FAMILY: Have We Failed Future Generations?

Have We Failed?

“To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived - that is to have succeeded” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Over the past several months our family has been growing with new grandchildren being born. On Feb. 27 of this year, my youngest grandson arrived, and I was honored that he was named Waylon Joel Gordon. Boy, has he made me think. For my 61 years on this earth my goal has been to leave our world a better place for future generations. I have been unable to shake the overwhelming feeling that my generation has now failed in that endeavor.

Of course, COVID restrictions at area hospitals made it so our support and involvement in the blessed event of this child’s birth had to be achieved in a virtual manner. I am tired of being controlled and having personal rights and liberties trampled on, but I digress.

One of the main reasons I personally offered myself to a continuation of my public service through my unsuccessful candidacy for sheriff was to do my part in leaving a better place for future generations to leave the world better than I had found it, at least at a local level. It is the same reason that I look for political candidates who are individuals with a track record of achievement with a view toward furthering that goal.

While we can disagree, for example, whether energy independence is more vital than environmental concerns or if there is a mix in achieving both goals in a balanced way, we can all agree that we would like our children and grandchildren to live an even better life than our own.

The Trump presidency gave many conservatives and I hope, and we thought we had found our path to leaving a better world in many respects of our culture on a whole host of issues such as:

· Freedom and equality

· Energy independence

· Right to Life

· Second Amendment rights

· Continued job and opportunity growth

· Capitalism with prosperity

· Middle East and world peace

· Recognizing value in historical lessons learned

· Law, order and justice

Now just barely into a new presidential administration, through executive orders and changes in guiding ideologies that hope has turned into economic hardship and despair for many and our

cultural divide is being propelled into a further deepening state. The idea that elected representatives in our new president’s own political party want to make it so the president has less authority over utilization of our nuclear arsenal (i.e. strip him of the nuclear launch codes) should reveal all we need to know about the confidence level that even the president’s alleged allies have in the current administration’s decision-making ability.

Three days after the 2020 election, gasoline was $1.80-2.10 per gallon while we achieved energy independence and became a net exporter of energy, GDP growth was at 33%, we had the best overall economy ever (until COVID), engaged in no new wars or conflicts in four years, kept North Korea under control through diplomatic channels, quelled the threat from ISIS who had not been heard from for over three years, enjoyed the strongest housing market in over 20 years as homes appreciated at an unbelievable rate and sold within hours of going on the market with multiple offers. You get the picture.

I had hoped our new leadership would build on these things and keep them going, but if I were a betting person (I am not) I would bet that the only place we will see those results will be here in this writing.

My personal belief is that all things are cyclical and that does give me a level of hope for the future. But as I enter the winter of my own life here on earth I am still worried for the burdens left for future generations.

Make Pap proud, little ones, as you will surely be tasked with fixing many mistakes and overcoming the many failures my generation and the subsequent generation have left behind. If Waylon Joel’s newborn picture is any indication, do you think he may already have a sense of what he is facing ahead?

Joel E. Gordon is a former Field Training Officer with the Baltimore City Police Department and is a past Chief of Police for the city of Kingwood, West Virginia. He has also served as vice-chair of a multi-jurisdictional regional narcotics task force. An award winning journalist, he is author of the book Still Seeking Justice: One Officer's Story and founded the Facebook group Police Authors Seeking Justice. Look him up at stillseekingjustice.com