How often do we hear those words, "that's not who we are", uttered in situations when Americans see or hear something extremely troubling or of a tragic event or action initiated by someone in this government or in our society; one that brings great harm to people in America or in some other part of the world?
We hear that phrase so often. It's like it's been embedded in our culture. It's kind of an excuse or a form of self-denial when we see something that is too painful to accept.
Here's a quote that puts for the truth of the matter: "You are what you do, not what you say you do:" And as the title says, your actions speak for themselves.
Now, in that phrase of self-denial what is the meaning of the word "we?" It's America the country, made up of its people, this society, and the government. These 4 entities are actually one, inseparable. They are all responsible parties for doing what is right versus wrong based on the principles of ethics and morality.
This government, based on our Constitution, is to follow the will of the people and make policies and take actions that are in the best interests of them and this country as a whole.
Unfortunately, that is not what is happening in America. Why is that? It's because the people have largely abdicated their responsibility when they, for various reasons, refuse to vote and become no more than bystanders who sit on the sidelines and watch as this government takes the country in directions it should not.
So when the government does things that are unethical or immoral this country 's reputation suffers and sometimes is stained.in the eyes of the world. In so many cases the people see it take misguided, irresponsible actions within this country or against other countries; actions that trouble them but they feel they are helpless to do anything about them.
That's when we so often hear the lament of "that's not who we are." Here are some examples of situations in which those words have been spoken:
The U.S. military has been using deadly drones and hellfire missiles in attacks on Somalia, Yemen, and Pakistan for about 10 years. In the eight years of the Obama administration, there were about 183 of these missions. Under Trump, in only about two years, he is coming close to exceeding that number.
These attacks on sovereign nations are, without question, illegal, unjustifiable and a stain on America's reputation. Is that who we are?
America has long led the world in the sales of powerful weaponry, employing mega thousands of American workers. We can't employ workers to produce TV's, cell phones, appliances, and other major products, and have outsourced them to China. But we most certainly can employ them at generous wages to produce a myriad of weapons of war that are used in various types of conflicts around the world.
After the recent incident in which U.S. resident and Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered by Saudi agents in Turkey, President Trump was asked if he would take actions against Saudi Arabia, including large reductions in arms sales. He was adamant in saying that, even though they may have committed that horrible act, that country was still an ally; and he was not going to do something that would eliminate countless thousands of American jobs.
The U.S. military is supporting Saudi Arabia in its cruel and vicious bombing campaign in Yemen by providing various kinds of weaponry. This tiny country is virtually being destroyed and many people are being killed. Is this who we are?
Mass shootings in America are an ongoing problem, they are like a plague that won't go away. They occur every so often, and nothing is ever done by our government to try to bring this situation under control.
Do we hear Americans demanding that something must be done? We do not, but after one of them happens, when children are gunned down in their schools, we often hear, "this is not who we are."
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