You have a choice in what you choose to read. I am honored that you chose to read my blog. Because of that, I feel I have an obligation to try and something relevant, meaningful and brings a little joy. I read the news and I am disheartened. How long does history have to repeat itself before we take heed? Americans think other countries don’t like us because of jealousy. I love my country. However, like a spoiled child, Americans want what they want when they want regardless of consequences. Even if there are consequences, it is not our fault and how were we to know. America is like the young teenager that views the advice of parents as ramblings of old people gone senile. I admire France for saying no to things that the US plunged into with disastrous results (i.e. Iraq).
In the 1990s, the GOP introduced their “Contract with America” that resulted in a government shutdown. Here we are twenty years later playing the same game. Donald Trump, like Ross Perot, will divide the Republican vote and ensure a Democratic victory in 2012. GOP thought Tea Partiers were their new golden child and Sarah Palin was the “great white hope.” Now they use the same language against her that they accused “liberal” media of trying to slander their once beloved. How soon she fell from grace! However, Sarah played the cards dealt her well. She put out three books, a reality show, a pundit show – she should be sitting pretty on a nice nest egg.
I voted for Barack but I am disappointed by some of his policies. He acted like the professor instead of commander in chief with health care. The Democrats are like crabs in a bucket. They can’t work together – a supermajority and nothing to show for it. So much could have been accomplished in the first two years but it was not. Although I was happy for the passage of the health care bill, it was not the top three reasons I voted him in. My concerns were: (1) Iraq; (2) the economy; and (3) education.
I hear Americans saying “when they stop sending our jobs overseas then we will be fine.” Do these people live under a rock? Those jobs are never coming back! Technology has changed the face of all jobs and careers, not just unskilled workers. Even the legal profession has jobs going overseas and with the advancement in technology, the need for the number of attorneys has drastically decreased and will continue to decline. Instead of hoping for manual labor jobs to return, why not re-invest in research and development, be on the forefront of technology? How about investing in education so students graduate high school computer literate and ready to compete in today’s global marketplace?
It used to be a hard work ethic and striving for excellence exemplified the best of America. Now we celebrate mediocrity and baseness is exalted. You become famous (not infamous) from a sex tape, drunkenness, public meltdowns or embodying every vulgarity under the sun. This has become the new American ideal of how to earn your piece of the American dream. Study hard and work hard has been replaced by act a fool, the more vulgar and obscene the better. Get your 15 minutes of fame and milk it for everything it is worth.
I wonder what the future holds for my nieces and nephews. It seems that for every step forward in the past decade, America has taken major steps backwards.
Ronda is an attorney, writer, and entrepreneur. She is a contributing writer for the Huffington Post. Originally from Chicago, she has lived in Los Angeles and New York. She loves to travel and is passionate about education equity, especially for first generation college students.