Time For America to Lead Again

The world is in a downward spiral. In all of my life I cannot remember a more depressing time. Even after 9/11, it was inspirational to see how the country came together to face a common enemy…how we stood by each other and helped each other. Now, the anger bubbling just beneath the surface is palpable. And people are growing more willing to express that anger in ways that would have been unthinkable ever a few years ago.

My wife is a home economics teacher. Last week, Michele Obama introduced her new nutrition chart. This is a pie shaped chart as opposed to the old food pyramid. Actually, it’s not half bad. It will be easy to visualize as I sit down to my burger and heap o' fries. Notwithstanding, while leading a nutrition discussion in her class the other day, my wife mentioned the new chart. She also mentioned some of the more aggressive tactics particularly at the local level to monitor food consumption. She asked her students whether what we eat is our own personal responsibility, or the responsibility of the government. A student raised her hand, and I am not making this up, and said that the government has to make those decisions for us because we are unable to make them for ourselves. The government is only looking out for our well being. 

My wife was shocked. Is this what we have regressed to? Is this what they are teaching in government classes in the schools? Is this the America in which we want to live?  Somebody get this gal a copy of the Constitution.

The anger people are feeling I think is more of a sense of helplessness as the Obama administration continues to move government into every facet of our lives. Drive this. Eat this. Don’t do that…over and over and over again. It is intrusive into our toilets, our light bulbs, our refrigerators, our garages, our menus. It never stops. It just keeps bullying us around.

It’s not anger we are feeling, but an ingrained feeling that this isn’t right. Nobody can believe it because this type of government is not in our frame of reference. It can’t be defined, so it comes out in personal attacks and personal behavior that is off the charts.

We have watched our families disintegrate; our economic well being disintegrate; our future disintegrate. In the past we believed in a strong America, an America where anything is possible if you work hard. Now we have an America where the leadership focuses on “global warming” as it criticizes and dismantles everything we have worked for. It is destroying our currency. It is destroying our place in the world.

Instead of offering a framework in which we can prosper, it calls us now to depend on it for everything. Come to us, little children, we know what is best for you. We will take care of you. It is a false promise. It is the second of the three big lies: “I’m from the government, and I am here to help you,” That's a deal with the devil.

America needs to grow a spine. Americans need to stand up and say we are a free people. Our best days are ahead. We will not let the federal government suffocate our country into submission in order to achieve flawed policies of social justice. We need to reclaim our place in the world and not be bullied or cowed by aggressive mercantile countries defeating the rest of the world economically through unfair trade practices. And we need to stand up to those who are anathema to our way of life. We will not tolerate countries that subjugate women or anyone else in the name of some religious belief. We will not tolerate countries that use God as an excuse to keep people enslaved and under control of fanatics. And I will eat salt and transfats if I choose.  It's none of their damn business.

It’s time for America to lead again. And it’s time we find a leader to do it.