Individual Liberty — Individual Responsibility 

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Learning from our pasts

Lemuel over at Hillbilly White Trash has an excellent post up about time's gifts. I encourage you all to go over and read it. His post got me to thinking about the persistent decay of our culture, or at least the appearance of it. It also reminded me of my own part in that decay. As we approach the new year, it's traditional to reflect upon the past and to plan for the future. My past isn't much to be proud of.

When I was a young lad, I thought that it would be cool to rebel against the system. I was born a bit too late to join the hippie generation of the 60s, although I was exposed to some of it through relatives that came of age during the 60s. As I approached college age the counter-culture of the 60s seemed attractive to me. It seemed to me that the thing to do was to go to college to protest against the injustice of our society.

I didn't think it was fair that a young man growing up should have to work hard to earn a living. I had been exposed to capitalism. I had a job delivering newspapers, when I was a pre-teenager, and it paid a decent amount of money. Because of this, I had a little money to spend, and I spent it almost as soon as I earned it. When I got a real job I found that it was a lot of hard work, and the money was still gone as fast as I earned it.

It wasn't fair! So I wanted to rebel against the system. Why should all of the old people have all of the cool stuff? Why was it that the jobs that required the most physical labor were the ones that paid the least?

I was also a selfish young child. It seemed to me that anything I wanted should be mine. This included pleasure as well as things. One of the things I thought was cool about the 60s counter-culture was the drugs. And the apparent lack of sexual inhibitions. The "free-love" culture was where I wanted to be.

I managed to skate through high school with next to no effort. I even managed to test out pretty well and received lots of scholarships to various schools. Mostly military scholarships. I had a National Merit Scholarship, an Air Force ROTC scholarship, a Naval Academy appointment, and a Military Academy appointment. I decided I wanted to go to school at Michigan State, and ended up in Bryan Hall in 1977.

I wasn't really mature enough to handle college life. I proceeded to party my brains out. I spent my time and my money getting stoned on various recreational pharmaceuticals and binge drinking. In the process, I threw away my scholarships and had to leave Michigan State because I couldn't afford to continue there.

While I was partying at Michigan State, there were posters up all around campus telling how evil the Shah of Iran was. I read the posters. I received and read the literature. And I donated money to the cause. All because I wanted to be a part of the counter-culture.

I look back on those days now with shame and horror. Shame because my debauchery and hedonism were a disgrace. Horror because I was so naive that I gave financial support to what would turn out to be one of today's most evil regimes.

Since that time I have gone through many changes in my life. With the help of my parents and the grace of God I was able to finish out an Associates degree in Florida, and follow up with a Bachelors. I was given the opportunity to work in a decent paying career, and eventually was able to move to Washington where I met my wife and have raised a stepson and am raising a son.

My stepson has reminded me of the error of my ways from time to time. He's wanted to be an anarchist. He doesn't like capitalism. He doesn't like work. I still have hope for him though. I know where his thoughts are coming from. But if God could straighten me out without my help, he can certainly do the same for my stepson. He's a work in progress, just like me.

I watched the WTO riots in Seattle a few years ago. Those kids were just as misguided as I was.

I've read with interest recent arguments over whether or not it's appropriate to allow a Koran to be used at Rep. Ellison's swearing in ceremony. Some from people that think that it's nothing but bigotry and hatred to refuse to allow this, some from people that are outraged that it should be allowed because the Koran permits the believer to lie to the infidel to achieve Allah's aims, and some from people that think that the only book that should be used in the ceremony is the Bible because "this is a Christian Nation" and our representatives should hold to our traditions. These arguments are all just as misguided as I was.

Group-think is a terrible thing. Blind adherence to an ideology in politics is a horrible thing, whether you lean to the left or to the right. Holding to an ideology without giving it serious thought is a horrible thing. Voting for the sake of voting is a horrible thing. Holding to a political party because "it's the thing to do" is a horrible thing.

I won't do it anymore. As I've gotten older I've learned that dogma will blind you to truth. These days I believe in conservative values. I don't believe in them because it's cool. I don't believe in them because it's the "counter-culture" way to be. I believe in them because they are based upon principals that work, and because they are well thought out.

Mankind has, as Lemuel reminded me, over time, and through the gifts granted to him by God managed to do a great deal to improve our general lot in life. At the same time, we haven't even begun to put a dent in the evil that has thrived in our world since ancient times. That doesn't mean it's not worth the fight.

But we can't fight the good fight without knowledge and understanding. And understanding comes from reflection. When we act thoughtlessly, the results are just about always evil. On the other hand, when we act after careful consideration and prayer we can make the world a better place.

This is your Open Trackbacks post for Tuesday, December 26, 2006. If you post something interesting you'd like to share feel free to link to this post and ping for a trackback. Just remember to follow the trackback policy.

For the best exposure, go to the blogger's oasis and use the linkfest chooser to choose the posts you'd like to hook up with.

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Wake up America trackbacked with "Keith Ellison, Flying Imams, CAIR and the Koran"

are they scared that it may not be "politically correct" to bring up issues about this man, simply because he is a Muslim? Have we become so PC that justified questions are not asked simply because of a mans religion?

The HILL Chronicles trackbacked with "Saddam to be executed within 30 days"

Today Iraqs higest court of appeals upheld Saddam Husseins death sentence and saying he must be hanged within 30 days for the killing of 148 Shiites in the central city of Dujail.

Pirate's Cove trackbacked with "Saddam Death Sentence Upheld"

Ha! This should send the Demaloons in to screaming fits An Iraqi appeals court has upheld the death sentence for ousted President Saddam Hussein, Iraq's national security adviser has said. "The appeals court approved the verdict to hang Saddam...

Perri Nelson's Website trackbacked with "What Famous Leader Are You?"

Earlier this month on Righty in a left state, Barb took the What Famous Leader Are You? test. I was poking around on Blogshares and ran into her site. I think these little tests are fun, so I decided to give it a try.

third world county trackbacked with "Ineffable"

Yeh, I really cannot boil this post down to a title… ...

Perri Nelson's Website trackbacked with "Iraqi Justice is Swift!"

So despite his theatrics and the delaying tactics of useful idiots like Ramsey Clark, Saddam will be executed after all. He won't be able to postpone his fate until he's too old to be executed under Iraqi law.

Woman Honor Thyself trackbacked with "ChristianS on the RuN"

Christians will be fleeing Gazahkstan just like they were forced to flee every other area that Muzlims got control over.

Rightwing Guy trackbacked with "The IRA vs. Hezbollah/Hamas Round 3"

I have listened to everyones point of view regarding this subject and I still have come to the same conclusion that I did when I first wrote my original post trying to explain the differences between the Irish Republican Army and Hezbollah/Hamas.

Planck's Constant trackbacked with "Young Children cannot be sexual predators"

If we outlaw appropriate, innocent, endearing behaviour by young children we will indeed end up with frustrated, frigid, zombie, imbecile, sexually deviant, cold-hearted pieces of crap like this teacher's aid. Is this how we want to raise children in...

Woman Honor Thyself trackbacked with "Do You BelievE?"

Americans are big believers in angels, although not necessarily the ones with halos and wings.

RoxieAmerica responded with: Days of the Shah

I remember the days o the Shah.  I saw the Shah of Iran when I lived in Ethiopia.  Ethiopia is today fighting the Islamic revolutionary terrorists.  Sad that this wave of terror has been brought to us by Jimmy Carter's misguided foreign policy in 1979.  Sadder still that some in this nation wish to stick their heads in sand, call talking about the threat, "the politics of fear" and permit the Islamic revolution began in 1979 to expand around the word.  I have written on the false beliefs of those using the phrase "politics of fear"  at this locaton.

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