Yes, There is Hope for America

"A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship.
The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence:

• From bondage to spiritual faith;
• From spiritual faith to great courage;
• From courage to liberty;
• From liberty to abundance;
• From abundance to complacency;
• From complacency to apathy;
• From apathy to dependence;
• From dependence back into bondage."

There is some debate as to where the above quote originated, but in any case the United States seems to be in the seventh step of the sequence.  Without a significant change in direction, we will regress to the eighth step.  Is there any hope for us?

 

“We are five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America.” — Barack Obama, October 30, 2008

Few could predict just how prescient his words would be.  Leading up to the presidential election in 2008, most Americans had "Bush fatigue".  The people were tired of war and lost trust in the president.  Voters were wary of the massive bailouts and huge amnesty that Bush was proposing, and yearned for new leadership.  Sure enough the Democrats' rock-star candidate, Barack Obama, was elected five days later with a comfortable majority over the flaccid Republican candidate, John McCain. 

Fast-forward seven years and the American mood isn't much different than it was leading up to Obama's election.  Both our politicians and the electorate are more politically and ideologically polarized than anytime in memory.  Race relations have regressed by decades.  Trust in government remains at a cringe-worthy low.  The national debt has ballooned to nearly $19 trillion, over 56% of which was accrued during Barack Obama's presidency.  Workforce participation is at the lowest level in 38 years, and most people continue to believe that America is heading in the wrong direction.  

We've endured a spate of mass shootings and terrorist attacks, both at home and abroad.  Marriage was redefined and the rights of gays effectively trump religious freedom, while Christianity is marginalized and attacked like never before.  Government took over 11% of our economy -- the health insurance industry -- which helped the poorest among us afford healthcare, but continues to cause even more financial hardship for many working and middle class families.  Before Obamacare, they couldn't afford insurance.  After Obamacare, they still can't afford it, but get fined as a result.  Meanwhile, actual healthcare costs continue to rise.

The administration doesn't hesitate to involve itself in local issues, vilifying police for "acting stupidly" while giving tacit support to violent criminals that attack others. Obama insists that "climate change" - not terrorism - is the biggest threat facing America.

Our nation's institutions of higher learning have devolved into daycare centers.  Speech that could possibly offend delicate sensibilities is quickly squelched, with the offender subjected to punishment.  Distinguished graduation commencement speakers have been rejected, and even comedians steer clear of today's campuses.  Professors are forced to issue "trigger warnings" in advance of any assignment that may expose students to potentially uncomfortable ideas, and administrators are forced out whenever a screechy, petulant but small minority of students suddenly decide that their school isn't a "safe space”. 

Many of us have been extremely frustrated and angry, worrying that we're witnessing the end of America as we once knew it.  Hell, I've even gone so far as looking into the expat life in case the unthinkable (Hillary) happens.  But, there are emerging signs of hope.

   

Despite withering attacks from leftist politicians and well-funded anti-gun organizations, our right and ability to keep and bear arms has not only survived, but strengthened.  State restrictions have been struck down by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional, and legislatures have expanded "castle doctrine" and right-to-carry laws.  Even though the president angrily calls for more gun control over and over again, claiming that "commonsense" restrictions would result in fewer mass shootings, people reject this view because they understand that no laws restricting the ability of law-abiding citizens to exercise their 2nd Amendment rights will stop criminals and terrorists who are determined to shoot up schools or movie theaters.  All is not lost when it comes to the Bill of Rights. 

As more time passes without a single catastrophic prediction coming true (according to Al Gore, the poles should be completely ice-free today, for example), global warming has continued its steep slide down the list of things people are concerned about, to the point it rarely even appears anymore.  Its hustlers and pimps, determined to keep the narrative alive, rename it from "global warming" to "climate change" to "climate disruption", so that any anomalies in the climate -- no matter how benign or temporary, regardless of direction -- can be blamed on the climate change narrative.  The warmists frantically issue even more dire predictions borne of fiddled and diddled, faked and baked "data".  But people are tired of hearing about it, and don't consider it an imminent problem.  Thankfully this shows that we're not beyond the point of no return when it comes to critical thinking.

As the 2016 election season started heating up, Donald Trump went from familiar sideshow clown to overwhelming favorite in the Republican polls almost overnight after his fiery announcement speech sharply critical of amnesty and illegal aliens.  Devoid of any political correctness whatsoever, he has clearly tapped in to deep-seated anger among voters whose vehement opposition to another amnesty has been utterly ignored by establishment politicians on both sides of the political aisle.  His messages continue to resonate with the electorate and despite daily media predictions of his demise, Trump continues to reign supreme in the polls -- and it's not even close.  Meanwhile, pale-pastel establishment candidate Jeb Bush has fallen to 3% support after being seen as the inevitable Republican nominee early on.  This may be one of the most encouraging signs that we can turn the country around.

I don't want to live in an America where the majority of people are either apathetic, ignorant, or who reject our founding principles...and act (or don't act) accordingly at the polls.  We can't just stand by and watch the country swirl down the drain…we must actively work to bring about a better future.  There are a lot of things seriously wrong right now, but thankfully there are some signs of hope for America.

Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right

When citizens of a foreign country enter the United States, they do so in one of two ways: the right way or the wrong way.

The right way is the way that millions upon millions of Americans and their forefathers got here.  They arrived legally, understanding that the American dream they sought could not be realized until they weaved themselves into the fabric of America.  Working hard.  Learning the language, the customs and the traditions.  Integrating themselves into their neighborhoods and society at large.  Embracing their new country.  They want to be here, they want to be Americans, and they want to assimilate and contribute not just in the workforce, but to society as a whole.

The wrong way is to sneak into the country illegally.

When people run across the desert in the dark of night, swim across a river, or overstay a visa, their very first action here is one of utter hostility towards our nation.  Contempt for the rule of law.  This is not a nation of men, but a nation of laws.  (President Obama may not agree, but I digress...)

The vast majority of people that come here, both legally and otherwise, do so because America has so much to offer.  Even now with a slow economy and tough job market, America is still a land of opportunity for all.  "Poor" in America would be considered rich beyond comprehension to a vast number of people outside of our borders.  Make no mistake...America is far from perfect, but we didn't go from nothing in the 1700s to the sole world power 300 years later because we weren't doing things right.

The difference between those that come here legally and those who don't is fairly simple.  Illegal aliens want to take advantage of all America has to offer, but have no desire to reciprocate.  They have no use for things like learning the language.  They don't give a damn about weaving themselves into the fabric of America.  They don't care about the country or its society.  A study cited by the New York Times found that only 40% of illegal aliens pursued citizenship after being granted amnesty in 1986.  In short, most have no use for anything but a way to make money to send home to their families in the countries to which they remain loyal.  They want amnesty so that it's easier to do so.

This doesn't necessarily mean getting a real job, either.  Many illegals came here with heavy loads of narcotics on their backs from the drug cartels south of the border.  Others joined Latino-oriented street gangs such as MS-13 and are part of the cartels' distribution network.

The only group of illegal aliens that I have any sympathy for are those that were young children when their parents brought them here illegally.  They didn't have a choice in coming here, and as they get older they are being told they can't fully participate in the only country they have ever known.  The parents of these children deserve special punishment for subjecting their kids to the challenges they are facing today.

Since what was to be the "last amnesty" passed into law in 1986, granting a mere 3 million people legal status in this country, we have been besieged by 10 million more illegal aliens.  This is because the border was utterly ignored in 1986.  However, today our politicians boast that the border is as "secure as it's ever been", but he presence of these additional 10 million illegal aliens prove that "secure as it's ever been" is wholly unacceptable.  We're right back where we left off in 1986, but with four times the number of illegal aliens for taxpayers to support and our government to deal with.

Anyone with a lick of sense should be able to connect the dots and see what kind of impact 12 million newly legal workers would do to the job market not only for American citizens, but also those immigrants that respect the rule of law and endured the process to come here legally.  You think it's tough finding a job today?  It will be twice as hard if another amnesty bill is passed.

There is already a "pathway to citizenship" available to those here illegally.  It's called applying for citizenship and waiting your turn just like millions of legal immigrants have already done.  Meanwhile, as far as I'm concerned, illegals in this country today can "live in the shadows" (seriously?) and deal with the challenges that are inherent in choosing to be here illegally.  Why should they get special consideration?  

The pro-amnesty idiots love to talk about "fairness".  I think it would be amusing to watch them peddle their amnesty nonsense to a family that waded through tons of red tape and waited years to get here about what's "fair" and what's not.

It is wrong to cross our border illegally.  It is even more wrong to reward those who did with legal status.  Two wrongs don't make a right.  Any immigration reform bill absolutely MUST deal with border security first; anything short of that is 100% unacceptable.  It's colossally stupid to bail the water before plugging the hole.