Daddy Government

Another shooting today. At an elementary school none the less. Killed 20 children and 6 adults. My heart wrenches at such news. What is going on in our country? And more importantly, what is our government doing to figure it out? My guess is nothing. As far as I can tell, they quibble about money, taxes, moral beliefs, and wars, but meanwhile our country is deteriorating from the inside. This needs to become a priority. Why are our people going insane? It could be something as simple as Aspartame in our sodas or something as complex as an overwhelming group mentality of self-entitlement. Whatever it is, it is my personal belief that the government is (or should be) responsible for having it researched and then determining a method of resolving the issue.

What is the purpose of government anyway? How many people actually stop and consider that question? I suppose the obvious answer is to "run" the country. But run it how and why? The best I can come up with is to protect and to provide for the populace. If the government's true role is to protect and provide for the populace, then it sounds to me like it is doing a poor job. Granted, not every catastrophe can be averted, but they cannot merely be ignored. As an Engineer, when things go so terribly wrong as to kill someone, I expect that we take a step back, evaluate our processes, and determine solutions to prevent it or discourage it from happening again. Unfortunately, we too often end with the culprit being dead or behind bars and claim the problem solved. Well, wake up America! The problem is not with the killers. The problem is that we are growing people who, for some reason, become killers.

While the shooter is now dead, like most every other person who goes on a shooting spree, the problem still exists. We are still creating these monsters. How are they created and why? This is a huge question and it must be addressed! It is quite likely that the issue comes down to maturity. People are no longer maturing and we are breeding full-grown children. If my suspicion is correct, which I do believe it is, then the question becomes, "How can we start maturing the populace??" It's certainly not an easy problem to solve. Who is currently taking a stand to solve it or, at the very least, improve it though? Who, in our government, is concerned with the maturity of the populace?

I can foresee a number of groans followed by animated remarks of disdain by my asking such a question. Who wants the government imposing in ways of such ambiguous concepts as maturity? Well, I certainly don't want our current government to do it as I find them just as lacking in it! Can the blind lead the blind? No, we need mature people to lead in maturity and we need a culture that uplifts and celebrates maturity. This is what will change our country. When people learn that patience is more rewarding than flippant rage, we will be far better off. When people lose their sense of entitlement for every little thing, we will instead find love roaming the streets at night. When people learn to focus on what is good rather than fixate on what is wrong, we will find satisfaction with our lives and breathe life into others. This has nothing to do with morals, but everything to do with real-life principals and the nature of humanity.

Maturity is not about whether a man sleeps with a man, but rather in that he has learned to control his nature in a healthy way that does not harm himself or others. Maturity does not fixate on a single issue but rather the underlying cause of a person's choice. Maturity is the ability to be peaceful despite stress, to be joyful despite pain, to be enduring despite hardship, to be brave despite fear, to love despite rejection, to be patient despite foolishness, to be generous regardless of income, to be kind despite fools. Maturity has no dos and don'ts but rather principals that bring a person along in life. These things can be studied, learned, and taught. They hold no measure of right or wrong but rather what is best or foolish. Rather than making a law, "Thou shalt not flip drivers the bird," one should merely learn that it is better to remain patient and calm than to induce the rage of another who may grab the shotgun from his trunk to give reply.

What we need are mature leaders who know how to grow maturity. And is this not the role of a father and mother? Are we not meant to protect and nurture our children unto maturity? We need a father-figure-government. We need a government that is concerned for our well-being as people and individuals rather than a gross domestic product. To think of us as a domestic product is indeed gross! We need a government who will care for the populace as a good father would care for and nurture his children. And as any good father knows, this is not done via laws and regulations. A good father leads by example, by celebrating success, and responding prudently to error. A good father takes time to understand the disposition of his children and determine the best route of action to instruct, guide, and grow. In return, the children naturally respect such a father. When was the last time you felt loved and cherished by the government? When was the last time you personally felt love toward the government? I know I certainly haven't! But you know, I think we should! I think we should have feelings of love toward our government. It's simply a pity that we cannot. I want a Daddy Government.