Posted by
Virginia Daddy on Saturday, July 04, 2009 1:18:47 AM
I was walking through Wal-Mart the other day and noticed an interesting T-shirt. In preparation for the 4th of July, one of Wal-Mart's brands created several types of patriotic shirts and other clothing items. Many were you're typical mass produced and solidly pro-America items. Even this particular shirt looked like that at first glance. It was a map of the United States with a old sort of look to it, with the American flag filling in the map. The shirt actually looked fairly nice. But what struck me as interesting about this shirt was that it was by this brand of Wal-Mart clothing, Faded Glory. There's nothing wrong with the brand, or the shirt, but on this shirt, they put the name of the brand underneath the map of the country. So, beneath the map, colored with the flag, there is a caption saying "Faded Glory".
I couldn't help but think of how that short little caption advertising the name of a clothing company is so apt at describing our nation today. "Faded Glory." This nation was once proud and thriving. Its people were once proud and strong, united on almost all points. Sure, there have been times of great discord, and significant differences. Heck, this very nation I speak of once fought a war against its own brothers. There have been other times, as well. However, for the most part, the people of the nation have worked together, and separately I might add, to make this a better nation and themselves better people. This nation did thrive after the Civil War, and before, becoming the most important nation in the world. Economically, politically, militarilly, socially, and even culturally this very nation led the world.
But something has happened along the way. We still retain great relevence abroad, but its tainted now. In my short 32 years on this earth I do not know much of what the reality of the past said, but I do know that even in that time something is very different. As we hit the fourth of July in this 233 year of this nations existence, I can't help but think that its broken, maybe even beyond repair.
One of the uniting sentiments of generations past was hope. This hope I speak of was of a brighter future. Men and women would work hard, not because they wanted to, but because they had to and because they wanted a better future. This better future was for them, and for their children. Looking around, it is hard to see that same hope in my generation, and increasingly in those that follow.
These people have been brought up in such prosperity they've had whatever they wanted. Cell phones, MP3's, new cars at 16, no jobs, nice new clothes, little harsh discipline, and I could go on for some time. The bottom line is that they've never had it tough. They've never had to work, and little is expected of them. From the home to school they've had it easy, I think.
Many of these people now expect to live the same life they've always led, and expect it to come frome somewhere besides their own labors. They certainly won't live less they they've become used to, and they've been tought that they deserve the best in everything, because we all have worth and we are all equal. Therefore, they must retain their status quo even if circumstances around them change. And since everyone is worthy and supposedly equal this attitude is only entrenched because they "deserve" what they "deserve".
These two attitudes, certainly not the only ones, combine to begin to fade the once proud colors of the red, white and blue flag in the map on that shirt. Complacency, laziness, and an overly large sense of self worth will continue to fade those colors to black.
There are myriad problems in this nation now. Politically, economically, socially this nation faces struggles like it has never before seen on such a grand scale. From the state of the teachers that teach our children at school to the images and messages found on TV (and I am not just talking about the smut), and from the news media organizations to the factions that seek to promote only their agenda, and from the intrusion of our government into our lives to sharp division between rural and urban areas, and every where in between, the problems exist.
But the biggest problem is not one of these. The biggest problem is the attitude far too many people have towards themselves and this nation. Their self serving desires, apathy to learn what gave them the prosperity they felt two years ago, and a lack of willingness to fix the problems themselves is the biggest problem.
Without adjusting this attitude, the glory will contine to fade. And on this wonderful day, it is hard to get too excited. Rather, it is really rather somber to those who love what this country was, not what it is becoming. I don't like writing this piece, because this is still a great country. It is not too late to turn back, but I fear that will not happen, not any time soon, not until that map is faded and cannot be made out any more. The nation is becoming something hardly recognizable, and that is a shame.