Behaviour Unbecoming

In both the civilian government and the military, there exists in the law code a broad and disturbingly-vague category of punishable wrong-doing, simply called "behaviour unbecoming", i.e. behaviour inconsistent with and contrary to a perfect role-model example of someone in government service at public tax-payer expense, whether in civilian service or in the military. This legal category is itself unbecoming to the rest of the body of law because it is so very imprecise and thus subject to partisan political or otherwise whimsical and capricious interpretation by any would-be tyrant using that power of government office for personal hubris and self-aggrandizement. In order to insure equal justice under law, law itself must be narrowly and accurately defined.

Many Americans--this blogger included--proudly believe in American exceptionalism: we say there is something about America which sets it uniquely apart from all the rest of the world's nations. We believe this American exceptionalism to be a gift from God, a gift which the Lord will rescind, should America decline its obligation to play its exemplary role of unique destiny in world history.

In recent decades, grave American governmental and societal departures from that unique obligation have heralded a new era of behaviour unbecoming to the unique greatness America alone has heretofore been priviledged to know and exercise. What are these behaviours unbecoming to America? Lest we, too, be accused of being vague and imprecise, let us declare them to the world:

1)America has condoned law-breaking by certain "politically correct" demographic segments of society, based on alleged claim of victimhood from generations past now long-dead and gone. 2)America has tolerated leaders in high government office who shamelessly talk dirty four-letter-word bathroom-wall language. This behaviour is an assault upon the solemn dignity of public trust in high government office. 3)America has invaded the privacy of its citizenry in the name of national security, by use of politically-motivated surveillance without warrant. This government behaviour opens the door to possible use of federal agencies for partisan political purpose. 4)America has engaged in excessive taxation of its citizenry, thus robbing the people of God-given right to pursue happiness on their own terms. 5)America has cowardly abandoned freedom of speech in favor of political correctness. 6)America has winked its approval of certain sexual behaviours not tolerated in this country one hundred years ago. The mass communications media shamelessly places these sexual perversities on center stage before the public, in daring defiance of traditional marriage. 7)America has zipped the proverbial rug out from under the feet of the nation's parents, to discipline their own children as they see fit. Consequently, America has recently raised generations of defiant young brats who feel America owes them a free living with no obligations on their part in return. Dr. Benjamin Spock is largely to blame for abolishing parental boards of education applicable to young seats of learning. 8)America has recently replaced beauty with ugliness in public display of both audial and visual arts, saying in the name of political correctness that ugly is just as good as beautiful, and there is no absolute and objective measure of either. 9)Inferior public school education threatens to render future generations of Americans unable to successfully compete in international global markets. 10)Numbers substitute for absolute principles in determination of right from wrong. 11)America has adopted quick-easy divorce laws allowing nullification of marriage for relatively light and transient reasons. This practice is an assault upon a God-ordained and sacred social institution. 12)After sacrificing thirty-five-thousand American lives in a war against Communism in Korea, and sixty-thousand more in a later war against Communism in Viet Nam, we slowly but surely adopt Communism for ourselves, even by our own collective hand, as we convince ourselves that individual liberties are too dangerous and the uncertain vicissitudes of a free market place are too discomforting for America's own good. The hottest beds of Communism in America are in its halls and classrooms of academia, where honest education is supplanted with political indoctrination. 13)Thanks to reckless and irresponsible government economic policies, the American dollar continually loses its purchasing power every year. This decline has international repercussions as foreign governments also lose confidence in the American dollar as the world back-up monetary currency.

To be sure, America has never witnessed a Golden Age of Victorian sinlessness and moral rectitude. Nevertheless, the certainty of moral decline in America over the last one hundred years is beyond dispute. Behaviour unbecoming to the ideals of the American character are now more endemic than ever before. That said, we need not listen to the clarion call of some who declare that America's better days are now irreversibly behind her. We have many other sources of leadership to look to for inspiration besides those in government and politics. What about our pioneers in science and technology? What about our innovators in education? What about our literary writers, music and theatrical drama composers, our architects and our automotive industry designers? What about our inventors and discoverers? It is these people who will courageously carry the day for America, popular majority opposition and cynicism notwithstanding. All that is necessary for a revival of American greatness is for every American to quit saying "Let George do it", look at himself or herself in the mirror, and say in full confidence and conviction, "I will do it."

-LKM