The Head or The Heart – Which Should Dictate Our Future?

Prager writes, "life is a daily battle between the brain and the mind. The brain wants an ice cream sundae; the mind knows too many sundaes will make a person overweight and eventually diabetic....the brain is instinctive and feelings-based; the mind is thoughtful and can be reason-based."

So the question becomes, which side of this battle wins in your daily life and in the life of the nation?

Pick your issue - homelessness, mental health, income inequality, immigration reform and the wall -  how we act and what we do depends on how we determine what is right or wrong in our approach to addressing these issues.

Again, Prager nails it in describing the way Americans have been raised and shaped, "what is right and what is wrong, the brain (feelings) has triumphed over the mind (reason and values). At least two generations of Americans have been raised not with moral instruction but with the question “How do you feel about it?”

W'eve talked about this on the radio for nearly 20 years. Remember how former President Bill Clinton "felt our pain" as he bit his lower lip in empathy.  Personally, I would prefer a real solution rather than empathy with my situation - but if feelings (brain) wins your internal battle, then that somehow the pained look on the President's face had great meaning to you.  But if that show rang hollow (mind) because, while "nice", it really solved nothing and could lead to even greater problems and unintended consequences.

Take the recent conversation about immigration and factor out the hypocrisy of those who once said the were for greater border security.  As Prager puts it,  "It feels good to allow anyone who wants to enter America to do so. But if America is worth preserving, the mind understands that the right policy cannot be determined by feelings....Even when propelled to do good, we cannot be guided by feelings."

So that means we need emotion free analysis on jobs, economic impact pro & con, etc.  Feelings can change with the wind, that's no way to plan for the future of the country.

You tell 'em Dennis,  this uncommon nation needs common sense now more than ever!

Here are some of the numbers to factor in during your "emotion-free" consideration.

"In fiscal year 2018, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 158,581 illegal aliens, which is an 11% increase from FY2017. Of those arrested illegals, a total of 138,117 had either criminal convictions or pending criminal charges. CNS News reports, “In those cases, there were 80,730 DUI’s; 76,585 dangerous drugs offenses; 6,888 sex offenses; 5,350 sexual assault charges; 2,085 kidnapping charges/convictions; and 2,028 murder offenses.”