Tradition vs. Progress

Ah, the progressive Western World. The advancements in health, wealth and technology are nothing short of miraculous. One area moves forward and another runs along nipping at its heels. What a wonderous thing. But wait, there is a fly in the ointment. Shouldn't morality and care for the plight of others follow right along with these steps into the future? Of course they should. So what the heck happened?

Like a tree or a ladder or a building for that matter, you first must have a root, base or foundation to start from. The only way the Western World has been able to accomplish what is has is through the thoughts and actions that they were built on. Morality, teamwork, freedom and generousity are what created the foundations of the modern world. Without the basic framework of simple rules that apply to and work for everyone, things like the Ten Commandments, mankind could not possibly prosper. Even if you are not religeous, in other words drop the first three commandments, you end up with a pretty good guide of what works for everyone. Simple, concise and only seven things to remember. It doesn't get much easier than that. But wait! I want and/or deserve an exception to one of those rules. Here we go with that mindless narcissistic garbage again.

Like a "progressive" Democrat, the oh-so-intelligent man just has to find a way beyond the confines of those oh-so-ancient rules that got us here in the first place. They're limiting our wants and desires, after all. Everyone knows that abortion is a safe, and legal, way to get rid of an unwanted child. [Side argument: But it's not a child. It's only a mass of unwanted cells. Answer: (one take) What other mass of unwanted cells would anyone ever remove from their body, excepting vain plastic surgery, cancer or disease. Especially ones that you made a conscious, although "feeling" riddled, decision to take the chance of creating in the first place. And please don't embarass yourself trying to make the case about the nearly non-existant pregnancies through rape and incest.http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=pregnancies+through+rape+and+incest&fr=yfp-t-501&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8 ] Actions have consequences. Following a few simple rules keeps you in the clear of having to make decisions you don't really want to make if you like to save a lot of anguish in your life. The simple fact of the matter is so many choose to make lousy decisions and then refuse to take responsibility for them. News flash: Everyone makes lousy choices sometimes.

The few rules and traditions that have existed since man first walked on this hallowed earth are the basis for where we have come to today. It's good to be progressive. But not in the sense of giving up any or all the rock solid incontrovertable rules it took to get here. They are actually so few and so simple that it takes no special intelligence to figure them out. You only have to look at them from the aspect of what will happen if everyone makes the same exceptions to the rules that you do. Untimately all you can expect is chaos and anarchy in society. If you look around at everyone, from individuals to governments, you can't help but see that path is being run down with great speed and determination. There are no acceptable exceptions to the rules.

"We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness..." This can only happen if what works for one can work for everyone. Every time one ego decides to make an exception he is tacitly giving permission and justification to another ego's entitlement to their exception. Rocket science or brain surgery education is not required to understand this. A very small amount of fact based reasoning and a little bit of looking ever so slightly into the future is all it takes. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" is just too simple and uncomplicated for the modern progressive mind, I guess. And it's only because "If something doesn't work for everyone, it can't work for anyone."