There is nothing I can say without going into a rant that would keep me up 'til the wee hours of the morning.
Yep. All symptoms of a larger problem. We seem to be losing ground in the battle for the soul of our once great nation. More and more, it's becoming clear what de Toqueville meant when he offered up his observation that when America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great. Prophetic words that I suspect could be applied to most/all earlier advanced cultures. The Bible certainly makes no bones about the fate of degenerate societies, eh?
Oh well, you're right; volumes could be written...
FGS