Even I find myself in very negative place about our world and our place in it. Sometimes I lament, no… more like piss and moan about everything from politics to the state of education. I must admit that it really sucks and from a cursory look we are, fucked.

Napoleon said that religion is the main thing keeping the poor from murdering the rich. There is so much envy centered on money and getting and having things that we forget what we already have. So far we’re spared the indignity of random search and seizure. We are not living in a police state where roving troupes are arresting and detaining political malcontents. We have the right to travel freely between states and the freedom to chose where we live and work. We even have a system that supports people that refuse to work. Yes, there are a few areas the need work, too. If you’re like most people on the Social Media sites, you could fill pages with your complaints and bitches.

I am tiring quickly of all the hate focused on the recently elected president of our republic. I estimate that 80% of the social media sites are dedicated to this activity. The extended view of this is the 80% of the people that troll these sites are spending 80% of their time bitching about something that is already decided. My favorite so far is the furor created when America discovered that Mr. Trump eats his steak with ketchup. This is what passes for news-worthy of an America outcry. Really? There is nothing more important in this country than the presidents’ choice of condiment for his steak? I wonder what brand he uses…

Let’s be honest; we all have much more important activities than to continually piss and moan about our favorite candidate losing an election and by the way – I voted independent. So now you know. Maybe if we spent as much energy fixing problems as we spend pointing the out, this would be a better place to live; no?

Why are we waiting for our government to do something about homelessness? What about helping veterans? Why is our government the only one responsible for their welfare? Speaking of welfare… why are we not demanding that masses that we support are working on community improvement projects? It worked for other administrations. There are myriad projects and jobs that do not require specialized skills. There are others that do require some specialized training, but what better way to learn new skills than by doing. It translates to future employment. There are thousands of jobs that go unfilled every month.

Let’s stop the bitching and start working together to create processes and community service systems that solve problems. It seems the American way it to point out the problem, and consider our responsibility fulfilled… It’s not over, it’s just the beginning. You also have a responsibility to your community and to your country to suggest some alternatives to resolve the problems you uncover.

Ask not what your country can do for, but what you can do for your country. President #35 said this. It was considered a rallying cry for the youth at that time. They saw it as a challenge. Our challenge today is to follow the Ancient Roman ideal of Bread and Circuses.
“Bread and circuses” (or bread and games; from Latin: panem et circenses) is metonymic for a superficial means of appeasement. In the case of politics, the phrase is used to describe the generation of public approval, not through exemplary or excellent public service or public policy, but through diversion; distraction; or the mere satisfaction of the immediate, shallow requirements of a populace,[1] as an offered “palliative”. Its originator, Juvenal, used the phrase to decry the selfishness of common people and their neglect of wider concerns. The phrase also implies the erosion or ignorance of civic duty amongst the concerns of the commoner.

Surprised that we follow the tried and true examples of our ancient ancestors? There is more here than meets the eye. Suffice it to say, we have a choice to sit idly by and ride the bus or start driving it. It’s time to turn our energies from whining to working and from bitching into building.

One final thought for the social media dissenters… If Mr. Trump is as psychotic and sociopathic as you paint him… if he ever goes nuts and starts looking for the people that disrespected and panned him publically… You are screwed because now they have your pictures, documented proof, and know everything they need to find you.

It’s not paranoia if they really are after you.