Reviving America

 

 

First, a few facts:

1)      Unemployment has hovered just below 8% for several years

2)      America’s homeless population has grown exponentially

3)      Hundreds of thousands of houses and buildings stand empty and in need of repair

4)      Enrollment in Food Stamps and subsidized housing have risen to all-time highs

5)      Government spending and waste have grown to outrageous proportions

6)      The “Official” National Debt is $17 Trillion, while the “Unofficial” (and probably more accurate) National Debt is estimated at over $70 Trillion

7)      The American Economy is on the verge of collapse.

I think it’s about time we address these issues and look for meaningful and workable solutions.

In my opinion things like Food Stamps, Section 8 Housing, Stimulus checks, and other such entitlement and subsidy programs should only be temporary, stop-gap measures, not life-style choices.

If the government truly wants to help they need to provide ways and incentives for people to get out from under the effects of joblessness, under-employment, homelessness, and subsidized living at taxpayer expense.

It has been done before, and I believe it can be done again. Let’s take a quick look at the past to find out how we can revive America and bring her back to greatness once again.

        In the 1930’s America was in the depths of the Great Depression. Unemployment was around 25%, 85 thousand businesses went bankrupt, Two-million men became homeless and wandered the streets. Schools closed, homes and farms were foreclosed, and even mobsters like Al Capone opened soup kitchens to help feed people. For many the “Hoover-stew” they got from a soup kitchen was their only meal for the day.

        To combat this President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Work Projects Administration (WPA). The WPA employed over 2million people per year during its eight year existence. Through  programs like the Civilian Conservation Core (CCC) and others the WPA built, rebuilt, and refurbished bridges, roads, buildings, parks, and cleaned up slums and landing fields. In all it supplied jobs to over 16.4 million people and did over 1.4 million projects.

        The man in charge of the WPA, Harry Hopkins, said. “Give a man a dole and you save his body, and destroy his spirit. Give a man a job and you save both body and spirit.” I for one think Mr. Hopkins was absolutely right, and I think the time has come once again to revive the WPA but with a few changes.

        My idea is this, unemployed persons who wish to receive government assistance such as Food Stamps and Section 8 subsidies would be required to work a minimum number of hours per week based on the amount of the assistance received. For instance, a person receiving $640 per month in Food Stamps at a rate of $12 per hour would be required to work a minimum of 54 hours per month or 13 hours per week at a WPA job. Section 8 and other benefit payments would be calculated the same way and worked in addition to any other hours.

        WPA projects could include anything from cleaning up the city parks and sidewalks, to refurbishing houses and buildings that could in turn be used to help house the homeless. With the advent and popularity of Urban Farming people could work there and help raise food that could be used to stock “Soup Kitchens” where they could also get a meal. 

        In addition to working for the benefits they receive people would also be able to work additional hours for actual pay. There is always something that needs to be done somewhere and to this end the government could provide temporary workers to businesses at government expense or at a 50/50 split of the cost. This would help the business by cutting expenses and giving them extra capital to reinvest. The temporary employees would earn money to help provide for personal expenses which puts money back into the economy and stimulates growth.

        Carpenters, electricians, plumbers, and other trades persons who are out of work could be put to use in refurbishing houses and buildings. Unskilled laborers could work alongside them in apprenticeships so they could learn a skill that would eventually provide a valuable trade in the future.

        The WPA of the 30’s even employed 40,000 artists to paint, produce performance art, and many other things related to what they did. Entertainment is an important aspect of human existence so a modern WPA would need to do the same if necessary but I think Hollywood has a pretty firm grip on the entertainment industry so we should probably leave that to the experts.

        Maybe I’m an optimist. Maybe I’m a bit naïve. But I believe in and have faith in my fellow Americans. We have come together in the past and I think we can do it again. If we would take the initiative and set aside our cultural, political, religious, and personal differences I truly believe we can revive this country and its economy.

        America has her problems and difficulties just like every other nation. We have prejudice, hatred, bigotry, and more than our fair share of idiocy. We have made mistakes and at times acted more like a bully than a guiding light. American pride has at times gone too far. Yet in-spite of all of our short-comings I still believe in America. I still believe in Americans.

        America was at one time considered the greatest country in the world and to me she still is. There is no other country you can go to and succeed like you can in America. There is no other country that will accept you as one of her own like America. No other country that will give you the same rights and privileges, as one of her native born citizens like America.

        My dream is to see America begin anew. For Americans to be just that, Americans.

        Let us try a new “Great Experiment”. For a time let’s drop the hyphens that separate us and just simply be Americans. Let’s put aside the animosity, hatred, bigotry, jealousy, politics, and religions that divide and keep us at each other’s throats. Let’s simply be Americans.

Honesty or mean-ness?

Over the years I have heard people describe their speech as “Brutally Honest”. But what is Brutal honesty, and is it necessary?

 

           In answer to that I will say that, yes, SOMETIMES “brutal honesty” is necessary in order to get someone to understand something. People can be fairly thick headed at times and a shock to the system is exactly what is needed to bring them back to reality.

 

Yet, there is a time and place for everything. I have often seen “brutal honesty” used as an excuse for simply being mean and insulting to another person. “I’m just being honest,” is the phrase most often used to excuse this rude and un-necessary behavior. This is closely followed by “If you don’t want my opinion don’t ask for it”.

 

It is those same “honest” people who tend to fly into a rage when the same type of “honesty” is used on them. Why is this? Honestly, it is because it hurts. These people are fine with hurting someone else but cannot tolerate it being reciprocated back to themselves.

 

As those of you read my last article know I am all for honesty. I prefer it to being lied to any day. Even if the truth hurts, I would rather know the truth and be hurt than believe a lie. Which, coincidentally, brings me back to my subject, Brutal honesty.

 

Yes, there are times when the truth is going to hurt. There may even be times when the truth is devastating. That does not mean that the truth HAS to hurt. Let me give you an example.

 

Several years ago I was working in a restaurant and one of the employees came in to check the schedule. She was wearing a new outfit that she had just bought and to be honest it was not flattering. In fact is looked awful on her. She however loved it. Knowing the young lady has a habit of fishing for compliments (she had very low self-esteem) several of us eyed each other with a look that said “I hope she doesn’t ask me how she looks.” That particular day luck was not on my side.

 

The question was asked and, since I had already formulated a response, I said, “That is definitely your style. Where did you get it?” But before she could respond another person who happened to be close by said “Don’t lie to her, she looks like a f***ing cow. You need to throw that s**t away.”

 

As you can probably guess this didn’t sit too well with the young lady and she left in tears. It was intentionally said to be mean and hurtful. When confronted about what the person said she flippantly replied, “I was just being honest. It ain’t my fault if she can’t take the truth.” Yet in my dealings with this “honest” person I quickly determined that she could not stand for anyone to speak to her the way she had just done to someone else. Even going to the extreme of threatening physical violence.

 

I could give you several more cases but I think you understand my point. Honesty does not have to be mean and hurtful. When I said “That is definitely your style,” I was being completely honest. This young lady did have a rather odd style when it came to clothing choices. If she had asked if I liked it I would have been equally honest and said, “It’s not really my style but if you like it that’s all that matters.” Did she look like a cow? Well, I have to say there was a rather bovine quality to it but that’s not the point. She liked the way she looked and it made her feel good. Her boyfriend, who also had rather eclectic tastes, liked the way she looked too.

 

I guess what I’m saying is this: “Treat others the way you want them to treat you.”

 

Honesty is always the best policy, but it doesn’t have to hurt. Use a bit of tact and kindness along with your honesty. Save the “brutal honesty” for times when it is absolutely necessary. I have a Facebook friend who says that he believes taking up arms to defend the constitution and freedoms in America is the coward’s way out. But since I think it may be the only way to save America he has basically labeled me a coward. I’m fine with that. I don’t agree, but I can accept his “brutally honest” opinion. He said this without being insulting or demeaning in any way. Which is exactly how honesty should be.

Changes are coming folks.

In many ways, changes are coming.

Some of them are obvious;

Autumns approach brings with it all the seasonal changes one expects. The turning leaves, the graying skies, the subtle chill in the air.

Longer sleeves and pants replacing shorts and tees.

Today's chill will probably prompt the use jackets for many who choose to venture forth.

The first of the "Winterize your Car" signs has appeared, and signs of Christmas have begun their annual assault on the senses and sensibilities.

More time will soon be spent indoors and sun-bronzed skin will fade just prior to the increased usage of tanning beds.

Some changes are less noticeable;

Animals increase their feeding to fatten up for winter and, in the case of the soon to be hunted, many become nocturnal.

The final crops will soon be harvested, processed, and shipped to the store for our consumption.

Slowly but surely the average weight of the American public will creep upward until we are subjected to the first "Are you ready for bikini season" commercials.

For myself autumn seems to be an introspective time.

I sit here this morning looking over my life.

Decisions both good and bad play through my mind.

I try to sort through them and evaluate where I am in life.

For the most part it is mistakes and bad decisions that show forth more than anything else.

Yet as prevalent as they are I must not listen only to those.

I can-not judge my life by the staggering amount of mistakes I have made or else I would see myself and my life as a complete and utter failure.

And this, I know, is not true.

I have known defeat, depression, and failure on a personal and intimate level but I choose not to let them define me as they have in the past.

It is time for change.

Some of these changes are going to happen in my life.

I choose not to be the same. I choose to change.

My life has entered its autumn.

Some things, like the leaves, must die and fall away.

Others will grow and, it is my hope, flourish.

Though I hope it is many years away, it’s time to “Winterize”.

Yes, change is coming.

Let’s hope the right ones are made and it is all for the good.

Changes are coming folks.

In many ways.

Changes are coming.

Being Decent

 

 

                It seems today that decency is becoming a lost virtue. Always in a hurry, people place a higher priority on their own agenda than on the other human beings that they encounter on a daily basis. This is especially the case when the people surrounding them are strangers, though by no means are family members immune.

                Evidence of the growing threat of Decency Deficit Disorder (DDD) infecting our society are things like road rage, intolerance, lawyers, and politicians. The last of which is a scourge too complex to be covered in here. It deserves its own in depth article and probably a series of lengthy books.

                I grew up during the 1970’s. My time was split between two places. During the school year I lived in West Memphis, Arkansas, a city of around 25,000 people. West Memphis was a typical southern city, mostly white but with a growing black and Mexican population. The equal rights struggles had left hard feelings on both sides and depending which area of the city you were in it was very evident. Simply put, there were places you didn’t go if you were the wrong color.

                Being a white kid I honestly had no idea what prejudice was and, I am sorry to say, I had no idea that black people were called anything but the “N” word. That was simply a product of the time and place where I was raised. To this day it is something that I am ashamed ever happened.

                It wasn’t until I was in 4^th grade that I had my first black friend, his name was Corey. We played together at recess on occasion and sat by each other in class for a while. It was around this time that I began to realize that a lot of what I had learned was wrong, but I soon found out that I had a long way to go.

                Even though prejudice was rampant where I was raised, I was always taught to be decent to everyone. At church I was taught the “Golden Rule”, Do unto others as you would have done unto you. In other words, treat people how you want them to treat you. Being the somewhat naïve child that I was I truly thought that applied to everyone.

                The next year my class took a trip to the state capitol and we had to bring our own lunch. About noon we spread out on the lawn of the capitol building and sat down to eat. While I was opening my bologna and cheese sandwich I noticed that one of my fellow students, who also happened to be black, didn’t have anything to eat so I offered him half of my sandwich. He said thank you and sat by me while we ate. I asked him why he hadn’t brought a lunch and he told me that his mother had made him one but that his dad had come home drunk that morning and eaten it so he didn’t have anything.

While we sat there and talked I also shared my chips and drink with him. Giving up one of my Twinkies was a bit more difficult but I bit the bullet and shared that too. One of the teachers saw what was happening and told me that while what I did was nice I shouldn’t have done it because I would probably be hungry later since I didn’t get to eat my whole lunch, and that he should have made sure to have something to eat. I said “yes ma’am” but in my heart I knew I had done the right thing. The decent thing.

I have tried to carry that thought with me throughout my life. It doesn’t matter to me what your color, nationality, religion, status, or anything else is, I will always put forth the effort to be decent to you. Now if we could just get everyone else to do the same. Much of the problems we have with racism, religious intolerance, and just hatred in general could be avoided if we just simply chose to treat our fellow man with decency.

The homeless man behind the dumpster in the alley deserves the same descent treatment as the man in the multi-million dollar mansion. The Muslim deserves the same decent treatment as the Christian or Jew. Our stations in life and our differences should not be things that create barriers to compassion. Instead they should be celebrated as learning experiences.

Growing up as a white protestant southern American patriot with a soft spot for the Confederacy I had a very narrow view of certain things. I was taught that certain things were right and certain things were wrong, and to a point this was right. I found out however that many things I had been taught were just wrong. Even some things I was taught in church turned out to be misunderstandings of either scripture or other religions beliefs.

In fact, almost everything I learned about Catholics and Buddhists turned out to be completely false. Yet while the people who taught me these things didn’t do it maliciously, what they taught was wrong even if they didn’t know it. Erroneous teachings like this have been the catalyst for many hate related incidents and far too much strife.

The easy solution to this would be for those who teach it to have the decency to learn about what they are teaching instead of simply recycling what they have been told. In order to understand what Catholics believed, I actually asked Catholics what they believed. I spent time talking to priests and lay people, and was given a copy of the Catechism. I found out that I had been taught many misconceptions about their faith, and while I haven’t converted to Catholicism, I have a much better and truer understanding of it. I did the same with Buddhists and I’m currently working on understanding Islam.

Decency comes from understanding and compassion. When you put forth the effort to try to understand someone’s situation it helps to make a connection. Having a connection to a person helps to foster compassion, and when you have compassion for another human being you will treat them with decency and respect. Every person deserves to be treated with decency, compassion, and, dare I say it, love.

Let’s stop believing the lies that keep us separated and compartmentalized into neat little demographics that the media and political pundits can use to further divide us. Instead let’s start to bridge those gaps. Go out of your way to make friends with people of other colors, races and religions. Show kindness to those who are less fortunate. In fact, show kindness to those who are more fortunate also.

Cultivate a habit of decency toward every person. Treat others how you would want them to treat you if you were in their position. By doing this we will begin to change how we see others. That homeless bum holding the “Will work for food” sign will become a man in need. The drug addict, prostitute, thief, mugger, gang banger, Muslim, life long criminal, illegal alien, the kid who picked on you in 3^rd grade, all of these will begin to turn into human beings. Which, in reality is what they were all along. The problem was that we chose to see a label instead of life.

When we begin to see others as human beings and treating them with the same decency we want for ourselves will become happier with our own lives. By choosing to treat others with decency and compassion we can change not only ourselves but others as well. Happiness is contagious after all.

Make a conscious choice to cultivate a habit of decency toward others. Don’t give money to the homeless man you pass every day, invite him to lunch. Give a cup of hot cocoa to the freezing prostitute on the corner. Start small and build on whatever you do. Make it a habit and don’t ever stop.

It may not always be easy and it certainly won’t always be fun, but it is the right thing to do. Not only for others but ourselves also.

The Wicked Web

 

 

"O, what a wicked web we weave when first we practice to deceive,."

Sir Walter Scott, (Marmion: A tale of Flodden Field)

 

It is bright and early here in N.E. Michigan. The weather is also quite agreeable with temperatures in the mid 50's and mostly clear skies.

     But to be honest weather isn't what's on my mind this morning. As nice as it is here in front of the open sunroom windows, something is bothering me. In fact I am so bothered and consumed with this particular thing right now that I am unsure how to approach it. I really don't know what to say exactly but I will give it a shot.

     When did we as a society become so complacent and accepting of lies and deception? Maybe a better question is "Why have we become so complacent and accepting of lies and deception?" We teach our children to be truthful and honest, or at least we try. WE hope they will always tell the truth while we know they won't. After all, that's what we did as kids too.

     When we become adults we should have learned that telling the truth is better than lying. We know right from wrong and yet we still choose wrong over right. Even though all of have said "I hate being lied to!" we still choose to lie to others.

Question: If you hate being lied to, why do you feel it's ok to lie to others?

                We have even come to accept being lied to by those who are supposed to be our leaders. The fact that “all politicians lie” has become so well-known and widely accepted that we barely even bat an eye at it any more. We simply accept it. Why?

                What has changed inside us so much that we simply don’t care anymore? Lying was once looked upon so badly that it was punishable by law. Before Europeans came to the new world many native tribes didn’t even have a word for “lie” and no concept of what it meant. Telling the truth was a given.

                What do we achieve by this? We may temporarily avoid the consequences of our actions by lying but when the truth comes out it will be worse for us in the end. Even though we all lie, being branded a liar is something we do not want. But that is exactly what we are, liars.

                A long time ago I decided that it would be better to always tell the truth. Though I haven’t always been successful I still try to make honesty my policy. I have even gone back and apologized for not being honest even though the person would never have known if I hadn’t. It bothers me to be dishonest even when it would be to my benefit. I am still bothered by lies I told years ago and got away with. Some of which I can never make right.

                It was Mark Twain who said “If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.” And that is so very true. The web of lies we weave to cover and conceal our deceptions are much more complicated than the truth ever was. Humans are not spiders so holding on to that many threads is not natural for us.

                Instead of weaving webs, I challenge you to just hold the one thread that actually holds everything together, truth. It’s a lot easier to remember and a lot less sticky and tangled than anything else we can weave.

(I am hoping this will be the first in a short series of articles on this subject. Please let me know what you think by leaving comments below)