Americans seem to be paralyzed with disbelief; they are basically in shock. The electorate seems hopelessly divided, everything is going in the wrong direction, and the entire country seems crazy. Politics riles many people, but the masses just ignore it or take it in stride. Most Americans are certain politics is corrupt, but they blame both parties. Democrats make hollow promises to provide everything under socialism, and Republicans cannot adequately articulate, much less deliver, the conservative principles of liberty they supposedly support. Sure, there was election fraud, but for the apathetic, discouraged multitude, a stolen election is simply the logical progression of a decaying nation.

Average Americans feel helpless. Big Tech and social media are dangerously close to squashing the First Amendment. Never mind silly concepts like Facebook jail—social media actively shapes the news to brainwash citizens and aggressively censors any dissent from the approved leftist woke propaganda. Yet, most Americans voluntarily remain in these cyber concentration camps, unwittingly absorbing incremental indoctrination.

Americans feel no one can be trusted. The Democrat Media Complex is an enormous echo chamber that literally lies constantly, in grand Soviet style. They push fake hoaxes like “Russian Collusion” and a “January 6 insurrection,” but deny an overwhelming humanitarian crisis on the border and historic widespread election fraud. Talking heads actually show us video of burning, looting, and rioting in the streets, yet insist we believe “it is mostly peaceful.”

Americans are reeling. We are scolded incessantly that our prosperity is killing the planet with climate change, so we must give up our way of life. Now we are admonished ad nauseam for allegedly being racist to the core, so we must sweep away the very foundations of our Constitutional Republic because it is ostensibly fatally flawed. We are lectured daily that there is no right or wrong—everything is relative—so we must accept every destructive behavior or perversion as equal to traditional values. These are the seeds of cultural collapse.

Too many people look to the government and politicians to right our wrongs and save America, but they are merely a reflection of us. The country’s problem is us. It’s cultural decay and spiritual erosion. Our Constitutional Republic was founded on equality and freedom. We have not always succeeded, but we have always striven for the lofty goals of liberty and justice for all. Until perhaps now.

We have become a fickle people. We boast about our patriotism and reminisce about our great history, but we only grouse about our demise. We re-elect the same charlatans to preserve seniority in our shady spoils system, and accept the meager bribes and tenuous guarantees of security. Too many are succumbing to the seductions of socialism, but the resistance fails to act. We are not unlike the mobs in Jerusalem shouting to crucify Jesus, yet the crowds along the streets to Calvary mourned and only watched the messiah crucified.

When Christ was crucified, the earth quaked and the skies darkened. It was a bleak time—but even though the apostles knew the answer and truth of Jesus’ godhead, they hid in fear. However, their lack of faith could not deny the glory of His resurrection; the truth was always there for them to believe and embrace. Righteousness would and did prevail.

So too is the truth enshrined in our Constitution still there, no matter what distortions and manipulations the leftists promulgate. Our Constitution was written to glorify God’s intention that all men are created free. That will never change.

The truth can be hidden and perhaps thwarted, but it can never be denied. It’s up to We The People to not only demand our rights, but also to live up to the moral and virtuous responsibilities demanded by freedom. If we do not deserve freedom, we will not enjoy it.

Alexis de Tocqueville famously wrote, “America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.” Folks, we are failing to be good. We are acquiescing to the whims of our politicians and succumbing to the wickedness of the world. God created America to be great, but we must first be good. Americans must not only demand righteousness in our government; we ourselves must live it.

“But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children” (Luke 23:28).

Pete Riehm is the host of Common Sense Radio heard 8 pm every Thursday on FMTalk106.5 or streaming at fmtalk1065.com. Email him at peteriehm@bellsouth.net or on Twitter @PeteRiehm or read all his columns at http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/riehm