America Is on a Suicide Watch - Part Two

Yesterday, I listed three steps America can – and desperately needs to – take if we want to reverse the downward death spiral we currently find ourselves in. Today, I want to expand on the fourth and most critical action necessary to avoid collapsing from within, just like the Roman Empire.

Speaking of Rome, its empire officially began in 31 BC when Octavian, having defeated Marc Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium, took on the title of Augustus and annexed the Ptolemaic Kingdom in Egypt. At its zenith, around 100 AD under Trajan, the Roman Empire controlled every territory bordering the Mediterranean Sea from modern-day Israel and Iraq in the east to Morocco and Spain in the west… and as far north as England. The Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, the Black Sea, and the Caspian Sea were also under Rome’s control.

And then, over a period of several hundred years, it slowly contracted. Part of the reason was that the empire was simply too vast, and Rome’s resources were too thin to maintain it. However, there was a more diabolical and insidious reason for the decline and fall of the Roman Empire… and it correlates well with poor dental hygiene.

If you neglect your teeth – failing to brush and floss regularly – the effects are not immediately apparent. However, as plaque builds up and tartar sets in, an almost irreversible decay begins to occur. Soon, the negligent patient finds himself undergoing root canal and/or multiple tooth extractions. Eventually, dentures may become necessary and, if left untreated, the decay can even spread to underlying bones and surrounding tissue.

That, my friend, is what happened to Rome and that, my friend, is what is happening to America. For the past 50 years, we have snacked on the sugary sweets of pleasure, prosperity, and progressivism… and now it is time to pay the exorbitant price.

Our children, left to learn from liberal educators with a near pathological aversion to God, have been indoctrinated to hate America and everything it once stood for. In place of our founding Judeo-Christian principles, communism and collectivism have captured their tender hearts and impressionable minds.

When they are not in school, these same children are absorbing a radical and destructive agenda like a sponge from TV, Hollywood, music, the internet, and social media that is the very antithesis of the traditional values we once held dear as a nation. Upon reaching age 18, they sway elections by voting for the most progressive politician on the ballot; and upon attaining full adulthood, they adopt a woke worldview in which America is the self-imagined source of all evil… and then train their innocent children to believe likewise.

Recently, my wife and I ate lunch at a restaurant overlooking the Indian River Lagoon. Adjacent to the restaurant was an old pier that was being rebuilt to house yet another dining establishment. The original pier was so dilapidated however, that the new owners had to dismantle about 90% of it lest they build on a faulty foundation.

Do you see my point? If we want to save America, we need to start at the bottom by dismantling the purposely rotting and corrosive infrastructure of our once-proud public educational system. We also need to reclaim and repurpose the other pillars of our society including the news and information media as well as the world of entertainment. More Walt Disney and less Woke Disney.

But that is not enough. Our children need to see us putting feet to our rekindled faith by resisting the siren call of commercialism. Sunday mornings spent in church instead of in bed… or at the beach… or on the boat would be a good start. So would managing our household budget to put Christian and charitable giving ahead of frivolous and self-indulgent spending. Frugality and generosity can go hand-in-hand when we give to God first, others second, and self last.

Rescuing America from the edge of the abyss will not be easy. On the contrary, it will take discipline, determination, and a healthy dose of self-denial. After all, we have decades of societal decadence and decay to overcome.

Focusing on God and the greater good while prioritizing future generations over our own is the key. Are we willing to join the fight… or is our Lazy-Boy recliner simply too comfortable?

Before you answer that question, be forewarned: the Vandals and the Visigoths are already at the door.