Mansion in Decay

When it was first built it was the finest mansion in the world. The original owner hired the best architect and the most respected contractor. No expense was spared in the selection of materials, hardware and fixtures. Indeed, the home was considered a wonder of its day.

Unfortunately the children were less than diligent in its maintenance and upkeep, thinking it would without care continue to be as it was the day their father moved in. As a result, time and its natural enemies commenced their onslaught against the house.

"Critters" entered through holes they made in the separating siding, soffits and fascia. Once inside they set about turning the attic and top floor into nesting places, using whatever materials were handy. Away from their nests on the same level they relieved themselves sheltered from the elements outside.

The lower levels were invaded by ants, crickets, termites and cockroaches. These too set up housekeeping, helping themselves wherever they could. The filth and stench multiplied as the structure itself began to weaken.

After many years the grand-children could clearly see the damage wrought by years of neglect and attack. They determined to turn things around with cleaning and exterminating in the visible areas.

When that failed to stem the tide they called in a contractor to perform a complete remodel. He had the critters trapped and taken far away to be released harmlessly. Then he paid an exterminator to bomb the mansion and lay traps to get rid of the insect hordes.

He and the owners could not come to an agreement on what steps needed to be taken, so he simply elected to do things his way where it would not show. His eye was ever on personal profit, so he skimped on the quality of materials and hardware for the remodel, pocketing the difference between them and the materials requested by the current owners.

Although the original framework and support was sound, the first contractor was not able to see decades down the road to the types of attack it would face. Even though some of the studs and rafters needed to be replaced he elected merely to cleat new pieces onto the old and further cut corners on the remodel.

Oh, the finished work looked much better to be certain. Yet what lay beneath the surface was a disaster waiting to happen. The weather and living creatures resumed their work with a vengeance, and it was not long until the stately old mansion became an eyesore, falling apart and hazardous to human habitation. It was abandoned, a hulking testament to the results of improperly caring for a good thing.

That mansion is a good metaphor for the United States of America, once a beacon of light to the world. At the close of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, as he left Independence Hall on the final day of deliberation a lady asked Dr. Benjamin Franklin "Well Doctor what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?" "A republic," replied the Doctor "if you can keep it.” [in the notes of Dr. James McHenry, one of Maryland’s delegates to the Convention. McHenry’s notes were first published inThe American Historical Review,vol. 11, 1906.

The preponderance of founding documents make clear that the government was established firmly on Judeo-Christian principles and faith. The emphasis included the belief that power in this land would run from the top down, each level responsible and having authority to do only those things that could not be tackled by the next level up. The top level was to be the individual, with the pecking order from there being the community, the state, and finally the federal government as delegated to them.

Our first leaders understood that one cannot teach ethics, character and morality devoid of the Source of said characteristics. Lacking that underpinning over time the society will inevitably devolve to the point where every man does what is right in his own eyes, which in turn leads to chaos and eventual tyranny.

The US lead the world in its defense against invading forces, lead the world in numerous achievements in each of business, education, the arts and sciences, sent missionaries out to spread the good news of salvation throughout the planet. Our allies knew they could count on us and our enemies had good cause to fear us even if the track record of our leaders was spotty.

The framework of the society and its government remains good though in need of repair. However, the remainder of the structure must be gutted for remodel. The vermin and trash must be removed to the very last speck. There will be bright spots that can be salvaged. There is hope for the nation to be restored if the hard decisions and work are not accomplished in short order the structure will fall into decay and be destroyed-- from without and from within.

The correction must begin with the individual looking honestly into the mirror. Time is swiftly running out.