Pardon my rant but…
When did grown men, in their 30’s and even 40’s, all begin to act like twelve year-old boys? What happened to the wisdom of the dads of yesteryear? From Jim Anderson of Father Knows Best to Alex Stone of The Donna Reade Show, Walt Cleaver of Leave it to Beaver fame, or Mike Brady from the Brady Bunch, dads have been dispensing wisdom that growing up and becoming an ADULT MAN used to bring automatically. I know first-hand that my father was a hard working guy whose priority was making sure his family had all that they needed. I cannot recall him ever having to be drunk, hang with his bros, or go out and play.
Nowadays it seems that in the world of entertainment, our male role models, play video games more than they work, drink more than they eat, must be the first to buy the newest iPad, quote stupid syfy movies, drive recklessly for fun, and would betray their best friend, wife, or even their own children in an attempt to win a silly game or merely “be right” or have the last word for that matter!
At least in the land of show-biz, God and Country are out – in favor of football, fast cars, guns and big (albeit artificial) breasts. This is what the world has been watching on TV and films for the past few decades and what has it gained us? All I see is a blatant lack of respect for authority, non-stop shootings that make the old, wild west seem tame by comparison, and a generation that knows so little about empathy, sympathy or the world around them, that in an effort to have purpose to their boring lives, they can be swayed into the jaws of a crazed, radical organizations by a simple “social media” message!
If you’re not getting anything out of your church or current religion, it’s not the organization… it’s you! EVERY church and temple out there has ministries where you can put yourself to good use. So you want to feel you make a difference? How about volunteering yourself to feeding starving children, caring for the elderly, working towards housing for the homeless, cleaning up the planet, assisting Doctors without Borders, or hell, even help out at a local animal shelter! Look around you; I am sure you have family, friends, and neighbors that may need your help. It would seem to me that such work would not only give your life meaning, help humanity, and change the world but it would show favor in the eyes of God, if you’re so inclined to believe (as I am).
Here’s a newsflash for the crazy radicals and bored, spoiled teens who think the world owes you because you were picked on, left out, or misunderstood; once you’re dead, you’re dead. You NO LONGER retain human form and your body rots away into the planet so you will not have any use for the 12 virgins you’ve been promised will be waiting for you if you blow yourself up in a car-bomb! You’re dead you jerk, you have no human body or a reason to procreate so therefore, no silly carnal desires. It does not take a genius to figure that one out. You will not receive any measure of “fame” for shooting your unsuspecting classmates. You will just die… the end! Then it will be your spirit that will have to answer for your actions when you meet your maker.
Speaking of that, how will you explain, killing the people he created, turning your back on the hungry and the poor, and destroying his beautiful planet, not to mention the art and historic architecture his children created by his gracious gift of talent?
I know that this blog is very deep but I am feeling exceptionally poorly these days and today’s TV news sent me over the edge when I learned about a sweet, innocent little two year old girl fighting for her life right here, just a short ride north of my town. Why is she fighting for her life? Some moron’s stray bullet came to rest in her young face! This freakin’ idiot who thinks he is a big man and has a right to shoot his gun (most likely attained illegally) has ripped a family apart. Other headlines; “Couple accused of keeping two of their children locked in a closet and feeding them out of a Bucket,” “Woman’s body found dead on side of the road from apperent homicide,” Two people arrested for setting a man on fire,” “Drive-by shooting sends brother and sister to hospital after car is riddled with bullets.” This is all only today’s headlines. It’s as though there is no respect for human life any longer.
Day after day the news informs us of a body found shot to death on such-in-such street or in a car, a canal, an alley, a parking lot, and even in their own bed. We feel hopeless as sit idly by shaking our heads in disgust as “the powers that be” fight any legislature aimed at putting an end to this horror because “it is our first amendment right to bear arms!” I don’t think that some dumb hick with an arsenal of automatic weapons was what our forefathers meant when they believed it was important to bear arms back in a day and time when we needed to protect ourselves from British invasions, attacks by the angry Native Americans and quite frankly, men needed guns to hunt for their food. They did not “kill for sport” and the entire sacrificed animal was put to good use whether for food, clothing, or energy.
It’s as though people can no longer tell the difference between make-believe and reality. I was actually sickened while watching “former honor student” Shayna Hubers, laugh in her police interview as she told the gruesome details of shooting her boyfriend to death. Recalling the moment she put the gun to his nose and pulled the trigger, “I gave him the nose-job he always wanted,” she said with a giggle. I don’t know about you but that sounds anything but remorseful to me.
On so many levels it seems that for all we learned, we are moving backwards. It feels like there has been a resurgence of racism, hate, and phobias that are bringing the world to its knees.
What can we do to change the world? Damned if I know! I do know that more violence is not the answer. Maybe it’s time to once more teach simple things like, make love not war; we are all brothers and sisters, and God is watching us. Our children must be taught about empathy, kindness, and sacrifice in an effort to stop the plague of selfishness and entitlement that has taken control of society over the past several years.
I hope that things start to get better soon. I feel sorry for today’s young who know a world very different than the one I grew up in. We may not have had internet or high definition television, but we were happy, caring people who always had something to do and friends to do it with. We actually spoke to them, one-on-one, had genuine social skills. We didn’t sit alone in a room and text until our thumbs needed surgery. I do have faith however. For all the bad news we hear about, which gets the lion’s share of the press, there is a lot of good in the world and the people in it if we take the time to look around. I am sure that God will do good by us but maybe we should do good by him too… just sayin’.
Thanks for letting me rant, I promise my next blog will return to my usual lighthearted self.
Until next time,
Don
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