Competition is natural, healthy, and important

Competition is natural, healthy, and important.  On one level, our nation relishes competition.  Professional, collegiate, high school, youth leagues, and other sports provide structured competition that is embraced by virtually every citizen.  (OK, I'll stipulate there are some who carry the competition WAY too far, be it the ubiquitous soccer mom, Little League dad, or high school/college/professional coach.)  Many offer that youth sports provide a healthy outlet for the natural competitive urges that are within us all.  On other levels, competition permeates the fabric of a vibrant society and economy.  We compete for affection, employment, promotions, and the other tangible and intangible rewards offered and made possible by a vibrant society and economy.

Honing, rather than denying naturally occurring need for competition is healthy and to be encouraged.  That competitive is natural is indisputable.  Watch young children if you have a doubt.  (Or the drivers on most freeways.)  Embracing competition enables parents to teach their children how to strive for the best from within themselves and how to seek self-improvement, as well as dealing with disappointment.  Further, doing so helps teach setting realistic and challenging objectives in life, that achievements realized by our own labors are most meaningful, and the satisfaction (emotional, intellectual, and physical) derived from the earnest attempt.  Stated differently, when we strive for a goal, giving our best, there is no shame.

I am concerned the progressives seek to do away with competition, thus denying this natural element in the human make up.  Sadly, too many examples of this progressive pursuit abound: sports programs in which everyone is declared a winner and everyone gets the same award; school administrators no longer recognizing honor roll students, because it could be "devastating to the students who worked hard, but fell short;" the burgeoning welfare rolls, resulting from telling folks they can't make it (are not competitive) without government assistance; the marketplace; politicians maneuvering the law making processes to avoid "up or down votes;" affirmative action; "set asides;" extraordinary numbers of students receiving grades of "A" in their college studies; union demanded non-compete clauses in municipal contracts; all members of all teams in youth sports receiving the identical trophies; and so on.  It's plain to me the progressives advocate, in the name of their definitions of fairness and equality, that everyone be treated identically, denying the very existence of competition.  Yet, by their efforts, these progressives hypocritically deny and refute the very competition inherent to the American lifestyle.

As I've written before, the insidious evil in their approach is most dangerous during the formative years through which our children pass.  Education, sports, social environments (Boy Scouts, etc.), music, etc. are being deliberately manipulated to remove competition.  Absent a strong family led by a husband (father) and wife (mother), in which the proper lessons are learned, too many of our youth are being woefully ill prepared for what is referred to as the real world.  Tangentially, the liberal policies and programs of the past 40 years have driven social mores and beliefs in the wrong direction, with the number of children born out of wedlock and resulting single mothers in minority communities skyrocketing.  As these numbers have risen, so have the welfare rolls.  Whole generations are being taught that they mustn't, shouldn't, and can't compete: hence, the growing welfare and nanny state that reduces countless individuals to recipients from, not participants in our society.

Though somewhat simplistic, recognizing and embracing competition will go far in restoring our nation and society.

To the naysayers who are critical of this approach, it is likely an uneven field of competition is their real complaint.  Agreed.  Level every field of competition and may all succeed to the best of their abilities and efforts.  When we do so, it requires the progressives to be honest in saying not everyone will get straight As in school, nor will everyone earn a million dollars.  Dismantle the welfare programs that reward and support sloth.  Eliminate support for those able to work, but don't.  Return to societal norms that are critical of  children born out of wedlock and celebrate the nuclear family (one man, one woman,and children).  Demand men shoulder the responsibility for their off spring, but working and fathering.  Teach that it is important to compete, to challenge oneself, to accept and learn from failure, to set realistic and obtainable goals.  Teach our youth how to compete for and live with their achievements.  Teach reality and how to deal with it.   

Eliminate gerrymandered districts, so politicians must compete for votes.  Eliminate mark-ups and pork barrel spending, so that programs must compete for votes.  Eliminate the practice of amendments to and packaged spending bills, so that expenditures must compete based on merit, not politics.  Demand and conduct straight "up or down" votes, so that legislation must compete, based on merits.  Eliminate union dominance and mandated membership enacted by law, requiring the unions to compete for membership.

Return competition to the American landscape, an integral elements in all facets of our lives.  Protect those of the absolutely most deserving, but who cannot compete in all areas.  (Not the burgeoning rolls of those too lazy and conditioned not to compete.)

With the return of a competitive society, our nation will regain its place and its people will be more prosperous and better led.