Were we to believe those who have the loudest and most comprehensive (at least as measured by the numbers of people they can reach) public megaphones, all sorts of things are terribly important. From the left and right sides of the political spectrum, the fringe groups aligned with either or neither, the honest and dishonest, the analytical and asinine, the believers and non-believers, the young and the old, the wealthy and the poor, the elected officials and unelectable, the whites and the blacks, the politically astute and politically corrupt, male and female, and all other manner of groupings, we are bombarded with innumerable, impassioned declarations about what is absolutely critical and important. That which we must, we are told and urged to hold above all else, accept as critically important as they would have us believe.
Why? Can't we, as free thinking individuals, agree on what is truly important? Do we really need someone to tell us what is important? Some don't actually tell, which conveys informing, but rather demand that we accept their definitions.
I offer that "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" is a darn good place to start. Life: a healthy body free of injury and illness is important. By extension, the importance it extends to our loved ones. Liberty: the freedom to do as we choose, without intrusive government or other limitations. The ability to chart the paths our lives will take, according to our beliefs, values, abilities, and desires. As long as we don't infringe on others. Liberty within a nation and society that celebrate the individual, while providing reasonable support for the common good. Pursuit of happiness: seek out that which make us happy. Not happy as someone else would dictate, but happy as we define it. For example, I like to be with my family and friends, hold my wife, run, play tennis, ride a Harley, read, play with my grandchildren, reap the benefits of my own hard work, write, listen to country music, and wear Levi jeans and a ball cap. I also respect the rights of others to pursue what makes them happy.
My pursuit of happiness doesn't infringe on those who don't care for any of the activities listed above. Similarly, their pursuit of happiness shouldn't infringe upon me. I don't want to hear their hip hop/rap music booming from their cars in my neighborhood, just as I'm sure they don't want to hear the Zac Brown Band playing in theirs. I don't want or need a government to dictate a definition of happiness, anymore than it should allow others to reap the benefits of my hard work.
I don't need someone trying to dictate personal values and beliefs. Having stated this, I do, however, believe there are shared societal values and beliefs in the American culture. Some are readily apparent to the overwhelming majority of us. For example, raising, protecting, and nurturing our children. (In spite of MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry's bizzare statement that "part of it is that we have to break through our kind of private idea
that kids belong to their parents, or kids belong to their families and
recognize that kids belong to whole communities.") It is true that many of the societal values and beliefs are under an all out assault by the liberal progressives. That assault, however, doesn't mean the values and beliefs are any less real today than they were years ago. The only real phenomenon is that the communications media has changed dramatically over the years, allowing those with the most comprehensive public megaphones to spread, broadcast, and insert their messages over wide sections of the populace.
For example, though the people of California overwhelmingly rejected gay marriage (Proposition 8), the progressive liberals have the use of comprehensive public megaphones to intone that it is a civil right. They seek to force values and beliefs on the majority of the remainder of the nation. All the loud noise they create doesn't change the fact that overwhelming majority of voters reject it.
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. All within the bounds of societal values and beliefs, most of which are codified in our Constitutional rights and other laws. (By the way, I'm compelled to cite that no where in the Constitution does it state separation of church and state. No where in the Constitution does it say I can't worship as a Christian. No where in the Constitution does it state homosexuals can marry.)
Regardless, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (not the expense of or infringing upon others) are what is truly important.
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