View of Kelowna from Knox Mountain, May 27, 2007.
People continue to floor me. A recent poll conducted by a local news source, Castanet, published the results of the following poll.
The question was: How would you characterise the state of our society?
The results based on three choices were:
Going downhill: 1156
Steady As She Goes: 267
Going Uphill: 52
My vote, without seeing the results to that point, went for Going Uphill.
As you can see I was among the measly minority.
Most people would not characterise me as an Optimist. I consider myself a Realist, I try to see the world as it really is.
Kelowna, where I live, is a relatively wealthy town in a beautiful setting with a nice climate (for Canada).
Most people have a lot of disposable income, we have nice neighborhoods, business is booming.
So whats the problem?
My contention is that, by default, everything improves. Everything gets better. Cars get better, computers get better, machinery gets better, communication, everything.
In the workplace, isn't your management constantly looking for ways to improve your operation? And most times, they do.
Things are cheaper and easier to manufacturer.
Sure those are superficial things. But the same can be said of society.
The complaints made are that there is too much crime, too many lenient judges, too many street drugs, too much homelessness, too much pornography and the level of respect we have for each other is diminishing.
I just don't see that. The stats show that crime is down throughout most of North America. Lenient sentences? Unless you have sat in the courtroom and heard ALL the evidence, you don't have the right to judge a Judge.
Homelessness, yes there is a problem, but there are a lot of good people aware of the problem and working on it.
Pornography? I say the more the better. Too many North American are hung up on sexuality, the more pornography is prevalent the less hang ups we'll all have.
I see our world as more tolerant of other lifestyles than ever. How can that be anything but good?
Respect? In a lot of cases this refers to the lack of respect the young have for the old. I don't see that either. I think the kids today are the brightest they've ever been and are good people.
I think those that feel this pessimism about our society are swayed by the news media which, because communication is so rapid and accessible, like to bombard us with sensational but very rare episodes of human frailty at its worst.
Here in Kelowna we live in one of the best cities in the one of the best nations (if not the best) with one of the most tolerant and free societies that has ever existed in world history. We are wealthy and at peace.
There will always be a reactionary right wing conservative god-fearing and pessimistic segment of our society which would like to have us all back living in a Feudal Society or at the very least, at a time when "Father Knows Best".
News flash: It's never going to be like that again. If you want that I suggest you fly to Afghanistan and join the Taliban.
Open your minds and look around. Enjoy the open society we are trying to build.
I am not advocating seeing our world through rose colored glasses. But think back to the fifties (read: Were The Fifties Really That Good) and before that. Think back decades and centuries. And ask yourself when our society was really better.
It's never been as good as it is now and its getting better with every passing day.
