Smart Girl Nation, November Edition, Article, "Defining Patriotism"

The latest issue of Smart Girl Nation, published by Smart Girl Politics Action, was released today.  Below is an excerpt from my article, called Defining Patriotism.  Hope you enjoy!  (You can read the rest here.)

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“Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.”  America was founded with many basic values.  We were a God-fearing people, striving for liberty, and the good will of people was evident at every turn.  Sadly, we as a nation have strayed from many of those founding principles.  We are now in danger of losing another; one that has been an underlying theme in every American success.  Patriotism exemplifies everything America is about.  Love of country is much of the reason America is different from every other nation.  If we lose that, most of our superiority in the world goes with it.

Patriotism is something that has been instilled in Americans' hearts for generations.  This country gave many people the opportunity to achieve their “American Dream”, giving them a very strong love for their country.  It was of great importance to them that their children learn that same love of country, through telling their stories to their children, and teaching them that America truly is the land of opportunity.  They, in turn, grew up to tell their own children the same thing, sharing their own stories of American success, with a sense of pride and patriotism which every American who has achieved their dreams understands. 

Patriotism is the driving force behind our military.  As Nathan Hale, a spy in the American Revolution, said, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.”  Every person that enlists in our armed forces has a patriotism the rest of America should strive for.  To have the courage to leave your family for the cause of freedom is something worthy of being admired and replicated to everyone in America.  They love their country enough to sacrifice themselves for it, and that is true patriotism: “Love of country and willingness to sacrifice for it.”  Thousands of young Americans have given their lives for this country.  While not all of us are called to follow in their footsteps into war, we can embody that same kind of patriotism by showing how much we appreciate their sacrifice.  Even a smile and a thank-you shows a soldier how much you appreciate him or her.  The fact that a person would give of themselves so that we could have freedom ought to elicit a feeling of patriotism from every single American. 

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"The Dangers of an Apathetic Youth"

Below is an excerpt from my piece in Smart Girl Nation, the magazine published by Smart Girl Politics Action.  You can read the rest here.

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“We need you, we need your youth, your strength, and your idealism, to help us make right what is wrong.”  President Reagan's words still have meaning for every youth in America today. Our goal should be to continue his idea: for American youth to give their strength and ideas to governing this country. Our age does not mean we remain silent. We need to work together to conquer this apathy that has overtaken American teens. At this rate, the next generation of Americans will be so uninformed about current affairs that America could be in danger of losing its superpower status. Prevention of that is impossible without a huge intervention right now. In order to accomplish this, together we must understand how critical it really is.

Where did this apathy come from? It most likely comes from parents. Political apathy is not only concerning among teenagers, it is rampant among adults as well. It is more than likely that apathy is passed from one generation to the next. Many parents developed apathy growing up after the Great Depression. Those who grew up before and during the Depression were brought up believing in the American Dream, which included faith and hard work. After the Depression, government became much more involved in peoples' everyday lives, bringing a sense of entitlement to many in that new generation. Even more concerning, apathy is not only in politics; more recently, it's been found in the areas of religion and school. The number of teens who attend church regularly is dropping, and high school graduation rates are at some of their lowest points yet. Clearly, apathy is not limited to politics, and all areas need to be addressed. If teens do not become more knowledgeable about the things going on around them, we as a nation will suffer the consequences.

Smart Girl Nation!

I am a member of Smart Girl Politics, and today, the latest issue of their magazine, Smart Girl Nation, was published.  My work was included, so check it out and tell me what you think!  www.sgpaction.com/sgn (page 16).

Just a bit on Social Security...

Just a bit, because this will be much, much shorter than my posts normally are :)

I am currently writing a piece for Smart Girl Nation, a national online magazine (which is the reason my posts have been less than normal this week!).  My piece is about Social Security-- its beginning, what it does, and if it is necessary.  I did not know too much about the system before I began writing.  I know now, though, that it really is a very complex system that was designed masterfully in order to still function today.  Yes, the system will default in the future for lack of funding, but the fact that it has survived through the 20th century and into the 21st is truly something remarkable.  I am really rather surprised that it has not been "reformed" before this.  The whole system has some incredible flaws, gaps in thinking, that could and should have been corrected long before this.

Texas governor and Presidential candidate Rick Perry has been attacked from both parties for his "Ponzi scheme" comments regarding the Social Security system.  He has been accused of trying to frighten seniors (by Mitt Romney) by stating the system needs reformation.  He has been accused of being insensitive to the needs of seniors.  All of this is untrue.  He is being attacked as though this is the first time anyone has ever used the phrase "Ponzi scheme" in the same sentence as Social Security.  This is also untrue.  It has been used by people from both parties for decades.

Conservative radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh had some interesting things to say about Rick Perry being attacked on his choice of words.  He says that by the rest of the GOP Presidential candidate field attacking him on this, they are literally catering to the liberal media.  He says that all the media wants to do is attack and find fault with Rick Perry in order to help President Obama win reelection.  By going along with the line of attacks that they are, the rest of the Presidential contenders are helping President Obama more than they are helping themselves. 

I could try to sum up everything Mr. Limbaugh said, but I think it would be better if you just take a look for yourself:  http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_091211/content/01125106.guest.html.

Social Security has, in the past few weeks, gone from an almost "undercover operation" that no one discussed or questioned, to now being one of the hottest discussion topics in the country.  The fact that Governor Perry is calling it a Ponzi scheme is adding to that.  This system does need to be reformed.  By continuing in the direction it is headed right now, it will default by 2027, if not sooner.  All the people who have been paying taxes into the system for their entire work lives will lose all of that money.  This is just not right, the choosing of whose money is protected and others' is not. 

The next issue of Smart Girl Nation comes out on September 27th-- you can read my full thoughts there! :)