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"R.I.P. America," so says a Facebook post...

In light of the horrific mass shooting in Orlando, Florida over the weekend, I read this post on an old friend of mine's Facebook page:

"R.I.P. America!!! You went soft on discipline. You raised the cost of living so high that both parents are always at work, rather than spending time with their children. You took God out of schools. Parents were told 'No you can't discipline your kids'. Kids had rights blah, blah, blah. Well. America!! We have lost a whole generation and turned them into selfish, disrespectful brats who have no respect for people, property or authority! Things need to change! This is the first time I've EVER done the whole copy and paste but I couldn't agree more with this!"

While I can understand we all grieve and react to tragedy differently, this post has been going around since at least 2011 and comes across like someone whom was rejected for a role in the film Grumpy Old Men.

Look, change is inevitable, and whether or not we like the changes that are taking place, this doesn't mean our country is dead. It simply means our country isn't what it once was, so we can either try to adjust, adapt, and grow with the times, or be continually cranky that things today aren't what they used to be.

Sure, some may still believe physical punishment and fearing an invisible man are the secret ingredients to a well-functioning society, but when Muslims aren't afforded the same rights as Christians, when women aren't granted the same rights as men, when gays and lesbians aren't provided the same rights as straights, and when kids' rights aren't respected, that's the time I think we can accurately state, "R.I.P. America," for what would "land of the free" ultimately mean if this freedom was selective?  The author of this post may not particularly like the America of today, but either he/she can try to adjust to the continual changes, or start auditioning for the lead role in the film, Grumpiest Old Person.

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