Archive for October 2011
Is Collectivism Moral?
Copyright 2011 Susan Stamper Brown
British author Graham Greene so aptly wrote in his novel “The Power and the Glory,” ”There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in.” Rather than one moment, for me, it was a collection of moments growing up in a home in which my folks did not divvy out weekly allowances unless they were earned, and encouraged us to attend college but did not pay the bill. Never letting us perceive our situation as unfair, Dad taught us the value of hard work by the example he set working overtime in order to make ends meet. Read the rest of this entry »
Meddling in Africa
The response to president Obama’s October 14, 2011 announcement that U.S. military boots were on the ground in Africa to assist in another “overseas contingency” “non-war” operation in Africa is another example of the left’s ever-evolving definition of war based upon which political party is in control. Read the rest of this entry »
Young Americans Want Traditional Values
Appearances can be deceptive. In this age of open disclosure and the Internet, one would think we have access to all knowledge, but we don’t. We are still at the mercy of those in charge of providing any given piece of information. Unless we are satisfied with the lop-sided information being spoon-fed to us by those having an agenda, it is up to us to do our own digging for the truth.
Odds are you haven’t heard much about the results from the portion of the October 5, 2011 Gallup poll that asked young people from the age of 18 to 34 the objective question: “Some people think the government should promote traditional values in our society. Others think the government should not favor any particular set of values. Which comes closer to your own view?”
With media hype surrounding the “Occupy” protests suggesting America is on the throes of revolution, and this purported revolution is being executed by young Americans speaking for the majority of their age group, you’d be surprised to find that 53 percent of the young people participating in the Gallup poll said they believed government should promote traditional values.
Most intriguing is that Gallop found what appears to be a sure and steady climb toward traditional values over the past three years by the same age group that had overwhelmingly embraced the antithesis of traditional values when they backed Barack Obama’s hope and change campaign. Prior to the election, in September 2008, just 38 percent thought the government should promote traditional values. In 2009, the numbers rose to 41 percent, 47 percent in 2010, and climbed to 53 percent this year.
I’m not a statistician or a pollster, but I do know if one takes this poll seriously, it seems the word “revelation” rather than “revolution” better describes what’s going on in the minds of tomorrow’s leaders who have witnessed firsthand what happens when an ideologue takes over the Oval Office.
The evolution of the grassroots TEA Party movement taught us that disciplined anger expressed by way of peaceful protest or sensible debate is both healthy and productive. Given the current state of the economy, no one can blame young people without jobs for being angry. Problem is, their anger is misdirected.
Young Americans should also be angry that they were lied to about green energy being the industry of the future and then watched more than a half billion dollars to fund it disappear overnight. They should be outraged that the president they adore saddled them with more debt than could be paid off in a lifetime. They should be livid they were promised a strengthening of America’s economic standing in the world instead made it the laughingstock.
Copyright 2011 Susan Stamper Brown
Young Americans should be infuriated at the one who promised to transform the way Washington worked but instead became its biggest offender. They should be incensed that a Constitutional lawyer promising to work for the common man provided the environment for the common man to lose his ability to work. They should be irate that a Chicago community organizer promised to bridge the gap between the Left and Right has only served to agitate either side, thus creating what now seems like an insurmountable divide. Read the rest of this entry »
Many Americans are in Mourning
In 1911, Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre Museum. Despite its seemingly eternal iconic status, prior to being stolen, historians assert the Mona Lisa was relatively unknown to the public. After knowledge about the heist was made known, the story is told that thousands of Parisians flocked to stare – at the empty spot on the wall where she once hung.
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Social Injustice
Copyright 2011 Susan Stamper Brown
Some of my fondest childhood memories include times when my father and I served meals to those in need at our town’s local Rescue Mission. Coming from humble beginnings as the daughter of a hard-working blue-collar worker, helping the homeless, sick, hungry, abused, and addicted taught me there would always be someone a little less fortunate than I out there who was in need of a helping hand. I came to understand was it not for my father’s self-determination and sense of personal responsibility, given his personal circumstances, Dad could have been on the other end of that kitchen counter, and I’d probably be a registered Democrat today. Read the rest of this entry »