BETWEEN THE LINES: America is the world’s best hope
There is a great divide between liberals and conservatives. Dennis Prager in his book "Still the Best Hope" explains the marked differences between the two. The author contends the gulf has widened because the last two generations of Americans have failed to teach their offspring the attributes of the American value system.
Dennis believes the problem is that most Americans cannot identify these values. They cannot pass on what they do not know. He contends the Left’s domination of education, especially at the higher levels, and the nation’s mainstream media outlets are largely responsible for the demise of these values.
Prager, a Southern California syndicated radio talk show host, writes a weekly column that appears on the Worldnetdaily website. I have enjoyed reading his articles over the years for his clarity of thought, common sense and wisdom. Prager, an Orthodox Jew, stresses the importance of the Judeo-Christian value system that shaped the founding of our country, and guided it firmly until the 20th century.
Liberals and conservatives have two irreconcilable visions of the world. The Left has a materialistic explanation for human behavior. Their answer to this inequity calls for a redistribution of wealth to level the playing field. It is crucial to their success that government implement their vision.
The political Left wants to emulate Europe’s cradle-to-the-grave social democracy and secularism. They have gone to great extremes to eliminate religious influence and remove God from the public square. Religion is a stumbling block to their socialist agenda. Conservatives, however, believe the welfare state corrupts family life and inhibits the maturation of young citizens into responsible adults.
The radio talk-show host uses words or phrases found on U.S. coins to explain these important American values. He begins with the word liberty, which means the individual must be free. Citizens must understand that when government gets too big, liberties become smaller.
The phrase “In God We Trust” means a good society is only possible when the majority of citizens are morally accountable. Any historical research will reveal our Founding Fathers knew this. Even deists such as Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson realized democracy without morality would fail. Those on the Left believe equality of results supersedes morality.
The third phrase uses the Latin words "E Pluribus Unum" (out of many, one) to convey that everyone who becomes an American citizen is to be first and foremost regarded as a fellow American, no matter their ethnicity. We need to stop being hyphenated Americans. The Left has adopted a multi-cultural approach that leaves no room for criticism of other value systems. Political correctness once again carries the day.
The talk-show host warns his listeners that time is running out for America to return to its roots. However, he believes our fate will be determined not by polar opposites, but by winning the support of those in the middle.
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 13 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.