American values
I’ve always been, pretty much, proud of our American culture. The tipping point, of course is how what I see going on compares with what I think is proper. Given the fact that I am old probably affects my judgment. Today I went over the edge! In what I assume was a commercial break, I was asked to offer my candidate for “America’s ultimate badass”! To make it worse, I was offered a string of choices that included John McCain, Dillinger, the “tank general,” Amelia Earhart and so on. In my life, the second part of that word has not been a word to use. Whether true or not, to be one was a condemnation. I figure I am well out of step if all of these people are potential BAs in the minds of today’s Americans.
Then I got to thinking (always an impending disaster). On the surface we decry violence, but television programming seems to be just the opposite. We worry about athletic concussions, and yet there is a series called “Friday night tykes” playing violent, physical football. We see strange violent “things” bent on destroying our world. I particularly like those that seen to have the technology to come from beyond earth and then try to hack one another apart with swords and axes. Which really makes me wonder what happened to established physics. If we could harness some of these things, we could really remake our world.
Then, of course, are those who believe the world has been affected, influenced, and such by ancient aliens, apparently also space travelers . These “theorists” make great use of the “magic words” could, might, may, perhaps, possibly, etc. to justify their conclusions. For me, the conclusion is one of ego. If,
thousands of years ago, when they (ay have visited (Ha!) we must have not made much of an impression, and I am insulted! Then, of course, there are the vampires, zombies, and the living dead. Is my America really that bored that we give credence to these sort of things?
Then there are the sundry “games” that are so popular. I worry a great deal that my fellow American are getting so self-involved, probably through boredom, that our country is going to be run by those who put themselves the before the best interests of the people of America first. As our America grows, a lot of us are going to have to modify their views and values if we are going to maintain our place in the world
Guff Worth, Lakeport
Upper class mobility
Equal opportunity includes education, health care, nutrition, and even housing. Sometimes we need to look ahead. Those inner city kids who have no hope and feel as if they are not part of society, are also citizens, we are wasting intellectual capital. Also, we need to create schools for skilled workers such as mechanics, electricians, carpenters, and plumbers.
Not all students neither want nor need college. If we allow poor children to get a poor education, they will be poor citizens. Often, poor citizens become drags on society, as convicts and welfare recipients. It is a shame that the largest inner citizen employers are often drug dealers. We need to fight for our youth, all of them, as they are the future our children must live with.
Dave Gebhard, Lakeport
Who rules?
I would rather be governed by the first 800 people in the phone book than by the “political elites” we have now.
Brent Pomeroy, Lakeport
