No. 1063 - THE DUMBEST PERSON IN THE WORLD!

No. 1063

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE DUMBEST PERSON IN THE WORLD!

Former President Ronald Reagan once said this about our nation, “Call it mysticism if you will, I have always believed that there was some divine plan that placed this nation between the oceans to be sought out and found by those with a special kind of courage and an overabundant love of freedom.”
It is truly this spirit that made us a great nation, but there are evil forces at work here, unlike any time in our history, that will challenge our very national soul in the days that lie ahead. This is why, from time to time, we all need to be reminded of just how blessed we truly are.
It is with these thoughts in mind that I would like to share an article that a lady sent me that was published years ago in the Wall Street Journal titled, “The Dumbest Person in the World.” You may ask, just who is this person? It’s the American who knocks what he’s got. Here’s what he has: A country of unbounded beauty; almost unlimited natural resources; a judicial system that is the envy of the rest of the world; food so plentiful that overeating is a major problem; a press nobody can dominate; a ballot box nobody can stuff; churches of our choice; one hundred million jobs; freedom to go anywhere you want, with planes, cars and highways to get you there; Social Security, Medicare, Unemployment insurance, Public schools, and plentiful scholarships; opportunity to become a millionaire. OK, complainer, what’s your second choice? Go!
I don’t think I could have said it better if I had worked on it for a month or even a lifetime. Yes, the dumbest person in the world is the American who complains about what he or she has. We often get so bogged down in our thinking that sometimes we lose sight of just what we do have. Without letting anyone off the hook, I would like to distinguish between being disenchanted with our system, as opposed to the system itself. There is nothing wrong with our system the way our forefathers set it up -- it’s the best on earth. What some of us have a problem with are the greedy people who finagle their way into positions of power. Even here, in most cases it’s our own fault. In many cases we don’t even take the time to go vote, and then we sit around and complain, instead of getting involved.
However, before we pat ourselves on the back, I believe we also need a dose of reality. The Wall Street Journal item I quoted earlier was written many years ago, and today we face challenges unlike we have ever faced before. Our national debt is almost double what it was even 10 years ago, our military is the smallest it has been in several decades, our unemployment rate is not 5 to 6 percent, but more like 15 percent when we include those who have stopped looking for work, and terrorism is a constant threat as never before in our history. Our nation is still the greatest on earth, and the person who does not understand that is indeed “dumb.” However, we must be more vigilant and committed than ever before.
Only God knows the kind of nation we will have as we look to an uncertain future. There is no doubt about it, I am an eternal optimist and believe that our best days can still be ahead of us if enough of us are committed to the cause of liberty and are willing to make any sacrifices that may be necessary. It is with a grateful heart that I would like to leave you with this thought. I truly love America and I bet you do, too. For the small percentage of people who constantly complain – what’s your second choice? I am with the Wall Street Journal – GO.
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