In recent months, I have apologized more than once to my kids. I am about to turn 70 and my son and daughter are young adults in their 30s. Our legacy is supposed to be leaving the world better for the next generation — our kids.
I am afraid we are failing in that effort.
We have made common sense the exception, not the rule.
We embrace lies even when they contradict what we know to be true, have personally experienced, or watched in real time.
Instead of timely candor, we have chosen delayed disclosure for profit.
We have traded core values and ethics for obvious conflicts of interest and hypocrisy.
We ignore science — at least the science we don’t like — and our planet is suffering for it.
We diminish the importance of education at all levels and try to undermine it at every turn. We have come to fear knowledge.
We have put civility on the endangered species list. We write things we would never say to someone in-person and/or we say things for which our mothers used to wash our mouths out with soap.
We have changed “live and let live” to “live as I tell you to live.”
Women compose half the population yet continue to be treated as second-class citizens in everything from corporate board rooms to determining their own health care.
Guaranteeing voting rights is still an issue in 2022.
We selectively embrace the parts of the Constitution with which we agree and conveniently dismiss the ones we don’t like.
Day after day, we listen to talking heads who cram 10 minutes of factual content into three-hour shows.
We have intimidated good and decent election volunteers, librarians, teachers (already in short supply), school board members, and others into quitting.
Too many of us are not humble when we win and gracious when we lose, something most children learn by the age of 12.
We choose tribes over teams, and we belittle people who are not like us.
We have created a world where people think — incorrectly — if they are loud it makes them right; if they cuss, it makes them tough; if they belittle, it makes them superior.
We have a world devoid of accountability. They never said it, they never did it, and it is someone else’s fault.
We have created a world where slogans and sound bites have replaced thoughtful, sincere discussion.
On those occasions when we are given grace, we too often respond not by returning grace, but rather by spewing venom.
We live in a time — still — where too many of us remain silent instead of having the courage to engage and make a difference. We are letting extreme minorities set the agenda.
So many claim to be Christians, but their actions don’t reflect Christian core values.
We still need to eradicate racism of all kinds; create a fair, humane way to deal with immigrants; find a way to feed hungry children and families; and figure out how to provide affordable health care, especially for the elderly.
And some have even decided there is a better system to live under than U.S. democracy.
If we want our legacy to be leaving the world better for our children, we better start tackling these issues in a thoughtful, sincere way … and fast. Otherwise, we will have failed the next generation. Given recent history, I’m not overly confident.
That is why I will continue to apologize to my kids.
