During the last few days, possibly
weeks, I have posted articles that have been critical of America, her
leaders, and her direction; but, I would like to make myself clear
that I am proud to be an American and would not give up my
citizenship for all the tea in China.
I was born an American first and a
Southerner second and I am proud of both traditions. And, it would
appear that there is an actual paper trail on my father's side of the
family that traces my roots back to Charlemagne.
Charlemagne,
also called Charles I, byname Charles the Great, French Charles le
Grand, Latin Carolus Magnus, German Karl der Grosse (born April 2,
747?—died January 28, 814, Aachen, Austrasia [now in Germany]),
king of the Franks (768–814), king of the Lombards (774–814), and
emperor (800–814).
Henry Louis Gates Jr. (Skip), Harvard
Professor and host of the PBS series Finding Your Roots, is the one
who researched, prepared, and presented our family history. He told
me that I was as white as white could be, at least on my father's
side of the family. On my mother's side, our roots go back to
Africa.
I was taught constructive criticism in
college and that has been the approach that I have always tried to
take and as I point out flaws with the process or with the
organization, it is not because I am just being hateful, but because
I care deeply and want to make it better.
Nothing will ever get any better if you
cannot see one's own faults.
Let's take an educational institution
that wants to grow its revenues through increased enrollment. One of
the best ways to do this is to have instructors who are good at
teaching adults. Just having a PhD does not necessarily mean that
you are good at teaching adults.
But, how many PhDs do you know or
speculate that they might admit they do not do a good job at teaching
their students let alone adults? I would say a big fat NONE. Why?
First of all, it is obviously embarrassing to admit that and
secondly, they might get fired for admitting that, unless they are on
tenure then there would be no need to improve at all.
It was said or rumored that during
President Kennedy's administration, there was “tunnel vision,”
because no one wanted to be the one to tell the President any bad
news, so everything was not only good but good to go. That attitude
is extremely dangerous because it gives one a false sense of security
and peace-of-mind.
So, I am critical of those I care about
in an effort to make it better. If I did not care, I would say
nothing and probably just walk away...
America is the only country in the
world that has the kinds of FREEDOMS that we have in this country
today and with those freedoms comes all sorts of issues understanding
them and regulating them for the benefit of the whole.
Our strength lies in our difference
that has been brought about through immigration. Those that fled the
persecution of their respective countries came here and were given
the opportunity to be whatever they wanted to be.
Some became gangsters and criminals
while others became lawyers, engineers, teachers, and doctors,
opening the door for an improved quality of life for future
generations.
While our educational system K-12 is no
longer the best in the world, our Colleges and Universities on
average are second to none. And, there are some exceptions:
Cambridge and Oxford in the UK and IIT (India Institute of
Technology) in India, and Cairo University in Egypt.
While other countries have excellent
Armies, Navies, and Air Forces, the American Military branches are by
far the best equipped and the best trained in the world, especially
our Special Forces like the Navy Seals.
And no country in the world has the
level of Professional Football, Basketball, or Baseball that we have
in America, although there are professional athletic teams in Canada
and Europe.
But, with all that said, America is in
fact broken because of its uncanny focus and preoccupation with greed
and the acquisition of money and wealth to the exclusion of all else.
Our business are running amok and our religious institutions deliver
spirituality on a stick to hypocritical believers who do not practice
what they preach the other 6 days of the week.
America is splintering into Special
Interest Groups that are undermining our “United We Stand, Divided
We Fall MOTTO.
My mother, who is still alive at 95
years old and going strong, taught me many valuable lessons whether
she intended to or not. She gave me my appreciation for the Arts and
for knowledge brought about through reading, but one of her most
remembered comments was this:
NERO FIDDLED WHILE ROME BURNED
This I fear is currently happening in
America by those of us who don't want to deal with the realities of
life but would rather see everything as positive and inspirational.
I have always loved a party and a good
parade.
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