I just read an article that I agree with very much.  Here it is if you’re intersted: Glenn Beck: Too bad, Michigan and Florida.

I’ve long been concerned about the growing trend of entitlement in America.  Whether the topic of discussion is welfare, poverty, education, highways, water rights, or any other current issue, there seems to be a growing sentiment among all Americans: “You owe it to me!”.  Somewhere along the way there was a generation that picked up the idea that, work or not, they deserved to have expensive homes and cars, luxurious vacations, and privileged access to everything that the generation before them worked a lifetime to obtain.

One billboard in particular comes to mind.  It read “Get Married, Get a Home”.  In the background was a picture of a 3000 square foot home with a large yard, brilliantly landscaped, and a grand entrance.  It was nicer than the home my parents lived in near the end of my father’s career.  Meanwhile I wondered how I would be able to afford rent for me and a young wife, let alone a huge home like that.  But marketing like that has generated a perceived “need” in young people that owning a home is a right of passage.

Perhaps one of the most concerning side effects of this new entitlement attitude is the growing list of truly valuable achievements that our generation is forgoing.  For example, there are many young people that choose work over higher education so they can acquire the cars, homes or other status symbols that they have been taught to value.  Many young couples put off having children or place them in child care rather than live with less.  As a result, a new generation of children are growing up to understand that family comes in second to the house, cars, trips, etc.

One of the biggest problems with this new entitlement mentality is that it is not sustainable.  Debt comes due too quickly.  High paying jobs are hard to come by quickly and often require higher education.  Poor planning and living paycheck to paycheck can make a small problem quickly become a financial crisis.

As Glenn Beck pointed out, the answer this generation seems to give is a bunch of excuses.  They eventually walk away.  Whether it’s bankruptcy, foreclosure, or passing the bill on to Mom and Dad, we seem to be losing our capacity to take responsibility.

For those of you wondering where we can find examples in American history of leaders taking responsibility and leading responsibly, you need look no further than George Washington.  He was aware that the most influential factor leading up to the American Revolution was the heavy tax laid on the people in the colonies by Britain.   He was always extremely cautious to keep government small and to serve, not burden, the people.

Eventually the tab will come due and if it’s not this generation it will be the next.  We would do well to remember the reasons for the establishment of our independence and let that motivate us to once again liberate ourselves from debt, vice and cling to honesty hard work and virtue.

This letter was published with Volume 3 (October 2004), which can be downloaded here.

Dear Reader,

This election year brings with it some very important issues. Voters from 11 states including Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Michigan, Ohio, North Dakota, Montana, Oregon, Oklahoma and Utah will decide on the issue of whether to allow same gender unions or to ban them altogether. Each citizen has the right and responsibility to vote on these issues.

This volume of One Nation Under God has the purpose of reminding Americans of the rich heritage of God and the influence of morality in our nation. The words of our Founding Fathers and other influential voices throughout American history remind us that we do have a moral foundation. This moral foundation can steady us in times of uncertainty. As we remember the past, we are better prepared to make decisions about our future. We encourage all citizens to register to vote and participate in the 2004 general elections.

Subscription to One Nation Under God is provided as a free service. For information about reproduction or to subscribe to the journal please visit www.onugjournal.org.

Daniel Watrous
Publisher

This article, written by my wife Rachel, is from Volume 3 (October 2004), which can be downloaded here.

It is important to vote. My vote matters, and your vote matters. In 1873, Susan B. Anthony, fighting for women’s rights, cited the preamble to the Federal Constitution beginning with “We, the people,” and said:

“It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union. And we formed it, not to give the blessings of liberty, but to secure them; not to the half of ourselves and the half of our posterity, but to the whole people - women as well as men. And it is a downright mockery to talk to women of their enjoyment of the blessings of liberty while they are denied the use of the only means of securing them provided by this democratic-republican government - the ballot. ”

Today, no woman is denied the right to the vote, but any person who does not go to the polls on November 2, forfeits the opportunity to participate in our national dialogue. “We, the people” includes me and you and every citizen of the United States. Every voice is important. Each vote is a tool in forming the union of the United States of America as it is today.

As I anticipate Election Day, I feel excited to exercise my right to vote, to participate in the national dialogue, to prove my resolve to defend my position on today’s issues. As you and I and every citizen of this country meet at the polls on November 2, we can again say that “We, the people” will work to form a more perfect union!