How is our country broken? No system,for governing the masses,is perfect. The American people have a "say",as to how things are. We the people,are supposed to decide policy,that affects everyone. That is supposed to include themselves,as well. What policy? How we,everything.
Suppose all this (EVERYTHING) was up to you. What would you do? How would you change things? Will,what you do,fix our broken nation? The problem,suggested as simply an item or two,doesn't sound so bad. Unfortunately,our country needs lots of fixes......
If I gave one example,I'ld have to give you a million,and that wouldn't be the half of it,without getting into the actual tasks,to make any fixes. I beleive our nation's citizens,must have a change of "attitude". Mentally change,what we want. Actually figure out,whats important,both to,the individual,and the country as a whole.
Our nation has changed vastly,since I was a youngster. I'm one of the "baby boomers". I saw the space program advance,from the drawing board,to men walking on the moon. I saw the "free love movement,civil rights movement,the dawning of the age of aquarius. I,also watched things change,from post WWII mode to pre-Viet Nam mode. I,also watched the business models change,and not being a business type person,didn't let the changes phase me in the least.
Change my attitude? What attitude? I already changed my socks,and underware,now I have to change more? Wait a minute,I changed my thought processes. Things aren't like they were when I was a kid. I've accepted it,change is inevitable. Why do I have to change my attitude? I am an American citizen.I have certain rights. I,expect the rest of the world to understand,where I'm comming from,and what I want from them.
PART 3
When I was a kid....Doesn't that sound familiar? I'm sure,no one wants to hear,how things were,when I was young. Older folks know,and remember,how things were. Young people just can't believe,things were the way they're told. Sometimes I think youngsters have no imagination. No,we didn't have to train dinosaurs to let us ride. Our grandfathers trained em for us. Though I walked to school,it really wasn't uphill both ways,and I did have shoes. Yes,we had TV's,tho,they weren't in the classrooms then. And Moms,were usually at home,taking care of the house and children,not being some corporate executive.
When I was a kid...We stopped what we were doing,to listen to a "Special Report". Though the tv wasn't in the school yet,we were kept informed of the current events,that may affect us. I was 9 years old when JFK was assasinated,14,when MLK jr,was taken out of the civil rights equation. Those two events didn't stop the changes,about to take place in our country.
Negros,coloreds,blacks,afro-americans,whatever the current,politically correct label,did get the same rights as other americans. They now can vote,and go to schools of their choosing,and aspire to be astronauts and presidents,or whatever professional they may.
Twenty years prior,to the civil rights protests,other americans were fighting for their rights as citizens. They were,american born,or recently immigrated,German,and Japanese folks. They too,had to fight for their rights. That war,WWII,caused all kinds of problems......
So,some of us americans have learned to change,some of the outward showing prejudices,our parents had,that infected our country. But,the attitudes have only become more deeply ingrained. Now,our people are becomming more self-serving. Who cares about what you are going through,I am the one that matters.
So,that last question was "what attitude"? I don't have an attitude,and if you keep saying I do,I'll beat you up. Can't sue me for saying that! Yet. We all have our attitudes,I shouldn't have to point them out. Attitudes rule our very existances. Why we act as we do. What gives us pleasure and pain,or amusement,or enjoyment. It's all attitude. Everything comes from attitude.
In our country,we,(americans)believe,we can: Have anything we want. Do anything we want. Go anywhere we want,anytime we want. The american attitude is "me first,I want,you don't count". So,it's all about the wants. Too bad,it should be about the needs. But,what about my attitudes?
Do you walk,instead of driving? Take a bus? Ride a bicycle? Do you knoe your neighbors? How about their kids? Do you know the people at your job? All of them? How about the local civil servants,working for you,to keep your city/county/state,safe and viable? Do you know any of them?
One of the new attitudes I've been running into lately is "I want to know all about you,I just don't want to know you. My favorite science fiction writter,Heinlein,wrote a book in 1939,about a possible future in america,where all of the present day attitudes have been changed. The book"For Us The Living". It was about changing the way people interacted with each other,and showed how flawed our current system is. But,thats getting off the subject....
If we change our attitudes,maybe we can fix the things that are broken in this country. Lets not wait for our children,or their children,to do this. We all need to do,what we can to make it possible for others,to do the same.
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