Blue: the Sadness

A lot of people in our country are mad these days. I don't find that very helpful. In fact, that seems to me to actually be kind of dangerous. Instead I get a little sad about the current state of this United States. Because where madness usually drives people to take crazy action; a sadness borne of deep affection usually drives believers to loving action and dedicated prayer. There are a lot of things about our country that make me sad. It's mostly because I love it so much. I think the best way to describe it, is that it's like watching a very dear friend go through difficult times, and feeling as though you are largely unable to help them out. I just mostly feel powerless to do anything about it, but I know that I can pray, and I do, and will continue to. These are just a few things I'm sad about.

I am sad because I think our nation has lost a lot of the selflessness that once made us wonderful.

I am sad because the Democrats want to give everything away, and I fear we will not survive it.

I am sad because the Republicans are stingy beyond reason, or compassion.

I am sad because both parties act like spoiled little brats.

I am sad because bi-partisanship has died in the last decade.

I am sad because the words "Tea Party" used to mean something great before its recent scary revitalization and rebranding.

I am sad because our political system is a rotten quagmire of crooked career politicians, more interested in currying favor and power, than in helping people.

I am sad because our country's moral compass takes its bearing from the relativist fickle masses rather than objective truth.

I am sad because we are turning into a nation of cynics, talking heads, and "reality" TV, and I am trying not to fall into any of those categories (it's not easy).

I am sad because every time a stranger looks at my son I think about how I can protect him from them if they turn out to be a psycho or pedophile.

I am sad because in a nation of so much, so many have so little.

I am sad because schools no longer teach kids how to think, they try to teach them how to test.

I am sad because shame is an antiquated idea.

I am sad because we are addicted to ourselves.

I am sad, because sometimes that is more helpful than being mad.

Blogs in this series: Red: the Sacrifice White: the Innocence Blue: the Sadness

White: the Innocence

I was watching The Munsters with my nephew and brother-in-law this weekend. It was great. It had been so long since I had watched it, that I had forgotten what a wholesome, family friendly, show it was. It made me start to think about a lot of things that seem to have grown dirty and soiled over the years. TV definitely, but I think in general our pop-culture has certainly lost its innocence. Hearing yesterday's big news on the passing of TV legend Andy Griffith was for me, like so many others, a proverbial nail in the coffin.

In the aftermath of the very sad news I was watching an interview with the classy Matlock star the night he was inducted into the Hall of Fame some time ago. The interviewer questioned Andy about his opinion on the "modern" state of TV. I found his answer to be a sad commentary. In short, he had stopped watching TV long ago, really only preferring the news if he watched at all. A public indictment from Mayberry's humble Sheriff is quite the statement on the condition of entertainment in America.

I'm not some ultra-conservative fundamentalist here to bemoan all aspects of media and entertainment. There are still a few decent programs you can watch. It just takes some research and censorship on our part to find them. Particularly for me, I find myself watching less and less television all the time. My chief sources for entertainment have shifted to books and film, where I am incredibly critical and careful of both. (I recently greatly enjoyed seeing Brave and John Carter.)

Growing up through the 80s the TV landscape was vastly different than today. The Andy Griffith Show reruns I used to watch have been replaced by really crappy reality TV, vitriol spewing news networks, and filthy "comedy".

Traditionally the color white has always stood for purity, wholesomeness, and innocence. This 4th of July, as my wife and I stay indoors to watch movies together (The Vow, Patriot, and Captain America) I am wishing that were still the case.

Blogs in this series: Red: the Sacrifice White: the Innocence Blue: the Sadness