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I think from all different directions.
I think globally, putting myself in other people’s shoes.
I think about the common good.
not in black-and-white but every layer of gray I can think of.
- pennie
I think globally, putting myself in other people’s shoes.
I think about the common good.
not in black-and-white but every layer of gray I can think of.
- pennie
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editorial from pennie
October, 2014. Modified October, 2016
I am in my 50's and part of the dwindling middle class.
My concerns have to do with where society is headed. With my limited knowledge of how the world works, this is what I've learned: Since we are all humans, we all have our weaknesses. Those weaknesses not only affect us and our families, but our community, our nation and the world. Addictions to shopping, drugs/alcohol, food, power, they affect everybody! They cost society billions and they cost us a peaceful way of life.
I am in my 50's and part of the dwindling middle class.
My concerns have to do with where society is headed. With my limited knowledge of how the world works, this is what I've learned: Since we are all humans, we all have our weaknesses. Those weaknesses not only affect us and our families, but our community, our nation and the world. Addictions to shopping, drugs/alcohol, food, power, they affect everybody! They cost society billions and they cost us a peaceful way of life.
I'd love to see a campaign on "self control."
We all, individually, should look carefully in the mirror to see where we take advantage of our freedom every day. I'd like to know how soldiers, coming home, view our American society after they've sacrificed so much; returning without limbs, with PTSD, being away from their families, (sometimes permanently.)
Thanks to technology, the world is shrinking. It seems to me that that would open peoples' eyes... but it's not, "all about us," "America's No. 1!" At what? Instead of our nation being all about competition, I think we were meant to be all about cooperation... America could and should be a leader in diplomacy, environment, an ambassador for peace. To do that, we have to have a good foundation of who we are and who we want to be.
Thanks to technology, the world is shrinking. It seems to me that that would open peoples' eyes... but it's not, "all about us," "America's No. 1!" At what? Instead of our nation being all about competition, I think we were meant to be all about cooperation... America could and should be a leader in diplomacy, environment, an ambassador for peace. To do that, we have to have a good foundation of who we are and who we want to be.
"Love one another!"
"Work hard and do the right thing!"
That should be our motto.
It's taken a very long time to get in this drastic shape. We need to start immediately 'cause it's gonna take a very long time, hard decisions and commitment to get it right.
People can't believe that someone else is going to fix it. It's about self-control... financial, physical, emotional self-control. Without it, we as a society will self-destruct.
For years, I've thought, just as the schools teach Health, they should also teach ethics/morals and communication/diplomacy. The "smut" on television is teaching our next generation how to be narrow minded. "It's all about me!" Even the adults... the parents of the next generation, are "behaving badly." Advertising runs the world by convincing us that we need tanning beds, a $80,000 vehicle... we deserve the best!
We do deserve the best... the best that we can be... the best neighbors of our country... the best stewards of the world.
For instance, our brothers and sisters of our nation are walking around with mental health issues and that almost always spills over onto us, visually, financially... destructively. Who's going to help them if we don't. They can't help themselves, that's how they got where they are.
People can't believe that someone else is going to fix it. It's about self-control... financial, physical, emotional self-control. Without it, we as a society will self-destruct.
For years, I've thought, just as the schools teach Health, they should also teach ethics/morals and communication/diplomacy. The "smut" on television is teaching our next generation how to be narrow minded. "It's all about me!" Even the adults... the parents of the next generation, are "behaving badly." Advertising runs the world by convincing us that we need tanning beds, a $80,000 vehicle... we deserve the best!
We do deserve the best... the best that we can be... the best neighbors of our country... the best stewards of the world.
For instance, our brothers and sisters of our nation are walking around with mental health issues and that almost always spills over onto us, visually, financially... destructively. Who's going to help them if we don't. They can't help themselves, that's how they got where they are.
Is there any way we can help Mexico
be a wonderful place to live?
Crime, corruption, drugs, lack of good education... if these things don't get fixed, it will just keep declining, which means more illegal border crossings. I volunteer through our church teaching English as a Second Language, three teachers volunteer in our class. As we were practicing "v" sounds, we mentioned some examples... vase, view, volunteer. Living in the Volunteer state we asked, "What is a volunteer?" A few of them pointed to us. It filled me with pride. Then, one teacher asked what kind of volunteering did they see in the country they're from. Pretty much all of them said that there is no volunteering where they are from, as they rubbed their fingers together signing they need to work for money.
we, Americans, have so much and it's never enough!
Everyone deserves to have the opportunity of a productive, happy life no matter where they were born. Everyone else in the world deserve to benefit from each and every persons' contribution to a peaceful world.
We are losing out by not helping each other
be the best we can be.
I pray every night for my family's health and safety and for peace in the world.
My apologies for my rant.
Respectfully yours,
Concerned Citizen
My apologies for my rant.
Respectfully yours,
Concerned Citizen