“By far the most dangerous foe we have to fight is apathy - indifference from whatever cause, not from a lack of knowledge, but from carelessness, from absorption in other pursuits, from a contempt bred of self satisfaction."
William Osler
Apathy (defined by the free online dictionary)
- Lack of interest or concern, especially regarding matters of general importance.
I get unnerved with responses to events of the day like:
"to each his own"
or
"tolerance".
Before this last presidential campaign I too was apathetic to politics.
I ,like many of us, was complacent in the expectation that everyone loved America as much as I.
My apathy changed when I heard that the man who wanted to be President of our Unites States had sat in a church and listened to a minister damn our beloved country'.
What??? And this presidential candidate never stood up to defend her!
After that, one of my pursuits led me to read Bill O'Reilly's book Culture Warrior. Bill had me at the introduction.
Let me share with you some of what he said:
"At times you have to fight. No way around it. At some point, every one of us is confronted with danger or injustice. How we choose to combat the challenge is often life-defining."
I do not like conflict , but I like injustice even less. As I reflect on how I deal with situations of injustice I determine that I usually see both sides and that nullifies the injustice in my mind. What is that saying about who I am...
Well, after reading this next part it became clearer to me as to why I can no longer see both sides to every situation. Because in doing so I had become apathetic.
"Bill says:
I have chosen to jump into the fray and become a warrior in the vicious culture war that is currently under way in the United States of America."
"On one side of the battlefield are the armies of the traditionalists like me, people who believe the United States was well founded and has done enormous good for the world.
On the other side are the committed forces of the secular progressive movement that want to change America dramatically, mold it in the image of Western Europe."
As I continued to read Bill's book I began to define my beliefs and realized I must become a Culture Warrior. I had been apathetic for a long time, indifferent , and absorbed in other pursuits. But what were the really important things to pursue?
Have apathy? Not!
In the closing pages of Bill's book, he says:
"Think about all the changes you've seen in a lifetime."
"...change has been terrific and some of it horrific."
"It is our commitment as T-Warriors (Traditional) to hold on to the good and destroy the bad. Because we do make judgments, traditional people are in a good position for that task, but only so long as our judgment are sound and based upon the true philosophy of America."
So as a T- Warrior my commitment is to:
Keep informed,
question with boldness,
hold to the truth,
and speak without fear.
I am reading books about the men, and the women that supported them, setting up a Constitution in America that remains strong, making us enviable throughout the world. So much so that everyone desires to be an American!
I am glad to know I am not being apathetic anymore in my life. As O'Reilly says:
"... I'll know that I have fought on the side of the angels."
"...there is a strong binding tradition that has made America the most successful country the world has ever seen."
Finally, if you live here you must love America. If your apathetic about where you live than move to another country. But I bet you'll be back.
"This is our country land that I love", I choose to love, protect and honor the traditions of America. I am a Culture Warrior. Are You?
I recommend Bill O'Reilly's book to inspire you to become a Culture Warrior. Don't be apathetic any longer. Fight on the side of the angels and the men and women who gave so much of themselves to give us a Constitution with foresight and applicability to today's world.
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