Say what??

What the heck is wrong with this country? What is wrong with people?? These questions are often asked, at least in my neck of the woods, and yet seldom answered. I think, however, I know..

People are often demonized or attacked for placing importance on morality. Do-gooders and truth-tellers get bad reputations as troublemakers or party-poopers. Good people with deep convictions on issues will remain silent, afraid to voice opinions that might not be seen as politically correct. I'm generally conservative, and I don't want anyone to think that I believe my ideas are right and absolute, to that point I will remind readers that all people, even liberals, can have deep convictions about what they believe to be morally correct or morally wrong as the case may be, and many are just as silent, just as paralyzed to act as Conservatives. Sometimes people are afraid to stand up for others because they fear becoming a target themselves.

Politically correct is now socially correct, and once a person crosses the line, they become a social pariah. There is an unspoken rule in many workplaces that one should not work too hard, because that would make others look lazy. Very often, the bottom line is money, and in business, the ends justify the means in many companies. As long as a company maintains a certain image, its' true character can be hidden. Image is everything. Employees are often apathetic because they don't see one person's immoral actions as something that will affect themselves. If everyone takes a long lunch, or if employees come in late frequently, productivity is lost and non-profitable companies eventually have to make cuts. If a student cheats on an exam, he may position himself for awards that he doesn't deserve, awards that might make a real difference to someone who actually earned distinction. The mentality of apathy or tolerance of immoral acts has weakened us as a society. It seems that modern life is a series of scandals, in politics, sports, business, education and even in religion. It has become so commonplace that it seems normal and people are desensitized to scandalous behavior, almost like it is a rite of passage that comes with fame, fortune, or power. Bad-boy athletes or hot-shot Navy pilots laugh, drink, and take advantage of women and there is an element of society that envies that lifestyle. Women are seen as objects because families are dysfunctional and parents aren't teaching their children to respect others. In many families, there are no 'fathers', no male role models, and mothers are absent and non-nurturing because they are working two or three jobs to survive. The result is an entire generation of people that believe that society owes them something, that they are entitled to things without working or sacrificing for them. Self indulgence has become a lifestyle to be proud of, and sacrifice is something only poor, stupid schmucks do. No one is patriotic anymore. Only a few young men and women feel obligated to pay their dues by military service. They are called heroes when they are killed, but when they enlist, they are often seen as rejects, kids that can't afford college or who are otherwise underprivileged. It infuriates me.

Well, that is enough for starters...