What Does it Mean to Be an American? The need for system integrity!

America Guided by Wisdom 1815
John J. Barralett

There is some misconception among some of our politicians and administrators on what it means to be an American and the need for integrity throughout our systems. We the People hope that the systems can push to higher states of integrity and become representative of the needs of ALL of society. We are moving in the right direction but there are still enough poor values and subjective application of the Constitution that it becomes worrying for the 60% of society that care about their communities and people that live within them.

Yet we have difficulty convincing some of our leadership that two different rules and applications of law and opportunities is harmful to our people and nation. Sometimes they hear the message but mostly they are reactive managers versus proactive change agents leaning toward higher American values. That of course doesn't apply to everyone but I would say its 50/50 out there (We do watch and do understand the destructive nature of ideological immaturity.). 

We as a nation need enlightened leadership that moves beyond self-glorification and shallow values to reach the next rung of national development. We have new risks rising globally and the biggest risk we face is our difficulty in encouraging our leadership to work on the behalf of its citizens. While elections are part of democracy, so is the process of selecting candidates that are capable of fulfilling their oaths and duties. Elections only work when strong leaders are elected that know how to solve problems. We have a responsibility to ensure our leadership is following the rules and promoting pro-social values. 

I would make a couple of suggestions for general consumption. 

1.) Review Congressional resumes and determine whether the Santos Method of electability and embellishment is common. We can't vote on issues if we don't have accurate information to make decisions (We don't want to be duped!). It should be a serious ethical violation to intentionally and significantly falsify resumes and mislead the full scope of the populist's vote. 

(Also cross reference organizations and entities to ensure there aren't groups cheating the system and selling our secrets for $$$. Not like its going to happen, but from a hypothetical standpoint, wouldn't it be nice to clean out those issues and then move forward. Maybe nothing is found, but I guess if you don't look you then you will always have that risk in the back of their head. Now that the thought is there...someone is going to wonder and want to peak behind the curtain. Fair is fair right...No? 🤷.)

2.) Encourage the laws to be applied fairly among all of the population. Trust me, as a person of a Muslim sounding name, I have seen things that would have been completely unacceptable if reversed. Actually criminal if we sort of viewed all people as important. The differences between law and shadow laws are becoming increasingly obvious and if we do not get ahead of the problem we will find big data embarrassing everyone across the decision making spectrum from many decades of short sighted thinking. (Hint on being proactive to show that you cared before it was a big problem. Its a proactive versus reactive approach.)

3.) Encourage broad based development across our entire nation and population. We can't just keep self-serving the "connected" and "inner crowd" in a way that is exclusionary to the many other Americans/"Americans" that want to get ahead (We want AMERICANS....the new enlightened Digital Age version that can hedge differences for innovative growth. In the past division was a way power, perhaps in the future actual performance is a way to power.) We need the best and brightest to get ahead in a way that leads to national growth. While a small sliver of our leadership may very well might be the best and brightest, most are not because they are limited to repeating what others are saying without critical thinking or having the leadership capacity to go against the grain. (Its the nature of the best and brightest to not be constantly self serving at the expense of everyone else. If they are the best in one arena, but don't have the values, then they are not the best and brightest.)

4. Swearing loyalties to parties and personalities over one's nation isn't the right thing to do either and often leads to eventual conflict and dissolution (One could support the mixed mission and goals in science and how that leads to group issues. The root arguments of some of our politicians is not actual strength of the country but designed to exploit division. This means there are questions of truer and deeper mixed loyalties of effort.) Divided loyalties often create big schisms because leaders profess certain values but are pressured to accept values that are antithetical to strong governance. The big picture should always be maintained in foresight. 

While this may seem a little rudimentary, an American is someone who believes in their people and freedom (Long lost art of the purpose of good governance.). Swearing oath to the Democratic Republic of the United States encompasses the concept of making decisions in the best interest of the nation and having enough cognitive flexibility to know when to change. To know when change is more honorable than argument. While I suspect our national leaders will be more interested in managing in the best interest of everyone versus the shallow few we have a lot of forces pulling in different directions in a way that makes the ship unsteady. Differences of opinions are important, especially when constructive, but we all must stay focused on the same goal just over the horizon. We must be rowing together....no excuses!

*This is article-story is designed to help you think about how decisions in one arena impact many other arenas. If it feels like it is useless or you disagree please just click off. That doesn't reflect on the good politicians and officials doing the right thing regardless of the benefits. This is for those who don't, can't, won't and will not.

**Typically when I voice my opinion all types of creepy stuff happens. Those who know....know...while those who don't....have no clue on the different societies that are forming.

***I have more responsibility to tell people things they don't want to hear if it benefits the next generation then repeat and reflect back inappropriate beliefs that harm our great nation. We are not at the end, we are becoming, and we will show our adversaries that Democracy is the best way forward. We will correct our deficiencies of blindness so we can "see" clearly the path that lay before us. Be brave, be faithful, and be wise sons and daughters of liberty. 

****I suppose its just story of fun and fancy. If you like other stories of a similar strain go ahead and attend a Congressional luncheon and listen to some of their fictional tales of awesomeness 😏. Tales and stories.