“The things that will destroy America”

I can’t remember who sent me this quote, but here it is:

“Americanism means the virtues of courage, honor, justice, truth, sincerity, and hardihood—the virtues that made America. The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any-price, peace-at-any-price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of soft living and the get-rich-quick theory of life.”

Too late. The destruction phase is over, and right now we are in the mopping up phase. While the overall framework is in place, there are still a lot of individual freedoms left to be snuffed out. It has been deemed best if those known as “the people” are allowed to imagine that they are still in charge and pushing for the crackdowns themselves.

Like, the soon-to-be-implemented crackdown on air shows. And especially the crackdown on old men being allowed to fly planes that they learned to fly six decades ago:

RENO, Nev. (AP) — A vintage World War II-era fighter plane plunged into the grandstands Friday during a popular annual air show, killing at least three people, injuring more than 50 spectators and creating a horrific scene strewn with body parts and smoking debris.

The plane, flown by an 80-year-old pilot, spiraled suddenly out of control and appeared to disintegrate upon impact. Bloodied bodies were spread across the area as people tended to the victims and ambulances rushed to the scene.

Maureen Higgins of Alabama, who has been coming to the show for 16 years, said the pilot was on his third lap when he lost control.

She was sitting about 30 yards away from the crash and watched in horror as the man in front of her started bleeding after a piece of debris hit him in the head.

“I saw body parts and gore like you wouldn’t believe it. I’m talking an arm, a leg,” Higgins said “The alive people were missing body parts. I am not kidding you. It was gore. Unbelievable gore.”

Among the dead was pilot Jimmy Leeward, 80, of Ocala, Fla., who flew the P-51 Mustang named the “Galloping Ghost,” according to Mike Houghton, president and CEO of Reno Air Races.

It’s sad, but accidents happen. Even at “safe” events like NASCAR races. And even when the operators are 20 years old.

I expect a crackdown as a result of the inevitable litigation. Perhaps not by government directly, but indirectly, in the form of insurance companies imposing new conditions beyond those set by the FAA.

Then air shows as we have enjoyed them will go the way of the diving boards we could once dive on. The lakes we could once swim in.