good news

 There are times when I feel like an observer. I write these blogs and post my thoughts to the web. But I do feel detached at times, as though I'm just watching it all go by. I have no desire to jump in, becoming an advocate or a protestor. The world will go on around me, regardless of anything I do or say. That isn't said with any meaning other than what it says, it's a statement of fact. I watch and listen. This morning the news was reporting on another "cease fire" weekend in the city of Baltimore. I listened as they call it a success, only four people shot, no one killed. Couldn't help but think about that. Have we really reached a point were having four people shot is a good weekend? A success? I listened as footage of people protesting outside of Supreme Court Justices private homes was being aired. Will the Justices have to live in sequester from now on to ensure their safety? The mob gathering at their doorsteps!

 It must be that other world I heard my parents and grandparents speak of. I often heard them saying that. I have to say it isn't the world I grew up in, I'm beginning to understand. I have watched as the social presence of the country changed. I was never really involved in any of that. I didn't go to Woodstock, grow long hair, and peace out. Yes, I wore a few of the fashions, listened to the popular music at the time as most young folks will do. I wanted to be a part of the crowd. And yes I certainly wanted to enjoy "freedoms" being allowed. Freedoms allowed by my parents, protested by their parents. Then I in turn doing the same. My children doing the same as well. And here we are. 

 They say it's a small world and in certain ways it is, I get that analogy. But I have watched as this world has expanded. The introduction of cable television was the first wave in my estimation. We began seeing things, hearing things, we had never seen or heard before. Then the arrival of the world wide web. I don't think anyone can deny the impact that medium has made on the social fabric of America and the world. It is especially true with the children. When I was growing up my world was small and the availability of outside sources was limited. There were limits on what could be said in public, what could be worn in public and what actions and ideology was to be displayed in public. 

 Today, the blinders are off! Children, very young children are exposed to topics I never heard of until my adult years. Consider the whole gender identity crisis of today. Yes, I call it a crisis. Children in kindergarten should not be exposed to such confusing and indeed, mature topics. Their childhood is being stolen from them for political gain. People are wearing tee shirts, jackets, ball caps and other articles of clothing emblazoned with foul language. It's their right! Flags and bumper stickers the same! No filters, just expressions of anger and frustration. 

 I think the biggest thing I see missing today is a sense of cohesion. Perhaps that comes from growing up in small town America. My town was like a family. In-laws and outlaws, most related to one another in some form or fashion. We had disagreements but at the end of the day we all belonged. Today some look back on that and say it was really segregation. If it was, it was self-imposed in my corner of the world. We simply didn't go where we weren't welcome, nor insist that others accept us. We felt no need to impose our beliefs on others, insisting they accommodate that. Birds of a feather and all that.

 Today I watch and listen as we celebrate every "ethic" group there is. National Asian-American month, Black History Month, Pacific-Islanders, Italians, Polish, Native Americans and the list expanding every day. We even have a month celebrating peoples sexual preferences! We have parades for that! The point being each "celebration" divides and sub-divides all of us. We are in political camps these days, conservatism vs liberalism. The irony in that being, the liberalism of my grandparents generation, being the conservatism of today. 

 Now we have patriots that wear the flag as an article of clothing and that is acceptable, that is a symbol of your pride in America. In my parents day, that would have certainly caused a stir! I know that for a fact, I was there. You are not supposed to even be patriotic these days! Today people are clamoring, insisting they receive "benefits" not assistance from the government. 

 But only four shot this weekend, no homicides, that's progress. That's the good news this morning.