... Until We Take Over The Government
by Michael D. Hume, M.S.
Things are tense in the United States right now. To know this, you only have to look at the generation of emerging adults - folks my kids' age - who are now paying attention to things like the economy and politics to a much greater extent than I thought possible. And they're worried about their future.
When I was in my twenties, I have to confess, I had no idea what was going on. Soon after I decided against continuing my journalism career full-time (I think I was about 24), I frankly wanted to think about anything other than politics and economics. I'd had my fill of worrying about that stuff, and about the self-righteous anger that seemed to consume my journalist colleagues (every one of which was what we'd today call a "flaming liberal"). My personal remedy was to dive into the world of professional musical theatre... so it was obviously not a money-motivated decision.
But there was another thing going on back then, in the early eighties... we didn't have a far-left government trying to take over our country, tax-and-spend us into oblivion, and erect a nanny-state to control every aspect of our lives. The truth is, I didn't have to worry about politics as much as my kids do.
And I blame myself. If I, and other "concerned citizens," had stuck it out, objective journalism might've survived in this country. Instead, it's dead, replaced by a media industry so dominated by the far left that it resembles the old Soviet state propaganda organs more than it bears any resemblance to the "Fourth Estate" for which I'd prepared myself. There was still a notion back in the eighties that there were journalists out there, real journalists, serving as "watchdogs," and worrying about our government and our economy so the rest of us didn't have to.
I'm reminded of a line Tommy Lee Jones delivered in "Men In Black" - something like "there's always an alien ship, or death ray, or something, threatening to wipe out life as we know it on this miserable planet... but the only reason these people can get on with their happy little lives is that they do not know about it!"
Now, our own politicians act like alien death rays threatening the very principles upon which our nation was founded, and threatening to wipe out "life as we know it." As President Reagan famously said back in those happy days when I still believed in journalism, "If we lose freedom here, the rest of the world will have no place to turn to. This is the last stand on Earth."
No wonder my kids are a little jumpy.
They'll have to pay the bill.
One of my kids asked this weekend what could possibly be done about it. My answer was that it's pretty simple: we have to go to the ballot box and throw the bums out. Then we have to send a new crop of bums to Washington and threaten to throw them out, too, if they don't have the common sense to undo this craziness. Simple, but difficult. And it would sure help if some real leaders would emerge from this new generation of adults: professors who dare to teach the truth in high schools and college, and not the latest union-approved political drivel... smart people who understand the brilliance of our founding principles and who might enter politics as a form of true public service rather than to feed at the public trough... directors and producers who produce entertainments that portray what's good about our nation and its history, at least as often as they tell the story of what rots we've always been... even real journalists who can get the media back to its watchdog role.
They are out there. There are some hopeful signs. I only hope they grow up fast enough.
Meanwhile, get ready. If you are depending on a company (or, worse, the nanny state) for your sustenance, think about starting a business. Plant some vegetables. Get yourself healthy so you'll have the vitality to work hard and stick it out through the coming storm. And save your money.
Our current government will keep taking over as many aspects of American life as they can, attacking freedom wherever they see it and installing socialist programs in its place, until we stand up and take our government back. It's supposed to be "by, of, and for the People" - it's time we put things to rights.
by Michael D. Hume, M.S.
Things are tense in the United States right now. To know this, you only have to look at the generation of emerging adults - folks my kids' age - who are now paying attention to things like the economy and politics to a much greater extent than I thought possible. And they're worried about their future.
When I was in my twenties, I have to confess, I had no idea what was going on. Soon after I decided against continuing my journalism career full-time (I think I was about 24), I frankly wanted to think about anything other than politics and economics. I'd had my fill of worrying about that stuff, and about the self-righteous anger that seemed to consume my journalist colleagues (every one of which was what we'd today call a "flaming liberal"). My personal remedy was to dive into the world of professional musical theatre... so it was obviously not a money-motivated decision.
But there was another thing going on back then, in the early eighties... we didn't have a far-left government trying to take over our country, tax-and-spend us into oblivion, and erect a nanny-state to control every aspect of our lives. The truth is, I didn't have to worry about politics as much as my kids do.
And I blame myself. If I, and other "concerned citizens," had stuck it out, objective journalism might've survived in this country. Instead, it's dead, replaced by a media industry so dominated by the far left that it resembles the old Soviet state propaganda organs more than it bears any resemblance to the "Fourth Estate" for which I'd prepared myself. There was still a notion back in the eighties that there were journalists out there, real journalists, serving as "watchdogs," and worrying about our government and our economy so the rest of us didn't have to.
I'm reminded of a line Tommy Lee Jones delivered in "Men In Black" - something like "there's always an alien ship, or death ray, or something, threatening to wipe out life as we know it on this miserable planet... but the only reason these people can get on with their happy little lives is that they do not know about it!"
Now, our own politicians act like alien death rays threatening the very principles upon which our nation was founded, and threatening to wipe out "life as we know it." As President Reagan famously said back in those happy days when I still believed in journalism, "If we lose freedom here, the rest of the world will have no place to turn to. This is the last stand on Earth."
No wonder my kids are a little jumpy.
They'll have to pay the bill.
One of my kids asked this weekend what could possibly be done about it. My answer was that it's pretty simple: we have to go to the ballot box and throw the bums out. Then we have to send a new crop of bums to Washington and threaten to throw them out, too, if they don't have the common sense to undo this craziness. Simple, but difficult. And it would sure help if some real leaders would emerge from this new generation of adults: professors who dare to teach the truth in high schools and college, and not the latest union-approved political drivel... smart people who understand the brilliance of our founding principles and who might enter politics as a form of true public service rather than to feed at the public trough... directors and producers who produce entertainments that portray what's good about our nation and its history, at least as often as they tell the story of what rots we've always been... even real journalists who can get the media back to its watchdog role.
They are out there. There are some hopeful signs. I only hope they grow up fast enough.
Meanwhile, get ready. If you are depending on a company (or, worse, the nanny state) for your sustenance, think about starting a business. Plant some vegetables. Get yourself healthy so you'll have the vitality to work hard and stick it out through the coming storm. And save your money.
Our current government will keep taking over as many aspects of American life as they can, attacking freedom wherever they see it and installing socialist programs in its place, until we stand up and take our government back. It's supposed to be "by, of, and for the People" - it's time we put things to rights.