The United States: An oppressive hellhole?

While Americans struggle with their day-to-day activities – working, raising families, coping with a bad economy, worrying about the future – a little-noticed but pervasive influence has invaded our hallowed institutions and poisoned the wells of our future.

No, for once I'm not taking about the current administration's lunatic policies. I'm referring to institutes of higher learning.

It has recently come to light that the University of Minnesota attempted to pass a policy requiring its teacher applicants to believe in various politically correct doctrines before they are granted admission. Applicants would be screened for their political and ideological views. Those with incorrect values and opinions would be "re-mediated," and degrees would be withheld from those who resist "re-education."

And the University of Delaware's Office of Residential Life was caught requiring students to participant in a program that taught "all whites are racist."

Graduates from these schools are then unleashed upon society – in the case of the University of Minnesota, into public school classrooms – to spread their message on the evils of "white privilege," the "myth of meritocracy," the "history of white racism" and the dangers of adopting "white, middle-class, Christian meanings and values."

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It seems that these universities are trying their best to convince students that this country is "an oppressive hellhole: racist, sexist and homophobic," in the words of Minneapolis Star-Tribune columnist Katherine Kersten. Translation: America sucks, and we're going to brainwash students into agreeing that America sucks. Hooray!

Welcome to the Oppressive Hellhole of America.

This message, naturally, is reinforced by Hollywood, which has teamed up with educators to air a series of History Channel programs that "rail against white oppressors, the free market and the military." In other words, leftists push to re-write history by applying their progressive, politically correct standards to the events of 200 years ago. It baffles me how people can so easily dismiss our history and tradition of opportunity with such contempt. Yes, of course we've had dark spots in our nation's past, but we're one of the few countries that have acknowledged those errors and attempted to correct and rectify them.

Don't you find it amazing that those individuals who are the most privileged – educated, intelligent, influential, successful and (in the case of Hollywood) wealthy and famous – are the quickest to criticize the very country that afforded them the opportunities to use their gifts and get where they are today? These are the people that utilized the capitalist system to achieve their success. There is no government mandate that we must buy their product, see their movie, attend their concert or enroll in their universities. These people (who are so disgusted with America) have ironically made their mark in the world using the free-market principles and the constitutional freedoms they are guaranteed – the same principles they denigrate as evil.

If we are such an oppressive hellhole, I challenge anyone – anyone at all – to explain to me how it is that penniless immigrants can come to this country with nothing more than the shirts on their backs, and within a decade become citizens, business owners, homeowners and begin putting their children through college without the use of social services or welfare. Opportunities in this country are open to everyone who works hard, lives frugally and puts their priorities in the right place. My immigrant grandparents did this. My three foreign-born sisters-in-law and their families did this. My husband and I did this. My ghetto-born friend in college did this (he's now a brain surgeon). I assume university educators and Hollywood stars have done this, too.

People can't do these things in "oppressive hellholes."

The leftist elites who insist on "re-educating" students have decided that because things aren't perfect – according to their criteria – then our country is nothing but pure evil, both in its past and in its present. These people, blessed with talent, wealth, education, success and fame, seem to have the extraordinary notion that rewriting history and advocating socialism will help disadvantaged people achieve similar results.

I applaud the Universities of Minnesota and Delaware for rethinking (for now) the implementation of their policies. But here's the thing: These institutions changed their minds because they were caught and therefore had to deal with the outrage of students, alumni (cha-ching!) and the public. Had the policy recommendations not been made known and thereby garnered outrage, they would have been quietly implemented.

Which begs the question: How many other schools around the country have taken on the role of thought police without being caught and stopped? Teacher candidates in Texas are already being forced to toe the liberal party line with no dissension permitted.

Well, I, for one, like this oppressive "hellhole." I like living in a place where hard-working legal immigrants can become citizens, obtain an education and work their way up. I like it when people have the freedom to succeed or fail on their own merit.

Real hellholes are those places where these things are no longer an option, places where things are given to citizens for "free" in exchange for liberty, where citizens are treated like children who are too helpless, victimized and stupid to obtain housing, jobs, health care or education on their own, where people lose incentives to work hard because working harder just means more of their wealth will be redistributed.

The ironic twist to all this is there are many in this country who correctly feel we are, indeed, becoming a hellhole … but not for the reasons the leftists give. Those of us who want less government and more personal responsibility are appalled at the socialist direction we're heading. Thought police? Obamacare? Cap-and-tax? Wealth redistribution? These are the stuff of nightmares.

We are not an oppressive hellhole … yet. We are a land with unparalleled and endless possibilities for those who choose to take advantage of them. It is our individual, natural and God-given right to be able to succeed or fail on our own merit that keeps this land from becoming the hellhole so common elsewhere.

Please, folks, let's keep it that way.