Last Vestiges Of America

Article posted with permission from the author, Karen Shumacher

Baby boomer is the assigned label given to those who were born post-WWII, from around 1946 to 1964.  Basically, it is the generation born to the greatest generation, those born between 1900 and through the 1920s, a generation that held strong during a great depression and a world war.  Most boomers are now in ages ranging from their 80s to as young as 60.

It was these children from the greatest generation that were taught the foundation of America, not only from their parents but from traditional institutions at the time, churches and education.  School days began with reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer, which was subsequently forbidden in 1962, with softening of that restriction in 2022 under First Amendment rights.  Not surprisingly, church attendance has been in a steady decline since that time and basic academic skills continue to decline.

How many boomers could pass this 8th grade exam from 1912, let alone anyone younger.

Boomers understand and can easily see how the loss of faith in lives has contributed to the moral decay in society.  The crime rates, regardless of type, have risen dramatically since 1960.  In general, the overall behavior of Americans, regardless of criminal activity, has deteriorated, whether on an airplane, at a fast food counter, or even those who are supposed to be political leaders.  Boomers just shake their heads.

The greatest generation, because of their hardships through the struggles of a depression and the ravages of war, took great pride in their country and passed that loyalty onto their children.  They were given the brief opportunity to really understand the blessings of living in America.  But, perhaps at the same time, because of those hardships, boomers also overindulged those children, thus robbing them of the experience of sacrifice.  WWII veterans saw the horrors of want as they traveled through other countries, the starvation and destitution, the shortage or overall absence of what is needed for daily life.  For their children, they made sure it was a life of abundance.

A depression and war provided the opportunity for the greatest generation to learn how to problem solve.  Innovative solutions had to be created in order to survive both situations.  That opportunity didn’t exist in the same way for the boomers.  However, by observation, they were able to see how easily their parent could solve a problem.  Over time, basic home skills have been lost to others, whether commercially or through advances in technology.  Solutions and skills were increasingly consumed by industries and the government.  By the time the boomer had children, the opportunities began to evaporate.

One role of churches in the boomer generation was to care for those in need within the community, which has now been taken over by the government or government-funded non-profits that are often influenced by the United Nations (UN).  Boomers were the last to participate in church activities where they gave to those less fortunate, actually going into homes where they saw how much less other people had than them, an opportunity now forfeited by generations in learning how to appreciate their own life blessings.

Even the old and infirmed were cared for in the home, where children were exposed to the realities of aging and death.  However, the opportunity for learning from those who were wiser from life experiences was knowledge that could not be replaced.  But now, many are shuffled off to institutions and cared for by strangers who, while developing bonds with them, lack the deep connections as family.  This shift in societal norms has diminished life lessons for so many youth today.

Just the basics of learning about work with chores is a fading ritual.  Now, exercising discipline can be a dangerous venture for any parent with a barrage of backlash, but worse than that, children are using the art of anger to manipulate adults into getting what they want.  The so-called experts are desperately trying to attach it to some sort of mental illness or genetic problem when the boomer would have handled the behavior with a stern verbal reprimand or swat on the butt.

Boomers are the last vestige of understanding the importance of the First Amendment, which is under increasing threat.  This right to free speech has deteriorated into a free-for-all with insults and hurling barbs at one another without ever expressing what one thinks about an issue, or even listens to an opposing viewpoint.  Post-boomer generations have been indoctrinated to believe that defined language should be used and other language censored.  Yet, at the same time, the use of foul and inflammatory language has steadily increased with these First Amendment violations. The ability to express a coherent thought seems to be another dying skill.

Raised with the belief that one should be respectful of others in the boomer generation, there is no respect for anyone who defies the expectation of tolerance.  Suddenly, it is okay to degrade another if forced tolerance is not accepted, while ironically, there is no tolerance from the one who is forcing the tolerance.

Bad weather events were just part of life for a boomer, weather events having now become catastrophic global emergencies and threats ad nauseam that require urgent global action and cooperation that can only be solved by a global response to overhaul energy, the economy, and how one lives.  Younger generations have been taught not to deal with the occasional tough weather, having not learned those lessons from those who lived during the depression without air conditioning or easy access to heating during the winter.

There are probably many other examples of how boomers may be the last to represent the true greatness of America.  While other countries pretend to be like America with their fake constitutions, the blood that was sacrificed for the U.S. Constitution is foreign to those countries.  Boomers still retain the belief in individualism and not collectivism, as do those other countries and their devotion to institutions with ideological agendas that are the antithesis of any legitimate constitution.

As the boomer generation drifts off to inevitable death, so does societal death that comes from the lost gifts from that generation, only to be replaced by the inhumane role of technology, as explained by Matt Shumer in his article, Something Big Is Happening.  He wrote this article for his soon-to-retire father to help him understand the perils of a world that is soon to come.

Yes, for boomers, they just shake their heads, understanding what is being lost, not only as a human, but as a society.