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 I
remember when the TV repair man used to come to our house. Dad would
answer the door, greet him by name and escort him to the family room
where the wooden-encased television sat. Wire clippers and screw drivers
in hand, the repair man would spend what felt like hours to a young boy
surgically adjusting the back of our old black and white set. And, when
the repair man finally finished, Dad would let me pull out the knob that
turned the TV on and rotate the dial through the three network channels
hoping to find a western.
In my parent’s generation, if you built or acquired something, there was
an expectation that it would last. Furniture not only lasted the life of
many families, but was passed on to children who sometimes refinished it
to look better than it did originally. When you finished a gallon of
milk, you did not simply throw the container in the trash can. You
placed it on the porch where the milk delivery man would retrieve it so
that it could be sanitized and reused. And, when something broke – like
the family television set – you called the repair man to come and fix
it.
While we have many good products today, there is often a mindset to
create things easier and cheaper, and when they break, or when we tire
of them, to simply discard them and get something else that is easy and
cheap to acquire.
In today’s “throw away” world, it is tempting to conclude that if the
products we use can be acquired easily and cheaply and merely discarded
when we tire of them, that the same might be true of the core American
tenets of hard work and personal responsibility. But while tempting to
yield to this thought, the reality is that these principles are what
made our nation great; they are what set us apart from the rest and made
us exceptional. Americans are the world’s innovators, thinkers,
problem-solvers. Yet, across America, we seem to be suffering from
mediocrity.
In accepting mediocrity, Americans have become prone to turning to the
ultimate standard-bearer of mediocrity to solve problems for them: the
federal government. Unfortunately, to compound the problem is an
unreasoned confidence that Washington can solve all of our problems – a
confidence that many rightly point out began far sooner than the current
Administration.
However, the returns we hope to yield from the federal government
quickly become expectations which quickly become entitlements. And once
they become entitlements, there is no longer choice, and no longer
control. And we are left striking a large check to the federal
government for mediocre benefits we may or may not want or use. We see
this in examples all across our government.
The federal government is playing an increasingly influential role in
the nation's public elementary and secondary education system. Yet,
across America 1 in 4 students drop out of high school. The remaining
students lag behind those in high-achieving countries such as Singapore,
Taiwan and Japan in math and science.
In only eight years the Medicare fund that pays hospital bills for older
Americans is expected to run out of money. Yet, the drive to solve the
legitimate problem of uninsured Americans is leading us down a path to
put more control in the hands of government which, at the moment, is
ill-suited and short on ideas to even address the current Medicare
insolvency crisis.
An MIT study found that the new energy tax being proposed in Congress
would cost families an additional $3,900 per year - more than double
what most families’ pay for all clothes and shoes, or their current
electricity and natural gas bill. Yet, America is quickly on a path to
settling for energy taxes rather than creating incentives for innovation
and solving the problem of our dependency on foreign oil.
Back in the 1960’s when GM was selling Chevelles, Camaros, Cutlasses,
and Catalinas en masse the conventional wisdom was, “As GM goes, so goes
the nation.” Today - $50 billion in bailouts later - GM’s bankruptcy
will leave the once-hailed economic generator owned 70% by the federal
government and 20% by the United Auto Workers.
As Americans we should never become satisfied with mediocrity, because
the moment we do, it spreads roots that choke out any seeds of success.
And, as Americans we should never apologize for success, because every
time we succeed we strengthen the foundation upon which freedom and
democracy stands for all the world. In the face of adversity and
challenge, let’s not throw away excellence for mediocrity because it
seems easier or safer. American excellence is something worth preserving
and protecting – and like family heirloom furniture – we can build its
value by polishing and improving upon it for generations to come.
Remembering D-Day
June 6, 1944 was a pivotal date for freedom across the world, and it has
become a symbol to many of the resilient and optimistic spirit of our
nation. Despite a mission that seemed unfeasible, General Eisenhower
charged our military to accept nothing less than full victory.
Our fellow countrymen went on to answer the call of duty, fighting to
restore freedom and human dignity to millions of people. The sacrifices
of the individuals who fought and died on the beaches of Normandy that
day must never be forgotten.
This week, I voted in favor of
H. Res
259, legislation to express the gratitude and appreciation of the
House of Representatives for the acts of heroism and military
achievement by the members of the United States Armed Forces who
participated in the June 6, 1944, landing at Normandy, France. The
resolution commends them for their leadership and valor in an operation
that helped bring an end to World War II and requests the President issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United
States to observe the anniversary with appropriate ceremonies and
programs to honor the sacrifices of their fellow countrymen to liberate
Europe.
On the 65th anniversary of D-Day, we express gratitude for these
soldiers' valiant patriotism and willingness to sacrifice for our
country.
General Dwight D. Eisenhower talking to American paratroopers of the
101st Airborne Division before they jumped into France. U.S. Army photo
courtesy of the Library of Congress.
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