Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Socialist Playgrounds

By Tammy Derouin

I went on a little road trip this past weekend and stopped at a state park up north.  As I enjoyed the view of Lake Michigan and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore, I spotted a lost treasure in my rear view mirror; a playground slide from another time.

It wasn’t colorful, nor was it made of durable plastic or bubble wrapped for your safety.  Unlike today’s socialist playgrounds, it begged you to climb and play at your own risk.  It was designed and built to last.  If you respected it, it provided you with many years of fun.  If you abused it, it could be unforgiving as you learned valuable lessons. 

There was a time when all playground equipment was not meant for everyone, at every age.  You had to start on the small equipment and work your way up.  Up was an understatement.  Those steal steps went straight to the sky!  It seemed like such a long climb but, what a reward when you finally got to the top. 

Once you got there, heart racing and legs slightly wobbly, you could see the whole playground.  It was a wonderful view.  If you realized you weren’t ready, you had to retreat back down the steps.  Of course, that would upset everyone who was behind you, but that’s how you learn.  No one was at the top to hold your hand or to give you a free pass.  It was all you.  The desire to be successful pushed you to not give up.  You would continue to try until you could take that final step, get into position and reap the sweet rewards of success on the ride down.

For those of us who remember the thrill of the old playground slide, we know two things.  First, the slide was fast.  It was meant to thrill.  If you felt the need to stop, you had to stop yourself.  Second, the sun is hot so the slide is hot.  If wearing shorts, well, it didn’t take long to figure it out. 

Today’s playground equipment is a good example of what is happening to us as a whole.  We have become an over-protective, bubble wrapped society.  Is it any wonder why so many in the younger generations whine and cry over the smallest little things?  They have been protected from words, thoughts and reality in general.  Life is challenging and the challenges begin when you’re young. 

Life isn’t fair.  You will not realize all of your dreams and you will experience failure.  Life doesn’t hand you participation certificates, ribbons or trophies so I wish the schools would stop doing it.  Everyone is not a winner.  If everyone receives the same prize, it’s not a prize! Winning is no longer special.  If we shield our children from their first learning experiences which include losing or failure because they are not ready to take the next step, we are setting them up for disaster.

 

Failure drives and tests us.  We push ourselves to improve.  How much we improve depends on our individual ability.  Desire will keep us going but without ability, we will only go so far.  Failure is never easy to accept.  In time, you may be able to look back and be grateful.  Failure in one area could be the step which leads you to success in a different area.

In the United States, we have life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  Our system provides you with an opportunity to be happy.  Happiness is not a guarantee. You decide and define what success is for you.  It’s up to you to go after it and it’s up to your ability to achieve it.  No one, and certainly not the government, can hand you success.   

The government’s foolish attempts to redistribute wealth will not provide success or happiness. In fact, it will create misery.  Socialism and communism only work in theory not in practice.  Utopia does not exist.  How many will be lost as the powers that be try to convince the people that this time it will work?  They want us to trust them with complete control over our lives. All they ask for in return are our rights and freedoms.  Sounds like life in prison.

If the schools spent more time teaching history, the kids would know they are being conned.  But, every dictator knows he must control the youth, make the population dependent on the government, control the media and remove weapons from the citizens. Sound familiar?

Too bad history isn’t being taught or remembered.  The signs are right in front of us.  Our freedom and our Constitution will not be fully appreciated, by many, until they can only be spotted as a lost treasure, in the rear view mirror.

“The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness.  You have to catch it yourself.”

Benjamin Franklin