Sunday, February 26, 2006

Advice From Friends: America Needs to Clean Up Its Act

By Thad Box
Salt Lake Tribune

America is in moral decline. Most of the world knows it. A recent British Broadcasting Company survey shows that only Iran ranks below us in being trustworthy and honest. Countries most like us, our "natural family," tell us why.

Great Britain is our mother. Our founding fathers came from there. Our traditions and our culture originated there. Our rule of law came from English common law. We speak, sort of, the same language.

From that mother, four siblings developed: the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia. All brought English values, abused their aboriginal people and ransacked their natural resources. All added non-British people, with varying degrees of success. All are strong economies with high standards of living. Each developed different personalities, but we are family.

This past year I visited Canada, Australia and New Zealand. I met people in pubs, their homes and public libraries. I read their local newspapers and bulletin boards, listened to what they say, observed their reaction when they heard my accent.

During January, Jenny and I were the only Americans among a group in New Zealand: eight from Britain, four from Canada, eight from Australia, two from New Zealand and one each from Iran, Finland and Austria. All were conservative, middle class, educated people.

Early on, our new friends said little about America. The term "immoral" was first applied to us when a Canadian couple mentioned that for many years they spent winters in Arizona. The woman developed a serious illness. Her Canadian health plan was not accepted in America. Hospital costs of her initial visit were so great they lost their Tucson house. America's health service, said her husband, was immoral.

Every country represented, except ours, had a national health plan. All provided better longevity, infant survival, immunization, affordable medications and other objective health standards.

The Iraq war, our torture of prisoners, secret prisons, holding people without charges and snooping on citizens without court warrants were seen as immoral acts. They saw Americans as no longer free, trading freedom for a false security. America has immoral leadership and people unwilling to hold leaders accountable. Skillful politicians keep voters focused on private actions that the far right see as objectionable. The poor and needy suffer while wedge issues keep religious zealots happy.

James Pilkington of Maraubra, Australia, (Sydney Morning Herald, Feb. 4), writing in response to the Anglican Archbishop Dr. Peter Jensen's condemnation of homosexual conduct, described what many see as the irrationality of the religious right in America.

Pilkington said the church is obsessed with cultural things that Christ did not address: homosexual behavior, sex before marriage, alcohol, sanctity of the family.

Pilkington argued that Christ taught brotherhood of man, not family unity. Jesus said he came to turn father against son. He said little about homosexuals, drinking or sex. Instead, he had a crazy obsession about helping the poor, the sick and the hungry. He taught that what people do to the least of humanity they do to him.

America claims to be a country based on Christian morals. Yet our policies are based on individual wealth, personal safety and cultural behavior. The richest country in the world does not adequately address human need. As we fail to take care of the poor, load debt on future generations and bully the rest of the world we turn friends into enemies. Even our siblings think we are hypocrites.

To become again an effective world leader, we must clean up our morals. We must become obsessed with helping people less fortunate, in our country and overseas. This opinion comes from people who care most deeply about us - our family.

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Thad Box is a former dean of the College of Natural Resources at Utah State University.

The foregoing article is another reader submission.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is way off the mark on this particular thread, but it may have to do with "needing to clean up our act".

The newly elected mayor of Clearfield just resigned his mayorial position as well as his day job as a LDS seminary teacher at the local high school. Then, as I understand it, the head of the very same seminary just resigned.

So what's the story? I sure hope we don't have another one of those "Broke Back Mormon" stories right here in the promised land. Can we really endure another Matt and Stu style scandal?

Anonymous said...

This article points out something I have thought for some time---that people nowadays do not seem to understand that the concept of morality is not limited to the subjects of sex and whatever one ingests. There's a bit more to it.

Former Centerville Citizen said...

Well said Dian, well said.

Anonymous said...

So we don't have socialized medicine for our visitors? THAT makes us "immoral"?
Canada harbors, without shame, AWOL cowardly 'soldiers' and draft dodgers, back in the day. I think that's immoral!
I think gutter language by teens and adults on the streets, in stores, and restaurants AND achools is a demonstration of incivility and ugliness. I think we have become an uncivil society.
Fat bellies bulging over jeans, tattoos ad nauseum, hardware in the face, mouth, and ears, jeans' crotches to the knees replete with chains and dog collars on scrawny necks are disgusting and speak of an ill-bred society.
I could say so much more about corrupt politics on the local level, along with our tolerance for child abuse, pornography and pedophilia, which are intertwined in too many cases. I think it's immoral to be soft on drunk drivers and that includes those stoned on illegal drugs.
I think it's immoral to allow millions of illegals access to our country and services. I think it's immoral to have every message on phones, signs, medicines, etc IN SPANISH, thus enabling the illegals to be 'comfortable' here. I think it's immoral and unlawful for employers to knowingly hire illegals...AND pay them under the table.
Talk among yourselves...gotta dash.

Anonymous said...

To me, Sharon's tirade is a prime example of incivility.

ArmySarge said...

Moron....oops, I meant MoronI..sorry. Anyway, Sharon pretty much said it as it is.

RudiZink said...

I had a sneaking feeling we'd hear a divergence of opinions, even amongst our normally gentle readers, upon the posting of this article.

Don't let the cat get your tongues.

Anonymous said...

In 1847 the spanish (mexicans) had very poor imigration policy and very sloppy border protection.
Thus they let the Mo's slip through and occupy the great basin.

Big mistake as it turns out.

What goes around comes around...

ArmySarge said...

Our march toward third world status continues.......

Anonymous said...

It seems that the reply from Sharon, who I incidently admire, has taken the front on this thread.

With respect to Sharon I would like to reply to her comments:

"So we don't have socialized medicine for our visitors? THAT makes us "immoral"?"

Yes Sharon, we are all Gods children, we all deserve the benefit of modern medical science. The real enemy here is IHC and other robber baron health insurance companies - not poor immigrants who might be ill.

"Canada harbors, without shame, AWOL cowardly 'soldiers' and draft dodgers, back in the day. I think that's immoral!"

Well Sharon, back in the day, I wore the uniform of the United States Army - 101st Airborne - and I laid my life on the line. I considered then, and I consider now, those who chose Canada, to be my brothers. They did it their way, I did it mine. They were no more cowardly than I was.

"I think gutter language by teens and adults on the streets, in stores, and restaurants AND achools is a demonstration of incivility and ugliness. I think we have become an uncivil society."

We sure do agree on that one Sharon! Although I think the "uncivil" part mostly applies to the phony politicians we have these days.

"Fat bellies bulging over jeans, tattoos ad nauseum, hardware in the face, mouth, and ears, jeans' crotches to the knees replete with chains and dog collars on scrawny necks are disgusting and speak of an ill-bred society."

Yea, but then again this is what I wore the uniform to defend. Sad, I don't like it much myself.

"I could say so much more about corrupt politics on the local level, along with our tolerance for child abuse, pornography and pedophilia, which are intertwined in too many cases. I think it's immoral to be soft on drunk drivers and that includes those stoned on illegal drugs."

Yep, once again we find ourselves on the same page.

"I think it's immoral to allow millions of illegals access to our country and services."

You know Sharon, the millions of illegals you speak of, mostly Mexican, were here first. We stole the place from them.

"I think it's immoral to have every message on phones, signs, medicines, etc IN SPANISH, thus enabling the illegals to be 'comfortable' here."

Reminds me of Japan where all the signs are in Japanese - AND - English. Thus enabling us "Giegenes" to be comfortable there.

"I think it's immoral and unlawful for employers to knowingly hire illegals...AND pay them under the table."

The alternative is to have $10 Burgers at MacDonalds because "whitesome and delightsome" American teenagers are to lazy these days to work those jobs you and I did in the 50's.

We might not agree on some stuff Sharon, but I think you're the tops on most things.

Anonymous said...

Hi Ozboy,
Enjoyed your reply to me. You sound like a compassionate guy.
My brother died in Korea. Another was a Marine in Vietnam..(both in military cemeteries now).
My late husband served in Korea...wounded..ready to go back and fight some more.
I can't agree about AWOL "soldiers"....YOU and the other soldiers with integrity fought for this country. THEY will and did NOT. No sympathy from me. Going to war would scare the hell out of me...but, if I had on the uniform..I'd go. You did. How we act when were scared determines and defines the real men and women in our volunteer armed forces. Illegals are costing Arizona, CA,NM,TX and other states BILLIONS of dollars in services, results of gang warfare, drugs and crime.
Ask Rudi for my # and I'll send you some info JUST from AZ!!!
But, I have to tell you, OZVoy....your remark about the HuB and Godfrey as the HUBCAP is deliteful!!
Thanx for your comments.

Anonymous said...

Well Sharon, you and I are already pals.
Ask Dorothy or Rudi who I am, I am sure you won't be suprised.

However, we do seem to disagree about a couple of things, mainly "illegals" and those so called "draft dodgers"

In spite of what the "illegals" cost, I believe that they are one of the main stays of the American Economy. They work for minimum wages, and they make the wheels go around here in the land of plenty. I think there are a lot more of them that are hard working immigrants pursuing the American Dream than there are criminals and welfare reciepients placing a drag on the American Economy. If it were not for them, lettuce would be five bucks a head, Steak would be fifteen bucks a pound and there wouldn't be a clean dish in any restaurant in town.

Beside they got more soul than any Republican I know - Rudi excepted.

As to those "Draft Dodgers" well, I think it took a lot of guts to just say "No" to immoral politicians sending young men to die in a far away jungle for some ill defined political ideas. I didn't go to Canada, and I am proud that I didn't. Instead I took up arms for my country, I defended the constitution, I laid my life on the line for three years, three months and twenty nine days. I did it so those other guys could go to Canada as they chose. None of them were any less patriotic than I was, in my opinion. They did what they did to defend a principle, just like I did. We were all God's Chillin just doing what we thought best givin the circumstances.

Incidently, I too have uncles and brothers and a father who wore the uniform of the United States of America. Some agree with me on this issue, some don't. I love them equally.

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