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It's hard to be shocked in our attention-grabbing culture.
We're all desensitized to information, which comes fast and furious. We raise our eyebrows for a moment when we see something, then it's onto the next thing.
Something I saw last month continues to stick with me.
Here it is, from a recent survey conducted by the Wall Street Journal and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. If you haven't seen it yet, be ready to be shocked, yourself.
The answers are below to the question: "Percent who say these values are 'very important' to them":
* Patriotism: 70% in 1998, 61% in 2019, 38% in 2023
* Religion: 62% in 1998, 48% in 2019, 39% in 2023
* Having Children: 59% in 1998, 43% in 2019, 30% in 2023
* Community involvement: 47% in 1998, 62% in 2019, 27% in 2023
* Money: 31% in 1998, 41% in 2019, 43% in 2023
Uh-oh.
Increased love of money, coupled with decreased faith, love of country and community, and a minimized desire to have children?
Not to raise the alarms, but that does not sound like a sustainable society.
As stark as this is, does it really surprise anyone? We all know the pursuit of money trumps many other things in our materialistic society. That, coupled with inflation rocking the budgets of many families, means I'm not surprised money has taken increased importance.
Among the four things that decreased, I can't seem to pinpoint which troubles me the most.
* Community involvement: I've read and read accounts and pleas from service clubs looking to add people dedicated to positively affecting those around them. We've become a more selfish world, as well as a sped-up world.
* Patriotism: We've somehow found a way to make patriotism a political issue, which wasn't what most of us grew up with. In our ever-critical nature, we lose sight of the unity and togetherness that formed our nation. We can so easily list the ills of our country while so infrequently mentioning all of the great aspects of it that persist.
∫ Having children: The same pressures that elevates the pursuit of money and decreases community participation cuts into people's desire to have children. Having children is one of the most selfless acts one can undertake. We have become a more selfish world, where "I" is emphasized above all.
* Religion: Look at the empty churches out there, and the number of people who have noticeably turned their backs on the faith of their childhood. While faith is still important to many, the numbers don't lie -- it's not the hallmark of family life it always was. A quick rhetorical question, though: Is it possible many of the societal issues we are facing stem from us turning our backs on God?
I think it's time we took a good-hard look at our priorities.
Country music isn't always a land of deep poetry, but I do think Jordan Davis is calling for a priority examination on his recent hit song "Buy Dirt." I'll leave you with some of the lyrics:
A few days before he turned 80
He was sittin' out back in a rocker
He said 'What you been up to lately?'
I told him, 'Chasing a dollar.'
And in between sips of coffee
He poured this wisdom out
Said, 'If you want my two cents on making a dollar count'
Buy dirt
Find the one you can't live without
Get a ring, let your knee hit the ground
Do what you love but call it work
And throw a little money in the plate at church
Send your prayers up and your roots down deep
And add a few limbs to your family tree ...
'Cause the truth about it is
It all goes by real quick
You can't buy happiness
But you can buy dirt.
Alpena native Jeremy Speer is the publisher of The Courier in Findlay, Ohio, the Sandusky (Ohio) Register, The Advertiser-Tribune in Tiffin, Ohio, the Norwalk (Ohio) Reflector, and Review Times in Fostoria, Ohio. He can be reached at jeremyspeer@thecourier.com.