Tuesday, March 24, 2009

The Apathetic American

I love this country and all that it stands for. I still get goose bumps during the national anthem and I thank those that served on Veterans Day. I do however have contempt for the majority of people that make up this country due to their lack of consistency and general apathy to what goes on in the world around them…unless it impacts them directly.

Take a trip back in time roughly 7 years ago to one of our countries darkest moments. 9/11 is embedded in our memories much like that of the Kennedy assassination and the bombing of Pearl Harbor…people remember all of the details of the time and place where they were when they heard the news etc. Moments like these are etched in our memories forever…time invariably stands still…at least for a little while.

This is where my angst comes in. For a short period of time following 9/11, I was inspired by the unity that the event of that day brought to this country. People banded together with a single purpose and goal to stand up for this great land much like our ancestors did some 60 years earlier. Race wasn’t an issue. Little things did not matter anymore. People were friendly to one another. The core values of being happy to be alive and having friends and loved ones meant so much to everyone. Why is it that good things never seem to last.

One could argue that this Nationalist sentiment and Patriotism has endured to this day but that would be wishful thinking at best. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Living in the New York area I was shocked at how quickly the tarnish formed on the Patriotism in the region. Once things stabilized and people realized that the world was not going to end...things got back to normal and people went back to their “old ways”. People in this country only care when something DIRECTLY impacts them...short of that Apathy reigns supreme.

If you were to doubt this assumption, fast forward to the events of the last 6 months. Up until last summer things were pretty quiet on the National Front. Sure there were fights to be had and issues to argue but nothing widespread enough to knock the National Apathy off its perch. Not until the stock market took its historic plunge. Sure people would complain about Bush, they would lament at the housing crisis, mock the war on terror…all over cocktails before dinner. Still, it didn’t really effect that many…not to where there was outrage. You want to incent the public in the United States…hit ‘em where it hurts…in their 401(k).

Call me old fashioned but I wish I lived in the 30’s, 40’s or 50’s. Sure life was hard back then but more importantly, people in this country cared about this country. People worked hard and believed in the American dream. People knew that if they put forth the effort they could succeed and make a better life for themselves. They came from all walks of life and cared for their families, their neighborhood and their country. They took pride in their right to vote and used it wisely to elect those that they believed would serve them best. People took pride in themselves and the way they dressed…it was a more formal time but I feel a more dignified one as well. People cared…apathy was reserved for those that were truly oppressed.So how about it America? How about a little consistency? Why don’t we all just make an effort to read, listen, learn and talk more about what is going on in this world instead of only when it hurts?

2 comments:

  1. Amen! Check out glenn beck's 9-12 project
    http://theglennbeck912project.com/
    here is the mission statement:This is a non-political movement. The 9-12 Project is designed to bring us all back to the place we were on September 12, 2001. The day after America was attacked we were not obsessed with Red States, Blue States, or political parties. We were united as Americans, standing together to protect the greatest nation ever created.

    That same feeling-that commitment to country is what we are hoping to foster with this idea. We want to get everyone thinking like it is September 12th, 2001 again.

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  2. Its about time somebody started saying what I have been thinking all this time. Keep up the good work and spreading the wake up call.

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