A Child-Like America

We were watching home videos last week and “getting a kick” out of the humorous antics of our children when they were quite young.  On one particular “episode”, the video captured a family tradition we held for a number of years…cutting down our own Christmas tree.  In the recording, Karen was filming our family members as we strolled through a Christmas tree farm looking for that “right one.”  Sarah was just a toddler and was content to be walking around with toys in her arms.  Nicole was being helpful, scouring the lines of trees with daddy, seeking the symmetrical, well-balanced cedar.  Joshua was being the typical “wildman” that he was in his younger years.

At one point in the video, Joshua is enjoying a candy sucker.  While the film is rolling, he takes a bite of the sucker, then decides he no longer wants the responsibility of finishing it.  He moves toward Karen, holding the sucker out to her and says, “I don’t want this anymore”, hands it off and takes off running to play.  He gave no thought to the fact that more sucker was left on the stick or that he might want it later.  Five or ten minutes down the road was never a consideration, but simply what he wanted to do right now.  Why did he act this way?  Because he was a child and children don’t think ahead.  Children give little thought to tomorrow or next week or next year, much less ten or twenty years in the future.  They only give consideration to what they want in the here and now.  This is the nature of a child.  Children do not understand the adage “play now, pay later.”  They only understand…play now!...coming from the foolishness that is bound up in their hearts.

The recent presidential election revealed a growing cultural shift in American thinking.  Whereas my great-grandparents, grandparents and even parents understood that life in a free, democratic society requires much hard work, the supporting of my own family and conscientious planning for future responsibilities and opportunities, current generations have adopted a “child-like” mentality.  The modern American sees the government like “mommy and daddy” who provides what I want and need…WHEN I WANT IT!  No thought for tomorrow.  No thought for the coming years.  It’s all about satisfying my wants and needs NOW.  We see this shift in thinking displayed when Americans are saddled with a 16 trillion dollars debt that is climbing by the second and don’t seem to care.  When President Obama entered the presidency, the debt was around 10 trillion.  In less than 4 years, his administration has added 5.4 trillion more, yet he was reelected.  This debt will be passed on to our children and grandchildren and beyond, but the majority of Americans seem unmoved by this fact.  Many college and university students voted for the current administration for one reason…they have been promised free or nearly free education.  No thought to the fact that funds needed to operate an institution of higher education must come from somewhere, if not tuition…and that “somewhere” is taxes leveled on the middle class income earners.  What happened to working your way through college, as I did, or taking out loans and actually paying them back?!  Many reelected the president and his associates due to “Obamacare”, which promises healthcare to all.  No thought given as to how this is going to be paid for when thousands will be added into the system who have no ability to contribute.  No thought to the rationing that WILL come.  No research into countries that have already tried this system and watched it miserably fail (ever wondered why many Canadians come to America for their healthcare?).  No thought to the financial burden it will lay on the backs of the already “over taxed.”  Abortion was another massive issue in this election that was carefully reported by the liberal media, so as not to overly arouse the pro-life conservatives, but to energize the pro-choice (pro-death) crowd.  Sadly, many in America want the “right” to extinguish the life within them so as not to be burdened with an “unwanted pregnancy.”  No thought to the life of the child.  No thought to the many who desperately want to adopt…just give me what I want and give it NOW!  America has become a nation of child-thinking people who want the federal government to be their nanny… “provide for me, give to me, do for me.”  Reminds me of Proverbs 30:15, “The leech has two daughters— Give and Give!”  Friend, unless Americans move away from this childish mentality and grow up, we are headed to destruction as a nation.  We will become like another European country…broke with no way to climb out!