The erstwhile Land of the Free is now the Land of Topsy-Turvydom.

"Duty, Honor, Country" was once the motto of the United States Military Academy at West Point.  Now it appears to be "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion."

Even civilian men used to have a clear concept and grasp of "duty."  That notion has now largely been replaced by cynicism, cowardice, and an entitlement mentality.

The Declaration of Independence stated that "all men are created equal."  Martin Luther King famously proclaimed that it should not be the color of one's skin that matters, but the content of one's character.  Today, the Declaration of Independence has been effectively replaced by a Declaration of Dependence.  On government.  And Dr. King's belief in colorblindness and character has been canceled...in favor of "intersectionality."  Merit is out.  Tribalism is in.

It is illuminating — and somewhat shocking — to observe the changes in America's culture, legal system, and laws in recent years.  Gay "marriage" is now legal, and there are of course more same-sex couples calling themselves married than ever before, yet the overall marriage rate has fallen dramatically in the past several decades.  There were 16.4 marriages per 1,000 people in 1946.  That rate fell to 10.6 in 1982 and to 6.5 in 2018, three years after the Obergefell v. Hodges decision.  Indeed, there were fewer marriages in the U.S. in 2018 than in 1969, despite the dramatic increase in the country's population.  This despite the fact that marriage has been shown to correlate with positive health outcomes and longevity.

It has been effectively all but mandatory (for most adults) to remain unvaccinated against COVID-1984 since the experimental, emergency-use-authorized mRNA vaccines arrived on the scene.  It is, however, legal to use mind-altering drugs such as marijuana and magic mushrooms — and now even cocaine — in more and more locales across the fruited plain.  What is truly remarkable about this is that federal data strongly suggest that the rate of breakthrough COVID infections in April was worse in boosted Americans than in unboosted Americans — though the cbs.com article noting this was quick to point out that "[t]he new data do not mean booster shots are somehow increasing the risk."  Right.  Well, they sure as hell do not mean they decrease the risk...which is rather the point of a vaccine.  Moreover, Oregon, the first state in the nation to decriminalize hard drugs such as heroin, has seen a dramatic increase in overdoses.

Abortion up to the time of birth (and maybe just a bit after in some cases...wink, wink) is legal in every state.  And also in our nation's capital, Washington, D.C.  One would think legalized slavery was horrific enough.  If unregulated abortion were seriously threatened, would the pro-infant-holocaust states go so far as to consider seceding from the Union?  We need a new Emancipation Proclamation — one guaranteeing babies the God-given right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is now okay to openly mock Christians, conservatives, and patriots.  But we must bend over backward not to inadvertently offend a transgender person by "misgendering" him.  Masculinity is no longer a virtue — or even a trait — but is widely considered "toxic."  Yet, if a man identifies as a woman, it would be rude — or illegal — not to let him her participate on a woman's sports team...or use the ladies' locker room or bathroom.

So, welcome to the Land of Topsy-Turvydom.  Where your only duty is to shut up and take it like a...man?