Tuesday morning at about 7:45 a.m. (CST) the big news of the day broke: the population of the United States hit 300,000,000!
Every 7 seconds a baby is born in the U. S.
Every 13 seconds someone dies in the U. S.
Every 31 seconds an immigrant family welcomes a new child into the nation.
Demographers tell us that the 300 millionth citizen of the U. S. was born in Los Angeles to Latino parents.
Amazing development, huh?
I can remember when the U. S. population was something under 230 million. Yes, I am aging. But, the pace of growth is speeding up.
When I think of 300 million people, the images in my mind are of cities, crowded, complex, challenging urban areas.
It all causes me to wonder.
Is anyone paying attention?
Who is planning for the growth?
Who is thinking about quality of life issues for the nation at such a scale?
Which way are we headed a a people?
Are we thinking about including everyone in a manner that results in positive outcomes?
Or, are we retreating from one another, while making plans for advancing ourselves as individuals and families, rather than as a people, as communities and as a nation?
Who has a vision large enough for the tasks ahead?
Are there any national, state and local leaders up to the challenge of simply facing our reality?
Finding those men and women would be a grand beginning, it seems to me.
Several years ago, Curtis Meadows passed along a report about the need for exponential growth in Texas' plan for higher education. The report outlined the need for adding many more public universities and university systems the size of what already exist just to handle the population growth that everyone knew was coming.
To fail in vision and planning and in mutual sacrifice is to guarantee the arrival of an urban America none of us will recognize or appreciate.
"To fail in vision and planning and in mutual sacrifice is to guarantee the arrival of an urban America none of us will recognize or appreciate."
ReplyDeleteI hope and pray that God will soon make all things new. If that doesn't happen, however, when the U.S. reaches 400 million those riots in France might seem like a comparative picnic. Within the last week or so, there was a piece in the Wall St. Journal along this line. The possible developments seem horrible.
For what it's worth, I'm blogging a little these days about the environment as a primarily theological, not political, issue. "Naturally," I think that wise stewardship of what God has created is inseparable from the questions you raise here.
Any late word on your dad? I trust that he's doing much better.
Frank, always great reading what you post. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThanks also for your concern about my dad. He is improved and may be able to go home on Thursday. Thank you for your prayers.
Regarding higher education - am I the only one concerned that it is virtually impossible to get into UT or A&M these days if you're not incredibly smart? And, the maze of paperwork is truly a part-time job for a bright parent. Shouldn't we assume our advancements as a people would make higher education MORE accessible, affordable and do-able?
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