At the End of the Day

There are a lot of people out there pointing fingers and placing blame. Some of it is due to uncertainty. Some to downright fear. Some is just playing politics as usual. But a lot of it is coming from a society that no longer understands that manufacturing things and shipping them takes time. A society that is used to having everything done and done perfectly right now! A society that thinks that just because a lot of people need one, a cure will be discovered right now and made available tomorrow. A society, in other words, that no longer lives in reality. We just got served the check. It seems to this author like finger pointing and politics playing ought to take a step back and remember the basics. Basics like:If you can't say something nice about someone, don't say anything at all" and "You should walk a mile in that man's shoes before you judge the choices he has had to make." I wonder how many of those trying to place blame here and there have really thought about what they would have done as POTUS or a state governor upon being given such a challenge to face? Do they understand the legal limitations of those roles? If you can help in some way, then do so. If you can't help then stay out of the way of those who are doing what they can, with what they have, where they are. And kindly stop with the armchair quarterbacking. Think you could have done better? Then go and get on your local ballot and do better for your community in the future and be thankful that these were not your decisions to have to make. Because, at the end of the day, once again, this is not something a government can stop. Only large numbers of personally responsible people making good decisions can do that. And pointing fingers and placing blame doesn't help anyone, it just makes you look bad and drives those who may have already lost their homes and businesses because of this virus into a deeper depression. America needs all those people. We need everyone to make this work and we will need everyone we have left to recover when it has passed, so play nice.

"15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. 16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. 17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. 18 Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly." ~ Heb 13:15-18

Lack of Leadership or Lack of Practice?

I read a post a while back (Feb. 23rd - titled "Loyalty and leadership") at Vanishing American on leadership and the lack of it in our country. I'm thinking through something here, so please bear with me.

It seems to me that entitlement programs remove the necessity for individual displays of leadership. As a volunteer who teaches leadership I know that leadership is a skill. It can be developed, through training and practice. One of the biggest hurdles is finding an occasion that makes an individual motivated enough to step up to the plate and "do something". That's what almost all of the training is about - providing small opportunities to practice leadership so that when large ones come along, an individual is able to do something with them.

When a government or other entity, takes over those situations in which such a decision would ordinarily take place, then the individual is denied the opportunity to practice leadership. (Along with compassion, planning and the logical thought towards what sort of help would truly engender the best possible outcome that goes along with it.) Not only is the individual denied the opportunity to practice leadership but all those around that individual lose the opportunity to witness it and learn from the demonstration.

It is one thing to be motivated to help out those less fortunate than oneself. It is another to have a government that does it so that you don't have to. The first one is empowering. It lets you know that you make a difference. It allows you to practice those skills that make a leader. The second one is passive and tears down that sense of personal responsibility and spirit of self government that desperately needs building up in our society today.

What is this teaching our children? The opportunities to practice real leadership in the classroom are few and far between. Children used to wander around and make up their own games. How many do that now? How many children actually get an opportunity to be leaders in organized sports? Do they plan the trips? Do they set the lineup of who will play and know the reasoning behind that lineup? Organized team sports are wonderful for encouraging fitness and teaching sportsmanship, but they don't teach leadership except to a few. If we want good leaders, we must provide opportunity and training for our children to become those leaders. We must seek out organzations that are actively teaching it. (See "Where Have All the Adults Gone?" below)

"For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
"~Gen 18:19