Imagination = Ingenuity
I sometimes wonder about American ingenuity. We used to be a nation that recognized a need or problem and addressed it immediately. The turn of the century (1800 to 1900) saw giant steps in the advancement of ideas and inventions as did the mid-1900s; but what have we seen in the recent turn of the century? Sure there are always improvements to current mouse traps, but anything new to report that has swept the nation and improved the quality of life? Very little is anything at all.
Having been a teacher for over a quarter century, I contribute the lack of ingenuity to a lack of imagination in today’s youth. Young people really don’t read for pleasure anymore and with the decline in current TV programming and movie remakes of old themes, it seems Hollywood has lost its imagination as well. How often have one of my students “introduced” me to a new song they like only for me to smile and recognize it from my own youth?
Video games, Game Boys and X-Boxes are diversions from the imagination playground. Our children, and even adults, are living in fantasy worlds of another's creation and rules.
The only place a child remotely uses their imagination is school; yet with funding cuts, classroom disrespect, teacher bashing and “parenting” becoming a euphemism for “my new best friend,” we are doing a disservice to schools, our youth and their imagination. As Americans lose that ability so we lose our ability to create and invent as we slowly whine our way to becoming a third world nation.
As a former teacher of 6th grade where students learn about ancient civilizations that lasted and thrived for thousands of years, it’s interesting that the United States has only been around for less than a quarter millennium. Will we see 1,000 years? Not if we don’t kick start our imagination and turn that into ingenuity.
It has been said that the best is yet to come. I hope so, because so far it seems we’ve placed it all on auto-pilot and hoping for the best.
Proactive vs Reactive
We live in a reactive society with reactive government agencies. These agencies wait until law suits are filed or people are killed to react to situations citizens have been warning them about for years.
Most of us have experienced the dangerous intersection, the blind curve, the speeding past our public schools and most of us have informed the proper authorities only to be told that a study has to be done, then meetings about the study, then a vote by the city council, etc. If, however, children are dying and parents are filing law suits, only then is action true, swift and sure.
So why are government agencies so slow in providing common sense solutions to potential problems? I may have just answered that within the context of the question. The answer is usually found in the city, county, state or fed's coffers. There ain't no money honey. No money for what? Saving lives? Creating safer neighborhoods? A sound and secure future?
We want to be safe, we want our kids to be safe, yet a reactive government gambles with our lives everyday.
Women who are threatened by jealous ex-lovers or who are being stalked must be proactive in order to get a restraining order as police and courts are reactive waiting until there is an actual threat to the woman’s life, or in too many cases, until she’s dead, before reacting and doing something.
What we want, and should be demanding, is proactive governments.
Cities, counties, states and a country that look toward the future, sees the potential problems and works to solve them before they become real problems.
This argument can be made when states cut funding for education yet spend more on prison systems. A proactive government would make sure that all are educated equally and sufficiently so crime drops dramatically. Prisons, overcrowding of prisons and spending more for prisons are the result of a reactive government.
The same argument can be made for our health care system. Proactive health care would demand preventative health maintenance. It would pay for people taking care of themselves instead of waiting for the hospital or emergency room visit. Preventative health care would cost much less and would provide for a healthier population. Unfortunately, as long as HMOs have a grip on congress (turn your head and cough) there’s little to be done from our elected officials. We must demand and expect better than what we’ve been getting, what we’re used to and what we’ve come to expect.
And what of our cities and roadways? Am I the only one who thinks that our city planners and highway designers must be fugitives from 12 step programs?
Common sense would dictate proactive city, state and federal governments. And there, my friends, is the rub.
Population Control and Saving Social Security
(An exercise in satire... or is it?)
America has gotten itself in quite a dilemma. What to do about the shrinking Social Security funds in the face of a populous generation prepared to wipe it out. With more and more jobs shipped overseas, there is becoming less and less of a work force to add to the SS coffers; and with people living longer these days, it only adds to the strain.
Once upon a time, Americans retired at 62ish but only lived until about 65ish. Social Security provided a nice three year retirement until the grim reaper collected his due. Now folks are living well into their 70s, 80s and 90's and tapping into the system for 10 to 30 years; a system not designed for grazing that long, or for the current Baby Boomers already at the trough.
So how do we solve this problem of massive unemployment and a bankrupt Social Security System? One way is to decrease the population by allowing people to die earlier.
Our government also has a need to fix folks; trying to get smokers to stop, the obese to cut calories and exercise, and the drug users to repent. (It would be easier to make Dennis Miller a liberal again.) They plague a health care system that needs to increase costs to cover consumers' misguided health choices.
I propose we do with the human population what nature does with the animal kingdom. Survival of the fittest. If a Wildebeest becomes too slow and a lion takes it down, we think nothing of it. If a gazelle does not spot the approaching Cheetah, it, too, is easily dispatched.
First, health care providers would have the right not to offer health care to those who make unhealthy choices. If they did, they would have to soak up the additional cost instead of passing it along to the healthy client. Preventive care would become the new mantra.
Second, get the government out of people's personal lives. This is what we've wanted for decades. Allow smokers to smoke and forget these campaigns against kids smoking. The sooner they do, the sooner they die. A decrease in the population. Smokers should die. They are inconsiderate buffoons who have no concept as to wind direction.
Allow the obese to eat themselves into an early grave as well. Why are we spending valuable time and money trying to convince folks to exercise and eat healthy when it's obvious they show no interest in doing so.
Legalize drugs and allow those stupid enough to overdose to do so. Survival of the smartest.
Legalize euthanasia and allow anyone who wants to die the opportunity to do so. Suicide should be encouraged, not illegal. Survival of the sanest.
Bring the draft back, but really make it a "selective service" by drafting those between 16 to 32 who are not contributing beneficially to society. Let's place gang members in the sights of our current enemy. Let's empty our prisons of murderers and other violent criminals and let them do "their thing" in terrorist regions. A sentence of death? Almost certain, but perhaps they'll do away with several terrorists before their demise. Let the lawless die.
Stop paying welfare recipients for having more children. After two, you're on your own. Stop those women who would use abortion as a means of birth control with a three strikes law. Third time for an abortion, their tubes are tied. In fact, offer tube tying and vasectomies for free.
By instituting these suggestions, I believe we can reduce our population by 25% over the next 10 years, decreasing unemployment, making health benefits affordable and saving Social Security.
We would also enjoy the benefits of living in a country and society where the population is smart, healthy and crime free.