I couldn't agree with you more. We have turned our back on God and his beautiful truths. Our leaders believe we can survive and progress without him, how wrong they are. God is the only way the truth and the life. We can't survive without God's grace. Without God we create a culture of death. Strong families are the key weapon in holding society together. The family unit is slowly but surely being destroyed through embracing a God free culture. Pornography is destroying the minds and souls of so many. We are more than physical creatures, we are also spiritual. When we lose God we fill our hearts with selfish sugar coated pleasures which slowly destroy us and those around. We seek our own short lived pleasures not realising the profound effect it has on our senses. Our intellect is dimmed as we get further away from God. Truth become lies and lies become truth. We get caught up in our own selfish desires that people we could be helping remain suffering. The proposal of same sex marriage is a huge threat to the family. God help us if this is passed in law. School text books will be re-written to include steve and paul as a healthy, loving, married and accepted couple. People and churches who disagree will inevitably be prosecuted and lose their jobs. Child abuse will soar. Unfortunately, as always, it is the children who suffer.The moral fabric of society will collapse. The implications of such a bill are incomprehensible. Only by turning to God and his truthful teachings can we be set free from these coming attrocities. People believe they have been set free by abandoning God when they have actually been enslaved to their passions. The truth shall set you free. There is too much confusion around. We need to get back to basics. I pray to God that it's not too late. God bless you and your team for keeping people informed and giving people guidance and hope.

Dr. Del,

Your words: "I hope the President really meant that he wanted to ask the hard questions—the hard questions about “why” our culture is increasingly selfish and therefore increasingly violent.

But I’m afraid we won’t."

Regarding "... he wanted to ask the hard questions..." To make a point, may I edit your last line to read: "But I’m afraid he won’t, and because of that fact most of us won't either".

What I'm alluding to here is that although our form of government, by design, does not support, prefer, or proffer any one religion; there was in the founding fathers, the deep desire and the fervent intent for high moral standards of leadership to saturate the entire system of self-government. It is the same basic (secular) morals that are absent from the elected officials that they decry are missing from the nation. Most of the U.S. Presidents until recently have informally been looked to for basic moral leadership; to set a secular moral tone, to be a moral compass that at the very least pointed us to the fundamentals of right and wrong.

Perhaps what has been demonstrated in the last two elections, is that the country by-in-large is not interested in the burdensome yoke of a universal right, or wrong, or Truth. The people have instead placed before themselves a god (a government), hewn from a forest that lacks any hardwoods (men and women of God), bejeweled with glistening entitlements, secured with the nails of selfishness and apathy (so that it will not totter), and then on bended knee they bow down to it and say "Save me!".

If this country is to survive it will be only by the power and grace of our Holy and Merciful God! May we all be faithful instruments in His hand!

In Christ,

Dan H.

My problem with saying that these shooting are happening because we are becoming a more secular society is that if that were true, then these types of tragedies would be almost daily occurrences in Europe which has become MUCH more secular. In places like Denmark and Sweden less than 5% of the population attends church regularly, abortion is legal, and yet these types of events virtually never happen there.

Why?

First and foremost, who are we to question why God does or doesn't punish other countries is outrageous! God alone chooses who, what, when and where things will take place. Our responsibility does not involve what is happening in other countries, but what is happening in our country. We need to focus on the things we are supposed to do, according to God. We do not have the luxury of pointing fingers about what is going on elsewhere. FYI, the violence worldwide has increased dramatically. Punishments in some of the countries you identified are so severe that most individuals would decide the punishments are too much for them to commit these types of violent acts. Also, we only know what is going on elsewhere if the media decides to publicize the events.

I believe that Dr. Tackett is correct. The problem is that we are becoming more secular- ie. turning our backs on the God of the Bible. But when thinking about how we are turning our backs on God we have to look at where we came from. We were a nation that was founded on the Christian principles of the Bible. I believe that this was ordained by God to make us an example to the world, a nation that would stand up for what is good and just. We are a unique nation in this regard and therefore the results of becoming more secular has more serious consequences than for the countries of Europe. We have turned our backs on what we were created by God to be, they have not. Israel did this over and over in the old Testament and each time they were seriously punished. Should we be exempt from this? The only way to turn this around is to turn back to our Savior.

I see times getting tougher for the Christian before they become better. Unfortunately, I agree with you, this will be an issue about guns. I also see the blame being placed on mental illness, which is misdirected as well. Pray. Pray without ceasing.

How is the blame being placed on mental illness misdirected? That is what we should be talking about.

When we removes assault weapons are we talking guns, knives and 2x4's. When those are regulated and legislated, then some will stop the physical act and use drones, bombs, and poison.

There will always be a way to take lives that cannot be stopped. Del you are correct - education is key. But how do you teach respect for the ssnctity of life so that it becomes a barrier to actions that would take it?

President Obama must begin by empowering the source of society's hope - the teachers of faith, of law, and of medicine. These teachers produce a product, men and women, that operate in "healing" professions. It is hard to be evil when you are trying to heal someone. The value to a society, that has these 3 professions well represented, cannot be overemphasized. It really starts with the teachers. Do they have societies best interests in mind as they mold and shape our children, our teenagers and our college students? Isn't that what God has been telling and showing us for all of our history? It's not "plastics" Benjamin Braddock - it's our children and how they are raised, educated and sent out into the world.

We also overlook the role of drugs. Not street drugs. The drugs the pharmaceutical company and doctors are using on our children and young adults - the mind altering ADD and Antidepressants.

A great commentary, Del. Keep up the good work.

Wisdom is from God...and this article if full of His wisdom. Yet, the unfortunate truth is,...the promise our President makes regarding the use the power of his office is most likely nothing more than politically motivated double talk. As the wise men were pulling out of town, Herod told them to make sure he was made aware of the Christ Child's whereabouts...so that he too could make the journey to worship him. "Yeah, right".

I've pondered some of these very same sources of intensely violent 'teaching' and 'experiences' found throughout our media and entertainment-saturated society and wonder why they get virtually NO CONSIDERATION in terms of these sorts of horribly violent tragedies.

WHAT ABOUT the blood bathes, violent aggression, and acts of killing found within video games, movies, television shows, and even some 'best sellers'. See it,...think about it,...feel it in your gut,...vicariously become a part of it,...almost as if you were there, heart pounding, sweat running, all senses on high, feeling the intensity of the violent moments.

Oh,...but it's only a game, a show, a movie, a DVD, a song...

I too pray the President will be asking the really hard questions...but I will not be surprised when "gun control" finds it way to center stage.

Thank you, Del, for going straight to the heart of the matter. We are bound to be politically correct, even if it kills us, destroys our Nation and deny's the very essence of our Lord.

I'm not sure that pointing to some things in need of change makes change of other things requiring it unnecessary.

I am viewing the situation from an Australian point of view. In 1996, 35 people were killed and 23 wounded by a gunman in Port Arthur, Tasmania. Gun laws were changed and nothing of this kind has happened since.

In the US, by contrast, no fewer than 16 mass murders have taken place in 2012 alone due to lax gun laws, the latest involving 20 little children and six adults.

The argument that we should, instead of controlling the availability of guns, see to it that everyone controls their sinful nature ignores the fact that, according to Scripture, this is simply not going to happen. "For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many" (Mt. 7:13). There will be no complete solving of "the problem of evil that infects the heart of man." Jesus says, "Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter it and will not be able" (Lk. 13:24). That is, the solution is of course available, but many will choose not to accept it until it is too late.

The sort of nimble sidestepping of the issue that we see in this article is unhelpful.

We are now a nation of "rights and entitlements". From elementary school through adulthood for the last 2-3 generations, responsibility and accountability have decreased to the point where almost any action can be justified or explained away by mental illness, tough personal circumstances, dysfunctional home-life, and a myriad of other excuses for actions taken by individuals or groups.

It has been reported that Adam Lanza's mother provided him training, access to weapons, and taught him to shoot. If that is correct, she did that knowing better than anyone else in the world his problems and issues. Did she hide or disguise his problems to avoid the stigma or embarrassment of a "problem" child?

How many other parents have and are raising their children today with the attitude that "my child" would never do anything wrong and that anything the child does should be the responsibility of society, rather than the child's responsibility?

We now have 2-3 generations of adults who have been taught since childhood that "I can do anything I want and won't have to worry about the effects on others or my personal consequences".

Well said, Del. Thank you for sharing this.

i hear alot about how great it used to be when there was prayer in school and there were so many outward signs that america was "god's people." America was never "God's Nation" were are just a nation among others that God happens to love like all the rest. We were just as sinful then as we are now. Instead of abortion and terrorist we had segregation and the "red scare." Instead of it being music that celebrates violence, video games that celebrate sex, and self indulgance, it was lynchings and a culture that tolerated abuse and distrust of "outsiders".

America and the world at large does not need to see christians waving banner, shouting slogans, and "grabbing their guns". The World needs to see the tranforming power of Christ's love played out in the life of christains. They need to see the love of christ lived out in giving and caring for the "least of these", and that means those "unchurched Liberals".

By anybody.

I've been thinking a little about this lately, too. Recently I heard a guest from the Cornwall Alliance on a national Christian talk show. I was shocked and sobered, not by anything he said, but by how he ignored a caller's plea, "Isn't there some way we can find common ground and work together in stewardship of Creation?" by saying "we have examined the evidence, and our answer to questions of climate instability is a resounding "no"."

I am sobered and grieved, because those wicked false teachers at the Cornwall Alliance obviously stop reading the Bible about Genesis 3. No concept of what the Flood did to the ecosphere. No familiarity with the ecological ordinances in Moses, or the Psalmist's commendations of God's care for the natural world. And absolutely no mention of the prophets' expressions of God's judgment expressed in environmental catastrophe, both in the cases of individual nations and eschatologically. Nada.

Let me sum up. I think, based on "the whole counsel of Scripture", that ecological instability is much more complex than "you can never trace a line of cause and effect from one single event back to global warming." That's just plausible deniability. There are so many factors, so many more issues at stake than storms and melting glaciers. And my thought is also that climactic catastrophe is one of the key elements of end-time prophecy.

In other words, it's a reality. And it's our fault. And the only answer is related to what you say, that its poison is drawn from the alienation that infects the hearts of men.

Notice I didn't say, "infects the heart of man," because in my view there is no such thing as original sin, only universal responsibility. No God-shaped vacuum, only creatures in the image of God, made capable of relating to him. Don't want to start an argument, only reiterate what the Bible says. It's our responsibility either way, and there is no "sin nature" or inherited flaw to blame it on. Just our own thoughts and choices. Just clarifying that awesome sense of responsibility, or trying to.

Anyway, I would turn around and add to your comments that the only answer to the problem of climate change is deep, true, soul-searching heart change. And it's only the macro-problem, the sum of all fears, the symptom of our sin writ large. And my heart aches for people to think about this:

Christians need to examine their hearts and their world view as much as or more than President Obama, in your view, needs to reexamine his. We are mostly blind to all this stuff I've been talking about, to what the causes are within ourselves and within our ideology and religious worldview, and "how deep the rabbit hole goes."

If parts of that didn't sink in, what I am trying to say is that we are up against a really sobering situation, that is bigger even than you make it. The only way out, it seems to me, is some really deep repentance (focused on Jesus Christ, of course) and for a lot of people to change their way of thinking. Starting with us.

Hope that helps. Otherwise I wouldn't have said anything.

If it's not for political gain, hard questions are rarely asked and dealt with in our leadership. They prefer to kick it down the road and continue down the humanistic path that has turned Europe into an Atheistic black hole.

Sadly, this will simply be about guns and gun control. Not about the issues that are really effecting our nation and our people. It will not turn to the truth of the matter. It is a shame that a tragedy like this will be used to fight for a political agenda instead of a moral redirection.

My hear breaks for the parents and community of Netown, Ct. And my heart breaks for our country.

He's so good!

Well put. While I do not agree with our President on many issues, I will be praying that he addresses the right questions. President Obama has an incredibly rare opportunity to question our moral compass and ask questions that could spark honest and open conversation that could partially recallibrate our compass. True leadership needs to be exerted and this is especially difficult since it may require crossing party lines and going against the culture of politics. For his family and all of the other families across the globe I pray that God softens his heart and prompts Mr. Presidednt to lead from Godly righteousness.

America is probably the most religious country I know, so how do you explain this violence here, and only here. It has nothing to do with teaching our kids about "religion", religion teached us more about violence then anything else. This article should have been more about the NRA and there power, they need to go, nobody needs an assault rifle in their home, what does it takes for people to see this, how many children need to die, for people to see this. When you have your nice Christmas dinner with your family, you need to think about those families that will NEVER, EVER have a merry Christmas, because they have lost a child, the most precious thing in the world!

There are no rifles or any gun made that is an assualt rifle they are an inanimate object assualt is an action that has to be performed and it is usally done by someone you can assualt anyone with any object the instrument alone cannot assualt anyone so lets get that fact straight!!!

I hear your heart and it seems focused on good, but I cannot agree with your suppositions/statements.

What do we do as a country with all of the outright violence within our media? It "teaches"..."conditions"..."desensitizes"...and at times, "encourages". Terribly violent TELEVISION PRODUCTIONS....MOVIES....DVDS....SONGS / MUSIC....COMPUTER "GAMES"... Truth is, this stuff REALLY SELLS! Death, sex, drugs, rape, murder, capture, abuse, torture, control, hatred, jealousy...etc..etc...

When will we as a people see our wicked ways? We don't want to "see them"....as we'd prefer to take a more relativistic view, with "no right or wrong" or moral absolutes.

Take away the guns...and you still have the mental turmoil, the hatred, the desire to do harm, etc... Bad folks will always have guns...and making certain ones "illegal" will simply drive up their "street value", with the subsequent likelihood of their illegal sales increasing (for increased profit).

I hurt deeply for these families...and more specifically for those little ones who had to witness such a horrible massacre. How will they handle such terrible and difficult memories? I pray the Lord will do miracles in their little hearts and lives. Respectfully

So true and so well stated, Del. I wonder if Obama would even have the slightest understanding of what you have stated so eloquently. We have to do what Paul wrote in 1Thes 5:16-22. What else can we do?
Glen

Del, it is about gun control, and lack of sustained mental health treatment and safety nets, and violent video games. (It isn't about abortion, or God in the classroom, although the atrocities in Newtown gave you a nice spring board to talk about same). Our Congress can't resolve the upcoming fiscal cliff. Unfortunately we have to make this about the obvious -- eliminating assault weapons in the hands of individuals, and meaningful regulations to enforce the same! I trust that parents, churches and God will take care of the rest.

Well as a non American, I listened for hours at the poison that was been spoken in a Christian chat room about Obama and the government. Not once did someone offer a prayer of blessing on him or the government, a prayer of holiness, a prayer of justice, etc etc. Now we have to listen to how everything but guns is responsible for the Newton tragedy .. that is true, all those things mentioned are part of the problem, but reliance on guns and not God does not help at all. What has America's answer been to this tragedy ? gun sales have gone up 120% how smart is that? So Psalm 91 no longer counts, God is not able to protect us and those we love, rather buy more guns.

You can't blame governments or presidents for the situation .. what are YOU doing about it. You are just as responsible as we all are .. Jesus has overcome the world, but yet we sit on our laurels and blame someone or something else, the power that raised Jesus from the dead is no longer active it would seem.

You can't expect unbelievers to make changes, that is our job with prayer .. the prayers of the righteous avails much. If not much has been availed, what do you think the problem is?

You truly hit that right on the head. It is not the weapon that is used, it is the evil that is in the world that comes out thru the wrath in the heart of man from not have a knowledge of God or of his great Love for Man. All of our Laws are based in the Ten Commandments that God gave, if you come right down to it. If we were to follow all Ten Commands, there would be no need for all the other law books, That would cover them all.

Del - while I agree that all of wider social ills you mention are indeed part of the problem, the most pressing one, and the one that needs to be addressed most immediately, is widespread availability of assault-style-weapons and the high cap magazines that keep getting used in this type of shooting.

It is simple triage. When a cancer patient arrives at the doctor complaining of a gunshot wound, the doctor doesn't order a round of chemo. Yet this sort of obtuse logic is what I keep hearing from the NRA, and other supporters of a certain interpretation of the Second Amendment. Your post seems to be heading down this same path.

First we must stop the bleeding. The quickest way to do that is to take these tools of death on the battlefield out of civilian hands.

There are plenty of other settled, first-world democracies that have embraced the social and moral cancers you describe to the same extent that we have. Some would argue more so. And yet this sort of mass shooting is a rare event, (if it ever happens at all), in those places. The only uncommon thread between us and them is our obsession with firearms, and our insistence on putting them in the hands of anyone who wants to use them - for good, or unsurprisingly given man's nature, for evil.

amen brother you speak a hard truth that few least of all our infamous president want to hear. unfortunatly we seem to be like cattle being led to the slaughter put down even the scent of food & we will follow until it is to late !!!

Del,

Thank you for speaking with truth and clarity, similar to presentation in the Truth Project. These are terribly difficult questions to ask, terribly difficult to keep stamina, requiring a fire that burns from a heavenly source to persevere, to guide, to remain steadfast to Godly purpose. As much as I want to restore people to heavenly purpose, even I don't think I could carry that cup, that banner, of purpose.

In the end, I prayerfully remain His and will walk hopefully with His grace on my back and directing me to guide my family in its heavenly purpose, that my children know they are His, protected by His divine purpose - however He may allow their lives to be used for His Glory.

Remain His, Del. Your very much younger brother,
Luke

We agree whole-heartedly. We also noticed that the media mostly looked to psychology types for answers. Where else can they go, denying the legitimacy of the need for societal moral standards?

If you want religion in schools, then you will have to allow all religion in schools. How comfortable are you with your kid learning about the Muslim faith, or having a presentation about Wicca. I'm pretty sure that you believe your faith is the "one true faith" because you are somehow smarter than everyone else in the world and you don't want your kids to learn about other faiths.

And how can you take away the personal responsibility of the parents or the person themselves? If you want your child to know God, RAISE them to know God. That is NOT the purpose of a school teacher. If you want someone ELSE to teach your child about God, then send them to the religious school of your choice or homeschool them. But you don't have the right to force YOUR opinions of God to everyone else's child. In fact, even with the Christian faith, there are people who vehemently disagree about the interpretation of the laws of the bible. There are Mormans, Protestants, Catholics, Baptists, Church of Christ, etc... the list goes ON and ON and On. And none of you can even agree amongst yourself within the spectrum of Christianity.

It is our own personal responsibility to raise the children we decided to bring into the world. It is your job to instill in them a character and to fight for their health (mental or physical).

The shootings had nothing to do with a lack of God nor was it God exacting his revenge (As the Westboro church believes). There are many factors to a complicated issue. There is no single fix. We need stronger gun laws (we ask our drivers to take a test, but not our gun owners??) And we also need mental health to be acknowledged as important as physical health. We are very reactionary in the medical community. We treat your cancer after you have it. We react to these shootings rather than get someone the mental health care they need or make it available/accessible to them and their families.

How wonderful that we have true believers willing to stand and boldly proclaim the TRUTH!

Thanks for writing this, Del. I have one more "category" of difficult questions to add, after reading the "I am Adam Lanza's Mother" post and the public responses of other women in similar situations. These questions can basically be summarized into one: Where are these children's fathers?

"It was all there again; senseless carnage in a culture that lives and dies with violence. A culture that is entertained by it, profits from it, talks it, glorifies it, swims in it. And every so often, when the day is bad enough, gets shocked and sickened by it."
-http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2012/12/15/gun-control-obama-shooting/1771417/

It's time Christians took a stand for what is right and stop elevating Republican doctrine to the level of Biblical doctrine. I've voted against Barack Obama every election, but he is off to a good start here, and I support what he is saying so far. When innocent people are repeatedly getting killed by gun violence we need to step back and seriously evaluate the situation. There isn't any scripture where God gives his blessing to assault rifles. Our right to the 2nd Amendment shouldn't trump the life of a kindergartner. I'm not saying a total ban is the answer, but you won't find my name supporting the NRA (who by the way have removed their Facebook and Twitter accounts after the CT shooting and have yet to even offer condolences on their website).

As Christians we are called to justice, mercy and humility. We need to be looking out for the best interest of others and putting our own rights in a place of lesser importance.

I so agree with what you have said. And yes, those other issues are the hard ones to bring out and discuss with civility. At the same time, guns are fair game in this discussion. Over 100 children will die this year in Chicago alone due to hand gun violence. They will be between kindergarden and 12th grade. This is but one major city in our nation. We can not be in denial that something is terribly wrong with our culture of violence and the prevalence of the gun . I have heard a Texas representative bemoan the fact that there are not more guns to kill those with guns who are out of their minds. I am not so sure that I want to live under the umbrella of Mutually Assured Destruction any longer. "Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven" will not be accomplished by the pulling of a trigger. MAD is not constructive. Personally, I hate all guns...period. Their sole purpose in the year 2012 is to kill something that is living. Hand guns are specifically designed to kill living human beings...for whatever reason, and they get more efficient in doing so with each new model year. Jesus did not call down angelic hosts to protect him from the sin filled nature of men. He did not defend himself in this way, power his way to safety and security. I for one will not try to shoot my way out of my fears of others or by mussel of gun attempt to enhance my manhood. I will not put my faith in the shields and chariots of men. My security, and that of my family, rests in the Lord. I believe to serve him in this matter is to forego my "rights" to bear arms. I drink no alcohol for the same reasons, our nation is awash in this poison. I'll have no part of it. If I stand alone, so be it. If it's bad for the economy, so be it. If we risk totalitarian governance...I doubt it. I do believe in the proper use of weapons for our communal protection, in the hands of authorized personnel, police, military, etc.. That a parent of an unstable son can purchase and fail to control high powered weapons, that that son can purchase unlimited quantities of antipersonnel ammunition, that he can have clips that hold dozens and dozens of rounds...absurd. But where to draw the line? For me and my house, we will serve the Lord and we will have no guns...ever.

Spot on Dr. Tackett. Thank you for your fidelity to Truth.

I agree with everything you said,but this didn't happen over night and it won't be any better until God is brought back into our lives. Didn't anyone see this coming? I'm from the 50s and things were so much better back then. May God Bless America!!!!

you nailed it, thanks.

Greetings Del,My wife and I were in one of your classes at Summit in Colorado almost 15 years ago. A friend just sent me this article. I am wondering, exactly how can we answer well, the liberal's assertion that europe has restricted guns and they rarely have gun violence? There must be a Biblical response of some sort. If your readers want to read more on Christian Culture and this gun question http://missiontorestoreamerica.com/blog/

Thanks for your good work

The second amendment was written to protect us from corrupt politicians taking advantage of the American people and their families. So what this boils down to is simple. We would rather not use our Guns but to not use them and allow evil to occur when we have the power to forestall it even for a little while through self defense. Which by the way is permitted in the Bible but not condoned. Not all Christians can be martyrs if that was the case no one would be able to spread the word of God. God has to prepare you to be martyred if he wills you for that eventuality. Certainly though one shouldn't just throw away their only means of defense against corrupt individuals invading their lives and homes. Unless of course it becomes the Law of the Land which we must abide by. People with evil motives will get a gun if they want to commit a crime or an atrocity that's simply the way the world works. If you have enough money or know enough people or search long enough you'll find what you need to do evil. So why not allow people the right or at least ability to defend themselves if need be. Even the apostles carried swords. Then of course theirs that verse in Matthew that says if a man has a cloak but not a sword let him sell his cloak and buy one. That may be out of context but I'm still not quite sure if it is or not. I keep coming back to it with a curiosity. As for turning this country into a Theocracy it will not happen because Christ is the only true incorruptible man to have ever lived, this is because he is also God. Man will always be power hungry, and greedy unfortunately. Some men may be righteous enough to rule a nation justly for a time eventually however you will always find a corrupt man takes over. So that's why our democracy depends on many men and not just a single man. Of course that would be sufficient to at least afford us some semblance of justice if the majority of these men were not corrupt in even simple things such as greed. Which as of now they are and as of 12+ years ago they were. So the only way to stave off annihilation of this country now is to remove all the corrupt men from office. Remove the drive of money from the office as well thus less corrupt individuals would be free to run. To offset the evil ones that do or at least slow their progress as it is impossible for an empire to last forever and it always eventually succumbs to corruption.

Personally my distaste for this current state of affairs primarily comes from the mindset of the greedy continually taking everything that was at least passable for good from this country and replacing it with "dispair" they intend to "fix" while they prepare more "problems" for everyone to focus on. So that the people never realize they haven't "fixed" anything until it's too late.

Shutting down Nasa was a big one yes lets take the one thing that America accomplished together that was so groundbreaking and awe inspiring as to cause the entire world to participate away from the American people and little boys who dream of becoming pilots and astronauts. Yes even though only 20 were selected a year it was achievable for some now you can't even dream of doing something quite so unique.

Increasing the standardized test scores for schools while simultaneously removing funding from them. Is it any wonder our young people are for the most part "ignorent".

Economy well this affects many things like the Jobs you can get how much more education you need to get those jobs. The healthcare you receive. If you qualify for enough money to get more education to get a better job. If you get a job that's "full-time". How much of the money you need to spend to actually "Live" not just survive and I'm not talking about buying tons of stuff you don't need. I'm talking about actually having money in the bank and transportation. After your bills and taxes. Well yeah that about sums that up but of course we all know I could elaborate on this last point till the cows come home so to speak.

I want to point out that there is absolutely no way all of these happened by chance it was all orchestrated for one reason or another either for greed, pride, or simply because some wanted to see everything burn. Of course everything is ultimately decided by God before the foundations of the earth, but sometimes I wish I could have been born at an earlier time so as to actually enjoy the possibility of creating something wonderful for the benefit of all before it all went south. I mean it's not totally set in stone so I still may and I hang on to that hope that God will let me before the curtain finally closes. Not because I want to be famous or anything like that I just like making things a lot and I love helping people.