What I Wish for Easter~
Unlike
Miss America contestants, I do not cavalierly wish for “world peace”, that
elusive condition which would mean all men and women have reached nirvana and
no longer have need of war.
My
wishes for this Easter are not particularly religious or secular, but what from
my view would make life in the USA right:
1)
Laws would not be required to ensure equality
for all men and women of any race, creed, color, national origin or physical
characteristic;
2)
People would laud teachers, philanthropists,
police officers, fire fighters, and everyday heroes and understand that
athletes, actors, and those in the media are ordinary people that are paid too
much for what they do;
3)
Everybody in the USA would have health care
available for basic needs without regard to income or what a private health
insurer will pay; I am not a fan of national heath care but the system we have
is so flawed and filled with corruption and inefficient that I know there has
to be a better way. Preventive care is key to reducing the overall costs;
4)
Common sense would prevail in civil litigation;
punitive damages would be eliminated except for the most egregious cases that
involve a criminal conviction of the defendant; juries would only award damages
based upon reasonable costs rather than a Cadillac option; and nobody would be
held responsible for the actions of somebody else.
5)
If somebody is an adult at 18, they are an adult
at 18 for everything; parents should not be held responsible if an 18-year-old
drinks and drives; if one can go to war, vote, marry, hold a job – one can buy
alcohol and drink it.
6)
Everybody would accept personal responsibility
for his or her own actions; stop the blame game; if you trip and fall, you
probably weren’t watching where you were walking; stop blaming the property
owner; buy a Powerball ticket. Quit suing people!
7)
Be kind to people; practicing random acts of
kindness fosters happiness in the person being kind;
8)
Spend time outside.
9)
Make your kids spend time outside;
10)
Make your
kids take responsibility for their actions;
11)
Turn off
the TV;
12)
Plant
flowers – even if it is a pot on our balcony;
13)
Understand that nobody really wants to hear
your children in a restaurant, theater or cultural institution; nobody wants
you kid to be running around in a restaurant or bar; take your kid to
Chuck-E-Cheese – keep them out of the adult world unless you want me to tell
you they are brats;
14)
whatever
your religion or belief system, I am ok with it; but I don’t need to hear about
it;
15)
whatever your sexual preference, I am okay with
it; but I don’t need to hear about it;
16)
whatever
your political views, I am okay with it; but I don’t need to hear about it;
17)
the media
really doesn’t have a right to know every facet of one’s life; if he or she
wants to remain private, then let them be private; I, for one, do not care who
is gay, who filed bankruptcy, who gained 50 pounds, or went to rehab; the
people’s right to know should be limited to actions of government – not private
citizens – even if they are celebrities;
18)
people should be able to mourn loss in private;
19)
in my
world, no human would be judged on anything but what he or she brings to the
table for whatever job is open;
20)
no
student would leave an institution of higher learning with a $100K debt;
21)
airlines
would not be able to charge outrageous fees for overweight luggage;
22)
there would be no need to write articles about
whether it is better for a women to stay at home with kids or work;
Okay
– enough soapboxes for one sacred holiday! I just wish for my ideal world where
every human is equal, earns what he/she should based solely on merit, where
nobody judges another based on his/her own views, and where every American
being has access to basic human services. I know, it is a fantasy, but it
shouldn’t be.
