Do You Honor Those in Authority?
Most of us in the over 60
crowd grew up with a strong sense of the importance of respecting
people in authority and really honoring those we believed have gone
above and beyond the “call” of duty. It was only in about the 60’s
that the duty to honor our elders and teachers, and even politicians
began to erode, as the flower children, heeding the Siren call of
Aquarius, thumbed their noses at “the establishment,” and took to
the “open road.” It looked to many like sheer rebellion, but the
hippies, unlike some rebels today had a just cause-the Viet Nam war,
a huge mistake that wasted or ruined countless precious young lives.
But with that cause celeb,’ the plug of protest was pulled and the
flood of disrespect that resulted still troubles us today.
I have returned to this topic
because of the appalling explosion of disrespect and lawlessness
fragmenting the media daily. Much of this rebellion lives in people
demanding more independence from the old ethics and morays once
taken for granted.
Back in the 50’s, 95% of
the students in my middle and high school classes were well-behaved,
I think because most grew up in church-going families following the
Judeo-Christian ethics laid down by Moses and Jesus, or other
revered moral leaders and role models. We also learned to respect
the great gift of the American Constitution and thinkers like
Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln.
The majority had two parents
who taught them to behave or else. Many of those stressed that
children should honor their parents, their elders, and those in
authority.
Today, the old verities
are being challenged. In fact truth itself has become a matter of
personal opinion, not established reality. Young people spout
preposterous nonsense like “well, it’s true because I believe it.”
Few have ever read their Robert Frost, “We dance round in a ring and
suppose/ But the secret, (truth,) sits in the middle and
knows.” And fewer still have read enough of The Bible to remember,
“I Am the way the TRUTH and the life,” “You shall KNOW the truth and
the truth, (known), shall make (not set) you free.”
“I don’t believe in
gravity. Only three stories up? Hell, I’m jumping!” That’s the voice
of rebellion of too many “my way” kids these days with “attitudes”
often encouraged by well-meaning but timid teachers too fearful to
risk getting fired for hurting some clueless kid’s feelings by
correcting him. “Well Johnny, your opinion matters; if you think
it’s true, it’s true for you. I’ll call the ambulance to pick you up
in case you break something.” If Johnny truly respected his teacher,
he would treasure any advice he got, believing it could do him some
good or even save his life.
Much of this permissiveness
comes from the “politically correct” pseudo-ethics spawned by the
arrogant minions of the 60’s far left. “Thou shalt spare the rod or
get sued.”
Tell that to your drill
sergeant and when you get finished cleaning the grease trap, make
sure your boots are mirror bright and ready for inspection after
your 10 mile hike.
Frankly, political
correctness is one of the biggest hoaxes ever slicked into the
American conversation. “Political” has become the all-purpose
adjective meaning anything the politician needs it to mean,
depending on the situation. It’s a moral sounding vocabulary laid
down for other people to obey; their own biases they try to keep
secret.
Just lately the FBI
released the news that likely the corona virus was indeed released,
accidentally from, a Chinese lab. Donald Trump, because he
bluntly said that China was the source when the virus first showed
up, was factually correct, but that opened him up to
merciless demonization and mockery by those paragons of virtue
politicizing the late night talk shows. “If it’s anything bad, blame
Trump. Look at that hair, what a joke.”
Sorry, but we had it pretty
nice under that flawed president: cheap gas, secure borders, no
inflation, and fewer drug-poisoned kids. He also sped up vaccine
development, and perhaps, above all, embraced Israel by moving our
embassy to Jerusalem, an act of historic and Biblical significance.
Trump and Grant are a lot
alike: scorned by the elite but winners when the chips are down.
Grant drank too much, and Trump was just too damned successful.
Unfortunately, the extreme
left seldom admits being wrong, and when they control the country,
it suffers. The same goes for the extreme right.
Gene Pinkney for the Daily
News 3/5/23
