August 15, 2026 - 250 Years - Part 4

Speak them firmly, speak them proudly, speak them gratefully.

My final "thought" in what turned into a four part series. Earlier parts can be found here: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

As I mentioned in Part 1, we visited Washington D.C. on Juneteenth. It is quite fitting that we had an opportunity to visit the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial during that time. The quote above comes from the inscription wall at that very monument.

There seems to be little concern for justice for this administration. The lack of due process surrounding initial deportations is a more obvious example of this - including repeated court intervention. Detention centers are another, with watchdogs like Human Rights Watch documenting severe overcrowding, unsanitary environments, restricted access to counsel, and restricted access to medical care. Regardless of one's immigration status, everyone deserves the same dignity and respect. Not to mention that we have all pledged "liberty and justice for all." Not just U.S. Citizens.

Of course the most notable and discussed instance of injustice would undoubtedly be the ongoing handling and avoiding of the Jeffrey Epstein files. There appears little doubt that the Department of Justice has engaged in activity approaching a cover-up in terms of omitting documents. The lack of any sort of action or prosecution, though, is the real tell. At least ten countries have launched criminal investigations or prosecutions targeting Epstein's associates - Norway, France, the UK, Poland, Costa Rica, Sweden, Slovakia, Turkey, the list continues. You won't find the United States on it, though.

We will know our country is on the path to recovery once this all goes before a judge.

We have Faith that future generations will know that here, in the middle of the twentieth century, there came a time when men of good will found a way to unite, and produce, and fight to destroy the forces of ignorance, and intolerance, and slavery, and war.

While our Founding Fathers had to burn everything down to accomplish this, they had the foresight to build in its place a system of government for the future. It’s amazing, really, that during a time of slavery, deep inequality, and war they managed to create something that, if attained, would be closer to a free and just society than perhaps ever before. We’re still striving for it.

Part of this system's beauty is that embedded within it are ways for people to fight, change, and resolve differences without bloodshed, and, subject to the will of the people. It is important to note that "resolve" does not necessarily mean "adopt a different view or opinion." In most cases, and to probably everyone's chagrin, it almost always embodies some compromise. But, this is the nature of being an individual in a community. There is always tension between our own beliefs and what governs many. It cannot be any other way.

For years I believed that the deterioration I perceive in our political structures was systemic. That the cause was the system itself - to the point that I regrettably even suggested the solution of withdrawing our support for that system and not voting. I no longer hold that belief. The system has deteriorated and been harmed, but the cause is simply the people. We elect unworthy men, and through doing so we contribute to the deterioration of our government and nation.

Our problem is the people implementing and executing the system. Destroying the system isn’t going to solve our problems. In fact, I fear it may worsen them. Because the critical question that arises when something is destroyed is: who is going to build the next one? And for me that is isomorphic to "who do we have alive now that is at least as capable as our Founders to build something better?" And I’ve got no good answer to that question.

Not to mention that if whoever they are do a good job, what is built is going to end up looking an awful lot like what our Founders put onto paper 250 years ago.

I oppose the war in Vietnam because I love America. I speak out against it not in anger but with anxiety and sorrow in my heart, and above all with a passionate desire to see our beloved country stand as a moral example of the world.

The quote above is also from the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. I wince almost daily when I read about the actions of our leaders with respect to Iran and other countries - some even allies. What example are we setting? It is certainly not one of which I am proud. Ashamed might be a better word. And, in some sense, it is worse because we have walked a similar path before as a country. Yet here we are once again. Perhaps even worse.

I want a president who I, and my children, and frankly everyone can look up to as an example. I want a president who surrounds himself with intelligent, compassionate, and honest people. I want a president that encourages those close to him to criticize him and call out his mistakes. And people that actually do that. I want a president who unites not just the American People, but strives to do so with the entire world. A president who works to shape this country into "a moral example of the world."

Moreover, I want fellow Americans that strive to set an example as well. The operative word here is "strive" - we all fall short. I think many, even myself at times, use that as an excuse to stop striving. I'll never be good enough. I'll never be perfect. I'll never stop making mistakes. So why try? But what distinguishes a "good" person from a "bad" one, if we wish to skirt with false dichotomies, is at the very least whether or not they keep trying to do better.

I propose to create a Civilian Conservation Corps to be used in simple work... more important, however, than the material gains will be the moral and spiritual value of such work.

If what we are currently doing as a country isn't a good example, then what is? We have plenty in our past. There's a reason America has been the most revered and respected country in many regards for centuries. Many reasons, actually. I hope it's enough to pull our allies back to us when we have a president capable of apologizing and making amends.

We spent a fair amount of time looking at FDR in previous posts. I would be remiss if I didn't mention his Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). FDR created a generation of men of good will the likes of which may have never been seen before. I have benefited greatly from them. Many people reading this have and may not even know it.

The Civilian Conservation Corps has literally shaped this nation. So many of our National Parks roads and facilities are thanks to them. And not just National Parks, many State Parks as well. 711 new ones and infrastructure improvements to 800 more; 125,000 miles of roads; 41,303 bridges; thousands of miles of hiking trails. So much was created by this organization. And, it wasn't all recreational. It includes, for instance, 3,470 fire lookout towers and 97,000 miles of fire roads.

With the advent of LLMs and the cramming of "Artificial Intelligence" down our throats, a question that has been lurking for decades now is resurfacing. That is, as technology - the goal of which is ostensibly to make our lives better, automate mundane tasks, and improve efficiency - advances, what do people do? How do they earn a living?

This is far from a new question. Even back in the 1930s, men like Bertrand Russell were grappling with this. In his essay, "In Praise of Idleness," Russell argues already back then that society expects far too much work. He advocates for a reduction in work hours to a four-hour workday, argues for better division of necessary labor, and encourages the pursuit of active enjoyment. The end result being genuine cultural growth resulting not in mere laziness, but a reconnection with our human nature where people become more playful, affectionate, and independent-minded. It is disappointing how little has changed since the publication of this work in spite of unprecedented strides in our technological capabilities.

I believe that a reduction in work hours, a better division of necessary labor, universal basic income, and the resurrection of programs like the CCC are a way forward in this regard. This represents a significant societal shift, however. Something that those in control resist for their own sake, and those of whom would benefit resist out of fear of change.

Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope

When the time comes, the way out of this mess will be in many ways new. But in so many others much of it is already known. For we have been through less severe variations of parts of this current phase of degradation before. The American People must re-assert their power. The unmitigated influx of money into our political system must stop. Those that have abused and violated both our laws and people must be prosecuted and brought to justice. Regulatory control over industry must be restored. We must lose this borderline delusional belief that there are only two choices - two parties - in this country to vote for and start voting for people that are competent at governing instead of those that appear to be on one's "team." And, perhaps above all, we must remember that we are human. That the hallmark of our species, the greatest capability with which we have been endowed by our Creator, is love. It is something we so often choose to do selectively instead of indiscriminately. And, for sure, doing so indiscriminately is immensely difficult. But in some sense, that is truly what love is. Unconditional, indiscriminate, and overwhelming.

I do not speak of the superficial love that you see hijacked for marketing purposes or that casually comes off one's lips from habit. But, the deep, meaningful love that causes one to repeatedly engage with the things that hurt us most. The unconquerable hope that, no matter how unlikely or impossible it seems, people can change. Things can get better. Today will be better than yesterday. We all have it inside of us. Imagine if we once again started acting as though it were really going to happen. It is a hard task, for sure. I cannot do it consistently, and I fear I do it less than I have in the past. But when I do, I experience that which our Founding Fathers promised me: "that all men are created equal. That they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights. That among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

I want to get back to a government that recognizes and protects these inalienable rights. I know we can, and I believe we can without the turmoil and violence of times passed.

This is a plaster cast of the Statue of Freedom located in the aptly named Emancipation Hall. The original bronze version sits atop the Capitol Dome. The symbolism and quotes that encompass our capital are mirrors in some sense, reflecting American ideals and values. The focal points for these mirrors are symbols such as this.

The people that built our capital, that built these monuments, that chiseled the words into rock didn’t do so just for a paycheck. Anyone that has ever engaged in an artistic endeavor knows this. There is a difference between doing something just for a paycheck and doing something you passionately love to do. One pours their heart and soul into the latter, and it shows. The people that built our capital believed in what they were creating. They believed in this nation. In the American ideals and values. In one sense, the people that built our monuments are now better suited to lead this country than those one currently finds clinging to the reigns.

The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much, it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.

My current state of residence, Indiana, is a shining example of how we will know when things begin to improve once again in this country. Our legislature recently passed a law banning homelessness. Unsurprisingly, our governor signed it. When this is repealed and instead funding allocated to shelters, to food, to education, to medical care, to help for these fellow human beings we will know. When they are given the dignity and respect that they deserve, we will know.

When we have a president that doesn't issue executive orders like 14321, when funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development is restored, when SNAP is restored, when USAID distributes food instead of destroying it. We will know.

This is Arlington National Cemetery. Over 430,000 active duty service members, veterans, and eligible family are buried across its 639 acres. The location for this cemetery was deliberate. The land originally belonged to the family of confederate general Robert E. Lee. We intentionally buried the dead outside the front door of Lee's mansion to ensure the home would never be livable again.

I'll be honest, with the people currently occupying our newly and further fenced in White House - the People's house - I cannot help but feel like Lee has returned. That we have been invaded and are under occupation by a group that is winking to its followers through its actions and words.

That they are using the buttons and levers of this great experiment to isolate us from our allies, abuse our fellow countrymen, and line their own pockets with ill-gotten gains.

I come from a military family on both sides of my bloodline. Both of my Grandfathers served as well as ancestors further back. I have been blessed by what I would consider an unusual number of friends that serve or have served as well. I have the utmost respect for these people and everyone else in our nation's military.

It reassures me that one swears an oath to the Constitution. That, in so doing, there is a deliberate recognition that it is possible for individuals to fail to live up to this country's standards. That when such a thing occurs, we are obligated to stand with Liberty and Justice instead of that individual. We are a nation of ideas and ideals. Things that each and every one of us will invariably fail to attain or fully embody. What makes us American, though, is that we continue to try. And, through our struggles, improve incrementally over time.

Two days after our DC visit, we stopped briefly in New Jersey to see the Statue of Liberty (from a distance). The words cast in the plaque are etched in many's memory as well:
"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

My heritage is largely Dutch. My father's side of the family immigrated to the U.S. three generations ago. All of my great-grandparents on that side came through Ellis Island. My mother has Dutch in her as well, though has also been able to trace her roots back to some of this country's first immigrants, at least one of whom even fought in the Revolutionary War.

I am precisely that which FDR refers to when he stated "Remember, remember always that all of us, and you and I especially, are descended from immigrants and revolutionists."

It is fitting, I think, that we saw the statue from the New Jersey side. Standing behind Lady Liberty - another enormous monument against slavery representing enlightenment, hope, and progress.

The world will little note nor long remember what we say here but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. 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.

So, Happy 250th America. While we are at a difficult time once again in our history, I hope and pray that our values and ideals triumph. That worthy men - worthy humans - once again lead this country. I pray for the next Washington, the next Jefferson, the next Teddy, the next FDR, the next Lincoln. For these and many of our presidents share the same moral fiber, clarity of purpose, integrity, dedication, and compassion that makes this nation great. Things distinctly lacking as of late.

While not impossible, it is doubtful I will live to see the 300th anniversary of this country. The 275th seems perhaps achievable, though. I hope that when we get there - and I firmly believe we will - we have once again managed to turn things around and better ourselves and this great country. That once again our motto E Pluribus Unum - out of many, one - rings true.

May God preserve the government of the People, by the People, for the People.