Prompt: America

I'm not sure what the answers to many of the woes in our country are. I think the first step is similar to AA, that we have to admit we as a country have problems.

I do not hate my country. But it is not "un-American" or disloyal to say that there are problems within our country that need to change.

As humans, we would prefer simple answers and simple questions such as, "Are you patriotic or not?" I think being patriotic can be similar to being a good parent. It's not "if I love my child, I 100% feel that every decision and word they say is right, justified, and kind." No, being a good parent is saying, "I love my child no matter what, but I cannot support their decisions when they hurt others." That's how I feel about America. I'm not giving up on my country, but true love doesn't blissful let cruelty or injustice grow, fester, and continue. True love says, "I love you so much, we will do the hard work together to make our relationship healthy."

I do need to point out that is impossible to fully addresses the nuances of each issue faced by Americans today within a single journal entry. I am only touching on very complex problems.

I do feel that many issues in any person or group are formed by beliefs. My personal take is that, as Americans, we have come to put a price tag on worth, even the worth of human beings. Our laws and the people we give power to flow from our beliefs.

I personally feel that numeric worth does not make someone "better." I agree, that when possible, it's wonderful to support oneself, but I think this ideology can go too far. There is a thin line between, "You better work hard and take care of yourself" and the idea of demonizing the poor. Once people buy into the idea that poor=lazy, it's easier for those in power to continue to focus on passing laws that help the richest people and companies.

In addition, as Jimmy Wu wrote: "As social beings gifted with powerful mental faculties, we are naturally wired to cooperate and to create. But because capitalism forces us to fight over jobs and resources, we view each other not as collaborators and companions, but as competitors. In time, this system would come to dictate our social relations; now, in an era of competition and profit maximization, we see each other as objects — as means to our various ends, rather than multi-dimensional beings." To me, this explains why running a country as though profit is the most important thing is tearing us apart from each other. I have to wonder if that is almost by design. In order to change anything, we do need to cooperate and work together, but the way things are set up, we have to see each other as competitors or perish.

Any system of thinking that becomes an "us vs. them" or starts to decide who deserves basic human dignity is, I feel, inherently dangerous. I see those thoughts within many groups, and it's something I seek to change within my self. I feel, as hard as it can be, that I want to try to never lose sight of the fact that people I disagree with ARE people. They have reasons for what they believe. I may not agree with those beliefs, but I want to try to never see people I disagree with as less than human.

As I got older, I feel that my beliefs most closely align with the Unitarian Universalists, especially the beliefs of:
-The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
-Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
-Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

I do not think that our country should adhere to any particular religion, but I do feel that many current laws, decisions, and funding through our government as not taking into account the "inherent worth and dignity of every human being." Every human should include all people, no matter race, gender, identity, disability, age, etc.

I think our leaders have chosen not to act on this truth that Plutarch, a Greek historian wrote: “An imbalance between rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailment of all republics.” America's suffering of the poor is getting worse and worse. More of the body of America (its people) are getting infected with poverty, and the patient can't sustain life once too many systems shut down.

It is an interesting situation that as many cannot live on low wages, robots are being developed to use instead of humans in many jobs. This article explains the robots developed and being used in 40 different job categories: https://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch001799.htm I do find technology helpful, but it isn't lost on me that robots do not need healthcare, etc. How will this change affect the job market? Will it throw more people into poverty?

As a mother of three, one of whom is a 21 year old male, I agree with Scott Galloway that: "... a large and growing cohort of bored, lonely, poorly educated men is a malevolent force in any society, but it’s a truly terrifying one in a society addicted to social media and awash in coarseness and guns." In my experience with my son and my son's friends, young people today do not feel heard. They want to build a life, but feel there is no future, no matter how hard they try. Wages are so low, that many must live with relatives without much hope of leaving as most of their paycheck is going to a car, gas, and car insurance. How can they save if there is nothing left? And what life are they building if the environment is ruined? Will their children (if they have any) have clean air to breathe?

I read about people losing family members to extremist ideology (https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/03/us/mom-tries-to-help-extremist-son-sidner/index.html), and I see how it could happen. Thankfully, my son does care about others, but I do admit, after Biden's election, he and his friends are very disillusioned. Three main issues for young Americans are low wages, lack of health care (or job with benefits), and student loan debt. They don't feel that the government is working on these issues.

I have noticed most young people love to make goals and work to achieve them. They are not scared of work, but they do want to know at least some goals of independence are possible. It seems that most people would like to have and improve a place of their own (whether house or apartment.) I am concerned if they are unable to have a place in their country that they can call their own, they will feel more and more disconnected from their country. With nothing to lose and no path to improving their lives, what will they choose? Desperate people with nothing to lose can be dangerous.

I want to believe that the best way to change the future is through legal processes. I do worry that more and more young Americans, of both political parties, are getting closer to deciding civil rebellion is the only way. And in the USA, we have 120.5 guns PER 100 citizens.

I don't live in Texas, but this new development does seem significant: "Given that Texas supposedly “retains the right to secede from the United States,” the “Texas Legislature should be called upon to pass a referendum” on secession. Nor would such a referendum be an abstract exercise. Instead, the Republican Party of Texas believes that such a referendum should be held next year, with the Texas legislature “pass[ing a] bill in its next session requiring a referendum in the 2023 general election.” (https://www.thebulwark.com/texas-republicans-deadly-serious-toying-around-with-secession/) One part that really seems to add some urgency is that the Texas GOP put a date on it. I have family members in Texas. I do feel if one state starts trying to leave our Union, others will follow.

I do not want to leave America. However, I truly want America to become a country that embodies this quote: “Resolve to be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant with the weak and wrong. Sometime in your life, you will have been all of these.” -Lloyd Shearer

I think many of our politicians feel they will never be part of the "weak," and so do not use the principles inherent within the above quote as principles that guide their decisions. But I feel America is at a point of crisis where we must change how we treat the weak, the young (through education and opportunities), the striving, the weak (people in crisis due to health, finances, etc), and even the wrong (those incarcerated.) If we do not improve in our treatment of these people, we will become what we ignored. We will be a weak nation who is wrong.

America, we need to refocus, change, and do better. Or the America I can believe can improve will cease to exist.
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Sources referred to:

https://medium.com/reason-in-revolt/capitalism-is-dangerous-for-your-mental-health-b02fd8f56dfe

https://uuch.org/about-us/our-beliefs/uu-principles-and-sources/

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/profiling-ceos-and-their_b_245373

https://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch001799.htm

https://gen.medium.com/young-american-men-are-facing-a-crisis-69e7233bc93e

https://medium.com/@ossiana.tepfenhart/the-broken-man-epidemic-we-need-to-talk-about-6c00406248ae

https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/03/us/mom-tries-to-help-extremist-son-sidner/index.html

https://prorhetoric.com/you-all-come-to-us-young-people-for-hope-how-dare-you/

https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/15/homes/rent-affordability-minimum-wage/index.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41488081

https://www.thebulwark.com/texas-republicans-deadly-serious-toying-around-with-secession/