Cultural Survival Skills

It is time to revisit this question, as American voters should do often.

We should decide this question from our adult-lifetime’s vantage point! The more World and American history we read, the better equipped we will be to make an accurate assessment of today’s America.

No matter what our conclusion, we may be told we are wrong, perhaps even scolded, insulted, or shunned by our critics.

As Ralph Waldo Emerson once warned, and I paraphrase: The world will whip you for your nonconformity.  So it can be, if we do not go along with the crowd.

We will need the courage of our informed convictions to stand our ground against those who may assail us, just for telling what we think is the truth.

In some cases, it will be best not to debate such issues with others. This can be particularly true with members of our families and others who we love. Strong disagreements can create more harm than good. There may be others less important to our happiness, who will not respectfully consider our reasoning. To continue the debate with them can also be self-defeating; raising our blood pressure and frustration. With them, as Dale Carnegie preached, it is also best not to talk religion or politics.

It is important to take time to assess the reality that we see and feel, when we ask ourselves good questions about present life in America, and evaluate these assessment against our past our past ones. including actual data about such matters is time-consuming, but is a powerful source of confirming evidence.

But, for this few minutes, let us ask ourselves the following questions.

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Is the home life for our children more safe and secure?

Are our families more stable than in the past?

What has happened to two parent families with children?

Is marriage as popular as it once was?

Has cohabitation and children out-of-wed-lock increased or decreased?

Are our children safe and secure in our schools?

Can we trust our teachers to care for our children’s welfare (making this their top priority), as they once did?

Is America’s student’s academic performance better than it has been in the past?

Do our children know America’s history well and understand our Founding Father’s dream of an enduring Constitutional Republic?

Are our children taught their civic responsibilities in our schools? Do your schools still teach Civics Classes within their curricula?

Can our children, adolescents and college students intelligently discuss the pros and cons of Capitalism and our Constitutional Republic in contrast to other available forms of government?

Is our popular media helping or hurting our children’s normal development?

Are our children less drug and sex involved?

Is our media less sexualized, violent, profane and more respectful of others than in the past?      

Is our population as dedicated to morality and personal responsibility as it once was?

Are you safer in your homes, communities, and during travel that you  once were?

Are moral and religious influences growing or diminishing?

Doe our churches have more or less influence in or society and lives

Are we placing more or fewer citizens in our jails and prisons?

How is our economy doing?

Are our poverty rates for adults and children increasing or diminishing?

Is America’s fertility rates increasing or decreasing?

Is our fertility rate at, or below, population replacement levels?

How do citizen fertility rates affect the health and longevity of a culture?

How can a welfare state care for the infirmed, poverty-stricken, homeless and aged survive without a large, intelligent and energetic youthful working class?

Do we enjoy more personal freedoms now than before?

Are American citizens more cohesive and dedicated to mutual respect  and support than before?

Are our immigration policies mostly helping or hurting America?

Is America’s place as a leader in the world as strong and secure as it has been?

Is the American dollar as strong and secure as it has been?

Is our Military strong enough to defend our homeland in the event of war?

Are our first-responders (police, fire, and medical) as respected, supported and as well-off as they once were?

Can we trust our political leaders and our news media as much as we once did?

Is religion as much of an influence in American life as it once was?

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My list of things-to-consider when evaluating the state of America’s society and culture is not exhaustive. I hope you will add to this list as you wish. Then please, do not “Cherry Pick”, as you take time to gather data, pro and con.

Then, please vote your convictions at every opportunity!

V. Thomas Mawhinney, Ph.D.,   12/13/21

Tags: How is America Doing? Are We Better Than Ever? Vote Your Convictions, Is America Failing?, Is America Succeeding, V. Thomas Mawhinney Ph.D., Vote At Every Opportunity, VTM, What Will You Do?

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