Fulton Sheen said it better than I ever could:
I’ve known people who would argue endlessly that there are no moral absolutes: i.e., that there are no natural rights to life, liberty, or honestly acquired property. Not all of them were stupid. Neither were all of them criminally inclined. They simply couldn’t cope with the idea that there are laws that enforce themselves, much as do the laws of physics. There was one gentleman – and I assure you, he would never have harmed a fly – who thought the following was a refutation of the notion:
“If someone steals your car stereo, and it doesn’t come back to you all by itself, then there are no natural rights.”
Yet the patterns that run through the history of Man speak eloquently to the existence of those natural rights. Those rights are “no respecter of persons.” Neither do they discriminate among the races, nor among the ethnicities, nor between the two and only two sexes. When they go unacknowledged, chaos and carnage follow.
The piece just below this is a case in point. Today there is a racially privileged group to which the requirements of the law are not uniformly applied. That group is now the principal source of violence and predation in these United States. The graphic below tells the tale. Another observation – that the “whitest” states are the ones with the lowest crime rates per capita — amplifies its voice.
The “race versus culture” arguments will go on for a long time to come. Either side might be right. It’s possible that both sides are partially right and partially wrong. While we can argue until our tongues drop off, in the end it doesn’t matter. Above all else stands the differential application of the law, as if the black race were exempted from respecting the natural rights of Man.
The swelling chaos and violence this has brought upon America’s cities is guaranteed to persist and worsen unless and until that exemption is retracted. Indeed, it might persist even beyond that; habits of mind, heart, and soul inculcated in a race over several generations could prove resistant to correction. But unless the law is once again uniformly applied to all persons regardless of race, sex, ethnicity, creed, or what have you, the guarantee will stand.
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Character, doing the right thing even when no one is watching. Not enough of it these days.
Morals = natural rights (consequences)?I for one would probably agree. I would consider them considerably more objective than many of the proclaimed “truths” often offered against people living their lives differently than the majority.
The left, and many on the right, have no morals, no ethics, no concept of right or wrong, All they have is insatiable greed and an overwhelming lust for power. And they operate under one rule only…..WIN. By whatever means required.
The nations from which the White people in America migrated, in the early days, were considerably less tribal. Their character and morality were formed from NATIONAL norms (and facilitated by the Church, which essentially imposed the Ultimate Rules upon its parishioners).
The expectation was that you would act honorably with others, even if NOT in your ethnic/nationality group. It’s what made international trade work for the Western World.
Contrast that with most of the rest of the world – intertribal wars and raids, intense loyalty to one’s own tribe (even at risk to one’s own wealth and status), refusal to marry outside of the tribe, other than through a painful conversion process for those ENTERING that tribe – all kept those countries from becoming truly a part of modern life.
In fact, I would argue that many of the turn of the century and post-WWII immigrants contributed to the isolating aspects of alliance give ONLY to those who share our ethnic culture – whether that is Middle European (a region notoriously bounded by ethnic hatreds), Mediterranean countries (on all sides of the Sea), and the various ethnics around the world (Phillipines, Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese, Indian – that last a group that disdains connections with non-Indians).
Neither Black people nor the assorted Hispanics started that ethnic cohesion to the exclusion of becoming truly American.
Perhaps we do need a new Constitutional Convention – AFTER a lengthy period of education for the average American. That’s a job for someone who wants to create some coursework on several levels:
– The Basics – Different video lessons for kids (elementary/middle), and for those who are capable of more sustained attention and understanding of complexity. SHORT – 15-20 minutes – MAX. Each covers a small part of an issue/document/principle. Each mini-lesson is followed by a quiz (but the questions/answers were already embedded within the mini-lesson, as Review of each concept, right after introduced).
– The Intermediate – Some repetition of previous lessons, coupled with more in-depth learning. These can be longer – 1/2 hour or so. Lots of compare/contrast – Declaration vs. the Constitution vs. Articles of Confederation. Pros and Cons of issues (from the standpoint of someone who actually LIKES this country).
– The Advanced – hour-long or more lessons. Study Guides available. Proctored/monitored tests (or, no proctoring for those not wanting/needing certificates). That should appeal to the home schoolers. Should include some written component, partly for practice of skill. Also, a videoed presentation of some issue/concept. There could be a competition among those scoring high on the tests, much like the spelling bees.
Allow non-citizens to compete – perhaps, those individuals may qualify for sponsorship as an legal immigrant resident.