We All Scream For Ice Cream

A little while back I asked the rhetorical question "What has happened to this country?"

In the span of my adult life we've gone from walking on the moon and winning the cold war to a divided, pessimistic, discouraged country that at least to me exhibits all the characteristics of a once-mighty empire sliding inexorably into the twilight of its existence. We've taken a giant leap, all right, but it's a giant leap backwards.

Wiser people than me have asked how this came to be. If there's an answer out there, I'd love to hear it.

While not directly addressing that question, OldNFO may just have provided the answer, courtesy of a third grade teacher.

The most eye-opening civics lesson I ever had was while teaching third grade this year.

The presidential election was heating up and some of the children showed an interest.  I decided that we would have an election for a class president.  We would choose our nominees. They would make a campaign speech and the class would vote.  To simplify the process, candidates were nominated by other class members.  We discussed what kinds of characteristics these students should have.

We got many nominations and from those, Jamie and Olivia were picked to run for the top spot.  The class had done a great job in their selections. Both candidates were good kids.  I thought Jamie might have an advantage because he got lots of parental support.  I had never seen Olivia's mother.

The day for their speeches arrived.  Jamie went first.  He had specific ideas about how to make our class a better place.  He ended by promising to do his very best.  Everyone applauded and he sat down.  Olivia's speech was concise.  She said, "If you vote for me, I will give you ice cream." And then she sat down. The class went wild.  “Yes! Yes! We want ice cream."  She surely would say more.  She did not have to.

A discussion followed.  How did she plan to pay for the ice cream?  She wasn't sure.  Would her parents buy it or would the class pay for it? She didn't know.  The class really didn't care.  All they were thinking about was ice cream.

Jamie was forgotten.  Olivia won by a landslide.

Every time Barack Obama opened his mouth he offered ice cream and 52 percent of the people reacted like nine year olds.  They want ice cream.  The other 48 percent know they're going to have to feed the cow and clean up the mess.

That, in a nutshell, is what's wrong with this country. We now live in a nation overrun by people who think they are entitled to free ice cream.

God help us...