Forum Post: A message for everyone.
Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 12, 2011, 4:42 a.m. EST by tdanon
(1)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
In a strange way, I feel sorry for those that have come to the conclusion that the vast majority of Americans are lazy, good-for-nothing complainers. I would think that there would be some shred of national pride left for the great people that make up this country. I've been reading these posts for over an hour, seeing a pointless argument grow between opinionated and in some cases, very informed people. My question is why is it so difficult to see that no matter how you slice this economic situation, the top 1 percent have been manipulating the system to protect and grow their own endeavors. While tending to and protecting your endeavors is at it's base a very American and noble act, manipulating legislation and using unscrupulous tactics to extract benefit from others is everything that we DO NOT stand for. Argue if you must that the people are lazy. Argue if you must that we should live in earthen homes and yesterday's dilapidated husk of a structure to avoid exceeding our means. I will not leave for my children an example of burrowing and accepting the scraps left over from the fortunate few. I have seen the exodus of entire towns due to the irresponsibility of corporate leaders. I have seen educated men and women struggling to complete their degrees because they have been deemed "unworthy" to receive financial aid. I live in a state where tuition has increased from 1500 to 3000 a semester in the time it takes to complete a bachelor's degree. That may not be much to the Ivy league elite, but where I come from that can determine whether or not you drop out and become one of the "lazy, good-for-nothing, 99%." I'm not going to ask god to bless anyone, I'm not going to scream out in support for anyone, I'm just asking all of you to reflect for a moment on what it is to be an American. I'm not proud of and do not condone the violence that has occurred, nor do I believe that all protesters were acting in accordance with local laws. We all have certain inalienable rights, and we all deserve to have a voice when those rights seem to have been manipulated. One cannot shake the feeling that something is not right. Let's not criminalize and criticize those that, although maybe not always the most informed, but the most active and willing to stand up in the name of our most beloved ideals: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Let us pursue those that would take our happiness, and criticize those that cast empty accusations at the citizenry. Please, consider the negative value of your input when your first words are deliberately attacking a straw man. Stifle your bias and entitlement arguments and realize that there truly is a problem at hand. It is everyone's problem.
I agree. The first thing I think that people need is more tolerance of each other's differences in opinion; namely in the "what it means to be American" part, especially. I feel like whenever someone has something to say against an issue or value that has been traditionally considered "American", that person is questioned about whether or not they are a true American. But standing up and expressing your freedom to choose who to place in power, what types of laws should be enacted, etc, isn't that what being American is about, about exercising this idea of democracy, even when at times that could mean dissent and disappointment with our government?
I agree, it is everyone's problem. Perhaps we need to think outside the box and come up with new solutions? Maybe we need to shed some of our ingrained beliefs and become a little more open-minded. Here are two videos I suggest you watch, they are very interesting and may provide answers and solutions that we could try:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIMy0QBSQWo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNRVRbpJMP0