our 2nd amendment was put in place to protect our other rights.
Amnesty, and not true immigration reform is what our President wants. What he proposes is a slap in the face to all who came here legally.
Taking back our rights and keeping them has to start with the individual. Teach your children values and respect. Limit the time they spend on television, video games, and social media sites and encourage them to interact on a personal level. Teach them history, and explain to them how our freedoms were formed. Be involved with the schools and know what is being taught. If you don't like what you see, speak up!
Read the constitution and bill of rights, read the federalist papers. Be a true American and be informed. Do your own research rather than taking the news as the truth. If we all do a little more to stay informed we can maintain our freedom and prosperity.
Richard Christopherson
Bella Models Magazine - Beautiful Worlds. Home for aspiring artists and Fashion
