This is Floyd Wynne with THE VIEW FROM HERE.

Sometimes your words can come back to haunt you.

             That’s the case of a commentary that I wrote over twenty years ago. Rereading it today, it sounds like today.  Here are some of the comments that I talked about.            

             “I’m concerned about today’s America.  I’m concerned about the strident voices that fill our streets with protesters and placards...our ballot boxes with philosophical issues.  I decry making foreign policy in our streets.

             America is a nation that is tired of extremism, yet vulnerable to the seeds of apathy that lead to self destruction for our way of life.

New extremism has arisen in our midst like a Trojan horse.  We are an undisciplined people, and in that may lie much of our strength, but it’s the lack of discipline that has caused other nations of the world to downgrade our system, and use only some modification of the process.

We are a steaming cauldron of people, philosophies.

We are a nation over 200 years in the process, and still struggling for national purpose and meaning.  We all really around the banner of freedom, but many just pay it lip service.

We wallow in a trough of indecision.  Our political process sniping constantly at each other, with no sentry watching for the enemy.

We have and are pitting age against youth….white against black…. Liberal against conservative.

We glory in this constant cacophony of confusion, feeling that it is the real strength of America...the fact that anyone and everyone can disagree at the top of their lungs.  But, just as in any disagreement, there must come a time for decision….a time for doing….a time for unison...a time for accord...not discord.

I’m not advocating that we stifle dissenters or that we throttle discord, or muzzle dissenting views.  I think, though, it is past time that we demanded “responsibility”.  It’s another fruit of freedom that many have failed to see.

             Well…..that was my view some twenty years ago.  Strangely those views are very adaptable to today’s vision of America.  We are a nation in disarray with politics replacing patriotism and foreign policy subject to meaningless polls and faceless parades in our streets.

             All I can say is…..Wake up America !.....wake up and take an honest look at what we have done with the freedoms that prior generations have handed down to us….and one that millions of our young people in many conflicts have fought and died for...and are doing so today.

Yes…..we are a nation in disarray, and unless we change, we may well be destined for destruction not from without…..but from within.

 This is Floyd Wynne and that’s THE VIEW FROM HERE.

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Text Box:   This is Floyd Wynne with THE VIEW FROM HERE. Sometimes your words can come back to haunt you.              That’s the case of a commentary that I wrote over twenty years ago. Rereading it today, it sounds like today.  Here are some of the comments that I talked about.                          “I’m concerned about today’s America.  I’m concerned about the strident voices that fill our streets with protesters and placards...our ballot boxes with philosophical issues.  I decry making foreign policy in our streets.              America is a nation that is tired of extremism, yet vulnerable to the seeds of apathy that lead to self destruction for our way of life. New extremism has arisen in our midst like a Trojan horse.  We are an undisciplined people, and in that may lie much of our strength, but it’s the lack of discipline that has caused other nations of the world to downgrade our system, and use only some modification of the process. We are a steaming cauldron of people, philosophies. We are a nation over 200 years in the process, and still struggling for national purpose and meaning.  We all really around the banner of freedom, but many just pay it lip service. We wallow in a trough of indecision.  Our political process sniping constantly at each other, with no sentry watching for the enemy. We have and are pitting age against youth….white against black…. Liberal against conservative. We glory in this constant cacophony of confusion, feeling that it is the real strength of America...the fact that anyone and everyone can disagree at the top of their lungs.  But, just as in any disagreement, there must come a time for decision….a time for doing….a time for unison...a time for accord...not discord. I’m not advocating that we stifle dissenters or that we throttle discord, or muzzle dissenting views.  I think, though, it is past time that we demanded “responsibility”.  It’s another fruit of freedom that many have failed to see.              Well…..that was my view some twenty years ago.  Strangely those views are very adaptable to today’s vision of America.  We are a nation in disarray with politics replacing patriotism and foreign policy subject to meaningless polls and faceless parades in our streets.              All I can say is…..Wake up America !.....wake up and take an honest look at what we have done with the freedoms that prior generations have handed down to us….and one that millions of our young people in many conflicts have fought and died for...and are doing so today. Yes…..we are a nation in disarray, and unless we change, we may well be destined for destruction not from without…..but from within.  This is Floyd Wynne and that’s THE VIEW FROM HERE.    

Text Box: 1/23/07