A few weeks ago, I challenged you to write a letter-to-the-editor of sorts that I would print in this newsletter. Well, Alex G. took me up on it and I have included it below. These are his words, unedited.
Mortgage Bail Out
A lot has been said recently about the Federal Government's proposed "mortgage bail out". I have heard some pretty tough language at the people who can't pay their mortgages and are facing foreclosure in response to the proposed plan. It matters not if the people who will capitalize on this plan were "greedy" or "stupid". What they were (or were not) thinking when they signed those papers for their homes does not matter now.
What matters is if we are still a Nation that holds up the idea of accountability. When you make a mistake, whether you were greedy, stupid, or just plain old unlucky, there are consequences. We are moving further and further away from the idea that an individual is responsible for his or her own actions. Whenever something goes wrong the average American wants to blame someone/anyone but themselves. Your son is failing in school...it's the teachers fault. Your daughter fell off her bike..it's the manufacturer's fault. You hit the golf ball into the water. . .it's the club's fault.
You can't pay your mortgage . . .it's the bank's fault.
This is pervasive throughout our Republic. The most contentious issues of the day all deal with a lack of personal accountability (can anyone say Abortion?).
What's next? Maybe someday I can walk into a casino, lose all my money, and blame the casino for my losses and go cry to the government that "predatory" gambling practices were engaged, and I was duped into betting and losing.
Please. Stop crying for the homeowners about to be kicked out on the street. Let the big banks collapse under their own mistakes. This Republic is strong enough to withstand this bump in the economy, but what we can't withstand is a change in culture that allows people to run away from the consequences of their own decisions.
--Alex G.
Well said, but I think the real problem with American culture is ignorance of proper sentence structure Alex. Just kidding. Thanks for writing, and I invite everyone who is passionate about our society to put that passion on paper and work for change.
As always, tell me (us) what you think.
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P.S. A person named Marsha left a note on the blog advertising a grassroots organization working for the FairTax. They have a humble website, but don't solicit donations. I think that their hearts are in the right place.
http://www.operationoffthefence.org/
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2 comments:
English lessons are cheaper than a mortgage bailout.
I actually think that the ad hoc punctuation people use on the internet is important. It amazes me the number of times people don't perceive sarcasm. You throw in a few "quotes" around a few "words" and it helps them understand. It's just like CAPITAL LETTERS mean that you are shouting.
On a blog, we usually write a linear train of thought and so we write it as if we were speaking to that person. Thus, the invention of new punctuations.
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