CARLTON FLETCHER: Remaking America: From doers to takers

“You took all the best of me, now come take the rest of me.”

— Bread

As the photograph that accompanies this missive clearly shows, I am of a different generation than the ones that are coming into prominence at this time. And that’s fine. I do try to keep up, albeit via a worldview that was shaped by events far different from the ones that hold sway these days.

Noo one really wants to hear someone start a complaint with “Why, back in my day …” so I’ll have to ask you to bear with me.

Society as we have long known it is crumbling around us. Maybe that’s just what has to happen for monumental change to take place. Change is a good thing; it’s necessary, inevitable. But what doesn’t have to change — I believe what cannot change if we are to survive as a nation — is we can’t just do away with the core values that have sustained this great nation throughout its existence.

And before you shake your head in agreement and start shouting “Amen,” let me clarify something: The core values that forged this nation did not include the absurd notion that one man was any better than another because of the color of his skin or the thickness of his wallet. (Yes, I know some of the so-called Founding Fathers — and there should have been some strong-willed Founding Mothers involved as well, but that’s another story — were slave-owners and elitists, but I’m not even talking about the works of those esteemed gentlemen when I inject the words “core values” into this. I’m talking about the inherent goodness of mankind, the willingness of people to do the things that it took to build a land of wilderness into the amazing society it is today.)

But what I am talking about is the attitude of so many people today that they are “owed” something. And, no, I’m not even referring to the broken “welfare state” that has trapped three or four generations into believing that all of their needs are — and should be — met by some grandfatherly being called “government,” to the extent that they have no incentive to seek the satisfaction of training for a job and excelling at it so that that they take care of those needs — food, lodging, clothing, utilities … — that that mysterious philanthropic being has so long provided.

No, I’m talking about this attitude that is shared by Americans of all classes — from the poorest to the richest — that they are entitled to specific inducements because, well, it’s their God-given right as an American.

When the person who holds the highest position in the country essentially pays a pittance in taxes, despite making lots of money, because his accountants find loopholes and exceptions to beat the system, others in his social strata — many who would sell their souls or their kids’ souls for an additional tax break — have every reason to think they should be allowed to legally cheat the system as well.

And when middle class workers who have always worked for everything they’ve gotten finally get in on the free stuff when a bunch of politicians — not caring one whit about these workers but trying to buy their votes — decide to reward them during an economy-crippling pandemic, they hop on the gravy train with glee, many deciding that, “Hey, why would I go back to that same old boring job when I can make more money sitting on my butt?” And the people who have supplied all those jobs are left to try and make do; if they have to shut down, oh well.

And then there are members of the lower-class who have rarely, if ever, worked for a living. They’re given gobs of money — way more than they’ve ever had — and then … BONUS! … are told they can’t be evicted and their utilities won’t be shut off. They’re warned, though, that they should use all this money being sent their way to keep their rent and utilities current. Which, of course, they don’t do. They’ll figure a way to get more money when the world changes back, and if it doesn’t, they’re golden.

I think of the struggles my family went through to make ends meet growing up, and I feel shame for my country, a country that’s been converted — from top to bottom — from a nation of doers to a nation of takers.