Robert F. Kennedy on what GNP means.

www.mccombs.utexas.edu...

"Too much and too long, we seem to have surrendered community excellence and community values in the mere accumulation of material things. Our gross national product ... if we should judge America by that - counts air pollution and cigarette advertising, and ambulances to clear our highways of carnage. It counts special locks for our doors and the jails for those who break them. It counts the destruction of our redwoods and the loss of our natural wonder in chaotic sprawl. It counts napalm and the cost of a nuclear warhead, and armored cars for police who fight riots in our streets. It counts Whitman's rifle and Speck's knife, and the television programs which glorify violence in order to sell toys to our children.


"Yet the gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education, or the joy of their play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages; the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials. It measures neither our wit nor our courage; neither our wisdom nor our learning; neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country; it measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worthwhile. And it tells us everything about America except why we are proud that we are Americans."

That was an amazing quote by Robert F. Kennedy. He has pretty much hit the nail on the head with that one. We are more focused on the accumulation of goods than on our neighbors and our friends and our family. What about our community? So many people don't visit their local farmers market or go to their fairs. Hell many don't even know their neighbors.

And why should we? Sure we have friends but the only time its important to invite them over is to watch our new flat screen television or to show off our flashy new car. Well I for one hope that time in American history has ended due to this great recession. I hope when we emerge we will save our money, not use credit cards, spend more time with our family, buy local produce and goods, and devote more time to making our communities better.

Look at the children for instance. The schools are virtually just a day care for kids just so their parents don’t have to deal with them because they have to work. They don’t know what they are learning and even if they did they probably couldn’t help them. The state has said, “Let us take care of your kids, they’re good in our hands.” Yeah we see how that has turned out. Kids today, not all, are immoral and criminals. That is what happens when you let the state take over the obligations that the parent has to their kids of raising them, nurturing them, educating them and punishing them(HOW THEY SEE FIT).

Do not live to work, work to live!