I have had the time of my life this past year, really I believe that we all have. I don't know what it is that pushes man forward. I wondered this as I drove around Salt Lake City this past weekend. I love Salt Lake City, and would love to live and raise my family here, but we are at a challenging point in our nation's history. Why do I watch a film made in the 1980s and long to have lived at that time? What causes me to almost cry when I see the life people led about 20-30 years ago? It certainly was not entirely due to the fact that President Bill Clinton was president at the time (much to the dismay of my liberal friends). I don't think that had anything to do with the situation, really, or at least how I feel now. Tales of economic prosperity, of people working and serving beyond what they needed to do for their neighbors and their community is what I want. Images of Americans working hard side by side, regardless of political party is what I really want. When people are made fun of or ostracized because they are Republicans or Democrats, but that we were working on the same team is what I really want. I want unity, I want peace, and comfort. I want prosperity, I want personal freedoms where I can do whatever I want with my money, and that I am not forced to pay for fat Americans, lazy Americans, smoking Americans, promiscuous Americans, idiotic Americans, selfish Americans and any other breed of Americans who find me as their way out of perfectly miserable and horrible life.
Not to be mistaken by what I have just written, let me explain. Looking at the lives of early Americans, looking at the great paintings of western landscapes, it takes me back to a period of time where being American was just more than one's nationality, but rather a way of life. What has happened to the America that presidents like Jefferson, Lincoln, and even Roosevelt knew? What happened to the push to work harder and be better than we were in generations past? Looking back at the pictures of my parents, I could see a difference, a difference that made me scared. Finally, the words of my professor, Dr. Earl Fry sunk deeper into my mind. He once cited a statistic: That this will be the first time when the parents of a generation will actually be more afraid of their children's future, more than the past that they have gone through. What is happening? It pains me to see my generation wrapped up in themselves, and not the American flag. It pains myself to see that we are more apt as a generation to vote for American Idol than we are our own president, congressmen, governors, and state representatives combined. It pains me to see that more people of my generation would rather watch MTV than ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN or FOX. What is happening? I fear no more for this country than I fear for the decisions and priorities of this, my very own generation.
Am I snobbish? Am I smug? Am I rude for thinking this way? Are others rude for flipping me the bird because I am out at 5:00 a.m. traffic at a campaign rally, or up until 2:00 a.m. placing campaign signs out around my state on my own money? Am I inconsiderate? Are others ignorant for thinking that I can do this by myself? What will it take? I guess once all of the Play Stations and Rock Band players of the world will finally realize their follies, it will be too late, but yet I remain optimistic. Sometimes I get lulled to a apathetic state of complacency, though I don't know why. I try to waken myself, and others, but still find myself wanting the past. Where are you? Why cannot we find the strength to fight again? Why can't we continue to fight? Why have we surrendered to our own laziness? What can we do? What should we do? I find myself asking, even arguing with myself and others. I love this country, but please past come back. We miss you, we need you. Please.
Until next time.
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