September 22, 2023

THE MIRROR REVEALS THE FUTURE

Our forefathers had access to firearms for their survival, yet they didn’t turn those weapons on their families and friends. In the 1960s and earlier, young boys might have had guns in their pickup trucks on school grounds, yet there were no mass shootings. Even when 18-year-olds were armed with machine guns and various weapons in Vietnam, there were no reports of mass killings among our soldiers.

A nation without clear boundaries and norms can easily be led astray by any enticing distraction in the darkness. I’ve observed in this new generation a tendency to adorn themselves with tattoos and piercings as if they’re searching for that elusive sparkle in the night. I recently witnessed a young lady and her boyfriend with brightly colored hair and various piercings, both of whom probably needed employment. It’s not that these individuals are inherently wrong, but it appears they lack a clear path and a sense of purpose and are merely breathing without a true sense of direction. I wonder if they dream of contributing to peaceful coexistence, innovating new products, becoming CEOs of great companies, or if they dream at all. Some seem to exist but do not truly live.

I believe that even the most ardent atheist would agree that the absence of God in the lives of the youth can be detrimental to a nation’s well-being. The need to be part of something greater than oneself and the ability to rely on faith seems to have diminished. The teachings of honor, love, and respect are being replaced by a pervasive attitude that everything is “okay.” It isn’t, as anyone who has observed life can attest; undisciplined individuals often harm themselves and their families significantly. While there have always been people on the fringes of society, the extent to which this is true today is concerning. The great dreamers of old America seem to have transformed into the great non-doers of today.

The most valuable legacy one generation can leave to another is economic stability. In the last 42 years, we have failed the generations to come. The fact that our national debt has soared from less than a trillion dollars to 33 trillion in these four decades is nothing short of criminal, and the politicians who led us down this path should be held accountable. In perspective, the interest accrued in just one year could have wiped out the entire debt in 1982 with money to spare. The “new generation” may well be remembered as embracing insanity.

The saying goes, “God helps those who help themselves.” Throughout history, great wars have been fought based on faith. The Jewish people, after World War II, declared, “Never again,” signifying that they would never forget that God aids those with the courage and initiative to help themselves. So, if you are waiting for a great leader to steer the nation back to sanity, look in the mirror—it is you who must take the initiative.

“Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”