When I was growing up my friends and I were in the Cub Scouts, and then the Boy Scouts. Every Memorial Day we marched in our small town’s parade. There were thousands in the parade, darn near ½ the town, with the other half lined up along the roads to watch. The American Legion, VFW, Army and Navy Reservists, Police and Fire Departments, the High School Band and many other organizations were in the parade, along with our local politicians, religious leaders and their families. Everyone was proud to be American, and all knew we were the greatest country on earth!
After High School I joined the Naval Reserve, and was on active duty from 1970 to 1975. Interesting to note that back then religion was very important, and now it is not. When I got out, I attended Naval Reserve meetings 1 weekend per month, and went on 2 weeks active duty every year. We also marched in the Cincinnati Memorial Day Parade with other reservists. The Marines, ourselves, Army, and Air Force reservists were in these parades in our dress uniforms, along with High School bands and just about every social organization in the city. Many people, thousands upon thousands would line the streets of downtown Cincinnati to watch the parade. It was a great show of Americanism, and we all were proud to be a part of it!
Small towns outside of Cincinnati still do these parades, but Cincinnati no longer does. Few big cities do anymore. Except for small towns and cities in our country, the Memorial Day Parade is a thing of the past, a dinosaur in a fast-changing America. In the bigger cities, and some small ones too, pride of country does not seem to exist anymore. What happened?
80% of younger Americans are not physically or mentally fit to serve in the armed forces today. Critical Race Theory is now part of the mission in our armed forces, and many that can join no longer will as the military goes woke. Our schools have been teaching students that America is nothing to be proud of, and that we stole our land, killed many to take it, and have been fighting colonial wars all over the planet throughout our history. All largely a lie, but a narrative to fundamentally change us by education our young people in this manner.
We now have a 2-tiered justice system, where Conservatives are treated differently from Progressives. We have a weaponized DOJ, CIA, FBI and all the other alphabet soup agencies in our Federal Government. Socialism is now being presented as a better alternative to Capitalism (Even though it has failed everywhere it has been tried), and our Constitution is being trashed. Almost 50% of Gen-Z young adults think Socialism is good, free speech is not a good thing, and that the second amendment of the Constitution should be overturned. Further, Progressives want the Constitution to be a “living document” that they can change at will. We are now in a world of hurt, and the America I grew up in no longer exists.
It will be a long struggle to get sanity back into our country. We need to take back government, get rid of unneeded agencies, rebuild ones that are needed but have gone rogue. We also must get rid of RINO’s and Progressives in our elected offices, and elect people who have the desire to bring back what we have lost. This will not be done overnight, but 2024 is a bellwether year that can bring some positive change to our failing system. Take voting seriously and research all candidates on your ballot. Only vote for those that respect our country and its values, and will uphold the Constitution as written. We can get positive change started, and then we must hold our representatives to the promises that they will have given us. Or we can just sit back and let the Progressives and RINO’s win. It’s your choice!