Quote of the Day: We Don’t Have to be Perfect to be Good

 

“Refusing to stand during the national anthem is not and should not be illegal. But such blanket rejection of American customs is admittedly now a collective narcissistic tic — and hardly sustainable for the nation’s privileged to sit in disgust for a flag that their betters raised under fire on Iwo Jima for others not yet born. Sometimes citizens can do as much harm to their commonwealth by violating customs and traditions as by breaking laws.

“Instead, freedom requires constant reinvestment in and replenishment of a nation’s traditions and ideals. Self-criticism of one’s country is salutary to ensure needed changes, but only if Americans accept that an innately self-correcting United States does not have to be perfect to be good – and especially when, in a world of innately flawed humans and failed states, it remains far better than any of the alternatives abroad.”
Victor Davis Hanson

The tragedy of the Left is that it mainly lives in ignorance. Its true believers see darkness and emptiness everywhere. They accuse everyone who doesn’t follow their dogma as racists, white supremacists, capitalists, and Nazis. For them, there is no release from their own misery, and they remind all of us that we have no right to be happy and satisfied. Our achievements rest on their desolation, and we must pay for it—forever.

As a result, they don’t know the rewards of gratitude—gratitude for living in a country where they can be as miserable as they wish—and as joyful as they choose. Gratitude for limitless opportunities for rewarding work and a peaceful existence. Gratitude has disappeared from their lives, because there is no room for it; they only have room for criticizing our imperfect yet glorious nation; they prefer to be unhappy than to seek out those chances to grow, learn and prosper. Their positions are unrealistic and their lives destined for disappointment.

For those of us who know that VDH is correct, we don’t expect a perfect country that is, after all, managed by flawed human beings. We take responsibility for pursuing self-reflection and for reviewing our goals as a country, and trying to determine where and how we can improve. Our criticisms at times may be brutal, but they are offered out of patriotism, our allegiance to the country, and to each other. We know our country’s existence is fragile, particularly when others attack America out of ignorance, misplaced expectations, and failed dreams. But the rest of us will persist in saving her, in preserving her foundations, in making her even better.

We must never give up.

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  1. Bob Thompson Member
    Bob Thompson
    @BobThompson

    Flicker (View Comment):
    But now they are not only accepted but celebrated.  Who in the old days would borrow money to go to college and then protest in the streets for loan forgiveness?  Or shout your abortion?  The background effect of shame was a quiet but powerful means of ordering society.  Now we corporately don’t have any shame (except being white, male, heterosexual, and financially successful).  And we see society degenerating.

    I was born in 1938. My family was poor and the depression had been going for several years. My father was in the Navy when I was born. I don’t know exactly when but I’ve been told he was discharged and because he could not get work as a civilian he reenlisted and served through until sometime after WWII was over. I’ve been told my grandfather had a job all through the depression earning $15 a week and in the same conversations how revolting the idea of accepting government welfare was to them. So I guess I grew up thinking I should work. So I did and never had a day of unemployment beyond a few days while I looked for a new job after changing where I lived and now that I am retired. I got my college education paid for by someone else — the GI Bill and later my private employers, but I had to do that schooling at night because I worked days. I probably would have had some negative feelings if I had not done the things I have described and I might not be able to assert that I have never really had an unhappy period in my life, until now. 

    • #61
  2. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Bob Thompson (View Comment):
    I’ve been told my grandfather had a job all through the depression earning $15 a week and in the same conversations how revolting the idea of accepting government welfare was to them. So I guess I grew up thinking I should work.

    I remember those days where accepting welfare was abhorrent. I’m glad your life turned out so well, Bob!

    • #62
  3. JoshuaFinch Coolidge
    JoshuaFinch
    @JoshuaFinch

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):
    Shame is what motivates people more than most anything.

    I tend to agree, @ henrycastaigne. And it’s cousin “embarrassment” is right up there, too. I don’t know about your observation about blacks. I don’t believe they are ashamed about their numbers of their own who are killed. That would require a consciousness that I don’t think they are interested in. I think they prefer just being angry at any white, particularly cops, and blaming them for their problems. The MSM makes it easy for them to do that, too, since they rarely if ever talk about black-on-black crime.

    Frankly, I think one of the greatest losses to America is the great loss of shame. People today are basically shameless. And they have shameless friends and vote for shameless representatives. We are lectured not to fat-shame, slut-shame, shoplift-shame, bankruptcy-shame, shame illegitimacy, or even shame overt hatred. Not that these were spoken out loud fifty years ago, or that people didn’t experience bad life circumstances for these things apart from any shame in itself, but there was a general cultural disapproval that tended to keep these things minimized.

    But now they are not only accepted but celebrated. Who in the old days would borrow money to go to college and then protest in the streets for loan forgiveness? Or shout your abortion? The background effect of shame was a quiet but powerful means of ordering society. Now we corporately don’t have any shame (except being white, male, heterosexual, and financially successful). And we see society degenerating.

    I sort of think we should bring back the stocks and public corporal punishment.

    Added: But that would be cruel and unusual.

    Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse. (Psalms 25:1)

    • #63
  4. Henry Castaigne Member
    Henry Castaigne
    @HenryCastaigne

    JoshuaFinch (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):
    Shame is what motivates people more than most anything.

    I tend to agree, @ henrycastaigne. And it’s cousin “embarrassment” is right up there, too. I don’t know about your observation about blacks. I don’t believe they are ashamed about their numbers of their own who are killed. That would require a consciousness that I don’t think they are interested in. I think they prefer just being angry at any white, particularly cops, and blaming them for their problems. The MSM makes it easy for them to do that, too, since they rarely if ever talk about black-on-black crime.

    Frankly, I think one of the greatest losses to America is the great loss of shame. People today are basically shameless. And they have shameless friends and vote for shameless representatives. We are lectured not to fat-shame, slut-shame, shoplift-shame, bankruptcy-shame, shame illegitimacy, or even shame overt hatred. Not that these were spoken out loud fifty years ago, or that people didn’t experience bad life circumstances for these things apart from any shame in itself, but there was a general cultural disapproval that tended to keep these things minimized.

    But now they are not only accepted but celebrated. Who in the old days would borrow money to go to college and then protest in the streets for loan forgiveness? Or shout your abortion? The background effect of shame was a quiet but powerful means of ordering society. Now we corporately don’t have any shame (except being white, male, heterosexual, and financially successful). And we see society degenerating.

    I sort of think we should bring back the stocks and public corporal punishment.

    Added: But that would be cruel and unusual.

    Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse. (Psalms 25:1)

    I remember this fatuous academic writing about how bigoted it was to think of a decent poor and a corrupt poor. As if one’ financial well-being had nothing to do with prudence and temperance. I made a joke about how they never had a relative with owed them money. It didn’t go over too well.

    • #64
  5. Paul Stinchfield Member
    Paul Stinchfield
    @PaulStinchfield

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):
    I remember this fatuous academic writing about how bigoted it was to think of a decent poor and a corrupt poor. As if one’ financial well-being had nothing to do with prudence and temperance. I made a joke about how they never had a relative with owed them money. It didn’t go over too well.

    Fatuous academic writing: If it were a component of concrete, we would have enough to build a tower to the Moon.

    • #65
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