Then, about four years ago my interest was sparked by necessity into watching and/or reading the news concerning effects on our society, particularly those spear-headed by politics, justice, education, and, in general, the humanity of Mankind.
I was snowed and iced in much of the winter and never had too much choice on entertainment supplied by television since I only received three channels. Thus, I watched news shows of every type for want of hearing human voices.
The spark was actually supplied by the lying, double-dealing, misleading, corruptive actions that were taking place during the 1995 primaries by politicians nationwide. In many ways, being sparked as I was is great. But, in other ways, it is not so good.
It is true (and good) that I know a great deal more about politics and politicians, the media, the causes of a failing educational system, the abuses by our government of the Constitution, our government itself, and our society and its relationship to the world.
However, not all the knowledge is good as far as avoiding stress in my life. In fact, much of the knowledge has led me to see how morally bankrupt and spiritually handicapped our national leaders are, right along with the deterioration, rather than the advancement, of our society.
While growing up, I thought politicians in Washington, DC, were the cream of the crop, that they were concerned about the people’s welfare and would do all possible to assure the best for the most. Boy, was I wrong.
What we have filling the hallowed halls of our capitol with are people who have such a lack of integrity it is a wonder they all aren’t in prison for fraud, whether it be directly for money taken in a corrupt fashion or the fact they conned their immediate constituencies into voting for them.
The capitol is teeming with people whose interest doesn’t extend past themselves. They are the epitome of self-serving, power lusting, two-faced (or more) people our nation has to offer.
It has been made quite obvious to me that integrity, morality, belief in our Constitution and individual rights, are concepts these people utilize only if seeking a means of getting a few more votes in retaining their positions of power.
Their empathy or sympathy for the common man is forgotten except when they are in front of cameras or a reporter while in the process of misleading the American public into believing in them as a champion for causes that might better our lives and the world.
They condemn others for the very acts they regularly participate in themselves. Or, do so while engaging in acts that smack of immorality and are clearly driven by their own lack of integrity and ethics.
Who would have thought we would have a military force that allows witchcraft in its ranks and term it a ‘religion’? I am not a religious fanatic, or even close, but I do know there are universal powers directed to good.
But, that good is not even allowed in public schools and the like. And, yet, if the London Telegraph is correct, chaplains have been recruited to oversee pagan ceremonies on at least five of our military bases, including Fort Hood, the largest Army base.
Who would have thought victims would have less rights than those that commit criminal acts against them, that justice would boil down to which attorney affects the jury to the greatest degree rather than the truth?
Who would have thought the rate of adult illiteracy would have increased 25 percent in just the last 20 years, that we would have 50 percent illiteracy in this nation and lag far behind the other leading countries?
Who would have thought 40, 30, 20, even 10 years ago that we would have teens killing each other by the dozens each and every year, that teens unable to handle stress would create carnage amongst their own and the rest of society?
Who would have thought that it is a very great possibility that teachers, in addition to being trained as teachers, might also have to be trained as anti-terrorists and armed-ready-to-shoot-young people-if-necessary guards?
Who would have thought one wouldn’t even be able to take a walk at nights in far too many communities because of the possibility of being seriously injured or killed? Or, that it is not even safe to sit on one’s front porch or stoop at day’s end to relax?
So, you see, gaining in knowledge is good. But not all knowledge is good in and of itself, especially when the knowledge leads one to the fact of just how morally bankrupt and spiritually empty our society is along with the knowledge that your thoughts and beliefs are not likely to cause changes.
And, because of that, I feel great sadness along with the desperate need to do what I can to help change the wrongs that are tearing our society, and the world, apart.
We have been a great nation that earned the respect (or maybe it is a false respect based instead only of fear of retribution) of the world in the past. Why can’t we, Ladies and Gentlemen, establish our worth and concern for others in our own society rather than watching it be destroyed by our own depravities?
And, then, Ladies and Gentlemen, take our successes, our spiritual oneness rather than our arms, to the rest of the world.