Welcome to Potterville
The sex ed story below is like so many that kind of wash over us these days. Torture, death, misery, looming financial collapse, untold billions of public money looted and streamlined into the pockets of the already wealthy, Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton driving the Democratic primary into the racial gutter, on and on. Same old same old. Just another day at the office.
It makes me wonder, how we got here? How did we allow mighty rivers of inhumanity and greed to carve the heart out of the world’s high plateau – a once great and peace loving nation – and turn it into such a dark canyon?
To any thinking person, Bush/Castle America must bring to mind the dystopia portrayed in the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life.” We now all live in a dangerous and dirty Potterville where alcoholism seems like a rational response to the grim realities of life.
I know I tend to romanticize pre-Bush America, but news days like today make me despair of ever returning it to the Bedford Falls I remember.
Yes, how I long for Bedford Falls, where families ate dinner together, danced and dressed up. When community and church were priority. When a doctor made a home visit or you didn’t need long distance calling because families lived within a short distance. I am 46. I remember that. The security, the love and laughter. Not the tears when opening another DPL bill, using coupons at the Pathmark for everything you buy, counting change at the end of the month cause the kids need lunch money, denying yourself medication cause “this too shall pass” and the kids need sneakers for gym and the loss of simplicity. My parents are gone now. My siblings stretched out across the U.S. The internet keeps us updated on our life of details, but I long for the Sunday dinners at the brownstone in Philly, with fresh homebaked pies and lovingly prepared food. I’m having a hard time keeping what I’ve worked for. My mortgage has gone up due to taxes, referendums, etc., I don’t take vacations; just some long weekends here and there to retool and refuel for the grind ahead. It’s all about feeding faces these days of which I have 3 . I hate the headlines, the gossip, the smut and filth that proliferates our existence. I hate cell phones and spam and most of all I hate the fact that in my heart of hearts, I know America is good at the core, it is the greatest place on earth to live but it lacks the integrity, fairness and logic to continue to press forward much longer. We may become a third world country very soon if we don’t examine the choices we’ve made; the lust for possessions and power; and the lack of sacrifice that made the Greatest Generation what they were. I know the values and beauty portrayed in the movie are something we all would love to espouse deep down; but our perverted sense of DESIRE and “in the moment” has clouded the sign that said, “Welcome to Bedford Falls.” As they say, “It is not how much you love; it is how much you are loved.”
Annie –
Thanks for that comment. I’ve have always been skeptical of nostalgia, and have frequently told people that the past they imagine never was.
The past few years have changed my perspective.
Jason,
All you need to do is understand the overall busainess cycle and understand that we need to work together just like my Quaker grandmom who was from the greatest generation always said or “necessity for one another” We forget that during good times, but we need to remember it quick when we deflate our dollar, increase taxes and lower our ability to market our selves profitably becuase of the greed of the good times hangs on in politicians minds unless they are smart. And typically it is either a paradigm shift or a real tragedy that takes place. Why do we never learn from history? Well part of the reason is we have discarded the enlightenment values of that history. Our ideals are very good, but living up to them is very hard when your interest is not the public interest.
My grandmom said that when we have these troubles we need to expand the Bill of Rights dramatically to ensure that each individual is protected by the law, or surely “they will be attacked with the law” It is not some distinction between progressive and regressive, it is the difference between what is best for America and what is best for a minority of Americans. We are unique among the states in this regard, in that each time there has been a historical crisis in the US we have proposed the solution by an immediate and direct return to the values of the enlightenment, expand the bill of rights, protect one another and work together based on the shared values of our founding.
I would like to know what the hell is going on? Have we lost the way that much Jason?
If one remembers the movie, the progression to Pottersville represents the natural progression of mankind, when left to its own devices. In that movie, “Pottersville “solely resulted because of the absence of actions by only one man.
So……what have you done lately?
The reason we have Pottersville today is because no George Baileys put themselves on line to stop it.
So now it is my fault.