Civic Duty

Rotary International started in 1905, Lions Clubs International in 1917, and Optimist Internation in 1919 (though many Optimist clubs started prior to WW I the international organization formed later). Interestingly, all these civic groups started about the same time, just prior to or at the time of WW I.

What was our world and our country like in those days? First, there was an overly optimistic view of the world that said science, technology, and good government will help evolve (still a new concept at the time) the human race into a utopia. That optimism was firmly crushed by the horrific terrors and pictures (also a new invention) of WW I. Following the war, a skepticism about the goodnes of humanity and the ability of science, labor, and government to cure our ills grew and was finally demolished by WW II.

In the days when these community clubs formed, there were no income taxes, no social security, no welfare state. Churches, families, and community organizations carried the load. Often there were places of deep poverty. Now we have government programs to address these issues, but poverty still rages even in America. Who pays for those programs? We borrow, and China increasingly owns our debt.

What is the conclusion? We will soon have 100 years of since the creation of these civic organizaitons. When I was a kid they were highly visible groups in my community. Today, many people give no thought to civic groups and helping their community. Their focus is making money in their business.

"You can't get very far until you start doing something for somebody else," Melvin Jones, founder of Lion's international. Rotary's best-known motto is "Service above Self", and its secondary motto is "They profit most who serve best." Optimist International's motto is, "By providing hope and positive vision, Optimists bring out the best in kids." and their creed states, "To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own. "

Recent statistics show that 34% of the United States claim to have a born again experience with Christ. In 20 years, that same study projects that number to be 4%. In Western Europe, main-line churches are dissappearing. The old churches and cathedrials are being purchased and used for other things, night clubs, bars, resturants, and exercise facilities.

If churches don't help people, and community clubs don't rally to help people, who is helping people? The government. Why? Because we have raised three generations (Builders, Boomers, and Gen X) with a core value, "Its the governments job." It seems we are more selfish and less giving than ever before. Why is there so much anger and partisanship about government today? Because we have hung all our hopes and futures on the hope of the government taking care of us, insuring us from all possible loss, save death itself!

I issue a waring to us all. With every freedom we hold dear, comes an equal weight of personal responsibility. I mean responsibility for our selves, our communtiy and others. With every move we make toward the government being responsible for us, we must logically, practically, and fianacially give up our freedoms. We are becoming, the land of the land of the lazy, and the home of the hesitant. We the people must committ to our responsibilites, committ to provide everything that our family needs, committ to give to others, and once again committ ourselves to be "The land of the free and the home of the brave."