Thomas H Fairbanks

Navigating the Storms Thomas H Fairbanks

It is painfully obvious that our nation, once described as the "land of the free and the home of the brave" has become divided. A recent Gallop poll, for example, reveals: "Forty-nine percent of Americans say the state of moral values in the U. S. is 'poor' -- the highest percentage in Gallup's trend on this measure since its inception in 2002. Meanwhile, 37% of U. S. adults say moral values are 'only fair, ' and 14% say they are 'excellent' or 'good.' Americans have always viewed the state of U. S. morals more negatively than positively. But these latest figures are the worst to date. In earlier polls on the measure, Americans were about as likely to rate the country's moral standing as only fair as they were to say it was poor. But in 10 of the past 12 annual polls since 2007, Americans have been decidedly more likely to rate it as poor." Whether the cause of this moral decline is the result of systemic injustice, media bias, political correctness, a disparity in health care, the entrenchment of racism in our culture, or failing immigration policies and their seeming association with the long war on drugs, the depth of these problems and civil unrest now endangers not only the American Dream but the very lives of our citizens.