America's Can't Problem

"There's no such word as can't." 

Those of us of a certain age had this refrain drilled into our heads. Day in. Day out.

Maybe it was because of the space race. Or maybe because the greatest generation defeated nazism. Or maybe it was the civil rights movement, and the changes that took place in real time because of it.

Or maybe it was due to all three. Or for none of those reasons.

When someone asked you to do something, even something really difficult to accomplish, the response was always, "I'll see what I can do".  We might not succeed at what we set out to do. But we set out and tried.

Today, the standard response is simply, "I can't". No effort made. Just resignation of inaction. 

Elected officials back then, were about expanding what we could do. Expanding freedoms (the right to vote, to make choices about your body, to learn about things in their unvarnished truth), and asking us to do more than we were doing, seemed to be the government's mission.

Today, elected officials are focused on telling us what we can't do. What our kids can't read and our teachers can't teach. What decisions we can't make for ourselves. What businesses can't support. (Ron "Pissantis" DeSantis is the poster child for this extreme removal of liberty and freedom's that we Americans want.)

What the hell happened? And how do we get back to optimism.

Maybe you could look deep into the past, at the Challenger disaster, and how its failure seeped deeper into our collective consciousness. Or maybe, even before that, to the failures of Viet Nam, and not just for being there, but how we treated those who did their duty when they returned home.

But, I think it's more recent than that.

I think social media has something to do with it. If you can be viewed as successful and important for going on a vacation, or looking attractive. Things that have nothing to do with stretching yourself beyond your comfort zone, then why bother.

Perhaps the 24-hour news cycle has something to do with it too. In order to fill the void created by a 24-hour news cycle when there isn't 24 hours of news redefined what matters to the media. Celebutants, and others who became famous without working for it, and who did nothing, other than show up at a place, received constant media attention. The message was clear. Some people don't have to try, so why should you?

And perhaps it's even the Democratic Party's fault. Beginning in 2009, they flat out quit trying to win local elections. Just quit outright, leaving governance in so many places to those who say and implement can't.

How do we replace "can't do" with CAN DO?

It starts with us. Each of us.

Set expectations for ourselves, and yes, for others too.

Instead of saying I can't do that when you're asked to accomplish something outside your comfort zone, say "I'll see what I can do!". And mean it!!! Then do it. Even if you don't succeed. 

Trying is contagious. When one of us tries, others try too.

Run for office. Or help educate everyone you can, to not vote for the can't set.

We get the government we deserve. If we don't tell those who want to be our government what we expect of them, not only will we get nothing, but we'll lose the things we value.

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