Our Dark Night

Like many Americans, I have been glued to news broadcasts in these last few days since the shootings in Aurora, Colorado.     We do not watch because it is entertaining.     Like the shootings at Columbine, Tucson and Virginia Tech, we watch because our nations heart has been injured.   We watch because we want answers. 

The video images of terrified people running, some of them covered in blood, some of them limping or carried by others, are haunting.   Their voices cry out amongst the sirens, and we realize that these people have looked into the face of death and still feel its hot breath.

The names of the dead have finally been released; their smiling faces frozen in time through family photos that play across our screens.   We watch as parents and spouses, sisters and brothers, friends and neighbors tearfully tell us about these innocent victims that just days ago had lives full of dreams and joy and we realize that it could have been us they are talking about…or us describing the void we would feel over losing someone we love.  

We will never really know the horror of those last terrifying, painful moments.   It is hard to imagine the fear and panic they endured, along with the many other shooting victims and those fortunate enough to escape with no injury other than their ability to sleep without nightmares ever again.   If only for the random chance of location, millions of people who sat in a movie theater that Thursday night escaped being terrorized by a disturbed individual and his weapons of mass destruction.   

My two oldest daughters and some friends sat in a crowded theater that night in Oak Ridge, TN.   They were excited about the midnight showing of “The Dark Knight Rises,” and blessedly, gratefully, I can say that they were able to watch the movie as it should be viewed; in the innocent safety we all deserve.   Like most people, they did not know how fortunate they were until they watched the news on Friday morning.

Everyone is very sad.   Thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s families.   Churches are organizing prayer vigils.  Politicians are asking for moments of silence and for the nation to stand strong in support of the Aurora community.   These are all good things.   These are all important things to hear and do.   

These things are not nearly enough.

I am grief stricken for the families of these victims.  I am also very angry.   Not just at the cowardly shooter and whatever demons in his head told him that this gave him power or made him special, but at whatever happened to our once great nation and world that made death and violence of this magnitude not only possible, but apparently “acceptable” to many people.

Somehow, many people in our nation have been deluded into believing that “Freedom” (a word quickly bandied about these days, but so greatly misunderstood) involves getting what you want at the expense of others.    “Delusion” is the only word I can come up with, because not a single person or organization can rationally explain to me the reason why anyone outside of (maybe) the military NEEDS an automatic weapon.  

I blame most of this cultish psychosis on the NRA (National Rifle Association), which has corrupted the original intent of the second amendment right to “bear arms,” into a disturbingly defiant creed that all guns are inherently good and are only corrupted by bad people.  This is the same logic that breeders of pit-bulls use as well, but most of us would prefer to see them behind a fence and not running free as we walk down the street.

Despite all their bluster about “Freedom” and “individual rights,” what the NRA is really interested in is money.   They get money, in part, from the weak minded who believe that one day the liberal government will declare martial law and they will need their guns to protect their families from the rising communist regime.   They are sold this nightmare fantasy through conservative radio terrorists like Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Michael Savage, and also by crazed politicians like Michele Bachman, Sarah Palin and many within the Tea Party who spew hatred and fear to scare up votes.  

They also get money from the gun manufacturers, and it doesn’t take a genius to know where their opinion falls on the subject of “gun control.”    Automatic weapons sell at a much higher price than other weapons, so hindering their production or sale would affect their bottom line.     Apparently, it would be flat-out Un-American to put a few lives before the corporate health of Smith and Wesson. 

The NRA has been one of the most consistently influential political lobbies in American politics for the past 30 years, since it first endorsed Ronald Reagan as a presidential candidate. More recently, it spent an estimated $7.2 million during the 2010 elections on so-called private expenditures, messages that advocated or opposed certain political candidates. They even got Chuck Norris to star in an ad for their “Trigger the Vote” campaign, imploring potential voters to register.

Somewhere, somehow, guns have become synonymous with being “American.”  Worse, owning a gun and supporting the full agenda of the NRA has also become synonymous with being a Christian.   Hiding behind the cloak of God has been a safe harbor for many evil deeds throughout history.    Christian settlers slaughtered thousands of “savage” Native Americans who stood in the way of the “promised land.”   Slavery was accepted as biblical by many Christians in the south.   

From the official website of the KKK comes this introduction:  “The United White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan is a Christian fraternal organization dedicated to the preservation of white rights in America today.”   There always seems to be a way for the ends to justify the means through some careful interpretation of the Bible or the Constitution.

As a defining part of the conservative Republican Party, Christians (or the “moral majority” as they once called themselves) have taken a particularly callous attitude toward the poor.    While espousing the message of Jesus Christ, they support politicians and organizations which want to reduce or eliminate government programs aimed to help the needy.    While happy to send funds overseas through various mission organizations, most churches seem to care less about the people down the street who can’t afford health care.   It makes me wonder if they read the same Bible that I do.

In the aftermath of the Aurora shooting, the inevitable discussion about gun control has begun.  Instead of the churches taking the lead in the fight to protect our citizens and create a more peaceful society, they continue to side with the gun manufacturers, the NRA, and the politicians who refuse to compromise in any way on profits over safety.     They do this with their votes and with their silence. 

The main argument against gun control always seems to be (as I have heard in recent days) that “guns don’t kill people, people kill people.”   Actually, guns do a spectacularly efficient job of killing people.   It’s particularly hard to kill a person with your bare hands.   It’s slightly easier with a knife, but also possible to defend.  Guns are nearly a sure thing.   Point an AK-47 at a crowd and pull the trigger…someone is almost guaranteed to die.

Of course, gun rights proponents make other arguments too.   A Republican Congressman actually said in a news conference on Saturday that he wished someone had been there with a gun to stop the shooter.   I guess he missed the coverage about the head to toe body armor that the shooter was wearing (bought off the internet).   He also must have missed the part about it being dark in the theater (who knew?) and that the shooter had set off a tear gas bomb.   Yes, in those circumstances, all we needed was another shooter in a confined space with a hysterical crowd trying to get out by any means necessary.     This was a US Congressman’s suggestion rather than considering any kind of gun control.

Honestly, I will admit that even strict gun control will not completely stop bad people from doing bad things.   But can any logical person seriously argue that if removing easy access to automatic weapons were to reduce gun violence by even one death that it wouldn’t be worth it?   Can we at least make it a little bit difficult for a deranged killer to get a gun that can spray death?   It’s not about your perceived “Freedom” or “rights,” it’s about doing the RIGHT thing.    

There is nothing Biblical about automatic weapons.   There is nothing sacred about high ammo clips.   Saying that you will pray for the victims while continuing to vote for those who enable the killers essentially makes you an accessory to murder.    I refuse to be silent anymore.   I refute the assumption that Gun Rights are a part of God’s plan or any Biblical philosophy.  I refuse to accept that our founding fathers had a vision of these weapons when they wrote the second amendment.   I am tired of being polite to those who choose the side of corporate greed and delusional arguments over the safety of my family.    I am taking a stand.  

Done Deal

Despite the inspiring return of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords to Washington to cast her vote in favor of not sending our nation into further economic ruin, yesterday was a relatively sad and humbling day in America. Although you heard words like “unity” and “compromise,” in truth there was very little of either. In fact, only the impending panic of a horrific head-on collision in this ridiculous game of chicken our lawmakers have been playing with our lives and future caused them to draft a deal that no one is happy with.

The impact of the cuts in the final deal are yet to be fully determined, but almost everyone except the terminally clueless (Tea Party anyone?) believe that the brunt of the cuts will affect the poor, the elderly and the helpless, while the wealthy have been left completely unscathed. It might make sense to those who lack any sense of compassion or humanity to take money from those who are either incapable or have little opportunity to create additional income, but I find it repugnant. Who are we if we do not help those who cannot help themselves?

I hear the word “capitalism” thrown around as if it is synonymous with all things good and Godly, while anything that suggests a “shared burden” is labeled as a traitorous attempt at “socialism” or “communism.” People have become so twisted by the concept of “capitalism” and the “American Dream” that they have lost all concern for others…or the reality of the world they live in.

We bemoan the unemployment rate and place the blame on the President, but somehow we reward the very folks who closed factories and shipped jobs overseas to increase their bottom line. We make cuts to Medicare and Social Security, while turning a blind eye to corporations who quietly funnel millions of untaxed dollars into offshore accounts.

I think many people believe “I got mine, you get yours.” That’s fine for an all you can eat buffet, but that’s not the world we live in. It has sadly become acceptable, and even applauded, for people to ascend the financial mountain over the broken bodies and spirits of others. It’s survival of the fittest…or the right place at the right time…and self preservation (through financial gain) is all that matters.

Even stupider (at least, I think this might be their justification), many people vote for the people who protect the rich and turn their back on the poor and elderly, because they somehow think “One day, that will be me!” Yes, we all have our own American Dream, even if there is not a glimmer of it on the horizon. Dreams and aspirations aren’t a bad thing. But they can’t be so all consuming or self-serving that they affect others.

People play the Lottery and enter contests. They imagine a long, lost uncle leaving them a small fortune in his will. It’s not through any conceivable level of personal competence or inventiveness that they might achieve financial success…but somehow, they believe it will miraculously fall upon them. They are sure of it. And when it happens, they don’t want to be taxed and they don’t want to pay for any free-loading “entitled” people.

If you are sincerely concerned with reducing our national debt, do some actual reading. Don’t get your stats and information from the unfair and completely unbalanced viewing of Fox News. You might not like what you learn about who increased the debt and who has reduced it in the last thirty years. You might consider Bill Clinton as only that guy who lied and cheated on his wife, but he brought down the debt that Ronald Reagan and George Bush Sr. drove up. He did it by raising taxes…not by cutting services to those in need.

When did our debt problem explode again? When George W. Bush reduced taxes to the lowest point in decades and spent like he had several hundred geese that lay golden eggs in the basement of the White House.

You can blame Obama for many things, and deservedly so, but the financial problems we are having started and blossomed during the eight years of George W. Bush. What you can blame Obama for, as I do, is the fact that he has not changed our course from those disastrous decisions. He has given lip service to it, but he has not used the power of his position effectively to balance out the economic needs of our nation. Until that is done…and more revenue is brought in by eliminating the Bush Tax Cuts and Corporate loopholes…we are only going to go deeper in debt and continue placing more burden and pain on those who can least afford it.

Negotiating with Terrorists

We’ve heard it in movies and stated as a standard policy of our great nation, “The United States does not negotiate with Terrorists.” It’s a good policy, and there’s good reasoning behind it. You can’t trust a terrorist to do what they say. Their motives are murky at best and diabolically evil at worst. You can pretty much know that if they ask for money and get it, they are going to kill the hostages anyway. Who knows, they might even torch the money while they’re at it just because some voice in their head told them to. You can’t negotiate with terrorists because they are crazy.

President Obama has broken this long-standing policy by negotiating with terrorists (and by “terrorists,” I mean John Boehner and the House Republicans who are holding our nation hostage).

During the recent, excruciatingly frustrating Debt Ceiling issue, Obama started out saying that he wanted the Bush tax cuts stopped for the country’s top income earners. He also agreed that we needed massive cuts and wanted a FOUR TRILLION Dollar package that would make a serious dent in our current debt situation. He offered up traditionally Democrat protected programs like Social Security and Medicare as part of the package, stating that nothing would be left off the table.

When the Right Wingers and Tea Partiers screamed about raising taxes on the sacred “job creators” in our nation, Obama did not fire back with the obvious response of “Where are the jobs then?” He instead fought a media war without using ammunition. He talked about “eating our peas” and the need for “compromise.”

Eventually, Obama gave in to the terrorists and has dropped the tax proposal that would have caused the rich to pay a little more, but leaving all the cuts in social programming and benefits to average Americans. The terrorists have gotten what they asked for.

Unfortunately, Obama must have forgotten that he was dealing with terrorists…so guess what? They aren’t accepting “here is what you wanted” for an answer.

Despite a Democratic budget plan that cuts more than the plan they themselves have offered, Boehner and most of the House Republicans have said that they won’t be satisfied unless we re-hash this entire, stupidly pointless debate again next Spring. Why? Because they hope to disrupt the election campaign process and do everything they can to get Obama out of office. (They needn’t worry. By negotiating with terrorists instead of standing up for the rights of the people who elected him, he is probably taking care of his re-election potential all by himself).

Don’t forget, these are the same people who said last year that their primary goal during their term was to make sure Obama did not get re-elected. Forget all our other problems. Forget unemployment, two wars, an infrastructure in decay, growing national debt, etc. None of that mattered in contrast to getting Obama out of office. Sadly, they didn’t even keep that kind of talk in the back rooms. They said it on national television, knowing that there are plenty of people out there who will nod their heads and agree with them. I weep for our future.

Stupid America

As our leaders sit down at the table once again to discuss how to make a further mess of our economy and our nation’s future, I have to ask, “Why are we so stupid?” I voted for Obama because I wanted a change from the type of government we had experienced under George W. Bush. I despised the war-mongering, protect big oil, pro-rich thinking that he and his cronies covered under a blanket of so-called “patriotism” after 9-11.


Now, under pressure from Republicans and the Tea Party, Obama is offering up Social Security and Medicare as potential debt reduction fodder, in hopes of getting them to allow tax rates to return to pre-Bush numbers. I had hoped for more from him. Just because the Republican leaders in Congress are blind to anything but their allegiance to the very wealthy in our nation, that doesn’t mean he needs to give up the poor and helpless to bring them to compromise.

Truth be told, the middle and lower class have been sacrificing for the last decade. When they talk about job loss; that is where the majority of the unemployed reside. Yearly increases in Social Security payments already fall far below inflation rates, so how much more is it possible to cut?

Last year, the CEO’s of the top 500 S &P publically traded companies saw their salary increase an average of 23%.  While the top 1% continues to climb, the majority of middle and lower income salaries have stayed generally stagnant (in relation to inflation rates) for decades.

The argument that the Republican lawmakers use to keep the lower taxes and loopholes for the rich is that it will create jobs. What no one is asking is, “Why have they not done it then?”

Bush put those tax cuts and loopholes in effect more than a decade ago. Why, any logical person must ask, have we not had job growth? Why, in fact, are we dealing with such high unemployment? The answer is simple: the premise of lowering taxes to increase jobs does not work in an atmosphere of greed.

If the super wealthy can continue to make high salaries and pay lower taxes, why would they need to increase employment? They have no incentive. It is much more lucrative for them to use the wealth they have to support and fund Republican candidates, Tea Party groups, and organizations like the American Chamber of Commerce. If they can outsource jobs to other countries that have cheaper labor (with no penalty) and continue to pay lower taxes, why wouldn’t they continue to do that?

Is it just me or would it make more sense to say “taxes are increasing (with no loopholes), but if you create X amount of jobs, you will get certain tax breaks.” It’s a bonus system that most of us in the working world deal with (if we get a bonus at all). Giving them the breaks without any requirements is just plain stupid. Only someone who has something to gain out of it would make a deal like that.

What angers me (and I am not using that word lightly) is that many of my Republican family and friends will crucify Obama for the Unemployment rate and his offer to cut Social Security and Medicare, when they continue to vote for the people who are causing these problems. We are not running an economy that I thought I was voting for with Obama. We are still running a George Bush economy because the Republicans and Tea Party have bullied and fear mongered their way through every decision. Obama has been weak in dealing with this, and that is his greatest failure.

I am angry at Obama for giving in to this form of deficit blackmail, but I am equally frustrated and disillusioned by the good people who can’t see that they consistently support people who do not have their best interests at heart. Why do you continue to vote for Republican candidates who demand cuts to the health care and Social Security checks of the elderly while insisting that the Billionaires who created much of our current economic woes should not pay their fair share?

Sadly, I think most Christians vote Republican based on “Pulpit” issues only. The Republican ticket is generally “anti-abortion” and “anti-gay marriage,” therefore it is assumed that they are “better” people. I’ve actually had people say that you can’t be a Christian if you don’t vote all Republican. Honestly, I don’t understand how a good Christian justifies that thinking. Jesus was about much more than these two topics (in fact, I don’t recall him ever mentioning them in the Bible). He was more about caring for people. He talked about love and not being judgmental. He would protect the weak and helpless. Money was not important to him. These are not qualities I would apply to our current Republican leadership.

(And one other thought that rattles around in my head;  Why would Republican politicians want to ban abortion or gay marriage?   They have had the opportunity to do so...for nearly six years of George W. Bush's presidency there was as Republican controlled Congress and a generally conservative Supreme Court...yet there was no major push to repeal Roe vs. Wade nor make a national mandate on gay marriage.  Maybe they didn't do anything because if they gave the Christian right what they wanted, they might start looking at other issues when they go to the voting booths).


I would love to get rid of all Political parties. There are major faults in both the Democratic and Republican parties, so anyone who holds total blind allegiance to either one is more than a little bit foolish. We’ve dug ourselves a pretty deep hole in this country. We’ve given power to people that either don’t have the capacity or don't have the willingness to do the right thing. The big question is, can we look past our political biases and misguided personal motivations to force our leaders to make wise choices for us all, not just those who give them campaign donations or promises to sit on a Board of Directors when they retire?

Praying

For the third time in less than a week I have been presented with a plea to pray for our President, but I think a prayer for the soul of our nation might be more appropriate. When the email arrives, it usually has the concerned, serious and heartwarming message that states, “Pray for Obama.” It then implores the reader to base their prayers on the scripture found in Psalms 109 verse 8. These emails and messages cleverly omit the actual text, but rather ask the reader to find the verse in the Good Book themselves, thus proving it’s veracity.


The verse (from the New International Version) reads: May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership.

I’m sure that this is meant to provide a chuckle and an approving nod. Almost certainly it’s meant to inspire forwarding the message, which has apparently been occurring since it first appeared not long after Obama’s Inauguration. The Christian Science Monitor published a discussion on the spread of this email on November 16, 2009.

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2009/1116/biblical-anti-obama-slogan-use-of-psalm-1098-funny-or-sinister

While I’m sure that most people who forward this email believe it to be nothing but harmless fun, I believe they are missing the much larger message, and certainly are ignorant of the context in which the original Psalm was written. At least, I would hope so.

If you are praying for the Obama in relation to Psalms 109:8, then you are praying in the context of Psalms 109 and you should read the entire chapter, particularly the verses that immediately follow verse 8.

9: May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.


10: May his children be wandering beggars; May they be driven from their ruined homes.


This is dangerous stuff. This goes far beyond simple political differences. This is essentially praying for the imminent death of the President of the United States. A human being. A father. A fellow self-pro-claimed Christian.

Now…before some of you start arguing the legitimacy of his claim to be a Christian…let me offer this simple query: how do you prove that you yourself are a Christian, other than by your own word? I have personally known many people who claimed to be one, but did not act in a way that I would deem befitting a Christian. I have had many such moments myself. It is important that I remind myself that I do not have the wisdom or vision to know what is truly in someone else’s heart.

I am also eternally grateful that my salvation is not determined by the varied opinions of those who would so quickly assign my guilt, based almost entirely on the fact that I do not see the world through their eyes.

Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.


Sadly, we are a very judgmental people. Somehow the general spirit of Christianity today is not the message of peace and love that Jesus taught, but the angry, bitter, self-righteous poison of the Pharisees. We are only too happy to cast the first stone…and many more after that.

If we truly wish to spread a Christian message, a more appropriate email might point people to 1-Timothy, Chapter 2:

1: I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone


2: for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.

Butterfly Effect

In the scientific study of the chaos theory, there is a notion referred to as “the Butterfly Effect.” This refers to the idea that even the most seemingly insignificant action could potentially cause far-reaching consequences. For example, the flap of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil could alter the course of a Tornado in Texas. This is similar to the better known “Domino Effect,” but the reaction is harder to predict. Some minor earthquakes are barely felt and are soon forgotten, while others cause a ripple in the ocean that turns into a devastating Tsunami.


Living with four women, I have learned a great deal about “cause and effect.” Usually I know the instant something hurtful or stupid leaves my mouth, simply by the look on their expressive faces. Usually my intention is purely innocent; joking in that foolish way that men tend to do, and the response is not what I anticipated. I would not bruise these women that I love for anything in the world, and yet I am sure they each carry scars from the barbs of my tongue (as I have a few from each of theirs). Unfortunately, it is human nature to say stupid things.

The tiny flap of a butterfly wing can reverberate through the years. A simple comment about an outfit being tight can create body image issues that lead to a dangerous eating disorder or lack of self-esteem. A comment by a parent or respected elder can plant a seed of racism or bigotry that grows into a deeply rooted tree of hatred. There are consequences to everything we do or say.

This week our nation has been stunned by the senseless violence in Tucson, Arizona. Six dead and many more wounded. Within hours the media and pundits had started finger pointing at the potential cause of this tragedy. We “need” a reason in this country. This is America, by golly, and we DESERVE to know “why.” Along with our other God-given and Constitutional Rights…we demand it!

It would be great if every lunatic that does something horrible carried around an envelope with a detailed explanation of exactly what got them to that point. (It would be even greater if that kind of self-awareness led them to seek out help or made them recognizable as a threat prior to their violent action). This is all wishful thinking though, and sadly there will always be crazy people out there who do horrible things which we might never understand.

So, when it comes to pointing fingers, we have to be careful. It’s hard to say whose wings altered the course of Jared Laughner. Much like a chair with a broken leg, if someone is unstable to begin with, it takes very little to throw them off balance. A word here, a nudge there. In a mind distorted by madness, there does not need to be a rational justification.

Still, while I don’t burden the blame for this shooting on anyone other than Jared Laughner, I do believe it is irresponsible for society (and particularly those who have made the choice to position themselves in front of microphones and in our public eye) not to re-evaluate our words and actions. As ridiculous as it may seem to infer that Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, the Tea Party or Rush Limbaugh aided, assisted or intentionally encouraged this deranged gunman to acts of violence, it is just as ridiculous for them to be whining and complaining about the finger pointing while refusing to at least admit that they need to tone down the gun-themed political rhetoric.

Is this really the time to stand on a soap box and proclaim your right to do and say whatever you want? Or is it more responsible to humble yourself and say “I don’t believe my words had anything to do with this horrible tragedy, but this has made me realize that I need to step back and more carefully consider every word I say.”

Although it appears at this time that Jared Laughner acted out of some paranoid delusion that might not be related to any particular political party or ideal, would any of us have been completely surprised if he had shown up wearing a t-shirt pledging allegiance to some far left wing or far right wing party? Would it be so hard to believe that a crazy person might confuse the notion that a gun-site emblazoned on a map is not just simply a call to vote but a challenge to be a patriot and save our nation from evil?

Once again, those who wish to do as they please for their own gain will hide behind the constitution, pleading Freedom of Speech and the dangers of censorship. (They seem to forget the times when they have decried the glut of video games, raps songs and movies with violent or sexual images and lyrics). It’s hard to stand on principle when you have to straddle the fence of hypocrisy.

My point is this…if I can boil it down: Like parents, who have a responsibility to encourage and guide their children with words that build them up without causing damage, LEADERS (and that includes anyone who by word or action is in a position of influence) have a responsibility not to incite. We can have passionate debate without allusions toward violence.

Being irresponsible with words is the same as the social drinker who has a few of glasses of wine at the restaurant week after week with no problems at all driving home. But it only takes one unexpected action…one alteration to the chaos we call normal. Is it better to recognize the potential dangers ahead of time? Or to wait until disaster strikes and look back with regret?

We should not confuse luck, fate or divine providence with wisdom or righteousness. Sometimes it takes a while for the flapping of the wings to do their damage.

Identity

Unlike most red-blood Americans, I adhere less to the patriotic mantra of “God Bless America” than I do to the Dickensian ideal of “God bless us, every one.”

That does not mean that I’m not proud and immensely grateful to have been born an American citizen. I am, as John Fogerty sings, a “Fortunate Son,” as are we all who call this nation home. What we cannot forget, however, is that none of us who were born and bred here had ANYTHING to do with that.

Whatever you believe; be it God, fate, random order or complete disorder, any one of us could have just as easily been born somewhere else. You can argue that everything has a purpose and every person and thing has a place, and that may be, but neither you nor I had any choice in where or how we came into this world. We could have just as easily opened our eyes the first time to a view of a jungle clearing deep in the Amazon rain forest, or on frozen tundra.

We could have been born in a back room of a densely populated city in India, or a village in war torn Bosnia. We could have been born in a country where a third of the children do not live past the age of five. We could have been born into a life where starvation and disease are as natural as having a cup of morning coffee is to us.

I was blessed to be born in a hospital in the state of Kentucky in the United States of America…and I had two parents who loved me….and a warm, safe home to be raised in. I have to wonder how I deserved that incredible privilege over any other person born that day in any other place in the world.

I have to wonder if I have earned that incredible privilege since.

In a way, I think we are sort of like sports fans who wear their team’s colors as a way of proclaiming their identity. We watch the Tennessee Volunteers or the Kentucky Wildcats play and we yell at the screen, both in celebration and frustration. While most of us have never played college football, we expect perfection from our players, and destruction for their opponents. Meanwhile, the most energy we expel is to get off the couch at half time to re-fill our nacho platter.

We’re full of arrogance when our teams win, as if we had anything to do with it. When they lose, we’re just as quick to turn our backs. The quarterback stinks, the defense is lame, and the coach should be fired. I am as guilty of these things as anyone.

We are the same with America. Most of us are as uninvolved as we are with any spectator sport. We watch from the sidelines. Most don’t even vote.

It’s only when something effects us personally that we get involved. We are dominated by our own selfish motives. We don’t worry much about taxes until ours goes up. We don’t worry about roads until ours are full of potholes. We don’t worry much about healthcare until we lose our job and don’t have insurance.

We recognize the ugliness of poverty, but it’s easy to ignore from the safe bubble of our own modest fortunes. We feel sorry for the have-nots, but we are adamantly opposed to a hand-out.

We are a nation full of folks who solemnly nod and say, “There but for the grace of God,” yet we offer no grace ourselves. While our neighbors are losing their homes in record numbers, we are more concerned with the politics of name-calling and grandstanding, not solutions. You can have a more heated argument today over the right to bear arms than over the right to proper medical care. What does that say about us as a nation? What does that say about our character?

I’ve run through quite the gamut of emotions this year regarding the direction our nation is going. I’ve alternated between anger, denial, frustration, bemusement, disbelief and fear. Like most people, I’m concerned about the economy and unemployment. I worry about the national debt. I am more than a little terrified about the world we may be leaving for our children and grandchildren.

I was cautiously hopeful after the election of Barack Obama. He said things I wanted to hear about change and making the world a better place. Contrary to what many in America seemed to believe, we are not an island unto ourselves. We are a part of a world that has grown increasingly more dependent upon each other.

Regardless of that (and what will eventually boil down to self-preservation), we should be concerned about the citizenry of the world out of basic common decency. It should never be “God Bless America…and no one else.” We must look out for each other, both in our local communities, our states, our country and our planet.

Right now Americans are identified by our incredible selfishness and overwhelming arrogance. We are spoiled little brats who can’t believe we aren’t getting everything we want, because that is what we expect. We have clamped our teeth down hard on the silver spoon in our mouth…and God help anyone who dares to try and remove it.

Is this truly who we want to be? Do we want to be the chest-thumpers who throw tantrums when we don’t get our way? Or do we want to be peacemakers? Do we want to be the ones who take and take until we have no more room to store our treasures, or do we want to be the one who gives with sincere charity in their heart?

What makes a person special is not where they are born. Having the good fortune to be born on American soil only makes the expectations higher. It’s not about being proud to be an American…it’s about making America proud to have you as a citizen.