(Photo credit: Keith Mason/Personhood USA)
The interesting thing about writing a blog is that it documents your thoughts, view of life and the world around you from a historical perspective. In looking back over the past few months, it’s apparent that my outlook is pretty pessimistic. The truth is there are stories every week about the innate goodness of people. Americans are standing up for people they don’t even know all the time simply because it is the right thing to do.
Last week thousands of people got involved in the case of Justina Pelletier, a fifteen year-old girl who was essentially kidnapped by Boston’s Children’s hospital because doctors at Children’s disagreed with the doctors at Tufts Medical Center about the girl’s diagnosis. Regardless that both hospitals are renowned medical institutions Boston’s Children’s Hospital violated the parents’ rights to make decisions for their child. In an incestuous arrangement with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, custody of the girl was given to Children’s. Only when thousands of Americans began calling state representatives and the hospital did the Children’s back away. The world is a dangerous place, but when we stand together we can make miracles happen.
The primary point of writing these articles has been to relate current events to my novel. Phoenix Republic is economic collapse story and thus it does have some dark moments. It also has its share of hopeful elements, however. While I wouldn’t try to make the case that I am Mary Sunshine, I really don’t think of myself as a pessimist either. I think it’s important to talk about what current events might mean to every day Americans. Yes, I am very concerned about Americans holding onto our freedom. I lament that our form of government is being fundamentally transformed. What was designed as a republic is rapidly morphing into something that resembles an Oligarchy, ruled by elitists, who are quite certain they know what is best for all of us. Yes, I believe that the United States, as Republic of free men and women is in danger, but I also believe in Divine Providence. I also believe that more Americans are waking up and standing up every day. While the present disaster that is our current state of affairs in America is disconcerting and the country is in trouble, Americans are an amazing people. If we can win enough hearts and minds to embrace freedom over collective coercion, we can once again reestablish America as a free country.
This week I watched Frank Crapra’s Meet John Doe. Watching this wonderful old black and white film, made me realize how there is nothing new under the sun. The movie is set in the Great Depression. It is about an elitist progressive class working to corrupt a freedom movement that sprang up out of a newspaper stunt. What’s wild is that I realized that I was really watching a current events movie. While the times are dire, Americans, pulling together realize that they can make a difference, regardless of overwhelming odds.
We may be have two distinct cultures as I wrote about in A Tale of Two Americas, but even the approximately forty percent of progressive America still have our traditions in common with those of us who are inclined to be self-reliant and want to be free of government overreach. The vast majority of us desire the same things. We want an equitable country where everyone has a chance at living a good life. Americans differ on how to achieve these goals, but at least the fundamental underpinnings of American life is something with which we can all agree. My belief is that Americans are basically good, regardless of the superficial arguments made in Washington DC and in the media. There may be progressives in the establishment political parties that wish to keep Americans at each other’s throats so that they can hold onto power, but I believe the truth will prevail in the end. The whole reason for writing Phoenix Republic is to remind readers that each of us has it within us to achieve greatness. Working together, even a small minority of committed men and women, determined to live free, can impact the hearts and minds of a nation.
The issue we run into in the United States is that we are all human, and we all have human weaknesses. Progressives believe that citizens must be collectively forced to behave in a way that is beneficial to society while the freedom movement is about believing in individuals to make those decisions based on individual morals. I often mention that the country is too broken in too many places to fix and that the social contract has been shattered. While I believe this is true I also think that where there is life there is hope. Over the past few months I have posted and pontificated at length about any number of gloomy news stories. What I am thinking today is that while Phoenix Republicis about a dark economic future, but it is also about family and pulling together. It is about standing on principle for what is right. It is about faith and loving one’s neighbor. To prevail over really bad outcomes, we must all find common ground and find ways to live and let live. The good news is that there are stories every week about the innate goodness of people which show that there people doing what’s right for people they don’t even know.
Additional Resources
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/03/03/good-news-in-the-justina-pelletier-case/
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