Maybe that is why we are hated by so many. Maybe it is our dominating economy. Maybe it is our tremendous military forces. Maybe it is the fact that an American living at the "poverty" level (per American economic standards) is wealthier than 95% of the world. Maybe it is the fact that we are seen as a Christian nation, and no other nation in the world has that status. Maybe it is our freedom, our ability to succeed, our ability to continue to overcome, dominate, and march forward with the strongest republic the world has ever seen. We have a relatively short history, and we had a very shaky beginning, but by God's grace, we have had one tremendous ride to 2008.
However, we could be stronger, and in reality, we need to be stronger. Liberalism is gaining ground day by day, and all that is needed to let liberalism succeed is for conservatism to do nothing. Truly liberal and conservative followers are moving away from each other at an alarming rate. Some Americans still try to pretend that they remain in the middle, but when pressed to reveal true convictions, few can find a home in the median. The things that threaten to divide America into a weakened state are, in a sense, revealed by comparison with the following list.
So, rather than point what makes us weaker, this list takes the positive tone and points towards those things that can, could, and should make us stronger. Here are 10 steps to strengthen America.
10. One Language: 25 years ago, no one would have ever thought of even suggesting that we recognize any other language here than English. But back in the early 90's, there were some rumblings even in the senate to consider making Spanish the recognized language (primary) in states like New Mexico and Arizona. It never came close to passing, but just that it was talked about caused a tremendous stir. People were infuriated and rightly so.
English is a world language. Any country that wants to compete in the world market learns English. Candidate Obama recently suggested that Americans are silly not to learn Spanish. He is dead wrong. Latinos should be totally unable to do anything without a fluent command of English. America is truly a huge mixture of people groups, but we are foolish to think that one primary, overarching language is anything but a strength for us. Our diversity is only a strength if we find universal ways to unite. May our congress and the white house take a hard stand upon this issue and quit pandering to ethnic groups who whine about the language. English is THE official language, and that should never change. Pandering to small ethnic groups who want to remake America in their image is now, and will always be, a mistake.
9. Secure Borders: Illegal immigration is a huge problem. Conservative estimates indicate that we may have as many as 15 million illegal immigrants in the U.S., with the majority coming from Mexico. Democrats see these illegals as their constituents, so they want to turn a blind eye. Latinos who are citizens don't want their ethnic group "picked on" and therefore thing rules and laws are unfair. The problem is, we have laws for a reason, and there is no reason to ignore them. Actually, ignoring standing laws of this magnitude is criminal in and of itself. If Mexico is so terrible that millions want to flee, then that is where the focus should be. America is not strengthened by having uneducated, often criminally inclined, desperate illegal aliens coming into our system. We were never intended to be a catch-all for the lowest forms of humanity. That was Australia's job, and it still shows today. America was founded by God fearing, hard working, determined Europeans who had at their core a strong work ethic, imagination, innovation, and determination. Today, people from all over the world are working hard to get into America without going through the proper, insanely simple, immigration structure presently in place.
We need to enforce the immigration laws we already have, and take a hard stance against those who pander to the illegals for reasons that make no sense. There will always be people in worse conditions. America will continue to be a promised land to those in third world countries. But instead of opening the drain and letting the worlds slag just rush in, we might consider improving our border situation and then help other countries develop. Wait......that makes sense. And finally, a question arises, 'how are we made weaker by structuring how immigrants enter the United States?'
8. Put Teeth back into our Penal System: In our limp wristed society, where everyone is a victim and no one is every truly wrong (except for those who uphold morals), criminals who commit heinous crimes just expect their jail sentence to be 1/3 of whatever is passed down. People who beat a dog get 10 years with no probation, but a rapist gets 3 years, and serves only 2. The liberal wags on the networks often proclaim that our prisons are overcrowded, and yet, with the rapid turn over in our penal system, it's hard to conceive of any prison having a problem with rooms. What's more, over half of all jail cells only house one prisoner, when bunk beds would double our available prisoner capacity. America is not strengthened by having first time or habitual criminals set free with partial sentences. Building new prisons would be a financially feasible endeavor if we took the entitlements paid out to the House and Senate and re-routed them to new prison construction. Of course, in reality, building new prisons is less of a financial burden than supporting research for the effect of blueberries on the environment.
It is time that Americans treated those who have disdain for the law and for other humans with severity and determination. Liberal judges need to be chastised and removed. Perps are given more consideration than the victims. We need tort reform, and we need citizens writing their representatives endlessly, pressuring them to put pressure upon lawyers and judges who favor the criminal more than the victim. And we need a citizenry that eschews the desire to file suits at the drop of a hat. Punish law breakers, accept some unfairness in this world, and quit trying to get rich at every opportunity.
America can only become stronger when she enforces her laws as they are written, which serves as a deterrent to criminals, but punishes properly those who will not be deterred. And if we need more prisons, we can always remove from congress their self-gifted entitlements of retirement and build dozens of large prisons all over the country.
7. Remove all government funding from useless or highly biased entities: Planned parenthood is now clearly seen as a racially biased abortion machine that receives over $300 MILLION in government grants. Why? What idiot felt this was a good idea? Abortion is used only as a form of birth control for women too lazy or stupid to stop by one of thousands of free clinics all over the nation and get free birth control pills.
NPR, National Public Radio, holds more fund raiser specials than any other media outlet, and yet, they too receive millions in subsidies from tax payers. Following the "do nothing and liberalism takes over" model, NPR quickly became one of the loudest sirens for all liberal causes early in its broadcast life. Why would the US government fund a station that posits only one side, determined to push the cause of the godless left? It makes no sense at all, and again, every conservative citizen should hound their representatives endlessly until NPR is forced to sustain itself by revenues from advertisers, just like every other radio station. Of course, liberals know that such a move would tank this liberal cesspool, as all liberal radio programs do dismally in the market polls. And why no public outcry when NPR holds 3 or 4 major fund raising campaigns a year, and yet have all their bills paid by the US government?
The NEA, National Teachers Association, another liberal stronghold of tremendous power, receives tens of millions in tax dollars yearly, and does nothing but remove God from all texts, advocates condom distribution, teaches evolution as fact, and rewrites history to paint all the founding fathers as deist kooks who raped this country away from the native Indians, blacks, Hispanics, Canadians, the French, and maybe the ancient Egyptians. OK, fine, let the NEA continue on with trampling all things conservative and yelling about lack of funds (we presently spend upwards of $10,000 per child per year on Education), but let that organization do so without a dime from you and me. The NEA should become nothing more than a glorified PTA that tries to influence the person who should most influence education in this country, the President appointed Secretary of Education. Bring back Bill Bennett!
The National Endowment for the Arts is a dirty joke. If some college drop out wants to paint pictures of Christ covered in urine, let him do so on a street corner with a $8 Wal Mart canvas he bought with his own money mowing lawns, but never with money you and I gave to Uncle Sam. If anyone in this wealthy country aspires to be an artist, let them get a job, buy some paint and a brush, and have at it. Good luck. What we really need in this country is a bunch of people painting representations of what we can all clearly see with our own eyes. Just think what the millions spent on this lewd fest could do if applied towards rebuilding our infrastructure. Maybe paint a few bridges, if nothing else.
6. Embrace the Fuel of Free Enterprise: ALL industrialized nations, states, and governments run on oil. No way around it. Fossil fuels are what powers the world as we know it, and it's about time we all refused to listen to the left fringe who bark on and on about how evil man and his oil is. God gave us petroleum through events long before our time, and using this resource effectively and responsibly is nothing more than good sense. So let the fine Hollywood dwellers with their highly moral lives rage on about the supposed evils of oil, and let the rest of us embrace the fuel of yesterday, today, and tomorrow with appreciation and thankfulness.
Electric cars run on coal. Wait, they also run on hydroelectric power and nuclear power. No way around that fact either. There is no free ride! God created this world to be highly resilient and renewable, so any impact we are having today can be replenished tomorrow. So all this scrambling around to look "green" by major corporations is nothing more than publicity stunts, and they know it. Our society runs on oil, will continue to run on oil, and there is no stopping it. Every educated citizen should stop apologizing for this fact.
Today, America needs more refineries and off-shore drilling increased. We import oil from Canada, South American countries, and from the middle east, but we have the stores and can have the capacity to be self sufficient for centuries, if we chose to do so. Such a move would result in all these other oil suppliers being pressured, due to decreased profits, to begin begging us for our business. Maybe this will never happen, but it is a possibility. And to those who frown upon people who are in the oil business, all they need to have said to them is: Would their "hero's" be happy with a 10% profit margin? Of course not. Also, are they willing to give up everything in their life that is associated with oil?
Practically every facet of our lives is influenced by oil, from clothing, to transportation, to building materials, to medications. Petroleum is essential to modern life, and that fact is not changing any time soon. Embrace it, and quit hugging trees. They can always grow more.
5. Set up Pillars of Culture: How can a nation comprised of so many various people groups and cultures possibly think of establishing universal cultural norms? Easy! You just begin at the beginning.
America was established and built by people of European descent who valued hard work, religious liberty, and personal responsibility. It will never be appropriate for any individual or group to try to change that historical fact. Actually, in homes and schools, it has become en vogue to "embrace" other cultures to the extent that some Americans (liberals, to be exact) have fallen prey to the "feel guilty about our dominant culture" theory. This is absurd, especially in America.
People from all over the world take great risks to come here, just to enjoy the uniquely American culture of wealth, opportunity, and freedom. Those same ideals drove the early pilgrims to leave England and embark upon some leaky old vessels to travel to an unknown and untamed land in search of a better life. Those early settlers were not bad people with bad intentions -- rather, they were brave, very common people who risked their lives for religious liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Mind you, they knew that only after years of hard work, trials, and death, would they be able to just begin to realize a small part of their dream for those goals.
The American culture has not changed. It always has been, and must continue to be, defined by sacrifice, hard work, personal responsibility, and religious liberty. Our culture is further defined by a non-invasive government that is held in check through the auspices of a republic format that fears and respects the will of the people. American culture values the family, a strong work ethic, individuality, and innovation. American culture values decency and morality, using the Bible and common sense to easily define those terms. American culture was not defined by deism, (even though a few founding fathers were deists), but by orthodox Christian principals. Many of the signers of the Declaration of Independence lost their lives standing upon those Christian principals, so why would we ever try to push them aside?
It is now, and always has been, time for Americans to stop apologizing to the few godless, liberal whiners who want to reinvent American in their caustic and immoral minds. How can a country full of God fearing, hard working, responsible, and conservative people ever make America weaker? Let the sewer dwellers of America rant and rave, but never let them have anything more than a deaf ear among those who stand by the principals of those early settlers and framers of our constitution, that in turn stands as pillars of our great society and culture.
4. In God We Trust: As referenced in #5, early settlers were not deists and atheists, as some historians of left leanings would have some believe. Orthodox Christianity was by far the predominant faith among those who are responsible for making the American experiment work. Sure, there were some who were deists, and a few atheists, among puritans, Anglicans, and Baptists, but regardless of denomination, Christianity was obviously instrumental in the lives, laws, and liberties this country was set up to provide and protect. A recent poll taken by a group that studies religious affiliations in America indicated that fully 75% of Americans consider themselves either Christians, or associated with the Christian faith. In stark contrast, less than 1% were affiliated with the Islamic faith, along with Buddhists and followers of Hinduism. Percentages can seem cold, but they do not terribly mislead, especially when the numbers are this lop-sided. Let no one say that America is not a "Christian nation," because, in a academic sense, we certainly are.
Early settlers came to America in large part to escape the tyranny of a state sponsored church, so it makes no sense at all for Americans to push for the same here, as if that could even happen! While 75% of our citizens have some tie with Christianity, there never has been, and never will be, a drive to force all citizens to accept orthodox Christianity. Now, when it comes to referencing that Christianity in the public arena, some who very much want to erase any idea of God from their lives will work hard to create a fuss and lead the weak minded to reconsider how God is to be honored and recognized in our society. Forever shame on those who have given ear to the minuscule and turned away from the masses. Such is not leadership in any sense.
We ARE a Christian nation, founded on Christian principals, and predominately populated with a citizenry that avows Christianity. That is fact, and there is no reason under Heaven to ever ignore it. China has Buddhism, India has Hinduism, the Middle East has Islam, and America has Christianity. But some say, "America has all of those other religions represented too, so we cannot accept any one religious leaning anymore." Response? Please refer to the facts, which state that those other religions, nation-wide, are nothing more than a few grains of sand in the sand box. .06%? 0.8? Is that really worth mentioning? Hardly.
Quit apologizing, and quit ignoring the facts. We trust in God because He IS, and there is no other. He has blessed this nation, and we are stronger for His undeserved blessings. We trust in God in part because some very brave men and women also trusted in Him, risking more than any current American has so that we could have this great nation to live in. We trust in God because that is OUR CULTURE. No apology, and no explanation needed. It's fact. Deal with it.
3. Affirming Life: We hear a lot about abortions in this country, but that is only because the battle between those who oppose abortion, and those who support it, are still very much at war with each other's views. In so many other countries, such as France, Belgium, and Australia, for instance, abortion is not a big issue in public circles. Why? Because so few countries value life like we do in the U.S. Americans who do not travel may have no idea how much liberalism has affected other countries, to the point that abortion and illegal drug use are non-issues, so accepted as they are. In America, we still hold on to a "culture of life," but that grip seems to be slipping more all the time.
Hollywood, along with some of the larger cities on both coasts, has long ago given over to a culture of death, and the glorification thereof. Ironic isn't it, that so many liberal extremist that live in the entertainment industry play in movies and TV shows that glorify the gun, and killing, and violence, when off screen, these same limp wrists abhor firearms. OK, fine, so a lot of these left wing folks have wrists so limp they couldn't hold a gun, which is humor in itself, but their hypocrisy is thick and heavy. If someone doesn't get killed, they say, no one will watch. The overarching mantra in the news media is, "if it bleeds or burns, it runs." The pin heads that bring you the evening "news" are nothing more than cheap, under-rated acting dropouts who peddle to the lowest common denominator in humanity. They think that if they offer intelligent, unbiased coverage of things that really matter, their ratings may go down. The reasoning? They reckon that if a story is appealing to them, it will be appealing to higher life forms. So, from major motion picture industries to the local news station, what you get is a steady stream of life-demeaning tripe meant to entertain, not inform or change.
So we have our problems, and they once again mostly stem from those who live the furtherest from the American ideal, but regardless of those facists few, we still hold to a strong understanding of the sanctity of life in these United States. What other country sends more aid to starving and suffering individuals all over the world? Who else has more safety devices and limitations designed to prevent everything from death to a stubbed toe? Where else can you find more hospitals, churches, and schools per capita? Only in America. We train, educate, prepare, volunteer, and give more than we realize just to preserve life. We consider someone dying before 65 a tragedy, and this is proper. We have worked hard, sacrificed much, and have continually placed such a high value upon life, that our mortality rate is lower than almost any other country with similar population concentrations and industralization standards. Of this, we should be proud.
Abortion is murder, and a plight in our Christian culture. The liberal media wants everyone to accept the notion that the battle is over, but it is not. Some states, like North Dakota, have adopted laws that require abortionists to inform the would be mother that the life they are about to terminate is viable, able to sustain life outside the womb, and wholly unique apart from the mother. This unhearalded law has forced some planned parenthood clinics to close their doors, because they know that if they have to divulge this truth, it will greatly diminish their "profits." Imagine that -- the truth contributing to life. What a concept.
America cannot become weaker as affirming the sanctity of life becomes stronger. Life is precious because it is a gift from God, and therefore human life is to be valued and protected unlike anything else. When we as a nation honor God by valuing each other, we can only reap stronger relationships and concrete unity. It's a no brainer. May we one day eschew the glorification of death not only in our entertainment choices, but in our life choices as well.
2. Death to Taxes: It is historical fact that a reason the colonies entered into a revolutionary war with England was because a 1/2 of 1% tax was levied upon exported goods from the colonies bound for England and beyond. Those early merchants and leaders considered this tax totally unreasonable and exploitive, and refused to pay it. Boston Tea party, anyone?
We've come a long way from a 1/2% export tax. Today, the wealthiest 1% of Americans pay well over 25% of the total tax revenues due to the government, and those same folks are in a bracket where they pay 50% of their income in tax. Heck, even Americans earning a median income of only $40k can expect to pay somewhere in the vicinity of 40% or more in total tax revenues, when considering state, local, and federal taxes. It's a known horror story that we as Americans pay taxes upon income, then pay more taxes upon that same money when it is invested, withdrawn, and spent again. We are taxed, taxed again, and taxed some more, just for good measure.
America is not made stronger with more taxes. High taxes equals high levels of fraud, deceit, and mismanagement from the governing bodies that receive those tax dollars. Congress routinely votes themselves a pay raise, all the while knowing that their entitlements after they leave office will more than pay all their normal bills. We give Planned Parenthood over $30,000,000 annually to kill unwanted babies. It's the tip of an iceberg, and our infrastructure is a rotting mess.
Some people (mostly liberals) say that America can never return to her simple roots of small government, low taxes, and individual responsibility. Those nay sayers are dead wrong, and they don't want their cookie jar taken away. To drastically cut individual taxation, the government would have to shrink some, but mostly, the pork-barrel spending would have to cease. National education would have to have many aspects privatized. A lot of deregulation would need to take place. Government officials would have to start driving their own cars and paying for their own gas from their paycheck. Welfare and food stamps and other wasteful and needless programs would have to be trimmed drastically. In short, citizens would need to return to a lifestyle where you pull your own weight, pay your own bills, and stand responsible for your own choices.
Americans need to take up the anti-tax mantra and beat that drum until it bleeds. It is a shame that so many accept taxes along with death as an ineviatable occurance. Mayors, senators, and congressional pundits must hear from an angry population that refuses to pay more taxes, and expects a reduction of the same. A society that accepts high taxation is a society that is ripe for a socialists regime. America cannot be America and allow any socialist roots to grow.
1. Call a spade a spade: Coined from the playing card industry, this simple phrase means to simply state what is, and what is not, without a lot of spin and ineuendo. In order to avoid the small discussion upon "political correctness", the broader scope here is that as American society apparently progresses and becomes ever more diverse, there is an even greater need to unite behind the plain truth in all aspects of life. Some examples of this idea are offered here:
- Murder is murder, not an act of passion or insanity. Taking a life is one of lifes highest crimes and should be punished severely. Doesn't matter if the murderer is old or young, sober or drunk, "poor" or "rich," scary or calm - it's murder, plain and simple. America leads the world in murders per capita, and one of the reasons why is because we devalue life more every day and punish practically no one appropriately.
- Stealing is stealing, whether it is a few dollars at a store or a million from a bank, it is wrong.
- While we're at it, wrong is wrong. We need, as a nation, to jettison this idea of moral relativity. Victims are those who suffer at the hands of perpertrators. The perps are not victims. Ever. While it may be sad to see a man or woman struggle with poverty (for whatever reason), it is never an excuse to commit a crime. There are no starving or impoverished people in America to speak of. We all have it very good here in the US. Quit making excuses for law breakers.
- Racism is a problem in ALL people groups. Anyone who thinks that all white people have always hated all black people is out of their gourd. In fact, black racism towards whites has all but consumed the black race in America, and is getting worse, not better. While most whites today rarely think about racial issues on a day to day basis, racists discussions among black Americans is highly prevailant. Racism is all but the leading cause of most wars, conflicts, and disorder in the world. It is not overcome easily, but it can be subdued. If America continues to try to be all inclusive and all accommodating, it will not gain strength, but lose it, due to increasing racial divides brought on by our splintered culture. Hence the need for one language, one set of cultural pillars, and one purpose to rightly balance individual freedoms and responsibility.
- Congress is a bloated and obscene shadow of it's former self. Rather than represent their region, congressmen now debate frivilous legislation and seek underhanded means to enrichen themselves and further their political career. There is too much power, and too little accountability.
- We are a republic, not a democracy. There, it's been said.
- Welfare was never a good idea, and it's gotten worse. It needs to be scrapped totally, with some simple, small substitute put in place that has low limits and limited funds.
- Gasoline will be king for another century. AlGore is a misguided idiot.
- Traditional families are the only "glue" that will hold our society together. Single parent homes are at times unavoidable, but no substitute for a Mom and Dad, and kids, as a single unit.
- We need to lose our fascination with celebrity and entertainment. We are not stronger when we exalt pin-headed doofuses who curse God and live for temporary fame and fortune. Americans need to turn off the TV, the computer, the cell phones, and ear phones and get back to interacting with fellow humans, and having quiet time.
- No child or teenager "needs" a cell phone. It's ridiculous. And childish. And bad, spineless parenting. They have mouths, let them talk. Disconnect.
- Homosexuality is perverse, and deserves to be seen that way. Fully 97%+ of all people are NOT homosexual, and there is no reason (scientific or otherwise) to believe that it is inherited. The heterosexual community has every reason to see homosexuality as disgusting and offensive. It cannot lead to life, it is rife with promiscuity on both sides, and those that practice it are not well adjusted, "normal" people. Instead, alcoholism and suicide rates among the homosexual community is 3 times those in the hetero community. A homosexual woman is 20 times more likely to suffer assault and battery from another homosexual woman, than a heterosexual woman is to be beaten by her husband or boyfriend. Look up the stats. Quit apologizing for being offended.
- Hard work and responsibility should always be rewarded. We should give parades and parties to those who put others first, while doing their personal best. Exalting those who excel in areas that benefit no one but themselves is a waste of time.
- The elderly should be respected. Age is not a curse, but a blessing. The biggest idiots in the world are those the current American society deems "the young and beautiful" among us. We can only gain strength through the insights and lessons learned by our elderly population. God promises blessings to anyone who respects their parents (elders). Disrespecting the elderly is stupid and wrong.
- Children should be protected. Amazing that even today, a child molester is all but dead if put into prison with the general population. Sex offenders, especially those who molest children, should be considered one short rung lower than murderers, and dealt with appropriately. Communities should look after their children. Churches should place a high priority upon the ministry to children. God has said in His word that true religion is to look after widows and orphans. 'Nuff said.
- In order to be an American, you have to know, accept, and embrace the founding principals and tenets of this great nation. Anything less, and you are not assimilated. We have too many people trying to remake America in their image. It's not for sale. If an African does not like America's ways, move back to Africa. If a Japanese person finds America offensive and not in keeping with their world view, move back to Japan. If liberals think that responsibility and personal freedom cannot be kept in check, they need to check out. There is no reason to apologize for America's past, present, or future. We are what we are, and we have every reason to be proud. While some illogical whiners are trying take a hard left, the rest of us have every reason to stay aimed straight ahead, directly in line with our past.
May God continue to bless this greatest nation on His earth.
