When in the course of human events...Things have been going wrong in this country, for far too long. It's time for a revolution.
Not an overthrow of our system of government. It's the best in the world, bar none, and gives us the opportunity to right the wrongs we see. Look back at the past fifty years, and you can see many 'course changes' - all achieved through the ballot box.
The revolution I'm talking about is one of values. We've lost our moral compass, and it's not the government's fault.
IT IS OUR FAULT. ALL OF IT.
We have accepted the teachings of moral pygmies, and adopted them as our own. We've allowed cruelty into our homes, under the guise of entertainment. Look at the TV shows you and your children watch - have you watched 'Survivor'? 'Shark Tank'? 'Hell's Kitchen'? 'The Simpsons'?
Yes, they're entertaining. They're also about bullying, and amusement gained from the discomfort of others
We accept pornography. Have you seen 'Sex in the City'? 'NYPD Blue'? There's nothing wrong with romance, but there is something wrong with the graphic depiction of extramarital sex and adultery.
We accept pornographic violence. A couple of years ago, one of the 'CSI' programs showed the aftermath of a car bomb - including a burned body. All very gross, very horrifying, and very entertaining.
A thrill of horror. But it doesn't capture the smell, and the sense of sorrowful desolation, and without those...it was entertainment, and pornography.
We allow our view of the world to go grey. Heroes have feet of clay, and people who are truly evil have redeeming,qualities, and their acts are understandable because they were 'misunderstood'. Decency's quaintly obsolete, and crudeness - in language and demeanor - are cool.
We accept rampant consumerism, and allow commercial interests to inculcate 'needs' in our lives that separate us from real, human relationships.
Does your cell phone have Internet access? At lunch, do you talk with your co-workers...or surf the Web? Do you turn your back on real people to communicate on Facebook?
I'm not saying Facebook friends aren't 'real'. I am saying there's a time and place for everything - and when you're with people you owe then a share in your humanity, and your life. "Love your neighbor as yourself."
My revolution is going to bring back front porch summer evenings, pickup baseball games, and bowling leagues.
It'll bring back cheesy Westerns where the good guys - who may be Comanches! - always win, and are always fundamentally decent.
It'll bring back pony rides at birthday parties.
You walk down a wrong road, the sooner you turn back, the further you actually go.
In the right direction.
We're not done.
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