Kelly's Korner Kontinuous Koments

SOME THOUGHTS ON AMERICA

Someone sent me the application on facebook that is a map where you can mark where you have been, where you have lived, and where you would like to go. I marked mine. I realized that, thanks to being a "military brat," and then doing mission work that I had managed to get someone else to pay for me to have gone to five different continents. I have never been to Australia (would love to go there) and I have never been to Antarctica (don't have any real desire to go there). I have lived mostly in the south, except for some stints in foreign places when I was a kid, like Germany, Japan, and Illinois. Over the years I have been able to travel at least some in a good part of the United States. (I did walk out the door of the airport in Hawaii so that I could say I had been there.

I have said all of that to simply say that I have seen America as I have travelled, America as I was leaving, and America as I was returning. Filling out the map just made me think about some things.

• AMERICA IS A WONDERFUL COUNTRY. I have always contended that every young person should be required to leave America for a few weeks at some point, and to go to some place in the world that is NOT 5-star. They should have to walk the smelly, dirty, animal, animal waste, infested streets of a place like South India. They should have to take an "Indian shower" - (a bucket of water with a cup). They should have to use an Indian toilet - (two foot holders on either side of a hole in the ground - you just hope you've got good aim!) They should be required to look into the face of true poverty. I know we talk about poverty in this country, but the truth is that I do not believe that any American really knows what true poverty is. It always amuses me when I hear someone talking about how impoverished he/she is - on his/her cell phone, as he/she purchases a large roast, a buggy full of other items, milk (the new gold standard, but that is another story), and the requisite cigarettes and alcohol, and then climbs into his/her car, and go to his/her house. But all of that aside, we are truly the most blessed country in the world. Economically we have so much. Socially and politically we have the right to express our opinions and beliefs. We should be so thankful for what we have, and realize our blessings. I also believe that this is a wonderful country because there are a lot of good people in it. I know, the headlines are about the bad ones. They steal all the thunder and gain all the attention. But so many Americans will come together in time of trouble. I still believe that most Americans are decent caring people. I have seen so much in the rest of the world, I will certainly, gladly, take my chances with "my fellow Americans."
• I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE MAJOR THREATS AHEAD FOR AMERICA .I don't mean global warming. (By the way, the "global warming" folks, led by the great inventor of the internet, Al Gore, are having a heyday right now because of the 100+ degree temperatures. Of course, there were about this many 100+ degree days here in Montgomery back in 1954, but that doesn't matter - oh well, another subject for another day-truth is, I don't really believe it a major threat at all!). I do not believe that terrorism is the greatest threat to this country. I believe that we had better be vigilant or we will suffer greatly because of terrorism, but that is not the greatest threat to this country. I do not believe that atheistic teaching and the strongly anti-religious movement in this country is the greatest threat to America. I do believe that there are those who want to remove religious freedom and destroy the right to practice our faith. This is a realistic fear and threat, I am convinced. But it is not the greatest that America faces. I do not believe that the immorality that is so rampant, and the militancy of some for immoral practices is the greatest threat to this country. It is true that the scriptures say that "righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people." I think that America can be destroyed by this overwhelming of immorality. But I still don't believe that it is the greatest threat.
• WHAT DO I BELIEVE IS THE GREATEST THREAT TO AMERICA? There is an old story where a teacher asks what a student thought was the major problem in the world. He answered, "I don't know, and I don't care." She replied, "Exactly!" While all of the things (except global warming) in the previous paragraph are grave threats, none of them can prevail unless we are IGNORANT and APATHETIC. My wife and I were talking about our concerns for the future. What bothers us more than anything is to see in so many young folks the unwillingness to learn about what is going on in the world, and more than that the absolute failure to even care about what is going on. The dangers we have mentioned, along with others that could be mentioned, will grow and explode and ultimately will destroy this country - unless we are a people who are aware and who care. I will contend with anyone that the greatest danger to this wonderful country is IGNORANCE AND APATHY. That is the biggest battle that we must fight! It breaks my heart to think of this country in ruins, of true poverty possessing its people, of the precious freedoms destroyed and gone. We had better become educated and educate; we had better care, and teach others to care. Then this land can stand.

DO YOU UNDERSTAND AND KNOW WHAT I AM SAYING?

DO YOU CARE ABOUT WHAT I AM SAYING?

If so let us stand together against those forces that would destroy "America the Beautiful."

And that's my Kommentary for today.