My Country Tis of Thee

"Ours is the only country deliberately founded on a good idea." ~John Gunther

Back in the days when people didn’t argue over saying the Pledge of Allegiance in school or having a moment of prayer before the day began, or groups of Americans didn’t argue over who was more Patriotic, we were a happy society. I didn’t imagine it. I don’t recall conversations between the adults about politics or religion that ended in glaring eyes, name calling or thoughts that the other was doomed to hell. Perhaps I was living in a delusional dream of ignorance, but the times of my childhood seemed blissful. Of course, I since learned, in the very schools that so many are arguing about today, that people classify ignorance as bliss, so that must explain it.
There doesn’t seem to be anything remotely similar to the civil discourse of that time to this day and age. I can’t really put my finger on the moment when this nation of red and yellow, black and white, began the dug-in gridlock, or unwillingness to yield, bend or compromise a stance because each thought that their positions, and ideals made one better than the other? Our Founding Fathers, I’m certain, have been spinning in their graves for the better part of three decades, which is when I began to notice a change in how government operated. Lord knows what God must think of all of this sniping, griping and poorly set examples?!
It’s sad.
I won’t talk politics or religion with family or friends because I know no quicker way of [in the obverse stating of a famous quotation] How to Lose Friends and Not Influence People. It’s very difficult to attempt a dialogue about these two hot-button issues. That, in and of itself, is a crying shame because people, especially in this country, should be able to agree to disagree, and do so, before it gets to a Hatfield and McCoy standoff.
I was raised to follow the Golden Rule, and it doesn’t really matter to me how you define yourself, it is the best principle to live by: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Wow! Let’s just pause and think about that for a moment...Are you thinking?
Here are my thoughts, progressive, open-minded, and independent as they are:
This country was founded on the tenants of civil liberties ESPECIALLY where politics and religion are concerned. Look it up if you don’t agree with me.
This philosophy doesn’t insult who you are either by race, color, creed, nationality or monetary standing, nor does the preamble of the Constitution of the United States of America, which reads:

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity..."

As I understand it, in the most basic and simplest terms, it means that we are all to be afforded the same rights and freedoms as anybody else regarding all matters of life, liberty and happiness. What that means in those same terms, from where I’m standing, is this:
I don’t want anyone espousing my eternal damnation if I don’t religiously believe as they believe, so I’m not going to say that to them;
I don’t want anyone telling me what to think, what to do or how to be, [except as the laws of our country dictate] therefore, I’m not about to tell that to someone else either;
I’m also not going to say you’re wrong for differing from me in thoughts and/or ideas about anything under the sun, nor do I want you saying that to me;
In essence, I will respect your right to worship, vote, think and believe however you want, but I ask the same consideration in return.
We are a country cohesively at our best, it seems, when we are dealing with something perpetrated against us as a whole, and we come together in its aftermath in solidarity. What does that say about us that we can’t achieve this state of harmony unless attacked by something? I remember as a child that arguing with friends and even those who were not my friends was unacceptable behavior as far as my parents were concerned. They didn’t let us elevate a name-calling contest or indulge petty disagreements. They didn’t have time for such nonsense nor did they want to hear it. We got a time out when that happened, until we could conduct ourselves civilly. I seem to recall apologies being required before we could come out of said time-out too.
Boy, wouldn’t it be nice to truly have some kind of BIG Cohuna who could really walk into the rotunda of Congress and say with the same authority as the directives of our parents or teachers, [back in the days when neither was accused of being abusive, nor they didn’t have to Molly Coddle their way through the problems of unruly children!] "Sit down! Hold your tongue! And, HEAR ME when I tell you that you aren’t leaving this room until you can come to some kind of civil agreement! This is the problem. Work it out!"
Imagine the shock of such a thing happening with Congress!
When I was young there was NEVER any such foolishness as, "I’ll do this, if you’ll do that, but I’m not doing that unless you do this!" Blackmail as I have understood the concept is both unacceptable behavior in a civilized society and it’s illegal. So, why do we accept that from those who are being paid to fix our problems? Forget about being elected! These people are being paid to do a job that all of them are doing in a sub-standard manner because they won’t come together and truly problem solve and trouble shoot the things that desperately need fixing in this country! Wouldn’t it be great if we could treat our Congress the way we treat any business entity that was employed to do a job; fix a problem but didn’t do it? They didn’t get paid until they’d accomplished what they were hired to do? Boy, that would put a new spin on the concept of "working together".
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there really was a BIG Cohuna who oversaw these men and women, who act more for their own self interests than this countries interests as a whole, who wouldn’t allow them to go off for a break, until they’d gotten their work done. This is the method my parents used when I was a kid and wanted to go outside to play after school. "Is your homework done?" That was the $64,000 question.
I didn’t get to do the fun things I wanted, until I had taken care of the business of school. It made me work harder to get the task done.
I remember when I ran for student council, my opponent didn’t get to drag up all my mistakes and use it as a ploy to take focus off of who was the best qualified to handle the job in the present moment: Do you REALLY want Jhill to handle the student treasury account? She stole a piece of penny candy from the 7-11!
Hey! Wait a minute! That happened when I was six! Not only did I get spanked for doing that, and had said candy taken away. I didn’t get my allowance for a week! I already paid for that mistake.
Now, if I’d stolen a piece of candy in the present moment, it would be an entirely different matter. It would be relevant to who I am in this moment as well as give a current definition to my character as it now stands.
We’re coming into an election year, and I’m dreading all the smear tactics and negative campaigning that will soon begin and continue until the votes are cast. In my opinion, those type of tactics say more about the person saying them than the one who did whatever the infraction was 20 years ago. I don’t know a lot about boxing, but I believe it’s why one of the cardinal rules of that game is: NO hitting below the belt. It’s not a fair fight when done that way.
Here’s a thought: let’s re-institute the principle that if you lose at something, you need to be a good sport about it. You gave it your best shot, but you lost. Don’t spend your time trying to get pay back against the person who beat you. Let’s bring some true sportsmanship back to the table. Being a sore loser does nothing but take away from the valiant effort you made in trying to achieve something.
As we celebrate our country’s birthday, I can’t help but think about how it was when I was a child and how it is now. We are a great nation that is not living up to our full potential. We need to do better! We must do better if the generations following in our footsteps are to have any chance in keeping this country grand and glorious, like the flags that fly outside of our government institutions, local businesses or decorate various homes all across this country. Old Glory stands for something good and gracious. It’s what I was raised to believe, just as I was raised to treat others as I want to be treated. Therein lies the answer to all the problems we face both individually and as a nation.
If we, as a nation, could stop the bickering and put ourselves in our neighbor’s shoes, would our answers to the problems they face trully be the same? This nation was founded on an exemplary idea: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. If we don’t live up to that creed as a majority, then we have not succeeded in what our Forebearers attempted when they first came here. If we cannot see beyond that simple yet basic concept, I don’t see how freedom will truly continue to ring beyond those halls where the people who are running this show, don’t know how to play nice....or play fair.

Written by Jhill Perran
July 4, 2011