Today is a time of reflection for me

I've been thinking a lot today about my country.  Thirteen years ago, E and I were newly retired and living in a family owned condo while our new home in Florida was being built when my son called us, "Do you have the t.v. on Mom? Do you know what is happening?" and my answer was no...and we turned on the worst our nation had experienced since (IMHO) Pearl Harbor.  We had been attacked.

And today, I am thinking that why does it have to take a horrific event like Pearl or 9/11 to bring us together as a nation.  The recent beheading of two American free lance newsmen might be the catalyst that spurs us to nationality, the togetherness this fragmented nation needs but, sad to say, we only seem to respond to horrific huge loss of life to spur us to become one. 

I am a conservative liberal and my husband is a liberal conservative so we meet a happy medium...shame our country can not do the same!  We respect each other's view points though we do not agree on all of them.  At least we give each other credit for having both our best interests at heart.

I have a good friend who sends me posts he find interesting.  He is a stanch believer in what I often do not but he know I read his posts as I need to know all sides before I make decisions and he and I respect each other enough to have civilized conversations allowing the other to speak.  We do not have to agree.  The respect is enough. Shame that is not true in our government today.

So, I am sad today that my nation, my country is so lacking in respect...respect for our President, for our elected officials ( and I do not think most have earned that respect so I so understand the lack here), and,  most importantly,  each other.

Is it going to take another calamity, more loss of life, more sadness to bring us back to doing what we need to do as citizens of this country? We need to take care of us, our children and our future as a nation.

The United States is currently 18th among the 36 industrialized nations.

 

Now, how the hell did that happen?  Doctors censor themselves, lawyers censor themselves so who  dictates how teachers teach? Who allowed people who have never been in the classroom decide how a teacher could best impart knowledge and educate her/his students?  And who decides what teachers are good and what ones are not...not a state test ! There are bad doctors, bad lawyers and bad teachers but only teachers are not governed by other teachers.  

 

If you have read this far, thank you.  I am sad for our country.  If we continue on the path that we have so far, we are never going to be the GREAT country I knew, the GREAT country I KNOW we have the potential to become once again.

 

I am sad because I don't see a bright future.