It is my opinion that we are losing our principle of “valuing human life,” as one of our paramount virtues.

The media, such as video games and movies show people killing people, in more and more gruesome ways. Our children are growing up and being instilled with a less sensitive mindset.

One of the manifestations is the reluctance of many police departments to allocate funds for Tasers. A needed non-lethal method for police to restrain suspects is worth its weight in non-lawsuits.

Except for the military whose “no one left behind” principle is famous, our society has devalued human life.

We see homelessness, family hunger and the departure of the middle class as if it does not affect us. America needs to find a consensus of our new identity.

Are we still the compassionate society that we grew up picturing ourselves as? Or are we now just pragmatic former idealists?

We used to temper our definition of laws to be merciful as well as protecting society. Now, we have private prisons that are cheaper because the guards are paid minimum wage and receive a minimum of training.

This is another example of our devaluing of human life, as we have lowered the bar on who needs warehousing on the public’s dime, just to allow rich investors to make money.

Greed has replaced humanism in America. We need to reevaluate who should be warehoused, and be proactive in the rehabilitation of those we do keep in cages. Yes, prisons are like zoos, except we keep humans in them – yes, humans.

We lock them up and allow their families to live on welfare, often making the children into latchkey kids, without parental guidance (example of familial “cycIe of incarceration”).

I realize that what we learned in school was often fictionalized to make us seem to be an exceptional society, one who like Robin Hood gave to the poor (third world) without a “hidden agenda” (example of foreign policy by foreign aid).

Fictionalized history is not a new phenomenon, as our role as one of the worst genocidal societies was glossed over.

Texas is now teaching its students that the Civil War was fought over just states' rights, which was true, but we know slavery was in the mix as well. Leaving out history is the same as lying about it.

Human rights has always been one of my country’s virtues that I grew up being proud of. It is sad that we are regressing, instead of progressing; we no longer have a seat on the human rights commission at the United Nations, a commission we started.

George W. Bush refused to join the World Court at the Hague, because we were refused an exception to prosecution.

Our intention to torture prisoners in opposition to the Geneva Convention keeps us a rogue nation, as does our formation of private mercenary armies to supplement the force Congress refused to supply, because there were no rules of engagement for these private citizen soldiers from a plethora of nations.

When did our armed forces become an extension of Halliburton’s investment strategy? With a profit of $34 billion, they were the definitive winners of the Iraq war. They were followed by the mercenary companies, who paid their veterans $1,000 a day, all on the public’s dime.

Millions in overcharges, paid without investigation, and Congress stymieing further auditing. So, the humanistic morality, and public’s will are depleted and devalued.

It is our own fault for allowing free rein for the industrial takeover of our government. The idea that private companies are more efficient than government agencies, has eroded public trust in government.

Congress cutting the budget of agencies such as the post office and EPA, and imposing rules to keep public agencies at a disadvantage, so private companies can make money is immoral and not in the interest of the public. This shows that Congress no longer represents the public, but the highest bidder.

Another instance is the illegality of buying pharmaceuticals under collective bargaining, even though the Veteran’s Administration has been doing it, defying the law. 

Recently, Congress made it illegal to sue Monsanto for wrongful death or any other reason.

Who are they representing? It seems obvious not to be the citizens.                  
 
Dave Gebhard lives in Lakeport, Calif.