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| Yes | 71% | 665 votes | Total: 932 votes | |
| No | 29% | 267 votes |
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Add to FavoritesYes, the average American citizen is lazy. Personally, professionally, academically, civically and emotionally, Americans have lost their ability to delay gratification, to apply themselves to long-term goals and to live within their means.
The current economic crisis is a prime example of American laziness and greed. Unwilling to live within the realities of their financial constraints, too many Americans overextended themselves by purchasing homes they simply could not afford. To compound the problem, the government has allowed this laziness to continue unchecked by bailing out businesses and individuals who wanted more than they could afford or were willing to work for.
The obesity epidemic of America is another indicator of this laziness. Unwilling to discipline themselves to eat only as much as they need, Americans flock to fast food restaurants, devouring dollar deals, in spite of the evidence of ill health, diabetes and heart disease that inevitably result from this childish behavior.
Professionally, Americans work hard at not working. They show up late, do as little as possible and then whine when they are not selected for promotion or are laid off. The Protestant work ethic is all but extinct in the American workplace. While there are certainly exceptions to this trend, the average American is unwilling to dedicate themselves to the consistent hard work that is necessary for professional success. Instead of returning to college or attending vocational training, they purchase lottery tickets and apply for Welfare checks.
Teachers face this laziness on a daily basis in the classroom. Assignments are done poorly or not at all. Students simply do not appear to care if they pass their classes, let alone receive honors for work well done. The lack of support at home is a major contributor to this trend, as is the tendency of school officials to stress supporting individuals in need rather than encouraging the students of ability and talent to challenge themselves.
The American government requires the active participation of its citizenry to ensure that civil rights are protected and fiscal responsibility is maintained. Clearly, neither aspect of the American government has been protected. The current loss of freedom, liberty and justice are all due to civic laziness on the part of American citizens.
The emotional laziness of the American citizen can be seen in high divorce rates, increases in violent crimes and a tidal wave of depression, anxiety and other mental illness cases. The average American has lost the ability to discipline themselves. Instead of doggedly paying the dues necessary for success, Americans want a quick fix, an easy out and instant gratification.
The only way the trend of laziness in American society can be halted is to require individuals to be responsible for themselves. Instead of encouraging Americans to be needy, ineffective and selfish with special programs, bail outs and injustice, American society must return to its original ideal in which America is not a land of guarantees but rather a land of opportunity in which individuals ready, willing and able to produce quality goods and services are rewarded with the fruits of their labors, instead of being forced at I.R.S. gunpoint to hand over their hard earned money to individuals unwilling to lift a finger to support themselves.
Learn more about this author, Kate Johnson.
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No
Quite the contrary, the average American is inventive and resourceful, but has become a victim of the American success story. Actually, I believe Americans are some of the smartest and most skilled people in the world as we have managed to excel in areas where our forebears thought science fiction. We have led in areas of space travel, technology and science and are continuing to break new grounds daily in virtually every imaginable area.
The perception of laziness is because many have allowed themselves to become slave to the upside of life in America, that is the luxurious and the expeditious. Few, if any, want to deal with the underbelly, that is the hard core issues that are subject to have adverse affect on America's lifestyles for a very long time. For example, the Superintendent of public schools in California is waging a battle with the Governor, alleging that educating and ensuring all eight graders are proficient in algebra is too costly and too time consuming. He claims such a mandate would require $4 billion dollars. The very next day, the Chronicle ran a front page article, citing the need for $8 billion to keep the prison system solvent. This nonsense seems to be taking place all over the Country. The issue sooner or later will undoubtedly become: Is the average American lazy or simply incompetent?
What America needs is a twenty-first century paradigm that includes all Americans. They should have input in decisions making that will sustain the America as we know it for future generations. There needs to be common issues around which all can rally; there needs to be a resurgent of pride for our capability as a nation. By all accounts, it seems feasible in the short run to lock up recalcitrant members of society in an effort to rehabilitate them, but over the long haul is it practical or more importantly is it safe to simply warehouse them and return them to society? Sooner or later, America will have to deal seriously with these issues.
As things stand, we are on a path to failure despite our many advantages, because too many youths, as well as adults, capable of productive contributions, are instead behind bars. Public schools have more money per students than ever before, yet many are unable or incapable of providing students with the skills needed to function in today's society. There needs to be a national discussion about ways to assist educators on how to bring these schools up to standard and eventually to a state of excellence. If we do not take measures, we will only add to the perception of laziness, which is unfair to all.
I believe America is dooming itself to failure by constantly insisting we are less smart and lazier than many of our Eastern counterparts, thereby necessitating a need to import intelligence and skills from abroad. Mindfully, most of the hype is generated by corporate moguls. It is to their benefit because they save dollars by paying less for the same services many Americans are capable of providing. Do not get caught up in the lies, Americans are not lazy, Americans are not dumb; Americans can do anything better and more efficient as proven over and over again. America was once a proud nation and believed in the value of good work ethics and the competence of its members; we must strive for that level of excellence and confidence once more for all Americans.
Learn more about this author, Dossie M Terrell.
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