OUR GREATEST ENEMY? I was asked just this morning, in a meaningless little quiz, to choose what nation I thought could be called our greatest enemy. The three nations from which I might choose were Iran, Iraq and North Korea. There was a place to check off “None of the Above”, and a fifth one, I think, was “Not Sure.”
I had a strange feeling as I left the page that I have voted with my head instead of my heart.
Actually our greatest enemy right now is apathy and not any one of the specified nations. I felt, after the fact that perhaps “I don't know” or
“None-of-the above.” I do know. If they had left a blank space I could have written in the fearsome words “Our apathy!”
Therein are the seeds from which our destruction as a nation may , and therein a very good chance they may do so if we continue to feed such a malignancy through the inept dealings with the foundational qualities which have caused us to be a leading nation.
If we feel it necessary to draw up a chart of which peoples around the Earth don't like the things we do, or the things we say or favor for all it is an easy matter to simply take the role of the United Nation organizations and put little “Plus” or “Minus” ( “fer-or- agin'-us” tags) to see that the majority of the more than a hundred member nations disagree dramatically with either everything, most, or all that we think, say or do - or “have done” or “might do.”
Our dismal lack of proper use of the affirmative aspects ability to defend ourselves is a constant that our well-being. We dawdle in common place domestic trivia even while other nations are seeking harder than ever before to best us. We allow it. We encourage it. We submit to it and, in time ever shortening, we may well be subjected to the evil it, so often, seems to symbolize.
In my own apathy, you see, I was unable to give a true reply to a petty little question of who has been a baddest lil' bad boy in the international community of late. It could be Iran at 37% of people polled when I was. 15% thought it was Iraq, and 21% of us thought North Korea was the greatest threat to the American way of life at the present time. Twelve per cent said “None of the Above” and 10% said “”Not Sure”...of which a goodly portion may well have asked instead: “What in the world are you talking about?”
We are in dire need of the will to stay informed at all times. To accomplish such a goal might involve some changes in what we read, write, think and say. Examine your particular situation. Re-arrange your daily take of the day's news events with disciplined care for accuracy and factual information only.
A.L.M. March 2, 2006 [c505wds]
