Cultural Decay, or This is the Day?

Last Monday (March 27), the Wall Street Journal published an article highlighting a recent poll the newspaper had commissioned. Conducted by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC), the poll measured attitudes toward traditional American values and contrasted them against a similar poll performed 25 years ago. The results were predictable, but surprising.

The poll data, among many things, revealed: 

• Just 43 percent of respondents indicated marriage is very important.

• A mere 30 percent said bearing children was very important to them (compared to 59 percent in 1998). 

• Only 38 claimed patriotism is very important (compared to 70 percent in 1998). 

• Perhaps most noteworthy, just 19 percent attend religious services weekly. 

All these trends are antithetical to my values as a husband and father of a large family with a host of ancestors, including my father, grandfather and great grandfather, who were veterans. What’s more, Sunday, if not daily, church attendance has been the norm throughout my life.

All these sentiments, ingrained in me, and which have been synonymous with American culture, are not only declining but decaying. What’s next: baseball and apple pie?

The poll made waves immediately on its release, with the American Solidarity Party Twitter account even sharing a WSJ graphic showing the precipitous value declines. It was drowned out after only a few hours, however, by news of the Nashville Christian school shooting. Sadly, the sensational always trumps the mundane, even when the “sensational” is an occasion of what’s become the “conventional” disregard for human life.

Speaking of Trump, fast forward to this week and the OJ-esque media circus that accompanied the former president’s Tuesday arraignment over hush money to a mistress. I care little about Donald Trump, and even less about his sexual escapades. That said, I’m so far not impressed with Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg either.

Then there was, the same day, the Wisconsin election for a supreme court justice. The Democrat Party, true to its post-Roe strategy and disregard for human life in utero, sought to make it a litmus test on abortion. It scored a victory for its candidate, and likely the demise of existing state judicial decisions against abortion. And people celebrated, with glee.

As the Christian community embarks, imminently, on its yearly commemoration of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus, these events and so many more, are a stark reminder of the fact that a nation built on Judeo-Christian ethics is seemingly on life support. Hyper-partisanship and political polemic are on the rise, while traditional marriage, desire for family and regular faith practice are ostensibly headed for the exits.

I don’t believe these trends define our nation. They do not define the American Solidarity Party, and they do not define me or my family. But we cannot allow them to further erode our culture.

The ASP can introduce policies to ensure married couples and families receive living wages, provide tax credits, entitlements and other incentives to reduce – or eliminate – the costs of prenatal, birth and postpartum care. The ASP can take the lead in endorsing candidates of integrity, moral character and vision. It can nominate people who will honor our nation and its heritage, leading with civility and principle. It can support adherents of faith, who will not forfeit or compromise Christian principles to secular attitudes.

On Easter Day, in my Catholic tradition, we acclaim “This is the Day” (Psalm 118), declaring Christ’s victory over death, and decay. It gives me confidence that the culture of death and rot in society will one day be overcome too.  Until then, the American Solidarity Party must be in the vanguard of its reversal.