What Happened to the Pioneering spirit in America?

WARNING:  This blog is going to go very political.  I do not apologize for my opinions.  I get that we all have our own thoughts to this, but I am stating how I feel and thus if someone has an issue with what I say then that’s fine.  Feel free to discuss it with me. (Grin)

           

I’ve been working on research for a new book.  It will be my 21^st book.  One of these days God will start opening a door for my fiction books to get published.  In the meantime I just keep writing.  For years I’ve been going to write a Western and never got the storyline, until about 6 months ago.  One really started to germinate in my mind.  Like any fiction book I ever write, I do a lot of research before starting.  It’s of my opinion that you just can make up things better than what actually happened.  If a writer can ground a fiction story in as much truth as possible it makes the story plausible in the mind of the reader.  I’ve been reading about, watching videos, and doing internet searches on the Homestead Act of 1862.  This Act in American history was a hope that the West would become civilized and people from all around the world could become an American citizen, pay $18 to file a claim on an 160 acres, and if one could substantially improve that land (build a house on it, have a working farm, etc.) that land in five years would become the one who filed the claim.  It was really an exciting time in American history.  Of course this was land that typically had been owned by the Native American, but that’s for another discussion. 

           

What amazes me as I’ve read and watched all of these stories, is the pure gumption of these people.  Sure they had a great deal on a piece of property, but they left their lives, worked crazy hard in extreme circumstances because many wanted a better existence for their own children.  Their determination is some of the backbone and grit that makes this nation beautiful.  Their sacrifice is still firmly implanted on the history of America.  Sure, the country was giving them a great price on a piece of land, but that came with the cost of their blood, sweat, and tears. 

           

What has happened to that same mentality in our nation today?  This generation is some of the most entitled bunch of people.  Many live under the thought that people or America owes them something.  Like trained animals we keep giving into the insane demands by providing freebies without any strings attached.  The pioneers were given a bit of a break but they poured their lives into the vision of improving on America and their status.  Recently I saw a video of a woman trying to convince a small business owner to give her free water.  Her argument was because she came from generations of people that had once been slaves in this country.  Thus the store owner owed it to her to give her the water?  What?  Really, if people want to use that kind of reasoning do I get to say that my great-great-great grandfather was a Blackfoot Indian so thus I’m entitled to getting his land back?  Yes, a lot of atrocities have happened in this nation, but that doesn’t make us entitled to anything.  What happened to hard work?  How long does one need to keep justifying their inactivity?

           

I have heard people argue that it is our duty as believers to help those in need.  I do not question this.  I believe in helping people who are less fortunate.  I agree with using taxpayer dollars to help ensure people have a helping hand. However, there must be a balance in this.  I also agree with the old phrase that ‘if you give a man a fish he will eat for a day, but if you teach them how to fish he’ll eat for life.’  We are producing a generation of people who no longer want to do their part, but would merely rather live off the system. I 125% believe in drug testing before getting government benefits.   I believe that the redistribution of wealth is merely an attempt to turn our once great nation into a form of socialism or communism. Here is what the Bible says.

2 Thessalonians 3:10 (Amp)

¹⁰ For while we were yet with you, we gave you this rule and charge: If anyone will not work, neither let him eat.

           

I am utterly amazed at where some people think that everyone owes them something.  It seems to me that there is an underlying tone here destroying America.  I always believed that the Healthcare system in this nation needed helped.  However I’ve never agreed that Obamacare was the way to fix it.  Now the government is demanding Obamacare from business owners who have struggled to stay open in this country, and now the government is raising minimum wage.  That means that many small businesses will be closing their doors.  They simply can’t continue under these conditions.  Which translates more people will be out of work, and the economy will plummet even further.  I believe that God can give His people favor in these times; however I don’t understand where people think all this money is going to come from.   The middle class in this country has been squished at an alarming rate and unfortunately unless people wake up from their ‘Marijuana Induced Gimmie Gimmie Daze’ I don’t know what the future of this nation will hold. 

            

Many of the pioneers were immigrants who came to this country legally.  They came here to build better lives for their own children.  Immigration reform is something that is near and dear to my heart.  I believe in immigration.  However most Americans haven’t a clue when it comes to what people who aren’t American go through to come here.  Before I went through the system I never knew what it was like.  My husband was born in Canada and is now a naturalized citizen.  I do believe that because he was educated, from a non-threatening-to-America country and we had the favor of God that our experience in the immigrations system wasn’t what some have faced.  However, becoming a citizen of this country isn’t easy; there are hoops one has to jump through in order to do it.  I do not believe we need to reward people who have chosen to do it illegally.  I believe that one wants law abiding citizens in their country.  If people can not honor those laws then they shouldn’t be here.  Maybe that sounds harsh to some, but again it’s that entitlement mindset creeping in. 

           

Sadly I believe America is at a crossroads.  I believe the pioneering spirit has been replaced by one of entitlement.  We’ve become too big for our breeches so to speak.    I believe the foundation of this nation is crumbling quickly, and I am tired of this idea of everyone expecting a handout.  While it’s easy to think the ‘government will just bail me out’, that same government is operating billions and billions in debt and living off of credit.  When are we all going to stop whining about how things aren’t fair, complaining about how our generations have gotten here, and starting being accountable for our own actions.  We don’t get everything in life handed to us on a silver platter.  The pioneers understood ‘picking themselves up by their bootstraps’.  They understood the value of hard work and leaving something for their legacy.  They lived, breathed, and some died doing what they had to do.

           

I loathe complaining about the status of something and not offering any kind of solution.  I love my country and I do believe it can return to its foundation.  My solution is quite simple.  Pray and Act.  Pray for our nation.  Vote righteous people into office.  Open your mouth when unrighteousness seems to prevail.  Christians start running for office.  Don’t let our country be overtaken by the lazy.  Take a stand and refuse to back down.  It doesn’t matter what people may think of you.  I believe that the pioneers can teach us a lot of lessons.  May we heed them as a nation, and open our eyes.

            

God has awesome plans for your life.  Get excited.