Didn’t I write one of these year end review articles just the other day? Man, it sure seems like it! The task this year would be to include not only this past year but the first decade of the 2000 milenium as well. Sorry folks, I’m not that good yet nor do I want to ramble on about what has gotten us to this point in time. What Iam going to try to do is take a fresh look at a handful of topics from a cop’s perspective that are coursing through history and will definitely be with us into 2010. Think of it as our society marching along with our eyes closed or asleep if you will to the consequences of these trends. Waking up, or opening our eyes to reality, would be the first step in correcting destructive, counterproductive results. So enjoy the effort and let me know what you think!
Number one – by a long shot – is get government out of our lives, especially the economy!!! I mean now, today, immediately! Can I state this any more plainly? Probably not. In my lifetime I cannot remember a time when my U.S. Government tried as hard as it is now to control more aspects of my daily life. The current list is truly impressive: interference in open market practices, the taking of private property for “public purposes” (Kelo vs City of New London, Conn.), a truly onerous tax burden on those who embody success and a gifting to those who haven’t discovered the secret of striving, openly bullying tactics directed at hard-working, God-fearing citizens, tyrannical decision making in the health care field, the appointment of czars and burearcrats who have a history of hostility toward our country’s core values and principles, proposed restrictions on free speech… Need I keep adding to the list?
So, you may ask, how does the government do when it tries to run something? Here’s the short list to answer that question. The economy – in deep recession with unacceptably high unemployment. Medicare and Medicaid – hopelessly in debt and nearly bankrupt. Social Security – also hopelessly in debt and bankrupt. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac – bankrupt. The Postal Service – bankrupt. Amtrak – bankrupt. All of these live on our tax money to stay alive, otherwise they die later today. What you have here is a consistent record of failure. And you are actually contemplating turning over the health care system to the government? You must be dreaming!
Number two (and closely related to number one) is the shocking lows recorded in our public ethical behavior and the acceptance of lying and deception in the conduct of public business. This deep rooted problem is a little less obvious unless you keep track of the following. Can you ever remember our law making bodies using such battering ram tactics as we’ve seen this past year to push through costly pet projects at grossly inflated costs (the Economic “Stimulus”) or a highly flawed health care “reform” which will provide us with lowered levels of care and permanent systemic bankruptcy resulting in unacceptably higher taxes? Since when does the Congress and the media back a piece of legislation totaling over two thousand pages which nobody has thoroughly read or properly debated? Does it surprise you that the American public currently has a historically low opinion of Congress and its performance, as well as approval ratings which have never dropped faster in U.S. history for a new president? Aren’t you doubly outraged when you learn that hacked e-mails clearly show beyond any reasonable doubt that the lying, cheating and openly dishonest manipulation of “scientific data” extends to the now discredited scientific community and it’s foisting of the fraudulent “global warming” debacle? All of these trends are intended to do one thing, dear reader, and that is to intentionally decieve and deprive you and me of God-given liberties while turning control of our lives over to some government czar or bureaucracy that you or I have never voted for or approved the existence of in any way. Think about it. Another wake up call for sure.
Are you offended yet? Are you waking up? I hope so. You should be.
Number three – a morally relativist media pushing a “progressive” secular agenda down the throats of citizens everywhere (remember the global reach here) who do not think, worship or embrace the reprehensible personal conduct displayed here. The media have largely succeeded in creating an atmosphere in which the outrageous is accepted and glorified (remember Nadya Suleman and her unfettered fertility or the idiot couple Richard and Mayumi Henne and their creation of “Baloon Boy”?). Do you buy into the use of children as props in a self-centered, narcissistic play for attention and a moment in the media spotlight, however perverted? What does it say about a society that openly displays and glorifies moral bankruptcy and destructive behavior? On balance, why doesn’t the media focus attention on the hundreds of courageous female police officers now completing their academy studies and accepting prominent and highly dangerous roles with the Afghan police, facilitating searches of locations where women are present and depriving the Taliban of yet another shield for their deadly agenda? Bet you haven’t heard much about them? I hadn’t either. Or how about the continuing heroism on display daily throughout Iran as that society spills blood in their streets to throw off an illigetimate and tyrannical government? To their credit, there is some coverage of this story but that coverage often fails to link these events and their significance to the support of world wide terrorism and material and financial support for the deadliest splinter groups operating in many corners of the world today. This on-going fight for a society’s freedom might actually be the number one news story today in terms of its future significance for world stability. The obvious bottom line here is not a morality based on what we want at the moment, but instead on that which embraces timeless principles of positive conduct which have proven to be constructive down through the years.
For the fourth and last point that I wish to make, allow me to borrow from the personal experience exhibited by one Mr. Gregory J. Oras, 37, of Oldsmar, Fla. This jackass decided that he needed a ride to his local bar. So, what do you think this professional bonehead does? To answer that question, click on the following link and have yourself a good laugh!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34629983/ns/us_news-weird_news/from/ET
Mr. Oras is this year’s posterboy for what is wrong with American society today.
And last but not least, allow me to say “Many Thanks” to some of the brilliant essayists that I continually borrow from throughout the year. Their work is light years ahead of mine and I respect very much their penchant for succintly expressing thoughts that swirl through my head everyday. A partial list includes Thomas Sowell, Star Parker, Dick Morris and Eileen McGann, Rich Lowry, Jay Ambrose, Debra J. Saunders, Mark Steyn, George Will, John Stossel and many others. You have blazed a trail that I only dream to follow. Thank you…
To each and every one of my Copcorner.net readers, I also say a special “Thank You!” for your support and feedback. I wish each and every one of you a happy and prosperous new year. Until 2010, all the best…
Tim