Disgruntled.

That one word seems to describe the mood of our country.  Folks are unhappy with the current state of affairs, and who can blame them?  Marriage still feels like a crap shoot, with the house odds stacked against you.  With 50% of marriages failing and many more who are on the verge, the vows we took seem to be about as binding as a promise from a politician to not raise taxes.

Our schools are failing too, despite the efforts of good teachers. One of the things Americans have always found pride in was the educational opportunities we provide for children.  But when some schools are only graduating 25% of students, and America is rated 8^th in the world in most subjects, we are not longer the model for education.  This is concerning because education is an integral part of having the ability to achieve the American dream. 

Now the future of our country isn’t so bright.  All  you have to do is ask a clerk to make change without a calculator and you will see how fare we have strayed from the basics.  And a huge percentage of those who do go on to college need remedial classes just to make it in the college courses.  While we have increased education funding by 50% over the past 10 years, our scores continue to flounder.

To make matters worse, folks in the inner city can’t seem to get out of a system that started out as a safety net but has turned into a spider web.  Policies that started in the 1970’s encouraged young women to not get married and keep having babies.  Sub standard schools, corruption, and 70% of babies being born out of wedlock mean the inner cities have become a place where hope is hard to come by.  For all of the governments “help”, inner city families are hurting now more than ever.  All the while, the politicians are still acting like they own the place. There is a lot to be disgruntled about.

 So how did we end up here? What happened to that American spirit that said that no matter how bad things get, we could always pull ourselves up? We are nowhere near depression era suffering, but so many of us are feeling the pinch, even if it means we have to downsize our cell phones and start cooking at home.  As someone who would flunk out of Cooking 101, I can appreciate that sentiment.

If you watch television you know there are political pundits, talk show hosts, psychologists and even exercise gurus who are sure they hold the key to fixing our country... usually it includes you sending in three easy payments of $19.99 plus shipping and handling.   The solutions they offer are sometimes at least partially right, but none of them have a corner on the market of restoring the American spirit.  

So what is the solution? I don't have all the answers, but I know it isn't the government.