America's Failing System

In our current world, we have a celebrity worship culture. Whether this be politicians, actors, preachers in Mega Churches, etc. It is all “this can all be yours, if you’re willing to sacrifice enough” myth. How many of these people come from family money? How many of them have truly been through the dark places in our society, have lived in the poorer neighborhoods and have empathy for those not as well-off as them? People wonder how Trump was able to get elected, it’s because he feeds on the fear and desperation of the poor, due to the failures of our current government. I’ve voted independent or Democrat my whole life, but this is changing.

I’m trying to run as an independent for County Council in my district in a few years, I’m building up my public service resume. I’ve spent 2 years in AmeriCorps working with poorer communities, as well as time helping my community hosting a mutual aid table often on weekends. The current councilman is taking the side of the toxic industrial companies, so that is why I’m running. What chance do we have at combating global warming if our own local government won’t do anything about the toxic industrials in our own backyard? It’s because my community is a sacrifice zone.

Sorry for going off tangent. Back to my original point about celebrity worship; I have an alternative. Take interests in our own lives, work to better help our neighbors, build community gardens and give the sports corporations, Hollywood and Megachurches less power. All these do as serve as distractions. It is time to get out and write your own stories.

Instead of watching sports and movies, take time for yourselves. As far as giving money to these giant churches, do you think that your place in the afterlife is determined by how much money you give to a place of worship. Myself as an agnostic, I’m more inclined to believe that your place in the afterlife is determined on the good that you do on the earth. Were you a greedy person, who always hoarded your wealth and tried to buy yourself in to a good spot in the afterlife? Or perhaps you did good; such as helping volunteer build homes, gardens and other structures that help the less fortunate, did you treat workers with respect? Did you pay them a living wage, if you owned a business, so they could care for families? Did you try and help the world recover from global warming?

Growing up, I’ll admit that I spent a lot of time idolizing celebrities and sports stars. They don’t teach you the ugly truths in school and prepare you for the real world growing up. We are taught to pledge allegiance to a flag and not think for ourselves. Then we get older, and we realize how greedy rich people are in these positions of power in our culture, and that they don’t want to share with the rest of us, and help progress our culture. Many of us have to work 2-3 jobs, just to get by.