Signs in the news of nation in decline

Having just returned from more than six months away from Illinois and very little time for following the news, I opened Thursday's Daily Herald to learn that the Honorable Dennis Hastert is in trouble for what ostensibly was the result of a sexual relationship with a boy back when Hastert was a teacher and coach.

After that period of his life, Hastert advanced from teaching to being elected by "we the people" to the Senate and later as speaker of the House. How dumb are we?

Then I learned that a man in Texas was executed after sitting on death row for 30 years for shooting to death four innocent men in a burglary attempt. Thirty years? Why wasn't justice carried out 28 years ago? How unjust have we become?

Then I learned that The Pentagon shipped anthrax to at least 51 U.S. and foreign laboratories by accident. Anthrax! How sloppy and inept are we?

Then I heard debate that the pot of racial tension was boiling over. Racial tension? Isn't our president black, voted in by mostly people of a different race? How gullible are we?

Finally, I learned that Bruce Jenner has had a sex change operation and is being hailed as a brave hero and getting his own TV show.

Have we become such a nation of fools, led by the foolishness of our media, seduced by our self-centered profit-motivated say-anything-to-get-elected officials, and taught by our lazy thinking, elitist, far-left college professors that we can no longer think critically?

In the meantime, China grows in power, ISIS destroys unabated, Putin laughs, perversion and racial tension increase here at home and Lucifer smirks.

Chris Margarites

Hawthorn Woods