Once again, everyone is asking “What is this world coming
to?” We are all victims of Newtown. We didn’t lose as much as those who lost
their lives or the victims’ family and friends. Nor did we suffer the trauma of
the survivors or their family, friends, and neighbors. But we all felt the
pain, imagined the horror, and wondered “Is there no end?”
Terrible news abounds. Politics. Economics. Violence.
War. And yet, these are the best of times.
Thank God we are horrified by the thought of someone
killing children. A friend of mine, an Aberdeen resident until his recent
passing, was a Holocaust survivor. He once saw a mother trying to stop her baby’s
crying. A Nazi officer ripped the baby from the mother’s arms, grabbed him by
the feet, and smashed his skull against a wall. Just like that. Didn’t think
twice. At the same time, America blocked Jewish refugees from entering this
country. Nobody cared. Today, we’re concerned
about medical treatment for terrorists and prisoners on death row.
The country’s racing towards bankruptcy. Why? Because we’re
more generous than we can afford to be. Same story for Europe. At what time in
the history of mankind have governments been on the verge of collapse for being
too generous?
We worry about our children’s future. Will they be better
off than us? Heck, yeah. From Roman civilization to the 18th
century, what were the greatest inventions? The printing press. That’s it. Today,
even poor people have cell phones, televisions, air conditioning, etc. My son
gets games on his iPod for a dollar. I worry he gets too much too easy.
As for Islamic terrorism, that’s not nearly as scary
nuclear Armageddon with the Soviet Union. And look at the rise of democracy and
human rights around the globe. This is a sharp departure from human history.
There’s a balance in the world. As the capacity for good
grows, so does the capacity for evil. Yet, let’s not forget the riches we can bequeath
to our children or the lessons learned.
Happy holidays and a blessed new year.
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