Today I celebrate my 69th birthday. I am a son of parents of the Greatest Generation. It is with great regret that I feel my generation has not measured up to that standard set by our parents.
We have watched as inadequate leadership has mortgaged the futures of our children and grandchildren. Those leaders have led for the moment. Poll by poll. Never addressing the impact of their decisions on those next generations.
Politicians call social security the third rail of politics. Touch it and you are fried. There seem to be a lot of third rails these days. Energy for one. We keep trying to avoid the truth that we need all forms of energy to survive and prosper as a nation and for national security. We get sucked into lofty goals like saving the planet when we need to save the country.
It’s a long list of things that need to be addressed for the long term. Illegal immigration, excessive spending, excessive government, incompetent government, etc.
My birthday wish is that our generation will see the errors of our ways and step up to the plate and work to get leaders at all levels of government with vision and courage to do the right thing for our kids and grand kids.
If we don’t they face a far worse future than we did. Our greed and apathy have made this a fact.
I am only guardedly optimistic that we can rise to that challenge. We have not proven we can take on these big issues of the future. We are watchers and not doers. It would be nice to get this birthday wish, but its a big one and may be more than we are willing to do at this point in our lives.
