“Our generation has produced few serious political leaders. That is our fault. We all own that."
A harsh critic observed that We – Who grew up in the era of John F. Kennedy, have given way to a generation obsessed with finding the right school to raise our youth, paying off the mortgage, having two holidays a year and dinner parties. With sounding clever when slurping a glass of overpriced wine in a cheap restaurant.
It is said that we value consumption over sacrifice or service; feelings over substance; individual rights over responsibilities. That when we die, we will look back and realize we created nothing. Stood for nothing. Pushed back against nothing. Took no risk. That the institutions we joined and loved rotted from below while we walked on the sunny upper decks enjoying our temporary self-importance.
As a result of this need to climb the consumption ladder, we select leaders that make us feel good rather than those that can actually lead. Where are the leaders who take risks in difficult times, keeping in mind the betterment of their community over their concerns of reelection? For far too long our “leaders” have lacked the ability to inspire through confidence, courage and endurance, leaving us wanting and on a circular path of diminishing progress.
We carry on about “democracy” yet do nothing with it. We no longer find true fellowship and camaraderie within our churches, nor read the bible to our children. We obsess about insignificant issues such as social media and the appearance of perfection.
We gorge on sentimentality - sharing quotes of our founding fathers and others throughout history who left their imprints, while craving true words of wisdom and direction in these turbulent times. Yet, we are left with redundant messages of hope and change manufactured by speech writers.
As for the U.S. Government as a whole: I am not suited to what it has become. With the exception of a few, it is a cesspool of those who have made compromises for campaign financing and won on the basis of theatrics as opposed to merit, determination and moral strength.
My views are no longer relevant to an Army that seeks to be something other than what it needs to be. The mission of fighting and winning our nation’s wars has been overshadowed by a bureaucratic system that’s lost hope of just how precious a human life is and favors an unceasing wealth forging war machine.
I don’t know what the answer is to all this, or whether President Trump can turn the tides in four years. But what I do feel is that our generation is to blame. We haven’t fought hard enough, haven’t participated enough, haven’t done enough…and that applies to me as well.
The world is enamored by President Trump and the opportunity for a genuine leader to be placed into a position of epic power, as this has not happened in decades. He offers a vision of greatness built on hard work and endurance. Where success is only worth something because it isn’t guaranteed. He truly loves America, but he cannot restore American values on his own. As a free people, we must weigh in together alongside him and do our part.
We have been blessed with an opportunity. A brief moment in time to guide the future of our nation and we must seize this gift which has been given.
Our children must be taught how to think, not what to think. Our priorities need examination and renovation. This is the time to reinforce what it means to be the leader of the free world, and what we would risk to maintain this biblical position on the world’s stage.
