The cynical American drives over the speed limit and slows down when a cop is spotted.
The cynical American believes if the grocery store gives you more change -keep it-prices are expensive.
The cynical American uses credit cards, payday loans,and home equity as if it were cash. In fact, Cynical America has marketed borrowing money as a normal way of life.
Cynical Americans do not believe in public school education, welfare for the poorest, helping children of illegal immigrants or providing free medical care to our sickest elderly or our children.
Cynical Americans take sick days from work because they are "owed" and think nothing of pulling their children out of school for a two vacation.
Cynical American government wastes our time attacking one another instead of finding solutions.
-They sponsor people to run for office based on cynical loyalties and not qualifications.
-They blame one another while America's infrastructure falls apart, our economy fails, our jobs lost, our small businesses fail, and our homes are foreclosed.
-Cynical politicians get elected to enrich themselves through corporate and lobbying industries and forget it is us they are supposed to watching out for-and Cynical Americans assume cynical politicians will be greedy and dishonest.
-Cynical politicians who break the law are only remorseful at having gotten caught.
-Cynical politicians who break the law and are not called out on it are outraged when they are-because if they aren't in jail, no one has the right to accuse them of unethical behavior.
-Cynical Americans and Cynical Politicians believe fudging the truth, evading the real issue, keeping silent about important truths to protect an overall dishonest situation. not stepping up to call out any of these falls under the umbrella of "loyalty" and are ethical.
American children, who are not cynical, yet, are taught, in our public schools some of the most important lessons of life-values.
As a second grade teacher I teach my students how to get along even if they don't like each other. I tell them not everyone likes everyone but they do need to respect one another.
-I teach my students the difference between having pride in doing their very best work and owning a Wii.
-My students learn that working together can almost always result in a victory where everyone benefits. They have also learned, through their own trial and error, spending too much time arguing who will lead the group almost always results in getting nothing accomplished.
-My students discover that even at age seven, one caring act, such as helping another student understand a math problem, can create a change that is further reaching-because people rarely forget a kindness and that little extra boost brings along the classes overall learning. (And kid talk is so much more effective)
-My students know the difference between trying to "please the teacher" and "taking pride in what they can do them selves"
-_My students learn early on that kids don't have control over what they have, so those that come to school in ragged clothes or worn out shoes;this does not make them less of a person.
The great equalizer in our class is our earnestness, our honesty and our efforts.
You see, in Elementary school, in second grade, life is pretty transparent. It is also safe, predictable, caring and compassionate.
-With those values in place, kids feel free to learn, try and make good decisions, learn from failures and mistakes, and most importantly, continuously evaluate their own behaviors.
The Cynical America is out there waiting for them, they are exposed to it by parents, neighbors, health care providers, government systems.
Some lose their way.
Many don't. Somewhere in this world, my students continue to believe America does not have tobe cynical if we can be respectful of our differences, work together for the common good, and remember to help each out once in awhile.
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