Maybe it all began with the “participation trophies.”

A couple of decades ago, youth sports leagues in many communities began to disallow “winning” or “losing,” and all players on both teams received a trophy simply for having played. Bestowing the so-called “participation trophy” became common throughout many childhood activities.

The unintended consequence has been that we devalued achievement: Hard work, sacrifice and dedication to a cause - these time-honored virtues are not prized as they once were.

And now, well into the 21st century, elected officials, educators and celebrity pundits say that all people deserve free healthcare, guaranteed income and free college tuition (resulting in degrees received without any pass or fail grading). I have even read a couple of online posts in which the writers opine (I am assuming with a straight face) that, “Access to WIFI is a human right.”

These and other unrealistic ideas have been pumped into the minds of several generations of Americans. In many a locality, policies that amount to “forced utopianism” and pipe dream “equity” have resulted in 1) An exodus of individuals and businesses who are able to leave and seek saner pastures; 2) diminished standards of life and safety for those unfortunate enough to remain; and 3) unfounded “blame” that America is “structurally racist,” and in need of........

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