Ask Not...

In America we have the uncommon privilege of openly offering our opinions and beliefs to our political leaders. And they, by the same token, may offer theirs to us

For example, in President Kennedy’s inaugural address he advised the American people: “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” Apparently he believed, even then, that Americans were growing a little too accustomed to leaning on their government for support.

Keeping a country healthy--socially, spiritually, politically and economically--requires a sincere effort on the part of citizens and government alike. There are things a good government ought to be doing for its citizens and things good citizens ought to be doing for their government. And those duties and responsibilities we owe to each other must be maintained in a perpetual state of harmony and balance if we are to be a happy, successful and vibrant nation.

So what are some of the things goods citizens should be doing for their country?

First and foremost, Americans ought to be conscientious about voting. It is, after all, a special right not granted to everyone in the world. Moreover, Americans should know why their government was framed the way it was and why its unique attributes provide to us the blessings and benefits they do. Furthermore, every American should be well versed on how those who formulated and established our government intended it to work.

I realize our schools are no longer teaching these things, so we may need to acquire that knowledge on our own. But the fact is, you cannot fully appreciate the country you live in if you are not thoroughly acquainted with its distinct character as well as the people who poured their hearts and treasure into it to make it distinct. Some of those people may have been your own ancestors.

Additionally, every citizen should be obeying the laws of the land and living a useful, productive life. By doing what we know is right and by bearing our own load rather than passing it over to someone else, we are making ourselves, our community and our nation stronger. Nations are made great not through sweeping and expensive government programs but through the honest and steady efforts of the common man and woman. A nation made up primarily of deadbeats and losers simply cannot prosper or endure.

Parents have a special responsibility to their country. They need to be providing a safe, healthy and loving environment for their children to grow up in. In other words, if you are going to have a child, help it get off to a good start in life, a start that will assist him or her in becoming a fully functioning and productive member of our society. Remember that giving a child a part of yourself is more important than giving him or her the latest electronic gadget. And by all means, don’t in any way expect the government to raise your child for you. The government is a very poor substitute for a nurturing mother and father, despite what Hillary Clinton thinks.

Now let’s turn our attention to the government.

What the government essentially needs to be doing is leaving us alone. It’s incessant and prejudicial meddling is destroying the moral fabric of our society. A good government does not care for its citizens like an overbearing, bloated nanny. What our government really should be doing, but is neglecting badly, is guaranteeing to its citizens their God-given and Constitutional rights. If it were doing that, it would be providing us with what we need most.

Unfortunately, at this time, our government is not doing that. Instead, many of our elected representatives are forsaking their oaths of office and deserting the Constitution. A good many of our leaders in Washington have completely lost touch with reality and are behaving like juveniles on spring break. They are not just recklessly spending the tax dollars provided by the current generation of American workers, they are already dipping deeply into the future earnings of our grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

This kind of irresponsible behavior can’t be attributed to stupidity alone. Rather, it would appear that some among us, probably the obscenely rich, are orchestrating the downfall of our present system of government so that it may be replaced by a ruling elite made up of selfish, arrogant people who will manage our country’s shrinking natural resources for the benefit of a very few.

Before it is too late and while we are still permitted to do so, we must unite and begin utilizing our right to speak up. We must not hesitate to express our profoundest political beliefs to our elected representatives in Washington--the President, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, and so forth. They work for us and are bound by a contract called the Constitution.

Paraphrasing President Kennedy we might advise our wayward leaders in this way: “Ask not how you can continue plundering your way to absolute power, ask instead how you can transform yourselves into more humble and faithful servants to the American people.”