Lacking Purpose

I'm thinking America needs a purpose or a goal. I can remember President Kennedy telling the nation we would put a man on the moon. As we all know that happened on July 20,1969. I'll never forget that because it is also my birthday. I do remember watching those grainy pictures on television and the beep and pause between each statement. The accomplishment was so great that to this day people debate whether it actually happened. Soon the last shuttle will land and our traveling into space will end. We are going to pay the Russians to give us a lift.
I see or hear no great endeavour for the United States. We are trying to please all of the people all of the time. Not gonna happen. We send millions and millions in aid and relief. We send food. We send computers. We instruct other people in agriculture. We are doing hundreds of things but I think we are accomplishing little. As I tell the grand children," focus." That was stressed in the Karate Kid and is a basic truth. We need to focus.
There are many noble causes to be championed. Deciding on which one to focus our collective energy is certainly a difficult task. The Russians put Sputnik,the first satellite,into orbit. The United States responded with a little one upmanship ! Who made the actual decision to focus our technology and manpower into accomplishing this goal ? I don't know the answer to that, but President Kennedy gets the credit. Back then the President spoke for the nation. I don't think he does quite as much now.
Sometimes the goal is not to solve a big problem. The space program didn't solve world hunger,create lasting peace among nations or solve the worlds energy needs. It wasn't supposed too. Its' sole purpose was to show the world what America is capable of. We need a new goal,something to bind the nation together. A nation,just like an individual, sometimes just needs to do sometime just for itself. Selfish,perhaps but necessary.
I'm not and never was a big fan of John Kennedy. I have to admit however when he addressed the Nation and said , " Well,space is there,and we're going to climb it,and the moon and the planets are there,and new hopes for knowledge and peace are there. And therefore,as we set sail we ask God's blessing on the most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked."
The goal was clear !