Other essays on this theme

Essay: "Lost and Found"

by Jackey R. Sollars
What has been lost? The question could be applied to the world, our own nation, our own social circle, and our selves. The degree one recognized as being lost depends on the age of the person auditing each area. We Americans have lost way more than we have found. To acknowledge what has been found, we must weigh the benefits as to the cost, or what was ultimately lost.

We've lost so much since the foundation of the world. Of course our greatest loss was our personal relationship with our Creator and our being exiled from a garden of perpetual bliss, Eden. Since that loss, the fallout has been continuous. The price? Millions upon millions of lives. Lands have been found only to be plundered, destroyed and the inhabitants totally wiped out: the most recent major find and loss being 'The Americas.' Each individual civilization on its expeditions to find has lost its own humanity and innocence. Not one country in our world has retained its humanity or innocence.

America found its independence only to lose it a hundred years later. A war fought for "state's rights" was lost mainly to carpetbagging politicians. But alas, an effective government is only effective in the first four or five generations. What America was founded for had dissipated by the time Lincoln took office. In the bloody fields of reality, Lincoln proved to be a true politician purchased by the highest bidder, and was prepared to force capitalistic socialism on all Americans, no matter the cost. Fortunately, he was able to mask his diabolical plan with 'slavery' as the propaganda machine. Americans, sons of true liberty, turned against each other for a people that refused to fight and die for themselves in their native land. What carpetbaggers found was a wedge to split the unity of a strong nation. What Americans lost was their own "state's right", their right to defend their ways of life, and we lost our soul as a nation.

Since the founding of this nation, dozens of carpetbaggers have taken the oath of office. None stood for America except one, John F. Kennedy (JFK.) JFK believed in America, believed in its potential and believed that, despite the loss of soul, we could overcome. Now the conspiracies are many but the one important point is that JFK rose up and represented the true hardliner patriot that America was known for. His only fault: crossing the lines of the typical Washington carpetbaggers association.

Since JFK, Americans have lost their sense of individuality. No longer can a white man be a white man. No longer can an American enroll in public schools and receive the high education that once set America up as an advanced society. No longer can a man employ house servants or even service those he desires. JFK's American dream was not to dilute the intellect of the masses but rather to help others achieve their potential. JFK's only fault was believing in a people who didn't want to work or earn their own way.

Being in prison has taught me many lessons. In the countless hours of observation and thought, it becomes depressing to see everything that has been lost. If I sound racist, I'm not. I'm a 'cultural separatist.' As a truck driver, I once marveled at the vast pool of individuality and cultures. It was enlightening to climb in a truck and drive a thousand miles through no less than a hundred unique cultures. Every city, every state, every region had its own distinct lifestyle that almost rivaled the Amish or Mormons. Every person in this nation was allowed to be himself. Every community was allowed to develop its own being. Every state kept true to its original mindset.

Jack Kerouac said, "Prison is the place you promise yourself you'll live when you get out." I find this very true. Unfortunately, Kerouac's America allowed for people to go someplace and start anew. He didn't have a government that dictated how you would conduct business or who you would do business with. When I take everything into account in regards to what has been lost and found, I realize I myself have lost nothing. "Ex-felons, and not US citizens anymore," this is a refreshing thought. Mike and the Mechanics put out a song "Silent Running" and one of the verses states: "Pledge allegiance to the flag/whatever flag they raise." So, as a non-US citizen, I have an allegiance to the land and only to the land. This society has lost its entire identity in the continuous never-ending battle of "equality without sacrifice." In the continual effort to give, America has become a fearful homogenized society without personal culture. The only culture is that of our capitalist carpetbaggers.

We are in a conflict with Iraq. I cringe at the death toll of our soldiers. These men and women have died for another people, who for decades refused to fight for themselves. I'd like to say each death is for a reason, unfortunately I can't. They have died in vain for the warmongering, greedy capitalist who fraudulently led us.

So, in short, we have lost our right individuality, to live how and with whom we want. We've lost our soul and our right to be white. We've lost our place in the race for an advanced, well-educated populace. We've lost our individuality, our communal identity, and culture. We've lost our ability to reason and decide on important issues. We've lost our way.

It's hard to write on the issue of lost and found on an international or local level. It's even harder to discuss the lost and found when confronting self. Yes, it is true that I am not a US citizen (except for taxes, Uncle Sam doesn't let anyone off the hook.) Not being a citizen frees me from the responsibility of being a good, productive, socially helpful individual. If I choose to do good, then so be it. But society has nothing to ask of me. I've lost my freedom not just temporarily, but permanently since the pigs no longer have to investigate a crime, they just pick up an ex-felon. (Once a criminal, "always" a criminal is what they have "you" [society] believing.)

I lost my wife, son, daughter, so-called friends, manhood, place in community, and dozens of other rights. About the least important loss was my right to vote. Bush and the State of Florida proved that. But not all was lost. My greatest loss, I thought, was my wife and kids. But in hindsight, you have to agree, you can't lose what you never had. So I've found wisdom in all of this.

The wisdom is simple. As long as people are people, flesh and blood, there can be no love, peace, happiness or joy. And, as long as people are people, flesh and blood, hate, prejudice, fear, war, heartache, and loneliness are and will "always" be the way of life. I'm still human and still a part of this world. I will "always" be a better man now than any man in society or the man I was. I will have the choice to help when people need help, to save a child from drowning or render first aid to a heart attack victim. Or maybe I won't since society doesn't recognize me as a person. I'm not obligated, and since I've been judged by society, society only has itself to blame. Yes, I've lost everything. But I have also found. I am truly free to choose the whos, whats, hows, and whys. The equation is simple, lost is less than found and will equal questionable perspectives.