Monday, October 5, 2009

Our Future


"The way America sees itself and the world is changing and it worries me because we used to have a common vision. But now that vision is split and what I believe is the prevailing vision, has been relegated in the mass media to the fringe. Things like: Belief in God over government; parents' rights over children's rights; the honor of military over the honor of the politician; being willing to do the hard thing now and have less so that our children can have a chance at having more." Glenn Beck

I am not a huge Glenn Beck fan mainly because of the way he presents some of his information, but I have to say that I agree 100% with the statement above. As a mother, it upsets me to look around and see the way this country is headed. Glenn really nailed down every major issue I have with this country. Why have we let the government put limits on God in this country? Things such as where we can and cannot pray, taking the Pledge of Allegience out of schools because of the word "God" and now considering removing "In God We Trust" from U.S. currency? Does this baffle anyone besides me?

The next is one of my pet peeves. It is giving our children more power then we, as parents, have. I understand there are many children out there in abusive situations, and they should by all means be removed from that situation, but by telling parents how they can and cannot discipline their children, our government is taking power out of our hands and placing it in our childrens' hands. I am not saying I support excessive spanking, but I do believe that sometimes it is necessary to effectively discipline our children - which is the process parents have to take in order to produce well-mannered and respectable adults. It's no wonder the majority of the younger generations are so lazy, rude and have no comprehension of what manners are. It doesn't take the smartest person out there to see where this is going to land us in a few short generations.

What parents are not willing to go with less now so their children can have more later? Well, just look around, because there are quite a few of them out there. Why? Because their parents made the mistake of giving them everything they wanted and not teaching them what it means to go out and earn their "stuff." I was very fortunate that my parents raised me differently. Did I enjoy the fact that I had to do chores around the house to earn money instead of getting a weekly "allowance" like other friends of mine did? Of course I didn't - I was a child! This is where my parents had enough wisdom to understand that if I didn't learn at an early age what it meant to earn things, then I would grow up to be a lazy member of society who is always expecting a hand out. We are now seeing parents who are part of the "me" generation, who are more concerned with their own happiness then they are about their children's welfare.

I am so sad to see this. It scares me to think about what the world will be like when my son is in school. There is not a doubt in my mind that my son will think he has the meanest parents alive. My husband and I are willing to go with less now and in the future- in terms of how our son will view us - so that he can have more later. More what? More self-respect, more character, more work ethic, more love and more opportunities. And when that time comes, my husband and I will suddenly be more appreciated by him for not giving in to his every whim when he was younger. I know because I have been there and now I have a tremendous amount of respect and appreciation for all of that "tough" love my parents bestowed upon me.

Our society, country and world are all in terrible shape and the future looks even bleaker. It will not change if we just stand passively by and wait. It must start with us. We need to voice our concerns - peacefully of course - and not stand by and do nothing. And most importantly, we need to instill our values and beliefs in our children and teach them to be strong and stand up for what they believe in, because, like it or not, our children are our future.

1 comment:

Marjorie Hall said...

Great thoughts, DelRae - I agree with you whole-heartedly! Everytime Mikki tells me I am the meanest mother in the world (she is a teenager), I smile knowing that I have done something right that day. hang in there, mean Mommy!!!