Sheepdog Speaks to Graduates

Last week I watched a few college graduation addresses by several prominent LPSCD leaders like Clinton, Carter and Gore. Turned my stomach and made me want to bite someone. I believe that I could provide better conservative advice and decided to speak to my many, many young readers, especially at the high school level. If you know any other young people graduating from high school this year please give them a copy of this sheepdog wisdom. WOOF!

Dear Graduates,
Congratulations! Here are some thoughts for a successful and responsible life: America is a wonderful place. Be thankful if you were born here or live here. America has many faults and challenges but it is still the greatest country in the world. Remember the Preamble to the Constitution states “to form a more perfect union”, not a “perfect union.” Also, remember it’s the only place in the world that has to put up fences/barriers to keep people out, not in. Why, you might ask? Because it’s also the greatest “land of opportunity” in the world. People risk their lives daily and some even die trying to sneak into this country. Be proud and happy that you have a good start on achieving whatever level of success you desire. Every generation has faced challenges. There have been much worse times than now. A positive attitude can overcome all of today’s challenges. Forget all the “woe is me. The world is full of terrorists, and evil, and the economy is bad and on and on and on …” Take your good start in education, your wonderful life (trust us you have it much, much better than you realize right now) and the liberties and freedoms you still enjoy and make something good and positive out of it. The only obstacles you won’t be able to overcome would be your own bad attitude, fear or sloth. WOOF! You should do your part in helping make America better. Here are a few ways you can do this:
• Serve God. Any way, any time and as often as possible. This country was founded on religious freedom. Be thankful for this freedom.
• Serve your Country. You can do this several ways. You can serve in the military. You can serve in the AmeriCorps. You can be a good citizen. Good citizens are those that respect the Constitution, the laws of our country and the rights of others. Good citizens get involved and become aware of their surroundings and check on those that want to be selected for public office. Good citizens speak/act out for what they believe in a peaceful, nonviolent way. Good citizens become informed and vote. Be thankful you have the freedoms and rights to do these things.
• Serve your Family. Love and honor your Mother and Father. If you think they didn’t do as good of a job as they could (or should) have, forgive them. Then you do a better job with your children. Parenting is harder than it may seem to a teenager. Many of us learned to respect our parents only after we had our own children or turned 30. Remember the important days in your family member’s lives. Call them, write them, or visit them, especially the elderly ones. When all else fails you, family will always be there for you. Be thankful for that.
• Serve your Community. Donate time to help others that have greater needs than you. That’s your responsibility, not the government’s. Be a good neighbor. Be a good helper. Support the local groups that care for others. Respect the property and rights of your friends and neighbors. Be thankful for them.
• Serve your Employer. When you find a job do your very best every day. Respect your boss. Do things the way the boss wants. Show initiative; do a little more than expected. Do your tasks right the first time. Be dependable. Show up every day and on time. Stay off social media and your cell phone. Provide an honest day’s work for whatever wage you agreed to work for. Show loyalty to the owner that provides you your paycheck. Be the best that you can be every day and you will be rewarded. Always look to better your situation. Employees with a good work ethic and a good attitude usually move up the ladder and become the boss. Be thankful for work.
A few more tips:
• Continue to educate yourself. If college is possible for you and it is what you want, go and be a serious student. Consider realistic degrees that will actually provide employment. Learning is a lifelong pursuit. Follow your interests. However, this doesn’t mean you have to go to college; too many do. It means learn a skill. Ask an experienced person to teach/show you how to do something. It means read. Read and study the Constitution and learn what our Founder Fathers created. (Hint: It wasn’t big government liberalism) It means listen to your elders and parents and bosses. It means learn to think for yourself. You can do this by taking time to learn both sides of an issue, keeping up on the current events and don’t forget there is bias in every thing you read, see on TV and hear. Make sure you learn to recognize bias, and then make up your own mind based on in-depth knowledge.
• Base your decisions on what is right or wrong. Because something is legal doesn’t necessarily make it right. Doing the right thing is usually harder.
The bottom line is this. Life doesn’t always seem fair but in this country you have the opportunity to accomplish whatever it is you really want to do. The depression era generation had a saying “Life doesn’t owe you a living.” They were right. The Declaration of Independence says you have the right to the pursuit of happiness, it doesn’t guarantee your happiness. The government is NOT responsible for all your needs and wants. Avoid liberal progressive ideas. They have done a lot of harm to America.  Set aside the obstacles and go do something positive with your life. We still need to go to Mars, we still need cures for cancer and arthritis and we still need the perfect mouse trap. Life is more than video games, selfies and social media. It’s all up to you. Be thankful you’re an American. Congratulations on achieving this important milestone. We encourage you to approach life with the attitude of being responsible for yourself and the families you create. Now go and do well and enjoy. May God bless you in all you do.

May God Have Mercy On America! JMH