I don't know what it is
Something's wrong with our eyes
We're seein' things in a different way
And God knows it ain't his
It sure ain't no surprise
Livin' on the edge.
-- Aerosmith
In light of the recent shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio, I've been thinking about fear, anger and hate, and a look at local and national news leads me to believe that those on the wrong side of that equation may be winning the battle.
When I attended a Lutheran parochial school in La Crosse as a young child, I was reminded of my sins on a weekly basis. Friday morning was my time to recite -- from memory -- an assigned Bible passage that would remind me not to steal or lie to my parents, or how I could be doing more for those in need of a helping hand.
For a young boy still learning what it meant to be a teenager, it was an excruciating exercise in resisting the temptations of puberty. I was leaving years of purity, innocence and simplicity of life for one where my self awareness and preservation were more important than others. Girls, money and recognition were far more interesting than another humbling passage from the New Testament.
It's a mental component that seems to be missing in so many people today -- from friends and neighbors that disagree over politics, to people in honorable positions like politicians, law enforcement and pastors. People no longer know their limits. Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead!
The result is a loss of basic civility, challenges to First and Second Amendment rights and new interpretations to long-held religious beliefs. It's the unraveling of the America that I grew up in as a kid. Every decade seems to have lost some of it civility to the point that people today will tear their neighbor's head off if they put a political sign in their yard supporting the "wrong" candidate.
A generation ago, most people knew the difference between right and wrong. Today, not so much -- politics (with the help of cable news and social media) have assaulted the founding fabric of America, including sex, marriage and family. The left has successfully removed God from schools, courtrooms and public parks. Sometimes I think they've even been successful in removing God from church! The moral compass of our lives used to be church, and now with fewer and fewer people going, it is missing from many of our lives, leading to some of the worse behavior and language I have ever known.
The '60s radicals in education have reaped the benefits of their self-proclaimed "tolerance" and "diversity", resulting in less free speech on campuses once known for protesting the Vietnam War and President Nixon. The hypocrisy of our education system is unmatched anywhere in our society. Diversity is no longer something to be used for admissions. Today's definition of diversity has become political, like everything else. "Diversity" prevents conservatives from giving their side of an argument, because it's counter to a minority position. Our country's laws -- written to protect us as American citizens -- are to be followed by the political underclass, but not those running for elections or illegally crossing our borders.
Our future is grim when we can't even agree on the definition of things like justice, equality, racism, illegal alien, or making America great again.
As Yoda, in The Phantom Menace famously said, "Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering."
We would all be wise to listen the Jedi master. The Texas and Ohio shootings are a reflection of how far down the rabbit hole our media and politicians have descended. You can't reason with hate. And -- not to disappoint presidential candidate Marianne Williams -- but you can't convince someone to love you when they are filled with so much hate.
Many democrats, tech giants like Google and Twitter, and Hollywood actors have criticized Trump for his "hateful rhetoric" when he defends his stand on illegal aliens and building the wall. They are equating love of country -- one of Trump's signature beliefs on the campaign trail -- with white nationalism. Trump's nationalism is being proud of being an American and wanting the best people to come here and contribute to our future. Legal immigration IS what has made America what it is. Diversity can be a strength if you follow the laws and assimilate into this county, rather than tearing it down and making it into the country you left behind.
My friends, what I hear from too many on the left -- democrats, communists and socialists -- is hatred for this country. How else do you describe their positions on open borders? Illegal aliens? Free education? Free health care? If they successfully win the presidency, they will attempt to destroy so many of these things that have made America great. When was the last time you got something free that was great? Not only are they pandering for votes next year, but should they win, they will quickly kill our health and educational institutions as well.
I am genuinely worried about what comes after hate. Violence? The hate harbored by the shooters in Texas and Ohio spilled over into violence. And now we are left with suffering. Instead of dealing with the hatred being spread on social media, we have politicians asking for gun control. Someone with an open mind can see guns are not the problem. And having easy access to them isn't the problem either. Not that many years ago, you could order a gun from a mail order catalog! Seriously. No background checks, just send money and in few days you have a gun at your door step. And guess what? No mass shootings. So it's not having guns that has changed. It's people. And that's why we have to address the cause of all this hatred if we are ever going to prevent more suffering.
But something tells me the left is not going to stop in their sowing of discontent during a year leading up to 2020's presidential campaign. Which is tragic when you look at how many people really want it to stop.
The left has become so deranged in their hate of Trump that they label any criticism or disagreement as being racist, or worse yet, being a white nationalist. Tell those who hate America to leave? You're a racist! State facts about Democrat-controlled cities that are failing? Racist! Denounce white nationalism? Then you must be a White Nationalist!
A recent study of the media showed cable news hosts calling Trump a racist over 1,000 times in just one weekend. And Trump's accurate portrayal of Baltimore has also been labelled racist because he attacked a black Congressman's district for being "infested" by rats. Who knew "infested" was a code word used to denigrate blacks? He has also been credited with hate speech because he used the word "invasion" to describe the illegal aliens crossing our boarder. What? The only invasion I'm worried about is the invasion of stupid comments like that one!
It's just insane. From where I sit, dividends from President Obama -- eight years ago -- continue to be enjoyed by the left. Opponents couldn't criticize anything he did without being accused of racism and today, if anything, it has gotten worse.
Look at this exchange from last week:
President Trump said, "In one voice our nation must condemn racism, bigotry and white supremacy. These sinister ideologies must be defeated."
The left's response? This headline from the New York Times sums it up pretty well, "Trump uses a Day of Healing to Deepen the Nation's Division."
Amazing isn't it? How does one twist unity into division? With stupidity like this, this country is never going to survive.
In my parent's house, talking politics used to be avoided. I can't remember my parents ever discussing the racial unrest of the 60's, the Vietnam War, or Ronald Reagan. My uncles and aunts were more politically astute, but even they knew not to bring up politics when we got together. Today, everything is contaminated by politics, including our sports, movies, late night comedy and even tragic events like last weekend.
When did anyone think calling half of your fan base "racists" was a good idea? Football games need fans in the stadium, and movies need butts in the theater, so why are athletes and movie stars attacking their audience? Not that I represent everyone, but I don't watch football like I used to, I've lost respect for women's soccer and tennis, and I don't know when I watched a movie or television series that featured one of these woke millionaires.
Our country used to agree on more things. The stool that supported our country's foundation for nearly two hundred years consisted of God, family and country. How tragic to think that all three have been successfully attacked by the left. Today, we have removed God from our lives, having a family is now a minority position, and country means "no borders."
The result is as appealing as a root canal.
America is sick, and we didn't need the latest shootings in El Paso and Dayton to convince anyone.
The emptiness that fills our souls cannot be addressed by anything government can do or say. You can blame Donald Trump if you want, but Americans have been unsatisfied with the country’s direction for most of the last five decades. If we leave it up to Washington to save us we are in deep trouble. Our salvation, like those Bible passages I used to memorize in parochial school, can only be found in ourselves.
"You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven."
Words I'm glad I learned many years ago.
