American culture has become cancer-stricken. Something foreign to its nature and within itself is destroying its’ vital organs and deteriorating its’ health. Like cancer, no one really seems to understand the fundamental cause. We recognize the individual cells when we see them, but cannot predict when those cells will aggressively form into caustic masses intent on destroying the body within which it lives.
I have always believed that a healthy society was predicated upon individualism, self-reliance, and an acquaintanceship with and reverence for God. Saying this, today and in America, is certain to send the collective’s eyes rolling. Individualism is selfishness. Self-Reliance is naivety. A belief in God? Down right foolish. I have no commonly accepted values upon which to base a conversation with the people of America.
However, without these things, how is freedom possible? If we are truly subject to one another, if we are, politically our brothers’ keepers, then liberty is simply the space left untouched by our fellowman. Our rights are whatever our brothers say they are and they can change from time to time as those in power see fit.
What is worse, if as individuals we cannot take responsibility for ourselves, then we become objects of dependence on any power willing to offer us security in exchange for our own individual sovereignty. Is this not what we decide to do year in and year out? Is this not the direction which seems nearly inevitable? Those capable of surviving on their own are welcome to complain, but, “Oh, that’s easy for them. They can survive. What about those who can’t? Do we just let them die?”.
Worst of all, our discernment and wisdom seems to disappear a little more every day. Unmoored from God, we struggle with the most basic moral questions and, truly, we become less and less civilized and more insane.
For all our political differences and our arguing, we accomplish nothing, because we refuse to acknowledge the basic building blocks of societal health. We are becoming a collective of immoral dependents. The more dependent we are, the more frightened we become that one day that security might slip from our grasp. Nothing threatens this security more than liberty.
We aren’t losing our freedoms simply because the government is maleficent. We’re losing our freedoms because we are no longer able to deserve them. We lack the skills and psychological strength to sustain it. The cancer is here. We can’t just make it go away. We can, however, attempt to make our body healthier. We can return to the building blocks of societal health in our culture, in order to enable our body to sustain our life until a cure for the cancer is finally found.
I don’t care who we elect; if the American people do not rediscover individualism, self-reliance, and a personal relationship with our Creator, it will not matter. Our nation will continue on the same course – and not because of our politicians and who they are – but because of us and who we’ve become.
Also published on PendlePenn.com
