Our country is clearly focused on greed, as evidenced by the most successful game shows on television; people cry, scream, and jump for joy on Wheel of Fortune, The Price is Right, Deal or No Deal, The Million Dollar Password, Are you Smarter Than a 5th Grader, Jeopardy, etc. But greed is not the only vice flooding the land; sexual permissiveness flourishes in high school (sometimes even in middle schools), in magazines, in our fascination with movie stars, in our movies and videos, becoming outright porn which knows no boundaries ever since the Supreme Court decided that the First Amendment included the right to produce and watch the filthiest behavior humans are capable of.
I am no prude; as a man, I enjoy watching sexy women. Eroticism is in intricate part of our psyche. We have witnessed what happens to a society when its rulers repress all healthy sexual tendencies and expressions, whether in literature or in film; the early Puritans come to mind. Today's women use make-up to look more attractive and desirable to the other sex. Men inflate their pectorals and flex their biceps to express their readiness to wed and reproduce, just like peacocks display their magnificent colors. That's normal and necessary. On the other hand, homosexuality is a reality, not a sick condition that can be cured, but I don't see why gay people should demand the right to marry just like an ordinary heterosexual couple. They should keep their activities private; most of us agree that a marriage is a ritual that precedes reproduction and thus should not be misused for other purposes.
The next vice that seems to become more prevalent in this nation is hypocrisy, starting with our politicians. It is almost impossible to obtain a clear answer from any of them. The media marvels at the few straight-talkers, which is why people like Hermann Cain and Newton Gingrich seem to have the upper hand in debates. Mitt Romney, Rick Perry, Michelle Bachmann, and even Jon Huntsman, struggle to answer a simple Yes or No question. There is nothing more irritating than a Congressman being interviewed: he or she hems and haws around the question until the reporter presses for a clear answer. Politicians often claim to espouse a certain position when in reality they support another: It is called political expediency. Mitt Romney is a clear example; he goes with the wind, flip-flopping like a kid during recess. Let's not forget the apogee of hypocrisy: the so-called religious men and women who beat their chests, claiming to be good Christians, going to church regularly dressed in their Sunday best, and cheating their fellow citizens on Monday. Somehow, I can't help thinking about bankers and financiers; right, Madoff?
Lies and cover-ups abound in this great nation. We desecrate the bodies of fallen soldiers by dumping their ashes in a common grave: cover-up by the brass. We humiliate Iraqi prisoners in Abu-Dhabi and responsible officers try the quash the scandal: cover-up. Penn State explodes at the sordid news: A coach rapes innocent boys and the man in charge, Paterno, apparently doesn't take the necessary steps to protect other kids. A New York congressman, Wiener, lies about sending lewd photos. A governor lies about going to Argentina to visit his mistress. Bill Clinton lying to Congress about his affair with Monica Lewinsky. Catholic priests and their superiors covering up their scandalous sexual behavior. Is it surprising that modern youth consider "normal" what their grandparents view as outrageous?
Our present society, as I have mentioned before, has become far too permissive. Discipline is now seen as a "dirty" word that parents should avoid, except maybe for the flogging judge and his followers. We haven't been able to define the limits of what we can and can't do to raise our children. As parents and teachers, our hands are often tied by government regulations, thus creating teens who say:" I am going to call the police if you punish me or if you leave me alone tonight."
As a result, children are exposed to defective role models through television, movies and video games. Our role as a father or mother, if they care at all, is to limit the damage by trying to explain that it's not O.K. to lie and cheat and have uncontrolled sex. As difficult as raising a child may be, today's society has made it much more challenging. The real heroes are those who manage, against all odds, to raise kids who will be an model of morality and good citizenship.
I am no prude; as a man, I enjoy watching sexy women. Eroticism is in intricate part of our psyche. We have witnessed what happens to a society when its rulers repress all healthy sexual tendencies and expressions, whether in literature or in film; the early Puritans come to mind. Today's women use make-up to look more attractive and desirable to the other sex. Men inflate their pectorals and flex their biceps to express their readiness to wed and reproduce, just like peacocks display their magnificent colors. That's normal and necessary. On the other hand, homosexuality is a reality, not a sick condition that can be cured, but I don't see why gay people should demand the right to marry just like an ordinary heterosexual couple. They should keep their activities private; most of us agree that a marriage is a ritual that precedes reproduction and thus should not be misused for other purposes.
The next vice that seems to become more prevalent in this nation is hypocrisy, starting with our politicians. It is almost impossible to obtain a clear answer from any of them. The media marvels at the few straight-talkers, which is why people like Hermann Cain and Newton Gingrich seem to have the upper hand in debates. Mitt Romney, Rick Perry, Michelle Bachmann, and even Jon Huntsman, struggle to answer a simple Yes or No question. There is nothing more irritating than a Congressman being interviewed: he or she hems and haws around the question until the reporter presses for a clear answer. Politicians often claim to espouse a certain position when in reality they support another: It is called political expediency. Mitt Romney is a clear example; he goes with the wind, flip-flopping like a kid during recess. Let's not forget the apogee of hypocrisy: the so-called religious men and women who beat their chests, claiming to be good Christians, going to church regularly dressed in their Sunday best, and cheating their fellow citizens on Monday. Somehow, I can't help thinking about bankers and financiers; right, Madoff?
Lies and cover-ups abound in this great nation. We desecrate the bodies of fallen soldiers by dumping their ashes in a common grave: cover-up by the brass. We humiliate Iraqi prisoners in Abu-Dhabi and responsible officers try the quash the scandal: cover-up. Penn State explodes at the sordid news: A coach rapes innocent boys and the man in charge, Paterno, apparently doesn't take the necessary steps to protect other kids. A New York congressman, Wiener, lies about sending lewd photos. A governor lies about going to Argentina to visit his mistress. Bill Clinton lying to Congress about his affair with Monica Lewinsky. Catholic priests and their superiors covering up their scandalous sexual behavior. Is it surprising that modern youth consider "normal" what their grandparents view as outrageous?
Our present society, as I have mentioned before, has become far too permissive. Discipline is now seen as a "dirty" word that parents should avoid, except maybe for the flogging judge and his followers. We haven't been able to define the limits of what we can and can't do to raise our children. As parents and teachers, our hands are often tied by government regulations, thus creating teens who say:" I am going to call the police if you punish me or if you leave me alone tonight."
As a result, children are exposed to defective role models through television, movies and video games. Our role as a father or mother, if they care at all, is to limit the damage by trying to explain that it's not O.K. to lie and cheat and have uncontrolled sex. As difficult as raising a child may be, today's society has made it much more challenging. The real heroes are those who manage, against all odds, to raise kids who will be an model of morality and good citizenship.
1 comment:
Boy does this article blow my mind! Author you hit it every time on the nose! You question "have we lost our morality" and I say WHICH MORALITY? I truely believe that years ago when special interest groups took it upon themselves to declare "God is dead" our morality followed out the door and this country and the world hasn't been the same since. To my children I make it very clear that they must search for the honest and ethical, those with a sense of spirituality and faith, if you stop to think about it, they are very few and far between. What do you expect to happen any where in the world when our politicians are competitiing against one another to see which one can line their pockets first with gold at our expense. Example: in 2008 in talks regarding the state of this country's economy(talks NOT shared with"We the people")where for instance, if health care was on the table, or certain stocks were mentioned those present received insider info to enable them to move forward and protect their own wealth and in many instances add growth to their already bulging coffers. What can we expect from children whose parents were raised to believe that the government was the solution for any/all situations? All of our politicians promise to reduce government involvement when they are campaigning and once in office do the exact opposite. Lies, deceit, hypocrisy,cheating, greed, greed and more greed. Today there are NO role models to speak of and a total lack of responsible parenting, everyone has an excuse when it comes to our children. Too much selfishness and not enough selflessness, how about starting with oneself and leading by example. Time to restore our country one person at a time. Tick tock............
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