The problem with "A NEW AMERICA" is that it is loaded with emotional outpourings, interspersed with a few facts, and it leaps to conclusions without logical links.  It express the frustrations of someone whose whole paradigm has shifted with neither his consent, nor his understanding.  It should not be taken too lightly, because it likely represents a material segment of our "diverse" society.  Frustration leads to anger and fear.  These emotions lead, in turn, toward irrational acts.   Perhaps it would help to deal with one emotional outburst at a time, see if there is/was any truth in it or not, and move toward an agreement as to whether is presence or lack of presence today is desirable, practical, or moot.   Let's see if we can catalog some of the claims/issues/facts (his, not mine) that were raised:  

Good Old Days   1.  Near universal gun ownership did not lead to indiscriminate gun violence. 2.  Blue laws helped keep booze out of irresponsible hands on weekends. 3.  Vagrancy and curfew laws keep our streets freer of crime. 4.  Adult reprobation had a curbing influence on children in public. 5.  Minor differances were settled physically, not by the courts. 6.  Physical disciplining of children was the norm, from soap-in-the-mouth to belting. 7.  Adults felt an obligation for the action and/or safety of any child, not just their own. 8.  Credit was precious and available to the few; Bankruptcy was a badge of shame. 9.  Illegitimate births were shameful. 10.Shotgun marriages (real or implied) were not uncommon, and led to hard lives. 11.Self-reliance and moral character were hallmarks of respect and public esteem. 12.Ministers, school authorities, political figures felt obligated to set a good example. 13.There were no schoolyard massacres.  

Bad New Days   1.  Pornography and filth has been universalized. 2.  Every kind of sexual perversion and deviancy has been normalized. 3.  Moral relativism is taught and rewarded from K through College. 4.  Children have become wards of the State; teachers are mere baby-sitters. 5.  Parents have refused to "grow up", thus their children are in suspended animation. 6.  Self-indulgence is an enshrined right;  Greed, lust, and self-glorification are the goals. 7.  The military have become garbage collectors and traffic cops. 8.  The police have become goon squads and unsupervised spy organizations. 9.  Priest are allowed to molest children and go unpunished. 10.Judges have become the front line of social experimentation. 11.Public leaders openly flaunt the law and are cheered on by the electorate. 12.Those who would hold them accountable are demonized as partisans. 13.We have gotten what we deserve and its not very good.  

Now your mission, Jim, if you chose to take it, is to connect the dots between the good old days and the bad new days to see if there are any real facts that have probable causal connectivity.  This email will self-destruct once you push the big X in your header.

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