BETWEEN THE LINES: The follies of human nature

Little did I know when I officiated my first Little League game as an umpire decades ago it would turn into a second career.

It would become quite an educational experience for me, particularly when it came to learning about human nature. It did not take long to understand parents and coaches see things from a different perspective than those who officiate the games. These highly interested spectators often lose sight of the big picture as they focus on their specific team or child.

Referees and umpires make mistakes, sometimes big ones, but those of us who enter the lion’s den do so with the intent to see both sides. When a team is getting thrashed by the opposition principally because of a lack of talent, the coach is never happy about the proceedings.

Although the situation is understandable, it does not give the coach the right to transfer his or her hostility to the officials

Unfortunately, our biased way of looking at things is not limited to sports. As I watch the Greek crisis play out on the television news I find it very disturbing. I ask myself, “Can this scene be a foreshadowing of things to come?”

The highly socialistic government of Greece has doled out benefits to the public that it no longer can afford. It now is time to pay the piper. Students and labor union members have taken to the streets.

In order to economically survive, the Greek government has requested a second bailout from its fellow European Union members since the first attempt failed. As a result, the EU this time will require the citizenry of Greece to make substantial sacrifices, ones that call for severe austerity measures.

As angry citizens take to the streets, the scene becomes very ugly as rocks and other objects are hurled at the police, who merely are trying to enforce the laws. This scenario is a demonstration of human nature at its worst, and is verifiable proof that it is much easier to dole out benefits rather than to take them away.

All of this raises the question, “Are Americans much more civilized?” Our problem as a nation is that we view the present environment based on our past history, when in fact, we are not the same country when World War II ended.

Our institutions have eroded. There are many reasons for this, but at the top of the list is massive illegal immigration. We now have millions of people residing in our country who have no desire to learn the language, let alone adopt our customs.   Multiculturalism, a pet concept of the left, has changed the face of the United States.

My guess is it will not be traditional middle-class Americans, who grew up respecting private property and having moral standards, who will take their anger into the streets when adversity strikes home.

More than likely violence will come from some of the 50 percent of Americans who receive government benefits in the form of transfer payments and yet pay no taxes.

Entitlement has become the American way of life. If truth be told, the United States has been reshaped by the progressives over the course of the 20th century, who effectively infiltrated our public school systems, our nation’s courts, the mainstream media and the halls of Congress.

Americans have been too busy trying to make a living to notice the subtle changes taking place and have failed to challenge this movement for fear of being called a racist, mean spirited or a bigot. Political correctness mistakenly became a virtue. The system of checks and balances our forefathers crafted into our Constitution to prevent government from usurping our freedoms has not been implemented.

Human nature instinctively tells us to avoid pain and pursue pleasure. The American tendency to be nonconfrontational and nonjudgmental has not served us well, neither has looking the other way and pretending everything is fine.

The lesson we can learn from Greece is do not think violence cannot happen in the United States. There was a time when the possibility of lawbreaking mobs roaming the streets in this country quickly would have been dismissed, but I am not so sure anymore.

Laughlin is a Christian Libertarian. He is an economist, teacher, father, husband and most recently a grandfather. He has written a weekly column for The Tribune for 12 years. He and his wife Gina reside in Meadowlakes. To contact him, email ablaughlin@nctv.com. He is an independent columnist, not a staff member, and his views do not necessarily reflect those of The Tribune or its parent company.