Nothing Indecent, Nothing Preserved: Consider a concern from the other side of a coin, and set aside a notion that declining respect for a concept of a decent and caring God is the root cause of moral and cultural decline of the West. Instead, consider whether the root cause is the loss of any assimilating identity in the West. Ask: What is inspiring our people, that they are identifying with, bonding with, finding meaning in, and seeking fulfillment from?
Are we identifying with anything that can unite us, apart from giving free rein to personal greed and entitlement? Absent respect for some higher notion of assimilating moral sentiments, will Providence stretch out its invisible hand to guide us, in respect of nothing more than mere greed? When each feigns to be his own gold standard, so that the only purpose felt is to do that which pleasures only us, then how can any nation, culture, family, or system of belief ward off the corrosion of such a moral vacuum?
Look at the tug of war between Dino unionists and Rino corporatists: are they united in pulling America apart at its seams? Do those who fund either party identify with any interest or value that is fit to preserve a decent civilization? Or do they only hire shills to promote their own greed and lust?
How can we sustain faith that working together can preserve a worthwhile ideal of America, once we have lost faith that many others really want to preserve America? How can shutting down greed-based public service unions help America, so long as greed-based international corporatists are freed to ruin America? How can improving our military technology defend us, so long as we place over us those who seek mainly to sell us out? How can political activism help us, so long as we only strengthen forces that are pulling us apart, instead of empowering and representing a decent middle class that is actually inspired in respect of assimilating, higher values?
Can America preserve assimilating faith in herself, without preserving faith in any unifying purpose that is higher? What we have to fear is the prevailing and deadening loss of faith in a sustaining and common decency. When nothing is indecent, then nothing is what we will preserve.
Are we identifying with anything that can unite us, apart from giving free rein to personal greed and entitlement? Absent respect for some higher notion of assimilating moral sentiments, will Providence stretch out its invisible hand to guide us, in respect of nothing more than mere greed? When each feigns to be his own gold standard, so that the only purpose felt is to do that which pleasures only us, then how can any nation, culture, family, or system of belief ward off the corrosion of such a moral vacuum?
Look at the tug of war between Dino unionists and Rino corporatists: are they united in pulling America apart at its seams? Do those who fund either party identify with any interest or value that is fit to preserve a decent civilization? Or do they only hire shills to promote their own greed and lust?
How can we sustain faith that working together can preserve a worthwhile ideal of America, once we have lost faith that many others really want to preserve America? How can shutting down greed-based public service unions help America, so long as greed-based international corporatists are freed to ruin America? How can improving our military technology defend us, so long as we place over us those who seek mainly to sell us out? How can political activism help us, so long as we only strengthen forces that are pulling us apart, instead of empowering and representing a decent middle class that is actually inspired in respect of assimilating, higher values?
Can America preserve assimilating faith in herself, without preserving faith in any unifying purpose that is higher? What we have to fear is the prevailing and deadening loss of faith in a sustaining and common decency. When nothing is indecent, then nothing is what we will preserve.
2 comments:
I have not read the Supreme Court's recent opinion about the Westboro baptists. I hope the Court considered the right of the family that claimed the remains to be left alone and to not be stalked. There's no right to go into a private club and harrangue the people who were invited. I hope the Court considered that when you pay for the use of a premises, you have some right to decide who is to be allowed to attend. Suppose racists made it a point to harrangue funerals of those of races or professions they despise? I hope the Court considered the interest of the community in stopping a breach of the peace. To significant extent, we become what we celebrate. When non-discrimination becomes tasteless ignorance or unwillingness to defend any values or norms, then nothing will be preserved and diversity will become a slogan for our nation's demise. We will be buried by our own feckless tolerance.
Fed standards tend to be meant to promote truth in advertising and to help ensure drugs are reasonably safe. Sometimes, Fed standards should be to allow zero of a particular chemical or drug to be advertised as safe for consumption. Feds could help educate about dangers. Should sellers be entitled to market drugs with unsafe levels of components, perhaps with warning: Caution -- this drug could seriously derange or kill you. Even then, law could make sellers and transmitters strictly liable for harm done. Somehow, children need to be protected from those who would recruit them into the drug world.
As to users --- some people seem able to use drugs recreationally, and some not. Unfortunately, the ones unable tend to learn of their inability after the fact of their addiction. What should be done with them? I don't think they should be branded as criminals merely for being users. Maybe civil offense fines, kept private. Third time caught in state of public intoxication, apply forcible civil incarceration for period sufficient not only to detoxify, but to dry out entirely. Maybe forcible rehab. That would seem less expensive than what we have now. Result: Street derelicts would stay inside, with Salvation Army, or would be locked up to dry out. There should be no right to roam about in public avenues while in a state of public intoxication.
Post a Comment