No One Is Coming To Save Us…
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
Editor’s note: Greg’s Corner is an editorial (opinion) section where Messenger Reporter Greg Ritchie shares odds and ends from the job and unusual or interesting facts from across the world and across time.
MESSENGER OFFICE – As the country faces an important election year, I thought I would look around and take stock of where we are as a country, and as a people. The state of the union, my friends, is not good.
Most Americans have become so separated from nature, from our humanity, from our spirituality – we live in times where we are easily distracted by the latest sports game or suspicious headline from a talking head. We chase after an ever worthless dollar to buy more stuff we don’t need and food that isn’t food. Don’t believe me? Look at how much cheese is in your average grocery store cheese these days. You need a chemistry degree to know if Brand A will kill you any quicker than Brand B.
Our young people are pushed to go into debt to get a college degree, only to find out every one else has that same degree. No work experience, no real world experience, no talent in speaking or writing or dealing with people – they come out after four years with a fancy certificate – but how many come out wiser? How many college graduates learned a thirst for knowledge, a little healthy skepticism, or able to think rationally and look for truth?
Truth. There’s an alien concept in our modern world. We have become so consumed being consumers, we really believe the sun will shine brighter if we just buy this breakfast cereal or that shiny car. Whenever both political parties agree these days, hang on to your wallet, get ready to lose some freedom or prepare our kids to die in some country far away in a conflict we don’t really understand.
Our young ladies are encouraged to sell their bodies online for clicks and dollars. I guess I am becoming an old fuddy-duddy – I can’t see the difference between working in an adult establishment, working on the street, or doing it online. I know it’s supposed to be different, but the internet is forever. Any mistakes I made as a young man were witnessed by those who happened to be in the room. We couldn’t post our dumbest thoughts and actions on the internet.
Ah, the internet. The place where everyone can have their say. And the place that proves maybe everyone should keep some of that to themselves. Every bit of gossip, every rumor, every bad experience – all smattered online along with the misspelled words and bad grammar. Trolls who think they are funny or clever, running around spreading nonsense, hoping for a few likes. People write online things they would be ashamed to say to another person, in person. And the ones who think they would speak like that or would speak like that in polite company – are beyond saving.
Our national politicians laugh at us, don’t abide by the laws they pass, and most seem bought and paid for, never passing up a chance to vote against the poor working people who put them in office to fight for us.
I still don’t know how you have a country without a border and can persecute political opponents in the courts. The most popular president in our history can’t get a dozen people out to see him at an event. People make more money not working than trying to get out there and better themselves.
In our big cities, once the pride of the world, stores are closing as gangs pillage businesses with no arrests. Innocent people are preyed upon, homeless people have taken over the streets and even law enforcement become victims of places where even violent criminals are given a light tap on the wrist.
It didn’t have to be this way and it doesn’t have to remain this way. With a debt we quite literally can never repay, it probably can’t go on this way. Iran recently attacked Israel with missiles. Iran spent $40 million to launch the missiles, Israel spent $2 billion to shoot them down. How many more victories like that until we are all broke?
This is our world now, and to most of us, it’s like we woke up in a coma and can’t comprehend what exactly went wrong. Even in a normal place like Houston County with decent people, we have our issues and they don’t seem to be getting any better.
We have to turn off, unplug, disconnect – step back from this modern world which has proven to be so insane and harmful. We must reconnect with our very souls, our love of family, our religion and who we really are and were meant to be.
We must do this, not to save America – I am not sure what was once America can be saved anymore. We must find ourselves to save ourselves. Government, media, online platforms – what do they want? To divorce us from who we really are and why we are on this earth. Turn the TV off and read a book. Put the phone down.
Eat a sit-down meal with your family with nothing else in the background. Talk to people. Take up a hobby. It is time for good people to get involved in their communities, then take on their states, then maybe, the country. We have local elections coming up. If you don’t know the issues, candidates or don’t plan to vote – shame on you. This is our home.
If we don’t defend that home and soon – shame on all of us.
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
