Common Sense

Is it just me, or does it seem that common sense is becoming more and more uncommon with each passing decade? The dumbing down of America has become epidemic, it's no wonder that the rest of the world looks upon us with contempt. They see our decadence, arrogance and apparent lack of intellect being broadcast from satellites in orbit around the globe and wonder how it is that America ever became a super power.

We've allowed ourselves to get to a place where we simply aren't required to think for ourselves anymore. They have to put labels on MacDonalds coffee cups that tell us that coffee is hot and that we may get burned if we spill it in our laps. We have to be warned that cigarette smoking has been linked to certain types of cancer. We have to be told not to eat the contents of those little silica gel packets that come inside the box of almost every electronic device sold now. Are we really that stupid? Do we have to be reminded that polished marble floors are slippery when wet? I believe that the government honestly believes that we can no longer think for ourselves and therefore must pass legislation to protect us from our own folly. But has the general public really given them reason to suspect otherwise?

As Cass Sunstein said, “Once we know that people are human and have some Homer Simpson in them, then there’s a lot that can be done to manipulate that.” Have we become a nation vulnerable to manipulation because we simply don't think for ourselves anymore? Sometimes it really irks me, while other times I simply pity the people who make fools of themselves on reality television shows. These shows are being aired around the world around the clock and this is the perception that the rest of the world keeps in the back of their minds when they think about Americans. They see Brittany Spears, Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan being idolized by entire masses of America's youth. And the media continues to promote these figures as role models to our children. There are literally hundreds of other examples of celebrities gone wild that I could cite here, but I like to keep my posts brief. The point I am making is that our society has lost touch with true heroes. Gone are the days when citizens looked up to policemen and firefighters. Now our heroes actually fear for their lives when making routine traffic stops. I'm sorry, but there's something very very wrong going on here. I only fear that it may be too late for us to wake up and regain our reason and morality.

I believe we're at a turning point, but it's up to each and every one of us to determine which direction that turn is going to take. Are we going to continue coasting as if everything is just fine, or will we stand up and say, "Wait just a minute... I'm not going down that road." I'm going to do whatever I can to try to make people think about the things that we often take for granted. Take a step back and examine the way things are going in your life and determine if the current course is headed where you want to go. Is a course correction required? I cannot answer for you. I know that my life wasn't going where I wanted it to go, so I made the decision to make the necessary changes to get my life back on track. I can honestly say that since that point in time, things have been getting better and better. All I have to do is continue evaluating my current course, my self-determined destination and then deciding which actions to take that keep me moving in the right direction.

I want to once again thank Glenn Beck for his E4 Solution to restore American exceptionalism and The 7: Seven Wonders That Will Change Your Life. Not only has he provided me with two weeks worth of blog posting topics, but I think he has successfully underscored the importance of holding these kinds of values near and dear to our hearts and minds as we go forth into a new decade in America.