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Imagine any of today’s lead politicians on the left – AOC, Nancy Pelosi, Bernie Sanders, Chuck Schumer, Gavin Newsom, Obama, et. al. – stating something similar to the above at a public gathering.

Their world would come tumbling down under an avalanche of condemnations.

Instead, one can imagine a citation much like this — “And so, my fellow Americans, people of colors, LGBTQQIP2SAA’s, undocumented immigrants, the incarcerated, the economically disadvantaged, those burdened with unborn children, the religiously battered, the socially compromised, and the otherwise oppressed: ask not what you can do for your country — ask what your country f-----g well should be doing for you.” 

In today’s world, most mainstream media outlets would ponder Kennedy as a bombastic right-wing extremist who should have been shot beside Charlie Kirk.

Welcome to the 250th anniversary of America’s Declaration of Independence.

It’s a testament to the wisdom of our Founding Fathers and the work, sacrifice, faith and enterprise of the generations that were here.

If we don’t start recruiting and building a whole lot more Kennedy-like thinkers, we won’t make our tricentennial. 

Responsibility puts power in the hands that weald it. Dependency puts power in the hands of the people who feed it. 

Thus, we find ourselves in a not-so-civil war between those who believe in big government and little people, central control, and ever-expanding reliance on government benevolence, and those who believe essentially the opposite.

I hate to break it to you, but the good guys are not winning.

The fact that 62 percent of young adults under 30 have a favorable view of socialism tells you all you need to know about what’s over the horizon.

That’s why so many are celebrating “Dependence Day” over “Independence Day.”

That is after all what socialism is about — seducing the average man/woman/other into the false notion that government is the answer to their needs.

In a nation that is becoming increasingly inadequate, mentally ill, lazy, intellectually deficient, confused, pleasure-oriented, financially chaotic and ignorant of history or reality, the rescuing call of the political promise of “something for nothing” has magnetic appeal.

 Here are a few groups especially drawn to the American Dependance movement:

• Old white liberals — In case you haven’t noticed, most of the protestors these days came of age during the Vietnam era. Unless you were in that fight, protesting at that time was a great way to meet girls. Today it’s a great way to hook up with your peers while indulging grumpy pessimism. 

• The black culture — Yes, there is such a thing, and today it is way too often defined by anger, entitlement, destruction of the family, misogyny, drugs, a broken work ethic, and violence. Talk racism all you want, but our social divide is coming out of matters of character, choices and culture – not color. 

• Nonconforming immigrants — Of course, we’re a nation of immigrants – every place in the world is a product of immigrants. The problem is that we’re allowing people to leave places with bad policies, practices, and problems and bring them into the US without positive assimilation. Making America like Ethiopia or Mexico and having American taxpayers fund the adventure is not conducive to peace or longevity.

• Indoctrinated young people — We have this thing about treating our young like the be all and end all. They’re not. They’re too often naïve, inexperienced, clueless and self-absorbed. They’re also mostly in the dark about our real history, heritage and triumphs. That’s important because we’re supposed to be preparing them to be the future’s be all and end all. Spoiler alert to neglected/spoiled/indoctrinated young people and the parents who birthed you — karma does not grant passes based on age.

• Entitlement addicts — Both parties, but most especially liberal-socialist-progressive Democrats, have been having a blast promising something for nothing to middle-school minded adult voters while sidestepping the costs that inevitably come attached to those promises. We are consequently in a catastrophic debt situation that is going to punch our entitled culture right in the nose in the not-so-distant future. Good people will be harmed along with the not-so-good.

Now the good part.

We’re still a wonderful place to live.

There are countries that do small pieces better, but nobody has made a better whole country than us.

There’s liberty, opportunity, and responsibility broadly available to all. We simply have to work hard to reach for it.

Don’t let anything get in the way of your personal celebration of what America’s independence means to you.

Remember, too, all the good folks before you who helped make that happen.

Be like them.

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Conserve [v. kuhn-surv] To use or manage wisely; preserve, save...

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Carl Mumpower is a practicing psychologist and former member of Asheville City Council. He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .