America Has Lost its Moral Compass

This opinion piece was first published on allvoices on March 5: (http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/8381664-fall-of-the-american-empire).

I used to think that America has lost its moral compass. Every day there seems to be another example of immoral behavior that buries the compass that much deeper. I've now concluded we have thrown away the moral compass.

On March 4 I heard or read reports about the following incidents: (1) A fully qualified therapy professional who does sessions in the nude -- right in front of her clients; (2) A professor at Northwestern University who invited 567 enrolled students in a human sexuality class to stay after class for a live demonstration of a sexual act involving a woman, a man and an electric-powered device; and (3) The father of a 13 year-old white girl who has been bullied by black girls for the past 2 years went on the school bus to protect his daughter only to be told by the bus driver to get off the bus and, according to the father, the driver called him a 'cracker' and said she was 'going to beat my ass.'" 

This is only the tip of the iceberg. There is Jared Loughner who shot up a political gathering in Tucson killing six and wounding nineteen including congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Seung Hui Cho was responsible for the killings at Virginia Tech and Major Hasan who shot up Fort Hood.

As a society, how can we make sense out of the random acts of violence and tasteless exhibitionism? We can't because there is no sense in senseless acts. There can be only one explanation and that is we have become a nation of self-absorbed, conscienceless people who pursue our own self-interests and fifteen minutes of fame without considering the consequences of our actions on society.

I want you to read about one of the causes of the decline of the Roman Empire  from Roman Colosseum. info@2008. It identifies: a decline of morals, especially in the rich upper class, nobility and emperors; immoral and promiscuous sexual behavior including adultery and orgies; emperors such as Tiberius who kept groups of young boys for his pleasures; incest by Nero; brothels with forced prostitution; widespread gambling on chariot races and gladiatorial combats; massive consumption of alcohol; and the sadistic cruelty towards both men and beasts in the arena. Sound familiar?