A Time of Civil Unrest: Good or Bad
by At no time in my life that I can remember has there been so much civil unrest and so much political activism.
At no time in my life that I can remember has there been so much civil unrest and so much political activism. I was born in 1968 and I know the 60’s and early 70’s were marked by those protesting the war and our government but I was too young to remember those events or to have any interest in what was happening. Now I am keenly aware of and I am very interested in what is happening in our country. And from what I can tell, I am far from alone.
First, let’s set the stage by describing the current situation which has caused the time of civil unrest. At this time in our history, our country in involved in a war on terror which it is fighting in at least two locations. As a result, our government has asked our citizens to relinquish some of our civil liberties in order that it could better protect the citizens. No official declaration of war has been made and many are not happy with the direction, execution, or management of this war. Due to the nature of the enemy, success is hard to define and to know when it is achieved.
Our country is in one of the worst recessions it has experienced since the 1970’s. Some say since the Great Depression of the 1930’s. The economy has slowed dramatically and as a result our people are suffering greatly. Prices are up and people are losing their jobs. Often those that have a job are under employed. Credit is tight. The economic outlook is still dim even though some “experts” are claiming the recovery has started.
Politically our country is more divided than ever and many are not satisfied with either of the two mainstream parties. There is division over the best way for the government to combat the recession or if they should even be trying. There are those for universal health care and those who think the individual mandate is far beyond the government’s authority. There is a sharp debate about the amount of debt our government is carrying and whether or not to raise the debt ceiling so the government can borrow even more. Some minority groups want equal protection under the law and others want special treatment under the law. There are advocacy groups stirring things up than ever before. Political correctness abounds. Our schools have become a place of government indoctrination instead a place where children are prepared to compete and be successful in society when they are old enough.
Religion is still a hot button issue with many willing to debate the merits and the detriments of it. Some are intent on eliminating all forms of public expression of it. Religious freedom seems to extend to everyone in our country except Christians these days. We are told to be tolerant of other peoples religious practices no matter what they are so we don’t offend them.
These and other factors have combined to bring us to point in our country where citizens feel compelled to voice their concerns, opinions, and solutions because they feel no one is representing their interests any longer. This is a GREAT time to be alive. To be an American. To see and take part in the molding and changing of our country for the better. People are paying more attention to what is happening and how it affects them and their family. People are taking an active role in the government or our country. People are strongly voicing what they approve of and disapprove of in our society. Civil unrest is a GOOD thing in this context. Use your God-given rights and particapte in our civil unrest.
Do you agree or disagree with what I have stated here? Why?
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