To the editor:

We Americans are an ungrateful lot. We were born in a country and time that has the highest standard of living and respect for civil rights of any time in history and we find a million reasons to be unhappy. It almost looks like we look for reasons to feel discontent and, in our efforts, to divert ourselves from our unhappiness through things like substance abuse, unsettled race relations, cancel culture and gender identification, we make things even worse.

What is the matter with us? Why can’t we realize that we are responsible for our feelings and behavior and if we are unhappy, we need to do something to change it? We are our own worst enemies.

We have become complacent and elected incompetent, dishonest, corrupt officials in our government. Educate yourselves politically, go to the polls and elect competent officials who care about America. Change things!

You are unhappy with your job or don’t make enough money to achieve the standard of living that you want. Prepare yourself; get the proper training; work two jobs if need be; become reacquainted with the words, “self-sacrifice.”

You believe that you are a victim of race or gender. My father was the son of Irish immigrants and said that many times the Irish came to America as indentured servants and when he was a young man the Irish were harshly discriminated against. He was many times called a dumb Paddy, a Mick or Shanty Irish. It never seemed to bother him, in fact he seemed to be proud of his heritage. It makes me wonder if racism or victimization can continue to exist in America if we don’t embrace it in our minds – if our own self-image is positive enough to reject such ideas. 

Possibly the biggest problems we have are self-pity and a feeling of helplessness. Again, I think the answer for these things is to get off our duffs and do something. Do the best you can. Work as hard as you can. Don’t be concerned with what other people have, do or think; be concerned with your own efforts. Don’t be afraid of failure; get knocked down and get back up. In time, you won’t be so afraid to fail, because you know you will get through it.

Life is hard and always has been. Embrace it; battle it; challenge it; fall down, skin your knees, get bloody, don’t quit and in the process, you will learn to love yourself and life.

Don McCullough

Manhattan