"PEOPLE ARE SMART" screams the TV in whatever highest volume you'll permit it. But it should say: "People s h o u l d be smart, because they can only be smart if they i n f o r m themselves. And they often don/t - and then they are not smart And they will get very hurt!
When I was still young and came over from Europe, after six years of war there , under a very destructive and hard dictatorship that did not care if it destroyed life and limb and every dream of a decent, harmless living, I admired America so very much . Having a "good character" ( meaning that honesty, reliability, sticking to promises, helpfulness and truthfulness were the most important characteristics o f people) was the goal. In America, you had all that, plus a safe life.
Now I am 90, and it seems, these goals and ideas and a good leadership have changed considerably. The old values are gone - o l d !
Yes, the shaky government still s e e m s to protect and help its subjects. We even have laws to help citizens live longer by having a law to "buckle yourself up" so you won't be hurt in a possible car accident - and if you don't obey you are even heavily fined. We have laws to protect children from mistreatment, women from cruel husbands, animals from human cruelty, even wildlife, and criminals from too strident prosecution in case they were not brought up correctly. For murder and robberies we have them too, - of course, but do we have them to protect the robberies of good character traits? No.
Every day I receive bundles of mail from companies that promise to give you happiness, freedom of pains, wrinkles, depression, all kinds of maladies, even lack of money. "Guaranteed! It won't cost you a penny, or we will refund you r money. Just send us $ 5.- 6,- ( up to $60 or $100 ) dollars . Are those not made up up from pennies? Is that f r e e ?
Everything is drowned in the crave for the dollar. Making money has become the most important goal today. Nobody protects the simple, honest and decent guy from their greed.. And in the process, a goal of good, old fashioned qualities of honesty and truthfulness gets lost .For - Who can trust other people if he has been cheated off that constantly . Which person can the poor, honest guy still believe when he has lost the right to a cup of soup for his lunch because he had ordered all the pills that had promised him paradise and did not-get it - they just took his money!: After he had believed their promises!
These money-grabbing, dishonest businesspeople destroy not only the good character values and the belief in people into each other, they ruin America's good reputation of being a quality people country. Youngsters pick that up very quickly. If the grownups can lie, cheat and not keep written promises without 'being caught, - why should they? Is the logical contention. The faith in even written promises is lost! Character building ? Who needs it, if you can make dollars instead
We have so many groups, companies and authorities that could - when in action, - help America regain a goal of good character, not just help Manatees and wildlife, but help regaining the world's (as well as our own) belief into each other.
Why can't a government create a law against dishonesty, not just seatbelt buckling- against overblown and even false advertising? I remember some years ago, there was a law against showing too much cleavage in films. That was certainly less character-killing than false advertising - but it worked. No more cleavages!
Having good character values by strengthening faith into each other (and businesses) and regaining a good reputation also in the eyes of the world again would be a good way. Let's all get together and strive for it! Speak up, and
Lets have a law against dishonesty in advertising!
1