..  Tracts  Our Lady of the Atonement Catholic Church  More Tracts

 
The Rise and Decline of America

Deacon James Orr

[The setting is a classroom in the future]

“The Rise and Decline of America”

“And so students, we move to the next chapter in our history books.  Chapter 3 deals with the period dating from the end of the Second World War, around 1945, up until the Third World War in 2045.  So who would like to read?  Ok, Terry, go ahead.”

 Terry clears his throat and begins: “The Rise and Decline of America – Chapter 3.  The period following the Second World War, from about 1945 through the 1990’s, saw the rise of the United States of America as a world superpower.  Her global accomplishments were tremendous and her military might unparalleled since the dawn of humankind. 

The United States rose to be the world leader in medical discoveries, technological advancements and entrepreneurial innovations.  Following the Second World War, America dominated the economic landscape of the world and her influence was felt all over the globe.  American culture became as widespread as the English language, which is still used in some countries today.  American cinema, the arts, and music played a large part in the spread of Western Civilization throughout Asia, Africa and South America. 

But by the 1990’s, the United States had begun its period of decline, which would last until the beginning of the Third World War in 2045.  No longer having an external enemy of any consequence, the people of the United States entered into political and moral turmoil with each other.  The elimination of the external threat from the Soviet Union, which collapsed in 1991, allowed the United States to accumulate vast sums of national wealth and to focus almost exclusively upon itself.  Selfish desires became commonplace and callous disregard for the truth prevailed among many.

Although economically wealthy, America embarked on a course of national government which polarized the nation.  Certain corrupt politicians began invoking religion as a pretense to shape their own political agendas.  Large sections of the population were managed and manipulated through surrogates in the national media by treating them as “interest groups” rather than upholding the dignity of each person.  Moral and ethical standards, once upheld by society in the 1940’s and 50’s, now came under constant attack and ridicule in the media, and among many in government. 

Attacks on fundamental human rights began first in the medical field, but quickly spread to the political realm as politicians adopted such positions in the name of personal liberties.  The killing of human beings began slowly in the mid-1970’s,……..”

“Euuuu…..” Several children moan. 

“I know, I know children,” said Mrs. Beacher.  “This was a horrible period of time.  But you have to remember that these events unfolded slowly, almost insidiously.  Many people were horrified over it, but the majority of people were selfish then – almost possessed by the temporal things in life.  The desire to accumulate vast sums of wealth at the expense of life’s truly important things, the inability to distinguish right from wrong and good from evil -- all, in fact, led to these events.”

“All right Terry, thank you.”  “Melissa, continue please where we left off.”

“Ugh, ok.  The killing of human beings began slowly in the mid-1970’s after a tragic judicial decision to favor one person’s rights over another.  Politicians who were once “pro-life” in the 1970’s, quickly adopted a “pro-choice” position for political gain.  Within a span of 25 years, the erosion of conscience lead to the practice of killing known as euthanasia and partial-birth abortion in which persons were eliminated because they were ‘unwanted.’”

“Ugh, Mrs. Beacher.”

“Yes, Stephen.” 

“Ugh, Mrs. Beacher, how could anyone do that to their child?” 

“I don’t know, Stephen.  But we mustn’t judge them as individuals.  History has already judged them as a people, and we must leave it at that.”

“But why would they kill their own child?”

“Well Stephen, we know now, looking back, how they arrived where they did – how they let their own selfishness consume them.  But there were many who opposed what they did, and worked to reverse the trends.”

“Mrs. Beacher, they didn’t work hard enough!”

“Again, Stephen, we mustn’t judge them as individuals.  But we may say that they failed to awaken their fellow countrymen from sleep.”

“Melissa, continue please.”

“Ok.  Following the very close presidential election of 2000, the decline of the American nation hastened.  Two rival groups emerged from the dominant political parties of the time.  America’s Constitutional form of government was weakened by a series of crippling legal challenges, endless litigation and judicial appointments in which the rule of law was undermined.  The breakup of the family, the loss of common human values, the deviation from Western Christian thought (which was the foundation of their nation), and the inability to follow Natural and Civil Law, all contributed to the demise of the American nation.”

 “Thank you Melissa.  Well children, do you have any comments on Chapter 3?”

“Yes, Amanda.”

“Mrs. Beacher, how come those Americans destroyed themselves?”

“Because Amanda, they failed to learn from history.  Remember the saying: ‘Those who fail to learn the lessons of history, are doomed to repeat them?’”

“Yes, Mrs. Beacher, I remember that.”

“Well, Amanda, that’s what they failed to do.  They failed to learn history’s lessons, and they really were doomed when they repeated them.”

“Yes, Jennifer.”

“Mrs. Beacher, should we feel sorry for them.”

“No, not really Jennifer,…….not really.  They lived many hundreds of years ago, and it was their selfishness and coldness of heart which really brought on the Third World War.  In our history books, their story is just the story of one people, among many.  The important thing is to remember the lesson they give us.”

“And what is that lesson, Bobbie?”

“Well, Mrs. Beacher, I think they weren’t careful.”

“Oh, how so Bobbie?”

“Well, they had a lot of money, but they spent it on bad things.”

“Yes, they did do that.”

“And… they had the gift of life given to them, and they chose death instead.”

“Yes, Bobbie, they did do that.”

“And they had freedom, but they didn’t use it well.  So I think they weren’t careful with all of the things God gave to them.”

“Yes, Bobbie, I believe you’re right.  They were so careless.  And it’s a shame too, and a pity.  It was never taken away from them.  They themselves threw it away.  And that, perhaps, is the greatest tragedy of the whole story.”

“Turn the page.”

Deacon James Orr