American Values – The Glue of Unity
When it comes to defining a country and its people, what are held as values by both the leaders and the people are the characterizations of that society.
As you read this, like me, you will probably shake your head several times and ask yourself “What happened?”
We’ve been told regularly over recent years that our traditional values are passé and need to be changed.
So, let’s remind ourselves of some of the basic values held by Americans over the last 250 years and have built our country into the place hordes of people seem to want to come and live.
Democratic Values
Most of Americans still believe in democracy. (Some do not.) But those democratic values translate to government ‘by the people,’ and to the rights of all citizens as outlined in The Bill of Rights.
The foundation of the rights of Americans is summed up in one sentence from the Declaration of Independence: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
Our democratic values start with the word equality. Americans have a deep faith that all citizens are of equal value, that no one is born superior to anyone else. “One person, one vote,” we say, conveying the idea that any person’s opinion is as valid and worthy of attention as any other person’s opinion.
We are not ruled by people, but by laws, laws passed by our voted-in, chosen representatives. Our values include the expectation and requirement that all citizens be treated the same under the law, that there is equal justice, due process (innocent until proven guilty), and fairness. When those tenets/values are, or even seem to be, violated we cry ‘foul!’ until equal justice is served. (Or at least we used to.)
Cultural Values
Topping this list is the word: individualism. Americans consider themselves separate individuals who are responsible for their own situations in life and their own destinies. To be free means to be independent. To be independent means the first person responsible for us is ourselves. To be responsible includes meaning we don’t step on – and respect – the same freedom and independence of others.
Family. Our culture is based on the family: mother, father, (parents) kids. It’s a basic building block for everything else. We’re willing to embrace same-sex parents, but not ‘the village’ as a substitute.
It’s not unique to America, but we also expect people to intrinsically know there’s a biological difference between men and women. We’re born with it. Transgenders can’t change it, and don’t control the other 99%.
While Americans believe in being good neighbors and helping others when they need a hand, they are competitive – and not just in sports and education. In a capitalist society, that’s borne out in business where entrepreneurship has lived. Americans always think there’s a better mousetrap. They appreciate the successful innovator who builds one and buy the latest invention. Businesses that stay too long in one place will be passed.
Which leads to another value – consumerism. Americans want to ‘keep up with the Jones’. They want the latest features and advancements – and many of those things are quickly considered necessities. You’re ‘poor’ if you don’t have them. We think of material things as rewards for hard work.
Which brings me to the next cultural value in this piece, the American work ethic. When you meet an American, one of the first things you are asked is “What do you do?” Americans tend to identify strongly with their jobs. It’s a big piece of who they are.
Informality and directness are additional cultural traits of Americans. Blue jeans, sandals and slang are seen everywhere outside formal events. Americans tend to assume that conflicts or disagreements are best settled by means of forthright discussions among the people involved. If I dislike something you are doing or saying, I should tell you about it directly so you will know, clearly and from me personally, how I feel about it.
French aristocrat/philosopher/historian Alexis de Tocqueville authored one of the most profound discussions of American democracy in the mid-19th century. He was particularly impressed by the role of freedom of association in underpinning volunteerism, freedom of the press in serving as a watchdog for the people, and religious freedom in sustaining the beliefs that define the American character. Americans are generous – and private philanthropy has developed and thrived in America as it has nowhere else. As mentioned earlier, getting one’s hands dirty helping a neighbor or the immediate community with an issue is a value handed down through the generations.
Those were the major values Americans stood for. Are they now?
As government has gotten not big, but huge, many of those values don’t fit. Many people don’t feel responsible for themselves or anyone else. If I don’t have all the perks you have, it’s not my fault, it’s somebody else’s. Racism is now the measure of everything, whether it makes any sense or not. Rush to judgement is becoming the norm. The media has generated that sense of pre-judgement.
There are those that would have all in our society separated into distinct, identifiable groups. Those groups are either oppressor or oppressed, assailant or victim.
Some would have us see ourselves only through a prism of racism. To them, everything bad is attributable to a person’s skin color, and those with skin pigment are the victims of white supremacy and a history of blatant and subtle discrimination.
Achievement of American ideals has perhaps been slower than it should/could have been, but the fact that we still have those ideals to pursue is the ultimate value we espouse.
Our traditional values, both democratic and cultural, have allowed and encouraged our progress toward equality and self-respect.
Why would we now abandon them for regression to something else, something divisive?
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Have a great and prosperous week.
Hug somebody.
References:
https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript
SPIDER Bites
Now comes Omicron – latest variant of the COVD 19 virus. Even though the symptoms appear mild, and no one has been hospitalized and it can occur in vaccinated people, the ruling class and their media have begun preparing the public for more panic and devising ways to impose mandates and restrictions. Oh, and it’s the fault of the unvaccinated. Enough already!
The official 2021 hurricane season ended last Tuesday, November 30. There were 21 named storms but only two tropical storms impacted near South Florida and were mostly rain makers and provided brief tropical-storm force winds. The forecast for 8 landfall hurricanes (Category 3 or higher) this year proved wrong. The last 50 days of the season is the usual high activity period but this year it was historically weak. It’s been 65 years since we’ve had no hurricanes hit the US. You likely didn’t hear this on any cable news. It doesn’t fit climate change hysteria.
What’s the most dangerous animal to humans? No, it’s not spiders or snakes or crocodiles. It’s the mosquito! – which kills over a million people/year. They can carry a long list of devastating diseases, with malaria accounting for half of the deaths. Holding the #2 spot with 450,000 deaths/year are humans themselves, followed by snakes (100,000) and dogs (25,000). BTW, while the mosquito is an insect, it is part of the animal kingdom.
Biden’s sweeping social and climate change bill currently in the Senate among other things imposes a fee (tax) on methane emissions. Gee, I wonder who would pay for that? (Don’t look in the mirror.) Meanwhile, the Supreme Court last month agreed to hear cases affected by the EPA’s self-expansion of its role under the Clean Air Act by issuing additional regulations which not only negatively impact power generation plants but farmers as well. All this stuff increases the cost of production, ergo consumption.
Public perception President Biden’s performance continues in the tank. His inclination for more government spending and penchant for mandates may not be working. The public attitude is not where he and his supportive media think it should be. Gee. The WH knows it’s the anti-vax ‘killers,’ white supremacists and parental domestic terrorists that are causing all the problems. I assume the weak November Jobs Report, less than half of the number estimated, is their fault as well.
Not only based on extensive surveys, but also on scientific research, the human body prefers a temperature of 71.6 F (22 C). That’s the temperature at which the human body doesn’t have to work hard to either cool down or warm up.
Last week J.P. Morgan analysts predicted oil prices of $125/barrel in 2022 and $150 in 2023. Maybe they’re wrong, but probably not – as OPEC has the world by the ‘bajawas’ since the Biden administration decided to obstruct its production here. Oil prices closed the week just over $66 as OPEC slightly increased production.
Media figures and many politicos were quick to condemn what they described as a racist and homophobic attack on actor Jussie Smollett in 2019, blaming it on a culture of hate fostered by then-President Trump. But their words may come back to bite them now that Smollett faces up to three years in prison for allegedly fabricating the assault. You may recall the Cook County prosecutor dropped the 16 original charges against Smollett. A judge then appointed a special prosecutor to investigate the situation. Following that a Grand Jury brought 6 charges against Smollett, and his trial started last week.
