Blame the liberals

Date: 1/31/2011

Editor Mike Dobbs' essay on the blizzard began by describing New Englanders and then morphed into a complaint about his neighbors' actions in response to the blizzard in his Springfield neighborhood. It isn't at all clear whether Dobbs is calling these folks bad New Englanders or whether he thinks all New Englanders have gone bad, or what.

Actually, Dobbs' neighbors' self-serving actions shouldn't surprise him. What should we expect from an entire generation raised under liberal mottos of "Me, first," "If it feels good, do it," "Everyone is 'special' and deserves a prize", and "Know your rights?" A whole generation was raised to look out for number one, and they're just doing what they've been trained to do.

A classic example is our beloved Sen. John Kerry, who had the Boston DPW move the fire hydrant in front of his Beacon Hill apartment around the corner, so he could park in front of his door. No worries about the poor schlub around the corner who woke up to find a new fire hydrant in his parking slot. Or Al Gore in a 4,000 square foot house lecturing us to reduce our carbon footprint. Obama complaining that the Constitution stands in the way of his doing the things HE wants to do.

Dobbs would also realize that his own beloved progressive movement has invited his neighbors, and all Americans, to look to the government to take care of them, rather than feel any personal responsibility to address even local issues. So they naturally feel it's the Springfield DPW's problem to work around the illegally parked cars, clear the snow without blocking anyone's driveways, and pick up the trash while they're in the middle of plowing. And why should people feel responsible for monitoring the news to see if trash day is delayed? Way too much trouble.

It's not just New Englanders, though; the poison has been slowly spreading across the America for 100 years now, until we no longer recognize the self-reliant, neighbor-helping-neighbor, country we used to be. Instead, it's all about rights and nothing about responsibilities. "Don't worry; be happy!"

R. Patrick Henry, Jr.

East Longmeadow