It seems no matter where you are in the political spectrum you might be forgiven for thinking the country is going to hell in a hand basket.
Everybody can see something wrong and there is no shortage of ideas of how to fix it.
If the country were a kitchen, everybody would be cook.
That’s good, believe it or not. Democracy thrives on opinion.
A look though our history indicates that division, dissension and strife is actually more thoroughly American than baseball. It is easy to think the challenges of our time are as bad as anything our forebears experienced, and in some respects, they are, but thinking so is not new, nor is it particularly unique.
It may seem like we are reaching heretofore unplumbed historic lows right now, but believe or not, it has been this bad before; worse even, if you consider the fact we actually have a civil war behind us.
Yet despite our tendency to disagree, we have managed to fashion a claim as one of the great nations in world history, measured in terms of prosperity, accomplishments, and impact on the global stage.
One reason our system works is because we have remained free to squabble among ourselves while we make our way along. One reason for that is the men and women throughout our history who have answered the nation’s call to serve.
Division may be one national trait, but another is that when the chips are down, what unites us is stronger than what divides us.
If Memorial Day is for the fallen, and Independence Day is for all of us, Veterans’ Day is for those who served. There is never not a good day to thank a veteran.
To all our veterans, today, on Veterans’ Day, and every day: Thank you.
