Ramblings of an Old Guy Part 9

The young are sometimes known for their idealism. It's a good thing to have ideals but, as I've grown older, I admit I've lost some of mine. I've become jaded in my life by the people and institutions that I once held up...perhaps too high.

At one time I believed wholeheartedly in the values of the Constitution of the United States. While I still believe in many of those values, I've come to more clearly sees the flaws in it too. I used to believe the government of the United States wasn't corrupt. I'm sad to say I no longer believe that. I now think government on every level is corrupt to some degree or another. What I once saw as the Best form of government in Democracy, I now see as a popularity contest that cannot sustain itself indefinitely. 

We Americans have been proud to have the oldest contiguous government on earth while also having one of the youngest countries on earth. The 'old world' has often seen us as upstarts...and they were probably right. What they see now, in 2020, is a corrupt and chaotic exercise in Democracy. We have career politicians that hold office, and power, for decades completely going against what our founding fathers envisioned for us. Power is brokered into personal wealth for far too many. I often wonder where the statesmen have gone but, the truth is, the American government has always been chaotic. Somehow, through the Grace of God, we managed to keep the same form of government. over two centuries now.

One area of our system that many have touted to be the "best in the world" is our justice system. After having dealt with it on several occasions I came to realize that our "justice" system is rarely about justice...it's more often about who has the most money; the best lawyer or the right judge. Where I was once a strict "law and order" adherent, I've come to wonder just how many innocent people are imprisoned and how many guilty walk free because of corruption. The professionals in our system all take an oath to support and defend our Constitution and too many of them go on to put their egos or pocket books before the principles laid down in that Constitution. And "this" is the system so many have fought for in all our wars over more than two centuries. 

Perhaps the saddest fact in this is that so many good men and women have given their lives for the values laid down in our Constitution. They were the true idealists. They bought the freedoms we now casually take for granted and they paid the ultimate price.  

My disillusion goes beyond the government to the military, business, educational institutions and, maybe most of all, to religious institutions. I've seen people play politics in churches, schools, businesses and in the military instead of living up to their ideals. We humans tend to serve our own egos much more often than we serve our ideals. 

I've decided that my number one goal in life is to serve my God and not my ego. I fail at it every day but I keep that goal in the forefront of my mind. I can't change the government; the military; the educational system or the church but I can change me. The times when I can't live up to some of my ideals, like forgiving everyone for everything, I know I can call on my God to do it through me. So I will no longer try to be a part of this world. This is just where I live. I will walk with my Creator to try and rise above the standards the world lives by. It's the hardest thing I've ever attempted in my life but it's the only way worth living.