{"id":1168,"date":"2012-12-06T06:09:54","date_gmt":"2012-12-06T11:09:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/intramuralist.com\/?p=1168"},"modified":"2012-12-06T06:33:09","modified_gmt":"2012-12-06T11:33:09","slug":"ugghs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/?p=1168","title":{"rendered":"ugg(h)s"},"content":{"rendered":"

(In our constant observation of wisdom \u2014 or lack of it…) \u00a0<\/em>And then there was this…<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAfter the election of Jimmy Carter, the honorable Coleman Alexander Young, he went to Washington D.C. and came back with some bacon.\u00a0 That\u2019s what you do.\u00a0 That\u2019s what you do!\u00a0 This is, uh \u2014 our people in an overwhelming way supported the reelection of this President, and there ought to be a quid pro quo, and you ought to exercise leadership on that.\u00a0 Of course not just that, but why not?!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Detroit City Councilwoman, JoAnn Watson, at an official council meeting this week claimed Detroit deserves<\/em><\/strong> a federal bailout \u2014 that would be the \u201cbacon\u201d \u2014 because they supported Pres. Obama.\u00a0 They should thus get something in return.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

(Note that \u201cbacon\u201d would actually, officially qualify as government \u201cpork.\u201d)<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Watson\u2019s perspective is not unpopular, friends.\u00a0 She is merely one of the few who has stated her sense of entitlement out loud.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Truthfully, who can blame her?\u00a0 I mean, we live in an entitlement society.\u00a0 It\u2019s not just the city, state, and federal levels of government.\u00a0 It\u2019s not just debt-plagued cities and states like Detroit and California who potentially believe they are owed particular benefits.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It\u2019s a little more personal.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It\u2019s in our homes and communities.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Now one of the great privileges of this blog is the opportunity to interact with several of you on a personal level.\u00a0 I appreciate your insight and input, and I value dialoguing and learning from you, as you, too, observe the wisdom in the world around you.\u00a0 Many of you are parents \u2014 and as I perceive, solid ones at that.\u00a0 Several more of you may not be parents, but you are actively engaged in the lives of our youth.\u00a0 You love these kids generously and sacrificially.\u00a0 You are hands-on.\u00a0 You are investing physically, emotionally, and spiritually in these children.\u00a0 What investment will last longer?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

But all parents and persons involved in the lives of our youth are challenged with a motive that may actually be initially good and true and right, but yet, the manifestation of the motive often plays itself out impurely.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We want our kids to have it better than we did.\u00a0 We don\u2019t want them to struggle.\u00a0 In fact, we often want them to learn life\u2019s greatest lessons via the least amount of pain.\u00a0 We make sure they are well fed, well dressed, have the latest greatest stuff, and that they rarely have to go without.\u00a0 The inherent challenge in that motive is that sometimes life\u2019s greatest lessons are only taught via the pain… via the actual going without.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And thus, while our motive is initially pure, as it becomes distorted, we often find ourselves with kids who feel they deserve…<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

… the latest and greatest…<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

…Uggs, video game, apparel, anything by \u201cOne Direction,\u201d iPod\/Pad\/Ped, etc., etc. \u00a0In other words, far more than “bacon.”<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Perhaps our youth don\u2019t demand it; perhaps they aren\u2019t as loud or elementary as the dear Watsons of the world.\u00a0 But still, we often buy it.\u00a0 We want our kids to have what they want.\u00a0 Yes, the line between \u201cwants\u201d and \u201cneeds\u201d becomes very blurry when entitlements continue to increase.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Councilwoman Watson simply articulated what she wants; her passion would suggest the bailout is instead a \u201cneed.\u201d\u00a0 In our country\u2019s growing \u2014 albeit often unaffordable \u2014 sense of entitlement, that should be of little surprise.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sorry… I must run.\u00a0 My son wants a pizza.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I said I\u2019d get it for him.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Respectfully,<\/p>\n

AR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(In our constant observation of wisdom \u2014 or lack of it…) \u00a0And then there was this…   \u201cAfter the election of Jimmy Carter, the honorable Coleman Alexander Young, he went to Washington D.C. and came back with some bacon.\u00a0 That\u2019s what you do.\u00a0 That\u2019s what you do!\u00a0 This is, uh \u2014 our people in an … <\/p>\n

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