“We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of earth.” – Abraham Lincoln December 1, 1862
Oh well, I took the bait. I fell for it hook, line and sinker. I admit it. Why? Because if the vast majority of Americans who still love this country, flaws and all, stay silent about where stories like the ones below are leading our country, well, you can kiss the American dream goodbye. What got me so riled up on this Fourth of July weekend when we celebrated the 246th birthday for our nation? This for starters:
Are things tough right now? Yes, for many, and that’s regardless of your political party because we all have our gripes right now. Runaway inflation, abortion rights, supply chain issues, rising gas prices, civil rights, immigration, foreign wars that impact us, and I could go on. For me it’s like living the 60s and 70s all over again. Pick out random times in our 246-year history and things have always been tough, and even tougher.
Well listen here, my fellow Americans: time to toughen up a bit and remember that this grand experiment of “government of the people, by the people, for the people,” as Lincoln called it, is still worth fighting for. We need more of a spirit of collaboration, compromise, courage, courtesy and, most importantly, common sense for the common good, to solve the real-life challenges facing our country.
Speaking of that Lincoln fellow who uttered those sacred words as part of the Gettysburg Address at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery on that hallowed battlefield in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in November 1863, the second article that got me all riled up was this one:
Cornell Quietly Removes Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln Bust From Library: Report
If they were indeed removed because of a complaint as a professor alleges — the school says they were part of a temporary exhibit — what is happening here people? We are going back and judging one of the greatest leaders in history without context and without the “human factors” that existed during his time?
I grow weary of all the “critics without credentials.” Stop erasing history and teach lessons around it. Quit trying to pretend all our historic figures and leaders of the past should have been flawless, perfect human beings and because they didn’t get it perfectly right based on some future parameters that they don’t deserve to be recognized or at least debated for the good of future generations.
We just returned from a family trip to Italy. It was fascinating to learn how advanced Roman civilization was during its time with its focus on taking care of its general population: building public squares, providing sanitation, clean water and a system of government that involved the people. It ultimately failed and we have been studying its demise ever since, hoping to avoid the same fate.
Visiting my grandparents’ hometown of Alvito was so impactful. I learned that my great uncle Giuseppe Bove, who had immigrated to the U.S., returned to his native land and lost his life fighting for Italy in World War I. My mother’s parents, Costanzo and Concetta, immigrated to the U.S. and settled in Western Pennsylvania, where my grandfather worked for US Steel at their Clairton Works. I never met my grandfather, as he died from lung cancer two years before I was born. But my “Nana” Concetta lived until she was 96, and while we learned many Italian traditions from her, she loved this country with all her heart.
Keep your family traditions if you immigrate here, but respect the fact that this isn’t the country from which your ancestors came from; it is a different one. We can all continue to practice our traditions within the laws and context of our new nation.
While the founders were flawed in many ways, they had the courage and vision to put together the blueprint for an amazing country the likes of which the world had rarely seen. While there are those enemies, foreign and domestic, who continue to try and tear us apart, I choose to hold onto the greater values of our founders and those who see this country for the amazing good that it has done.
Do yourself a favor and watch this YouTube video of Lee Greenwood singing “God Bless the USA“ at the 2001 World Series just weeks after terrorists attacked our country on 9-11. We could use a little more American pride right now and that can start with our leaders in national, state and local governments – regardless of party.
In full disclosure, I am passionate about Civil War history. Our son got us a bed-and-breakfast getaway package at the Gaslight Inn in Gettysburg pre-COVID and we finally were able to use it. I have been to the Gettysburg Battlefield dozens of times, but this trip was special because it was the first time I visited the Shriver House, the East Cavalry Battlefield, and the Lutheran Seminary. All three were amazing. We also went to Unity Park, the Dobbin House, Blue and Gray Bar & Grill, and the Farnsworth House Inn. But the first place we visited was the Gettysburg National Cemetery and the Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address Memorial.
Now you know a little more about why I was riled up about what is alleged to have happened at Cornell. Until you or I have walked in the shoes of an Abraham Lincoln, until we have had a split second to make a decision, especially one that may take or save a life, perhaps we should stop thinking we are “instant experts’ because we watched a YouTube video or listened to some sensationalized newscaster or late-night television host.
Before you decide to go off on some destructive crusade, ask yourself a few questions. Do you want justice or revenge? Do you want an opportunity for change or retribution? Are we seeking a better future or just proving that two wrongs don’t make a right? Some people will do “out of character” things in mobs, in moments of euphoria, and in times of desperation. They may also resort to extreme actions when they have nothing to lose…or everything to lose.
“He could have…” is usually accompanied by “They should have…” and invariably followed by “Well, I would have…” I will bet a lot of money that those of you who have never been “In the Arena” talk a big game and would never have the courage to make the tough calls at the moments of truth with the cameras rolling, especially if people’s lives are at stake.
In the 2016 film “Sully,” Tom Hanks plays Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, whose experience and poise under pressure allow him to safely land US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River, saving all 155 passengers and crew members after the plane had lost both engines. Despite his and his co-pilot’s efforts, they were initially faulted by the National Transportation Safety Board for “pilot error” because the NTSB believed, with the benefit of hindsight and simulations, that the pilots had time to land at two different airports. They failed to consider “the human factor” that absolutely mattered in the moment. They were absolved of any fault.
Without context you have no idea what factors played into a decision. Because we don’t place enough emphasis on basic economics, personal finance and civics in schools, people don’t understand the consequences of simply allowing undocumented immigration into our country. What is happening at our southern border simply doesn’t pass the common sense test under any circumstances. My family came to this country in a legal manner. There was a process, and for a good reason. We have more resources than many countries but even here we don’t have unlimited resources.
While I am very passionate about getting personal finance mandated for all high school students to graduate, it’s not a cause I am willing to “die” for under any circumstances. The Second Amendment is a much tougher subject but still not one I am willing to sacrifice my life for, at least not yet. I personally believe absolutes aren’t the answer and that my commonsense mantra kicks in and says that while I strongly support the Second Amendment, there are lots of circumstances where certain types of guns should not be sold at all, and training and education should be required before the sale is allowed for others.
However, there is one absolute situation where I will do whatever it takes. If someone is trying to invade my country, I will do what is necessary to defend it. That is something I am willing to die for and it is non-negotiable. Because I still do pledge allegiance to our flag of these United States of America and to the republic for which they stand, one nation, under God, indivisible with justice for all. I am hoping that it never comes to this, but I look at Ukraine and I realize I would do whatever it took to defend my homeland.
So, while we sit back and argue about what teams will join the Big Ten and what will become of college athletics, there are actual college-age kids fighting for their lives in Ukraine. They are fighting for freedoms we tend to take for granted.
We need real solutions to the challenges we face that make common sense.
There is an editorial in today’s Pittsburgh Post-Gazette worth reading: On Independence Day, a lesson from the Civil War. In it, the Editorial Board states:
In the complacency of the post-World War II and post-Cold War era, everyday Americans — and especially their leaders — have forgotten that keeping a country together is hard work. It requires wisdom and courage and other virtues — generosity and prudence and humility — to be modeled by leaders and practiced by the people. It requires holding strong principles, but also understanding and respecting others’ principles. It requires the ability to see and to seek common goods that are more important than one’s own.
Regardless of our differences we are still so fortunate to live in a country where we get to express our opinions and to have a legal process to have our ideas and grievances heard. It’s imperfect, but I will still take it over the alternatives around the world.
No matter your politics, take a few minutes to read Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. The final paragraph is timeless.
“It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us-that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion-that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain-that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom-and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.”
The idea of America is still worth fighting for.
