I believe there are many Americas, all of them separate, but simultaneous. As I work to understand the culture in which I live, each step that I think I am taking closer to the center of the issue only takes me in another circle around it. While I might have a problem with how much TV some of us
watch, the application of capital punishment, the advertising media
culture, or the current state of pop music, I do not believe that any of
those things are inherently bad, nor should they be eliminated or made
to be scapegoats in our search for a place to lay blame for all that has
gone wrong. However,
I do believe that in practice, much of what we value and do in the U.S.A
involves extremes that make it very difficult for any of us to live a
truly happy, authentic life. There needs to be an adjustment in our
culture's overall system--our economic, religious, legal and political
institutions.
© Salahub 2003 |