Death of America? - A Case for Freedom and Liberty

I won't really be celebrating the 4th of July this year. There are a couple of reasons. The first is that many of the states are either returning to lock down mode or have decided to put stricter measures in place. The second is that I really don't like what's happening to our country right now. Some would say that similar circumstances happened during the last pandemic over a hundred years ago. Yes, many businesses closed, and events were cancelled due to the pandemic back then. Yes, many people died any way, because the argument is they didn't cancel the events soon enough to contain the spread.

The argument falls flat when you realize that those businesses chose to close, and events weren't cancelled but were modified to adjust to the measures. There was no inference that only kept the large businesses open, leaving the small businesses to close and go out of business forever. The argument also falls when the evidence shows that churches remained open and able to assist those in need.

I realize that the disease that we're all facing is severe. There is no denying this. Yet with all these lock downs and strict measures we have abandoned our freedom. Government is now dictating who can run a business, and who can work. They are also trying to shove down our throats the threat of tracing so you can face jail time for inadvertently exposing people to the virus. Yikes! The scary part is that you have no say in the matter. Your liberty can be taken away from you in the name of "safety" and "security."

I definitely feel sorry for the police. It is their selfless efforts on our behalf that keep us safe. They get no thanks for their jobs. Without them there would actually be death of America. I will be celebrating in September, however, when our borough is supposed to have a Patriot's Day celebration. It is only when law and order is in place that the case for freedom and liberty can truly be addressed.

The Digital Divide: A Case for The Disenfranchised

I was doing some research today about why I'm having so much difficulty in finding work. I tried over the past almost nine years to find something that I could do. I found writing to be one avenue to pursue with some limited success. I also found a bunch of resources that left me feeling a bit overwhelmed. I wasn't sure what to pursue where I would have any chance of getting a decent steady job. I, like some of my contemporaries have become what some would coin as disenfranchised. We had the experience, but it wasn't in technology. We wanted to learn, but some of us were barred due to lack of resources.

I discovered it wasn't just me that was experiencing this disenfranchisement. Many older people are experiencing it as well. For some of us it is the digital divide that has rendered us obsolete and useless. The fact is that although many in our generation embrace some of the newer technology, we can't embrace it all. We see what's currently happening with everything going online, and it deeply disturbs us. This past few months should have opened people's eyes to the fact that too much is now being put online barring those who don't have internet access to normal lives.

I realized that it isn't just the older folks that are feeling the effects of this rapid shift into the digital age. There are actually a whole segment of society that has been barred from conducting normal transactions. The push is for automated servers (no worries about infection there), automatic payment (no risk of handling cash) and online shopping (no brick and mortar stores). We've all seen the barring of monetary transactions through onsite branches. Some banks even went so far as to deny people the ability to access their accounts physically. Even now some of these same banks, and those who have opened up are continuing to press people to sign up for electronic payments. It sounds "fishy" to me. It also doesn't seem right to me. Just because someone doesn't have a smartphone or mobile device, doesn't mean that they can't get money out of their account.

Forming a More Perfect Union in A Imperfect World

I took last week off from the computer. I reflected on the past three months and how the world has changed. I also set some goals for myself. When I came back online yesterday I was unpleasantly hit with the chaos that is happening all over the country. Seattle is a war zone with a new country (so they say) set up over six city blocks. In Philadelphia we have the makings of another new country (so they say) set up over on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. I could be frightened right now about what's happening, but surprisingly I'm not.

I believe that this is all part of God's plan. He's allowing people to wallow in their own filth and create their own destruction. God said there would be consequences for wicked and perverse actions. We are seeing the results of many government officials' wicked and perverse actions. I get that some are really scared and intimidated by the mob. Yet it was only a month or so ago that the mayor and city council made some really stupid moves in regards to the police and broke laws that have been on the books for a very long time. I admittedly am very reluctant to even take a chance at going to work downtown anymore. It has become a very dangerous place.

It got me thinking too. How do we form a more perfect union in this imperfect world? Is what the founders of the United States of America said about this country even possible anymore? I've tried to make sense of what's happening, but none of it makes any sense at all. We are not really united in what we believe anymore. Our ideology has been skewered until we don't have a clue what's right or wrong. My personal research into the time of the last great pandemic is telling in that there was no anarchy or riots in the streets during that time period. In fact there was some tremendous growth, which seems strange when you look at the newspaper reports of that time period. People were dying by the thousands of the Spanish Flu. There was restrictions like the masks, but people were unified in their beliefs. They had a stronger and more solid belief in God. They believed that church was a place where people could go to be with God and learn more about him. They had a strong moral code that was able to resist the changes that were taking place back then. They believed in the United States of America. They were ready to form that more perfect union in their imperfect world.

Yes, I have to believe that God still has his hands on us. He is preparing his children right now for the coming battle. I have to believe that he will use us as he is using our President to bring the full called ones home. 

Feeling Overwhelmed and Out of Touch

Today I resolved to stop wallowing, and do something about my current situation. I figured that by taking some action I might be able to see what direction I should go. Unfortunately with the rapid changes that have happened over the past three months, I'm feeling overwhelmed and out of touch. I could basically give it all up, and start trying to apply for welfare again. I've gone that route, but was kicked off after I didn't fill out the form correctly. I have been fortunate though because God has provided for me.

I know that I do have to start moving to find at least one income stream. I also know that I have to stop being so resistant to the changes that are happening. It isn't easy. I don't like having to depend on the Internet to do everything. I don't like having to use electronic means to get things I need. It is frustrating. Yet I do want to learn to do something that will make me some money. I don't want to have to depend on the government for my sustenance.

The problem is that I'm having some difficulties deciding what free courses I should take. There are so many! I know I need some training in order to gain employment, but not sure what type of training I need. It is almost like being in a library and having to choose a favorite book. I miss the library, and the excitement of finding that perfect book.

There is going to be a lot to get used to once the libraries are open again. I fear that I probably won't be able to sit for an hour or more and read like I used to do. I fear that the books that I want to do research on will be gone. The transformation of libraries as community centers will be complete with no physical books...sigh.

I am feeling out of touch with these new digital offerings. I hate the push that some companies are taking to get everyone on line, and using electronic means of payment. I guess hate is too strong a word. Yet I resent that some companies are going out of their way not to accept physical currency. They are even encouraging kids to pick up the bad habits of their parents by using cards for purchases.

I am overwhelmed by the deterioration of our major cities, seemingly overnight as riots break out. I don't understand it, but I pray for those who are defending us against the thugs. I do wish that things would go back to where they were back in February. It is a foolish dream. Things won't be back to that normal for a very long time. My mind does have a hard time accepting this. I do tend to "shut down" when things start going "south."