Land of the Free?

America is growing by leaps and bounds. It seems it is the place to be!  Riches, happiness, and freedom await the thousands of immigrants to this country each year.  Yet in this “land of the free,” millions are hungry, chronically ill, and economically impoverished.  The amazing thing is that most Americans don’t know this.  Generally speaking, American individuals are so busy keeping up the “ideal image” that important values are often placed in the backseat.

 One reason for this apparent uncaring attitude is not selfishness or ignorance at all.  If asked, most people would readily agree that they have the desire to help those less fortunate than themselves.  The problem is that they just “never get around to it.”  Good intentions seem to get lost in the grind of work, school, family, obligations and sleep most days.  Other countries, such as Spain, take sleep seriously.  In the middle of the day, all shops close for a period of about two hours for a “siesta.”  Yes, for two hours they nap!  They could spend this time with their family, but either way, the idea that they stop working in the middle of the day, every day; to pursue other interests shows that work is not the priority in their culture.

 Another way America has been harmed by the materialistic pursuit that seems to dominate its culture is the break down of the family unit.  Families are falling apart everywhere.  Marriages are only fifty percent successful.  Child abuse and spouse abuse have ceased to make front page news.  Although this may not be an “American” problem, it is a problem in this country nonetheless.  Familial love is not what it used to be. Where aged grandparents were once held in high esteem by their younger family members, they are looked down upon and often neglected.  Mothers used to be primary caretakers of the family, including the older family members.  Now, nursing homes and retirements homes are big business because this is the final living quarter for the elder portion of America, whose daughters and daughters-in-law are too busy working and supplementing their husband’s income to stay home and take care of the needs they once met in the family.  When we think of living conditions of families in poorer countries, we often picture a large family living in a small house.  In places where the big fancy house is not as important as taking care of the family, this would often be the case.  However, these families are close and spend a lot of time together. Traditional Americans have sacrificed this love family for love of money.