Sit back, Dexter, and brace yourself for a dose of reality. This isn't a letter your typical English teacher would write, filled with niceties and politeness. No, this is a real letter to you, Dexter, dealing with our harsh world today. Imagine a time, say around the 1950s, when the community that now teeters on chaos was thriving on core values and hard work. This is your wake-up call.
Why am I writing to you? Because you shouldn't have to wonder why society's in disarray. I'm not talking about conspiracy theories floating online, but real, tangible observations, stuff you can see. Kids should still look up to people who strive and succeed, not play martyrs by excusing their failures on systemic issues from 50 years ago. Let's talk facts.
Once upon a time, people held accountability as their moral scripture. There was a widespread belief that hard work and commitment could lead to success. Remember those days? Probably not, because you grew up when entitlement reigned supreme. Everyone gets a trophy now, and everyone's a winner. How absurd is that? Real life doesn't work like that. Life is brutal and doesn't care about your participation trophies. People once made their destinies; now destiny seems like a bus schedule waiting for the government to tell them which one to catch.
Dexter, education has been turned into a politicized circus. We've devolved from learning valuable skills to securing a piece of paper with words on it - and yet can barely sign our own names. Classic literature tossed out, mathematical skillsets traded for social media proficiencies. Ironically, intellect has been substituted for hashtags! Books encouraging critical thought have been replaced by easy victories of victim mentality. If you need proof today you only need to look at what's happening in universities — safe spaces, anyone?
Forget having civil debates or discussions. Facts and statistics matter less than ever. Whoever shouts the loudest, cries foul the fastest, or claims the victim card wins. Dexter, one day when you grow up and face the real world, you will realize that the only safe space there is the one you work hard to create for yourself.
Maybe you're wondering why cancel culture came to exist. Imagine, Dexter, that people could disagree yet still enjoy their morning coffee together. Cancel culture says that doesn’t matter anymore. If you disagree, you must be silenced. How did it gain traction? Because people stopped resisting zealots who crushed dissent as a hobby. Now, diverging opinions have become battles rather than stepping stones to understanding.
Let's talk about responsibility, Dexter. Shocking as it may be, responsibility once ruled the land. Families stayed together; not held together barely by strings at political will. Today it's easier to walk away. No accountability, no consequences. The emotional maturity of a society that now mirrors children screaming in playgrounds should explain everything you need to know about our broken families. Forget the idea of a self-made man; he'd be targeted faster than a piñata at a liberal party.
Dexter, perhaps you also think welfare-supported lifestyles and endless aid are the solutions. Ponder this – motivation isn't born from a government check landing in the mail. People used to strive for more because they had no other choice. Challenge breeds innovation, and hardship develops character. Our ancestors thrived through this principle; today's society forgets hard lessons of history by choosing convenience over growth.
And don't even get me started on crime and punishment. A narrative that coddles criminals while punishing taxpayers? Prisons were once places of rehabilitation, or dare I say, repentance. What changed? The notion that everyone deserves a second, third, or fourth chance regardless of their crime led us here. It’s a path that glorifies the wrongs and downgrades the rights.
Bottom line, Dexter, you might not recognize the slippery slope you're on. The pieces you see around you, the crumbling foundation of things you experience - these are echoes from voices of past errors. Think for yourself, fight for common sense, and remember that strong values are timeless. The world once knew right from wrong; argue for it once again.