Back in June, Albany’s Times-Union had a commentary by footballer Jay Paterno. That was even before Minneapolis was hit by what was like a foreign invading army. But I still think the essay worth sharing. I’ve condensed it for brevity:
What does “America First” and its greatness look like?
Not found at the end of a baton swung by an officer in riot gear attacking peaceful protesters. Not in deploying our military to the streets to provide a sideshow for political gain.
The greatness of America was found in the bravery of women and men as fire hoses and attack dogs were set loose in Selma. In marches for women’s suffrage, workers’ rights, voting rights. Part of the soul, the strength of America.
We cede part of our soul when petty people remove the names of past leaders from ships because they supposedly represent “DEI” they find offensive. When we name military bases for men who took arms against the Union. Dishonor freedom when we whitewash unpleasant truths and history.
The greatness of America is not a nation retreating from loyal allies but found in unity with those allies who stood with us after 9/11, and against the aggression of the USSR, or ethnic cleansing in the Balkans.
Our greatness is a nation confident in ourselves as a true land of opportunity open to all, no matter where they come from, who they choose to be, or who to love. The greatness is in leaders who welcome freedom of speech and being challenged in the marketplace of ideas.
But we are seeing masked agents raiding and disappearing people. Free speech stifled on campus, in our streets, and on social media. Retreat from leadership in education, research, and science. From fighting hunger and disease around the world. Closing its doors to the world, including trade and international student enrollment.
American greatness came in moments like the Berlin Airlift, the Marshall Plan, the international AIDS initiatives of George W Bush, and the response to the Ebola outbreak, saving countless lives.
Attempts to curb freedom to voice dissent, or the rule of law, come from those lacking bravery. Spewing venom, and using power to browbeat anyone opposing their agenda.
We all want to live in a great nation, standing as a beacon of hope and stability as the shining city on the hill that Reagan spoke about. He believed in one of our most powerful symbols, the Statue of Liberty. Holding high her lamp, lighting the way for the huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the embodiment of America’s aspirational and inspirational example to the world.
That image of Lady Liberty rings hollow now. Armed thugs bully people on the orders of wannabe tough guys retreating into hate and xenophobia.
America has been governed by confident people who could defend the rule of law and support the Constitution and our nation’s values. The leader who imagines he is uniquely more intelligent or more important than all who came before is certain to fail.
With the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, we set an example for the world. Now the world sees us backing away from our founding principles.
Right now, many live in fear of our government. Those who govern by fear reveal far more about their own insecurities and failings than they do about our nation.
Until we can all aspire to our founding principles, we are not first in anything, and we fall short of the standards set for us by founders so visionary that their blueprints for our nation have lasted for centuries.
[FSR afterword: How can any decent person still support this vile, vulgar, corrupt, crooked, crass, cruel, lawless, dishonest, destructive, hate-filled, sick racist regime?]
