Things I Miss...

At 72, I have had a lot of time to look back over the last 6 decades at the things we have lost and feel a longing at times at the things I have missed.

• I miss my memory, at times. I find that certain sections of it are gone, partially due to nine car crashes. The doctors told me certain "slices" would be gone, others remain. Some good stuff stays, some awful, too.
• I miss civility. We used to be much more civil and courteous to each other. We could talk to each other without yelling or being vicious or violent, using overheated rhetoric, but that's gone now. I don't know how we will ever get that back.
• I miss our collective ability to think about problems more strategically. Everyone over-reacts, wants immediate answers, doesn't think things through...a sort of ""instant gratification takes too long" kind of mentality.
• I miss clarity. Like far-left-wing attorney William Kunstler, then I definitely knew who our enemies were - him. Like the Chicago Seven, they were. Today, the public is so damn tolerant of everything and everybody, our enemies are blending in, settling down and playing softball with us. That's dangerous. And we still can't understand the surprise of Pearl Harbor.
• I miss defined roles: a man is a man, and he protects women and children. There is no shame in that and a man's role should not be denigrated by anyone for doing so. Shame on anyone who does. No one should define a man's masculinity but himself, nor, should he accept that.
• I miss common sense, and the fact so many young people need to have it defined for them. They can't seem to find it for themselves.
• I miss strong mothers and fathers...no, I miss strong, but loving FATHERS.
• I miss Churches and Synagogues that stay out of politics, in every manner and form.
• I miss the clergy that stays away from parishioners wives and children.
• I miss the clergy that doesn't lie and cheat and tells the truth.
• I miss anyone in authority that believes in this rule: DO NOTHING YOU WOULD REGRET HAVING YOUR MOTHER READ ABOUT YOU IN THE MORNING PAPERS.
• I miss politicians that can't look you in the eye and tell you truthfully what they really mean: " I want to spread the wealth around." ( a.k.a. - I am a socialist)
• I miss Hollywood and some of the Left-Wing "stars" and their politically motivated movies and hope they just get back to making good stories.

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