By Ashley Davis
News editor
I love this country. I love the ideals it was founded on. And I’m sure you can hear the inevitable “but…” in this introduction because you’re American, and you can read between the lines. So I’m going to level with you right now because there are things that must be said. For the past year I’ve been noticing small problems in our society — inescapable issues that have slowly built up a dam of unease in my brain about the future of our country. I’m talking about the complete lack of integrity or accountability a good percentage of America’s population seems to entertain.
I’m talking about the woman who recently initiated a lawsuit against Apple Inc. for endangerment because she injured herself running into a glass wall (instead of going through what she thought was the door) in one of their stores. I’m talking about the woman years ago who sued Starbucks because her coffee was too hot. I’m talking about the whole state of Florida (too many problems to count). I’m talking about PETA’s (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) over sexualized pro-vegan ads and pretty much every other campaign it has imposed on the world.
I guess when you get down to it I’m targeting the parents in this letter. The future of our country is in the generation you are raising right now. I firmly believe there should be a whole slew of required testing to determine if someone has the ability to raise a child. I’m talking about parents who blame school districts, the Internet, the government, everything but themselves when their children are traumatized by bullies and don’t know how to handle it. Parents who expect a child leash to replace effective discipline and, years later, wonder why their children don’t respect them are a major part of the problem.
Of course, this is by no means a complete summation of American society. The aforementioned problems are just a few among thousands of examples of how our country is degenerating into one big show on MTV. And yet America still manages to hang on as one of the most powerful countries in the world.
America is indeed the land of opportunity. However, there must be a line drawn between taking an opportunity and sacrificing your own integrity for a brief moment of gratification. As we draw closer to the end of this school year (Praise Jesus) I implore you to take this lesson with you into the summer and for the rest of your life. Stop blaming your shortcomings or mistakes on others. Stop making excuses for your own misfortunes. It’s going to be OK. We’re all human. Crap happens to the best of us. And yes, we all have our opinions and a right to stand up for what we believe in. But please, take some responsibility, have some common sense. Read self-help books or do whatever you have to do to stop contributing to the landslide this country is going through.
Ashley Davis is a junior journalism major from Killeen and is the Lariat’s news editor.
