REMEMBERING THE REAL AMERICA
REMEMBERING THE REAL AMERICA
Exclusive: Barbara Simpson calls on citizens to 'battle for soul of our country'
Published: 3 hours ago
I’ve been spending time recently going through family papers and belongings, making those difficult decisions after family deaths.
My mother was a “saver,” and I’ve found a number of interesting things, among them, a list of statements entitled “Remember the Real America.”
It’s undated and notes it was donated by Beatrice Gibby and Wilfred Beardsley. I don’t know them, but their thoughts are appropriate for Independence Day and the turmoil we face today.
IF YOU CAN REMEMBER …
WHEN riots were unthinkable.
WHEN you left front doors open.
WHEN socialism was a dirty word.
WHEN ghettos were neighborhoods.
WHEN the Flag was a sacred symbol.
WHEN criminals actually went to jail.
WHEN you weren’t afraid to go out at night.
WHEN taxes were only a necessary nuisance.
WHEN a boy was a boy, and dressed like one.
WHEN a girl was a girl, and dressed like one.
WHEN the poor were too proud to take charity.
WHEN the clergy actually talked about religion.
WHEN clerks and repairmen tried to please you.
WHEN college kids swallowed goldfish, not acid.
WHEN songs had a tune, and the words made sense.
WHEN young fellows tried to join the Army or Navy.
WHEN people knew what the Fourth of July stood for.
WHEN you never dreamed our country could ever lose.
WHEN a Sunday drive was a pleasant trip, not an ordeal.
WHEN you bragged about your hometown and home state.
WHEN everybody didn’t feel entitled to a college education.
WHEN people expected less and valued what they had more.
WHEN politicians proclaimed their patriotism, and meant it.
WHEN everybody knew the difference between right and wrong.
WHEN things weren’t perfect – but you never expected them to be.
WHEN you weren’t made to feel guilty for enjoying dialect comedy.
WHEN our government stood up for Americans, anywhere in the world.
WHEN you knew that the law would be enforced, and your safety would be protected.
WHEN you considered yourself lucky to have a good job, and proud to have it.
WHEN the law meant justice, and you felt a shiver of awe at the sight of a policeman.
WHEN you weren’t embarrassed to say that this is the best country in the world.
WHEN America was a land filled with brave, proud, confident, hard-working people!
And that was it. Thirty-two statements that cover a wide range of issues that clearly were important to the authors but yet apply to us today, some more so than others.
Most Americans living today have never experienced most of those situations, but we’ve all had our lives touched by them in many ways.
Compare them to what we see in the daily news headlines on TV or the Internet or in our neighborhood papers or websites. It’s clear: Times have changed, and not necessarily for the better.
Things were simpler, but they were more honest.
Yes, our attitudes have changed. People demand more for less and expect the government to be the benevolent “daddy” without realizing that anything they get from the government comes from someone else’s pocket.
And yes, our role in the world has changed as a result of our government’s deliberate actions to reduce us in the eyes of the world in terms of power and influence.
As we celebrate “the Fourth of July” – in reality, Independence Day – there’s no doubt, most Americans have no idea of what that means.
“Independence” – from what? Most don’t know and don’t care.
This patriotic holiday has become just one of many national holiday/long-weekends that Americans use to kick back, vacation, BBQ and drink beer.
The fact that a war was fought to enable them the freedom to have these days to “kick back” doesn’t enter their minds. In fact, the annual patriotic parades have almost disappeared, the honoring of our military is virtually gone and too often, so has honoring our flag.
The writers of the list touched on what they regarded as the “real” America; I admit I agree.
We’ve lost a lot over the decades, and we’re still losing. But it isn’t a lost cause – yet.
We have time to save our nation for ourselves and our children, but the clock is ticking and salvation is up to American citizens who believe this country is worth saving.
Not everyone in our government believes it is, so what I’m talking about is a real battle for the soul of our country.
I think it’s worth fighting for.
What do you think?
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A simpler time......maybe. I can definitely agree with the writers assertion that many don't remember why we celebrate the 4th of July.
Although nostalgia always has an allure for those old enough to remember what is being referred to, and I can see the appeal of some of these statements, we can't go back, and it would not be right to do so, as Bobby has partially explained.
The article is straight from a conservative columnist for a far right website, World Net Daily. This is the Trump appeal, 4th of July style.
Thanks John. Yes, some of these "remember when's" are more than a bit frightening. I'm not so much in a hurry to go back in time. I do wish our holidays were not so commercialized and geared towards retail. It makes me feel as if we've sold out.
Its true-- a lot of people Trump appea;s to are those who yearn for what they remember as "the good old days".
There' s some truth t the way they remember those times. I believe it shifted in, maybe, the 80's (?) but up until then a middle class family could afford a lot of things a middle class family can not afford now.... their overall standard of living has actually declined over the years.
Hit the source John - forget the reason for the thread.
Although I was in NORTH America at the time, not the US, I made this comment on a blog about remembering the past posted by Robert-in-Ohio. (You should check out the blogs now and then).
I miss the time of my life when we didn't have to lock our doors, when uncles, aunts, grandparents and even great grandparents lived within walking distance. I miss the days of going to the Saturday afternoon matinee where watching the serial was more important than the news and sometimes even the movie. I miss being able, as a little kid, to be able to go into the local forest by myself and not be concerned about kidnappers or pedophiles or other predators, while I collected salamanders. I miss the scrub softball games on the public school grounds that were a short block away even if I was the last kid chosen for one of the teams because I wasn't particularly athletic. I miss spending the summers at my grandmother's cottage at the local beach, the nickle ice cream cones, collecting empty glass pop (soda if you're an American) bottles on the beach and cashing them in for 2 cents each to spend on candy and 10 cent comic books. I miss the fishing with my uncle who had no children and treated me as if I were his - fishing off the pier of the canal between Lake Ontario and Hamilton Bay while watching the huge iron ore ships sailing through to deliver to the Steel Company of Canada. I miss standing at the side of the highway there with my friends and being able to name the brand of cars as they drove by. I miss sucking on the shards of ice we got off the back of the iceman's horse-drawn wagon as he delivered a block of ice for my grandmother's cottage icebox. I miss sitting in the cottage screen porch and watching the sunsets over the bay sparkling in the waves. And I miss going to bed at night and hearing the moaning whistle of the steam-driven freight train that traveled from Toronto to Buffalo
However, at the age of 69 I made a complete change, and, like Bilbo Baggins in Lord of the Rings, went on a whole new adventure, and started my life all over again.
Buzz - you have some great "remember when's".