The United States: Biggest Oxymoron of All

It's been a while since my last post. I’d like to apologize. I've been a long time writing this post because no matter how you say it sometimes, the message never quite feels complete. I sometimes feel what I say only adds fuel to the fire so to speak, but in the end it has to come out or I will catch ablaze. I like to see the good in things. As a designer however, the only way to fix something is to find what’s broken. Life was all fun and games for me until I grew up and began to see things the way they really were. Most people never think about the details, but that is what has drawn my attention because the details are at the base of the foundation of life itself. I see everyone equal, but with more difference between them than similarities. Thoughts such as these have led me to the following topic that involves you more than you realize, because you too, take part in the eternal battle of life that will end one way or another.

United we stand, divided we fall. Land of the free, home of the brave, in God we trust. Once upon a time, these statements were most certainly true. We were one nation under God, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Proper education was learning to mind manners, respecting elders and earning a good name. Integrity was more valuable than anything money could buy. We gave as much as we could and received when needed. We knew the success of the whole depended on each and every individual’s effort to participate. We worked in teams, inching closer to the common goal. We once realized the truth, but through the passing of time, lost it once again to the ever-changing wind.
 
As I continue down life's path, certain things become clear and the old falls away. New information hits you right in the face suddenly; you know, the light that takes you by surprise and you wonder why you never seen it before? Lately, I've been seeing lots of things that lead me to wonder where our priorities have been and why. If we are to be considered the United States of America, let me ask: why the separation of state from the whole? Why should one state be any different than another? Each has its own laws, representatives, tax rates, etc. What is legal here is illegal right across the state line. So ask yourself this – If we are in the business of regulating everything, why isn’t everything regulated? If the president of the United States wants to create a law and congress approves it, the states don’t have to accept it. How long can this nation continue working against itself?

It goes even further to the home and what is taught to our children. Joe is taught to believe what his father was taught, while Sally learns only what her mother knows. In an attempt to consolidate their knowledge, they are sent to school and taught similar information so there would be common ground. Unfortunately, schools consist of nothing more than academics. Basic human ethics are left to the parents so nothing new has been absorbed besides the details of how things work. So, when Joe meets Sally all hell breaks loose because both are both right and wrong. For years, Joe’s ancestors have oppressed Sally’s family and she doesn’t like him very much. So whenever Joe wants something, Sally will be there to make sure it never happens because of past experiences. At the same time, Joe just doesn’t like the look of Sally and thinks he should continue mistreating her because it’s just the way things have been; it’s what he’s been taught. So whenever Sally rises to any level, Joe will be there to bring her back to his level. Look outside your window right now and see this happening in your own life. People really are at war with one another. Just drive down the street, turn on the television or read a newspaper. It’s tapping you on the shoulder right now. The death race is real and the rush is on.

The issues we face as a whole goes all the way back to the beginning; good and bad. All sickness and death is birthed and continually fed by the moral dilemmas of our time. Stress is caused by one’s struggle in and with the world based on negative experiences and perceptions generated by them. You easily remember the bad because it hurts and you felt it or continue to feel it. Thus, the next time you make a decision, it is based on previous negative experiences in an attempt to dodge a familiar bullet and generate a positive outcome. However, this usually backfires because you still only have the one experience, not knowing what the elements of the situation will produce.

So this brings me to the million dollar question; what is it that the country needs/wants? Where should we go from here? Who is right and who is wrong? Why does everyone want so many different things? Why the need to be special over one another? The truth is, we can create millions of laws to govern and regulate almost everything. Sure, they may be good for you, but everyone else too, must live under them. Remember, we have to share this world with one another. Your idea of where we should go is different than mine, but deep down we want the same things – peace and love. You want a nice house, a trustworthy car, a happy family, long life and good health. I too want these things. Nothing should stand in the way, yet everything does. Like children, we fight about how it should be instead of finding the similarities and building off of them. We fight about who has it and who is going to be first. We fight about pretty much everything.

It’s time to grow up, learn that the world doesn’t revolve around you and give a little. If you don’t get everything you want, understand it is for the good of all. When it rains, it rains on everyone, not just you. Separation is the cause for all problems we face. How much difference can there be between one human being and another? Each one requires the basics of food, water, clothing, shelter, etc. Anything else is vanity. Maybe when we can learn to play nice and put all personal desires aside, we can learn to unite once again and become the powerful nation we once were.

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