Why I Fear For Our Society...
(The Setup: During our son's primary school years, we had, with the usual good intentions, volunteered time and talents to the Parent/Teacher Association chapters in his schools. We no longer do, as we came to realize that, not only was the national organization patently Communist (don't believe me? Go check their website!), but these so-called parents (more like DNA donors) were not the sharpest tools in the shed, consisting mainly of stay-at-home moms who thought maroon dotted-swiss dresses were the height of fashion for the Annual PTA Meeting. Their most egregious sin had to be attempting to ban the observation of Hallowe'en because it offended their Christian morality (the evidence that such did not actually exist is overwhelming). Despite making a living as a planner and project manager, I was bemused to discover these "ladies" actively refused any such help, and indeed viewed my presence in their closed clique with the same belligerance I would expect of a herd of water buffalo. The lead cow (oops, did I say that aloud?) was allowed to pour forth her ignorance each month in a PTA newsletter sent home with the kiddies (despite my background as an annual and newspaper editor, I was pointedly not invited to assist in its preparation). In one, she wrote how she felt that then-First Lady Hilly Clinton "got it" with her "takes a village" nonsense, and how the peace movement of the 60's was a worthy example for "all our children." My response, reproduced here, somehow wound up stapled to the next newsletter that went home (the school's Principal suffers idiots even less gladly than I do). For some odd reason, I was not invited to the PTA Christmas party that year. Pity.)
An Open Letter To Our P.T.A. President:
Dear, it no more takes a village to raise a child than it takes a village to make one! You've met my son Stefan. Tell me: do you think we need any help turning him into a decent human being? I suspect we don't simply because he already is one. Good people have good kids. The corollary statement is obvious.
As for the "hippie" movement being a good thing, I would suggest quite the opposite. As Vegetius pointed out, "Si vis pacem, para bellum" (Let him who desires peace prepare for war). You have to take responsibility for your own defense, because there will never be enough cops to force the bad guys to behave themselves. There was a time when people took pride in behaving according to societal laws, but since the hippie-dogs took away personal responsibility and accountability, these people have to be forced to behave themselves. As proof, I suggest you watch the local stop signs in your area, and see just how many people come to a full and complete stop before proceeding in a safe and controlled manner. Once your count gets to roughly, um, none, I'm sure you'll come to understand my point. Ask my wife -- she was once rear-ended by an idiot who wasn't expecting her to actually stop at a stop sign!
Or, just blame it on bad laws. The Volstead Act (Prohibition), the 55 MPH speed limit (AKA Dick Nixon's Revenge), and the War On Drugs have all undermined the staunch moral fiber of this once great nation. I mean, what kind of a world is it in which people get an average of seven years for murdering a fellow human being? Heck, if I killed and barbequed my neighbor's yappy little dogs, I'd get 25-30 years, easy. If I kill the neighbor, I'm out in 36 months with good behavior, and then I can buy a pardon from the President (sorry, that just slipped out).
Is there a chance for this society? Only if we stop the portrayal of violence in popular culture, do away with governmental interference in our lives, and reinstitute public floggings and executions. I'll be expecting that right about the time the town meeting gets together to make another baby....
-- Duke Walls