Legacy of the Dream

Fifty years ago this week, Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his famous speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, in Washington, DC.  In his speech, Dr. King said, “And so we've come here today to dramatize an appalling condition. In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check… a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.”  What he demanded was that the unalienable rights of “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” be guaranteed for all Americans, regardless of race.

Coincidently, this week I watched a documentary about the Tuskegee Airmen.  A US Army War College study conducted in 1925 concluded that blacks were ill-suited for combat due to an inferior mental capacity and lack of initiative and leadership.  However, under pressure from the NAACP and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, the US Army initiated the Tuskegee Experiment and opened a flight school for blacks at Tuskegee Institute in 1941.  Expected to fail, these men had to prove that they had the mental and physical capabilities to fly, and that white pilots were no better suited to fly than they were. The Tuskegee Airmen, through hard work and perseverance, and in spite of racism and racist policies, became some of the best pilots in the US Army Air Corps, and later, the US Air Force.  Their first commanding officer, Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., became the first black General in the US Air Force, and Daniel “Chappie” James, Jr., one of the instructors at Tuskegee, later became the first black Four-star General in the US Air Force.  Clearly, these men succeeded in spite of obstacles related to their skin color.

We’ve made a lot of progress since that day.  It is not unusual to see black police officers, firefighters, school teachers, principals, politicians, and and other professionals.  We have a President, who happens to be black.  We’ve had Secretaries of State, Generals, Supreme Court Justices, Senators, Congressmen, governors, mayors, and people in positions of power and prestige that are black.  These opportunities were not open to blacks 50 years ago.  Despite these advances, many would have us believe that the country has regressed all the way back to the days of slavery and Jim Crow.

These race hustlers preach that blacks cannot achieve prosperity without government assistance. Any attempts to cut government assistance are labeled racist acts.  They point to the disproportionate number of incarcerated blacks and label the justice system as racist, instead of determining what motivates them to commit crime and stopping them from committing crimes.  Race hustlers will note economic disparities among the races and blame them on racism instead of blaming them on individual people’s behaviors and choices.  Instead of preaching personal responsibility, hard work, and education, they inculcate blacks with the idea that the responsibility for their life belongs to someone else.  They spout forth that blacks are not capable of taking care of themselves and must be accommodated by the government and by society.

At the same time, these hustlers attempt to make the rest of us feel guilt ridden for this country’s racist past.  Aided by the mainstream media, we’ve accepted this baggage of guilt and implemented affirmative action programs and university admissions policies that give preference to blacks over other races.  Although these programs use terms such as “diversity” and “inclusion”, what they imply is that blacks are not capable of going head-to-head with their white, Asian, or Hispanic peers when it comes competency or academic skills.  Is that the legacy that the Tuskegee Airmen wanted to leave? Or did they want to show that race played no part in what they achieved, that hard work and dedication were the keys to their success?

We fear the “racist” label to such an extent that we are unwilling to speak the truth. When whites point out that black-on-black crime occurs much more frequently than white-on-black crime, they are tagged as racists.   When conservative blacks such as Herman Cain or Dr. Ben Carson point out that those ills of black society are the result of irresponsibility and personal failings instead of racist society, they are called traitors to their race. When we fear to speak the truth, we allow these race hustlers to propagate racism myths instead of addressing the root cause of and finding solutions for America’s social ills.  This hostility results in inaction on all sides and the problem remains.  There is still a problem but it’s different from the days of Jim Crow.  Racism lives and holds all of us hostage.  It holds some people back from meeting their potential.  It sometimes leads to inaction by excusing some blacks’ behavior.  When the word racist is wielded as a threat, without basis, it generates fear of repercussion and we don’t do anything about it, not even talk about it lest we be labeled a racist.  We, as a society, have yet to address it openly and honestly with the intent to find a solution, not to continue to lay blame. Racism cannot continue to be a crutch to some, nor be a hammer for others.

Over 100 years ago, Booker T. Washington, a prominent educator and author (also black) wrote, “There is a class of colored people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs, and the hardships of the Negro race before the public. Having learned that they are able to make a living out of their troubles, they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs-partly because they want sympathy and partly because it pays. Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do not want to lose their jobs."

If we truly want to honor the memories and sacrifices of the pathfinders and soldiers of the Civil Rights Movement, then Americans, of all races, must stop listening to these race hustlers. If we don’t stop enabling the race hustlers, instead of Dr. King’s dream where “my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character”, we will be unable “to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood” and their sacrifices will be for naught.  Let’s stop listening to the hate-mongers and seek to find an end to racism for ourselves.

American Dream

For many generations, America has been the land of opportunity, where people could pursue the American Dream.  James Truslow Adams defined the American Dream as “that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement… It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position."  In other words, success is earned and the amount of success is limited only by a person’s talents, capabilities, and willingness to work hard, not by social class, race, or sex.

That was my parents’ definition of the American Dream and they passed it on to me.  I had long assumed that everyone else understood that hard work was the path to success.  But that isn’t the case.  There are far too many people in this country that no longer believe that success and prosperity must be earned, they believe they are entitlements.

Undoubtedly, we live in an entitlement society.  We have Generation Me; a generation of young people characterized as having a sense of entitlement and narcissism.  We had the Occupy Wall Street movement; a protest about income disparity where protestors demanded more and better job and more balanced income distribution.  Although they demanded more, they didn’t offer to do more to earn more.  When we speak of poverty in this country, we don’t talk of destitution, people without adequate food, clothing, or shelter.  We talk about people who have TVs, computers, air conditioning, and iPhones, yet still receive government assistance, as if the amenities are necessities. Maybe they feel entitled to those amenities since so many others have them also.  Yet, real poverty exists in this country, but that is not the subject of these demands.

I’m not sure where this entitlement mentality began.  I think that the pampering, “everybody’s-a-winner”, self-esteem-building movement has certainly contributed to it.  Too many people believe they deserve a trophy for participating and too many are rejecting job offers because the offers don’t match their self-assessed market value.  They think they should begin in the corner office instead of realizing they have to start at the bottom and work their way to the top.  Nor do they understand that some will be more successful than others, whether it’s hard-work, luck, talent or some other reason. 

I also believe that politicians, with their social programs and government assistance, have contributed to the belief that people can’t rise out of poverty or be successful without government help.  While that mindset helps the politicians to get re-elected, it breeds acceptance in a segment of the population that believes it is better to live on welfare than to work a low paying job.  This creates apathy and a perpetuating cycle through generations that expect handouts without the burden of work.

At the same time, society labels successful people who want to keep the fruits of their labor instead of paying exorbitant taxes on them as greedy and accuses them of not paying their fair share.  Politicians talk about redistribution of wealth as if everyone is entitled to a piece of the pie, regardless of how much they contributed to making the pie.  Congress and the President talk about creating jobs, as if they could create jobs the same way they produce legislation.  But, they create untold government regulations and programs that hamper or prevent employers from creating jobs. When Walmart announced plans to build stores in Washington, D.C., the city council passed laws that will effectively block the retailer from opening half of the planned stores. Why? Because the wages Walmart pays its employees aren’t high enough.  But, the wages do meet or exceed the minimum wage standards. In an area where unemployment is higher than the national average, isn’t it enough to simply provide employment opportunities?  Because of the politicians’ stance, they propagate the idea that people are entitled to jobs at a pay rate higher than the jobs are worth.

In a recent speech, Ashton Kutcher said:

“I believe that opportunity looks a lot like hard work.  I've never had a job in my life that I was better than.  I was always just lucky to have a job.  And every job I had was a steppingstone to my next job, and I never quit my job until I had my next job.  And so opportunities look a lot like work.”

Because he is popular with younger generations, I hope they will take his message to heart.  Regardless, we need to learn or relearn and teach our children and grandchildren that success and prosperity are things that are earned through hard work, not entitlements.   And we need to stop electing officials who perpetuate the myth that success is an entitlement.  Otherwise, the American Dream will be nothing but a distant memory.  By some measures, it is already fading fast.

Portable Insurance

I consider myself a reasonably intelligent person, but when I try to understand medical bills or medical insurance payments, I am befuddled.  In talking with my co-workers, it appears that I am not the only one.  Many have expressed frustration when trying to understand coverage and can’t understand why it is so difficult to get a straight answer from the insurance company.  Other co-workers have complained about having to change health insurance companies when they change employers.  One co-worker asked, “Why isn’t health insurance portable?”

That’s a good question.  If I buy a new car, I can use the same insurance company to insure it.  If I buy a new house, I can use the same company that insured my old house.  Or, in either case, I can shop around for a better deal.  But, if I change employers, I can’t keep my health insurer or shop for a better deal, I am stuck with the insurance company of my employer’s choosing.  The employer determines my health benefits and fees by their selection of a health insurance provider.  It is a take-it-or-leave-it decision for me.  And the reason for that is simple; taxes.

Indirectly, employees get a tax-break on the premiums their employers pay for employer-sponsored health insurance.  Instead of getting the money the employer spends on insurance premiums in the form of wages, which would be taxed, the employee gets a non-taxed “benefit”.  And many employers get a tax break for having an employer-sponsored health insurance program.  While a tax break sounds good, it comes with a consequence.

First, I’m not the customer.  Because my employer pays the bulk of my insurance premiums, the insurance company has less incentive to make me a happy customer because their customer is my employer.  I have little recourse if the insurance company fails to cover my medical needs or limits which doctors I can see.  Second, I have little incentive to reduce the premiums or insurance costs.  The full cost of my health insurance isn’t apparent, i.e., some of it is paid to the insurance company without first passing through my wallet.  For example, if I knew I paid over $1,000 a month in health insurance premiums, I would shop for the best value for my family to manage my costs against my needs.    

Finally, the insurance company has little incentive to work with health care providers.  They are also put in a take-it-or-leave-it situation.  Either limit who they will see as patients or accept the payments the insurance company is willing to pay.  Sometimes the insurance companies don’t pay health care providers promptly or deny coverage.  If the health care provider doesn’t like the way they are reimbursed, the providers may refuse to see patients covered by an inferior insurance company.  But rejecting patients covered by an under-performing insurance company would be financial suicide for doctors if the insurance company is popular in the area.  Often, patients must manage their care between what is covered by their health insurance plan and which doctors are willing to accept them as patients because of the constraints of their health insurance provider.

Congress has passed laws that make it attractive for employers to provide insurance; therefore it is the employer, not the employee, who controls the health care dollars.  Is my employer more interested in getting me the best insurance coverage or the least expensive coverage?  Because of the tax code, I don’t have much of a choice in either the quality or cost of my health insurance.  By tying health insurance to employment, I lose my health insurance if I lose my job.  Undoubtedly, there are many workers experiencing “job lock”, stuck in a job they don’t like, but stay to avoid losing insurance.  If the laws were different, I could take my insurance with me and avoid being stuck in a job I hate.

If health insurance companies had to compete for my business, then the insurance companies would have an incentive to provide good customer service, reasonable premiums, and easy-to-understand coverage.  If I don’t like their customer service or believe their premiums are too expensive, I can go somewhere else.  If enough customers are disenchanted with a company, the company will either change to attract customers or go under.  At the same time, in order to minimize cost and risk, the insurance company could provide me with incentives to stay healthy or reduce coverage in areas that I don’t need, such as well-baby care, by reducing premiums.  And, if I can keep my insurance company when I switch jobs, then the likelihood of being rejected for a pre-existing condition is minimized.

Politicians like to talk about health care reform, but rarely do they do anything meaningful.  It’s time we tell our elected officials to change the law.  To simply force all employers to provide insurance isn’t the fix to the health care problem in this country.  We should all have access to quality medical care.  But we should all have the opportunity to buy health insurance that meets our needs and is not tied to our employer.  The insurance companies should compete for our business.  Incentives offered to large groups may help the employer, but what does it do for the employee?  We should not allow the insurance companies to become complacent because they have a contract with employers that tie the hands of the employees.  Having options opens up competition that leads to better products that more directly meet the needs of the individual.  Contact your elected officials and tell them to find a solution that makes the employee the customer.

Forgotten

It’s been called the Forgotten War, so it comes as no surprise that most of the media forgot to mention the 60^th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice Agreement.  Yet, there are many Americans that can’t forget the Korean War.

At the end of World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union, divided Korea along the 38^th parallel.  Communist, supported by the Soviet Union and Communist China, governed the northern half of the Korean peninsula while the government in the south was decidedly anti-Communist and supported by the US.  Both governments claimed sovereign rule over the peninsula.  On June 25, 1950, North Korea invaded an ill-equipped and outmanned South Korea.

President Truman believed that repelling the North Korean invasion was essential to America’s policy of containing the spread of communism and ordered US forces to South Korea.  After US and South Korean forces were nearly pushed off the peninsula by North Korean forces, General MacArthur planned an amphibious assault at Inchon that forced North Korean forces back to the Yalu River, the border between China and North Korea.  Chinese forces entered the war in October 1950 and compelled US and South Korean forces to retreat.  In response, President Truman declared a National Emergency that mobilized US National Guard and Reserve units for service in Korea.  From January 1951 to July 1953, most of the fighting was stalemated around the 38^th parallel.  Only July 27^th, 1953, the belligerents signed the Armistice Agreement, bringing the war to a close.

Ask a Korean War veteran about what he remembers and you’re likely to hear about the bitter cold winters, the mud during monsoon season, or the squalid conditions in which the Korean people lived.  He may talk about places like Heartbreak Ridge, Old Baldy, Porkchop Hill, or Chosin Resevoir.  He may remember funny stories about their time in Korea.  Although it may not be mentioned, many veterans carry scars from wounds received in combat that remind them of their service.  I doubt any will be able to forget the friends left in Korea; 54,246 Americans were killed in action and 8,177 are missing in action.

The men and women who served in Korea, the ones still living, are in their 80’s or older.  They won’t be around much longer.  Take the time to thank a Korean War veteran, one of the “sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met."  The Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. is engraved with the saying “Freedom is not Free.”  Show your appreciation for those who paid for Freedom.

Furlough Fridays

For most people, Friday is the favorite day of the work week.  Fridays often have a special significance, and therefore, earn special names.  Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of Christ, while the day after Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday, the first day of the Christmas shopping season.  Thanks to the inability of President Obama and Congress to reach agreements on budget cuts and government spending, we now have Furlough Fridays.

In my neck of the woods, the Department of the Army is the largest employer.  Department of Defense employees, for example, will be furloughed one day a week for 11 weeks and some services at military installations will be scaled back to accommodate the budget cuts. Most of the employees will see a 20% reduction in pay due to the sequestration.  Many local businesses are being affected by these cuts since a 20% pay cut means less money to be spent in the local economy.  The local military installation has reduced staffing at entrance gates and closes many of the gates on Fridays.  This resulted in long traffic lines for people trying to get to their jobs on the installation which prompted the local media to coin the term Furlough Friday.

Congress passed, and the President signed into law, the Budget Control Act of 2011 to avert the debt ceiling crisis.  The legislation established a bipartisan committee to produce deficit reduction legislation by November 23, 2011.  If Congress failed to produce a deficit reduction bill with at least $1.2 trillion in cuts over ten years, then mandatory across-the-board cuts, known as sequestration, would begin on January 1, 2013.  In order to avert the fiscal cliff, yet another potential financial crisis, Congress passed and the President signed into law the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012.  This postponed the sequestration until March 1.  We are now feeling the effects of the sequestration.

The $85.4 billion sequestration cuts are split evenly between defense and non-defense spending, although Social Security and Medicaid, which account for more than 1/3 of federal spending, are exempt from the sequestration.  The $85.4 billion, while it is a start towards deficit reduction, isn’t even enough to cover the interest on the US debt, nor is it a sustainable reduction.  It does nothing to reform entitlement spending and does not force Congress or Obama to address meaningful cuts in other areas.  And to pile on the misery, one of the top Democrats in the House said recently that his party should be willing to shut down the government this fall unless the spending cuts brought on by sequestration are ended.

Although sequestration was a step towards spending cuts, it was an idea that came out of Obama’s White House with the intention to force Republicans to negotiate, not to actually put the cuts into effect.  It was, in effect, a game to see which side would back down.  And Republican leaders agreed to the sequestration idea.  Instead of smart reductions, we have a meat cleaver approach to budget cutting.  Not all budget items are equal.  Some government offices are fiscally responsible and provide a quality service that meets the demands of this country.  Others are outdated, inefficient, redundant, or simply no longer needed.  Yet, when simply taking a percentage off the top of everyone’s budget, realigning the services to the demands of this country was not addressed.  Just like budgeting in our own homes, there is give and take to live within the amount we have available.  Demands change over time and trades must be made.  Instead of meaningful change, we have sequestration that takes money out of our pockets, provides fewer services, and stifles our economy. 

It’s time for Congress and the President to stop playing political games that affect peoples’ lives and their livelihoods.  Smart deficit reduction is needed because the country can’t sustain trillion dollar deficits forever.  We need reforms in entitlement programs, the tax code, and government programs.  I believe each and every government department and program should be reviewed to determine its purpose, its cost, and its benefit to the country as a whole.  Meaningful reduction will be painful and unpopular, but, in the long run, will contribute to the economic stability and security of the country.

Contact your Congressman (http://www.house.gov/), your Senators (http://www.senate.gov/), and the President (www.whitehouse.gov) and tell them to stop playing games and start creating meaningful, long-term solutions.  We simply can’t afford any more games.