Lament #0010 - How gullible ARE we?

There are moments when I really wonder about our mental state of mind. I'm not saying I don't believe in people, insofar as their ability to overcome and improve themselves. My issue is with those who don't and won't.

Take this for example:

Nathan Zohner, a 14-year-old student, gathered petitions to ban "DHMO" as the basis of his science project, titled "How Gullible Are We?"

In order to understand how this has any bearing, I will further demonstrate by referring you to an website which explains DHMO. Coalition to Ban Di hydrogen Monoxide. (Another informative website, more up-to-date, is found at DHMO.org, although the first link provides a concise example of what I wish to illustrate.)

Pretty severe sounding, right? Yeah, well. Di hydrogen Monoxide is only water. But there are thousands of people who don't know this, and who merely agree to sign a boy's petition without knowing the facts, because "it must be good to ban this, because a 14 year old boy asked me to!" Sorry. That's not a good enough reason to sign anything.

There's my issue. Humorous as the situation with DHMO is, I'm not amused by the consistent gullibility of the masses. How much effort would it take to type "Di hydrogen Monoxide" into Google, or to look it up in an encyclopedia to discover that, yes, water can kill you, and no, the odds aren't in favor of that. Assuming one has the sense to spell Di hydrogen Monoxide (but that's an issue for another lament).

And gullibility isn't always so harmless as signing a petition to stop water usage. Sometimes it has much more adverse effects.

Take, for example, the voting of Barack Obama into office. I'm not referring to his political standing, but rather those who voted for him for, say, a single act he promised to pass. My brother recently visited a neighbor who was among those who voted in favor of Obama, but now, mere hours after his official inauguration, they express the horror of voting without knowing all the facts. Or, in their own words, "We used to like Obama. Not so much now."

Oh, great. I feel so reassured that those who voted really knew where they stood.

Yes, I'm being sarcastic.

With the mentality of people like that, people who think they hear a good idea, and so jump at it, it's a wonder we have a person in office at all. They may as well have voted for those 300 roosters on Fox News, instead of Obama. It would have been just as consistent.

Whatever a person's political, religious, or other views, they ought to "look before they leap", think before they talk, watch before they stand. Unlike a computer art program, where we can simply "undo" our mistakes, the world at large doesn't in reality revolve around us (sorry, no, it doesn't) and life goes on after we've made our blunder. Whoops. Too late now.

In short, know where you stand now.

Yes, I know. Twenty-twenty hindsight. Easier said than done. But that's my point. If we know the facts, all the facts, before the issue, how much easier is it to know where you stand, what to say, how to vote? I've made decisions early in my life which still affect me today, whether adversely or not.

I believe in people, as they can be if they only take the time to try. I believe we have what it takes to make or break the world by acting on our convictions, rather than standing by, or signing our names on the dotted line because a young boy asked us to. Learn, evaluate, know yourself. At least then, when the smoke has cleared and you see the results of your actions, you can know for yourself that you did what you knew was best. There are less regrets that way. I can't see anything wrong with that. Can you?

Lament #0008 - What's our country, again?

The biggest problem with America is simple. It's the same problem which has plagued this country since World War II. I'm not talking about civil laws and human rights: gay rights, abortion or anything of the like. The problem rests with most of America's presidents.

They seem to be badly educated, or are of the opinion that the American people are, as a whole, ignorant. Well, Mr. Presidents, not all of us. Sorry.

Before I go further I should mention that I'm not addressing Democratic vs. Republican party views. I'm referring solely to the form of government which America is--not what it is called.

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands: one Nation under God, indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for all."

Please note the bold text.

Now, allow me to quote our up-and-coming US president, Barack Obama.

"I always believe that ultimately, if people are paying attention, then we get good government and good leadership. And when we get lazy as a democracy and civically start taking shortcuts, then it results in bad government and politics."

Democracy? What is he talking about? Is our nation a democracy? It is? Sorry. No. It's not. At least, it wasn't ever supposed to be.

Anyone who has pledged allegiance to the American flag, anyone who has repeated those words with their hands over their hearts, calls our nation a Republic. And it is, according to the constitution of our land.

"The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence." --Article IV Section IV

Not once, through the whole of the constitution, does it ever mention a democracy. Not once.

I find it very disturbing that our president-elect, and those who have come before him, are under the misconception that America is a democracy. Even setting aside the fact that, yes, there are differences between these two forms of government, it disturbs me to know that I understand the constitution better than those who have spent decades in governmental affairs. How can I trust my beloved country to men who are either too stupid to read, or who must else wise intentionally ignore the words which they swear to uphold, live by and protect?

It's no wonder our nation is so split. It's no wonder people aren't sure what to think. No one's reading the words we each have a duty to protect! No one understands them! I'm far from reassured when men in power stand up and constantly, over and over and over again, call my nation something other than what my forefathers, and our founding fathers, LIVED AND DIED TO PROTECT.

Lament #0004 - What then?

It is difficult to examine a situation as it is occurring and state firmly, “this is right” or, “this is wrong.” Usually we are swayed by the forces at work. Not until after all is said and done can we look back and say, “that was right” or, “that was wrong.” Very often we each view the situation differently, but the majority opinion will be what most history books record. While Abraham Lincoln was a very unpopular president through most of his term, now he is viewed as one of the greatest American presidents in history.

Twenty-twenty hindsight. The knowledge that what has occurred was necessary, or wasn't. It makes me wonder, after this is ended, and the world is again something new (or rather very much older), will we examine what is happening now and state “this was good” or “this was bad”? When the forces now at work have had their peace and are finally still; when the consequences of our actions have revealed themselves; what then?

That is the real question, isn't it? What then? Will what matters today really mean anything tomorrow? Was it for tomorrow that we fought, died, rioted, ran, lived, lied? Or was it still for what had occurred yesterday? Once today has passed, as the smoke clears for tomorrow, what then?

Whatever it is, we'll have brought it on ourselves.

God bless us, if he will.