Thanksgiving Wish

Be careful what you wish for. I read a great deal. I do not say this to boast but to make a point. I read primarily American history from the 1600's to the late 1700's. I read about our country's founding and the personalities of the people that played a part in that founding. What I realize from my readings is what little I really know. In fact, the more I read the more I realize I know nothing compared to a Franklin, Adams (both John and Abigail), Hamilton, Madison, Jefferson, Warren, Bradford or a Massasoit. I marvel at the brilliance that these founders possessed. They did not all hold the same notions as to what direction our country should progress but they had one thing in common--a belief that a knowledge of history was essential when proceeding to a hopeful future. They struggled with the concepts of egalitarianism, elitism, and pluralism. They studied philosophy, nature, science, the rights of man, god or the universe, and communicated their ideas thoughtfully, provocatively and with intelligence. They were smart. I suspect on average, smarter than most alive today. I would wish nothing less for our future. What do you wish for?

I am aghast at what I currently see today as politicians, producers of information, and many of those with contrived followings claim as their knowledge in such things and concepts as the constitution, democracy, republicanism, and economics, perhaps after being at a weekend seminar put on by a group with an agenda, after reading a paper drafted by a think tank, or even worse just speaking without having thought. I even feel less secure when a great number in our country seem to put trust in someone that clearly doesn't read literature, have a sense of history and would do reality TV.

We have been blessed and perhaps lucky up until now for the most part. Although there has been many times we have been at the brink of disaster, smart thoughtful people were there to lead and a smart educated public followed. We owe much of this to the people that came before us. It will not always be so however if we do not continue to carry on the work they began and realize that a great republic with a democratic foundation is not worth anything without an informed public lest we become an illiterate mob.

Read a book. Read literature. Read history. Read the Constitution. Study philosophy. Pray. Dance. Chant. Meditate. Do something significant that changes and informs people, especially if it is your family or neighbor. Take time to stop, listen and think--hopefully before you speak. Do you really want an episode of Reality TV or do you wish for something better? If not for you, your children. You can only play a part for so long. The character will inevitably change or be written off the show. Turn the cameras around and show the utter unreality of what is taking place. The last time I spent time with my family I did it without having a director, 3 producers, 10 cameras and trailer that catered food. The truth will ultimately prevail if thoughtful people calmly step forward and conduct themselves from within and not from without.

More Lantern, Less Bus in the Ditch

History in the United States is short and still moving outward. It is still being written as it expands. I knew a couple of my Great Grandmothers growing up. They were born in the late 1800's. Their parents were alive when Lincoln was President. My Great, Great, Grandfather was alive during the War of 1812. His father saw the birth of our nation.

One of my favorite places to visit is Boston. Not only is it where my oldest daughter Laura lives and attends college, it is where you can walk into living spaces that played and still play out a roll in the founding of our country. Take Christ's Church, better known as the Old North Church, for instance. This is where a young twenty-three year-old Episcopal Sexton, named, Robert Newman, had been directed by Paul Revere and the Sons of Liberty, to climb the tall steeple where he briefly hung two burning lanterns, signaling the direction independence would take. It was by water. Newman climbed a narrow dark stairwell to reach the top. Liberty demands as such. Once the two lanterns were lit, his friends across the Charles River in Lexington and Concord, readied themselves as they knew the British regulars were coming by boat as opposed to marching by land.

It may be an over simplification, but as I understand it, an argument had arisen between the Crown and its colonial subjects over who would represent the voice of the people. Would it be a distant Parliament separated by an ocean or left to the various individual legislatures found in the colonies at that time? The Crown took a hard position because it was powerful and felt it was the best parent for a rebellious child. In fact, Great Britain was the most powerful country at that time. There would be no negotiation. Ben Franklin was sent to England over a period of several years to work a compromise on behalf of the various individual colonies to try to keep the Empire together. After hitting his head against a wall, even he, perhaps one of the greatest minds of the last 400 years, saw the futility of trying to work a solution with the deaf Crown.

What ultimately happened was a revolt. But not in the sense of what has been or would become a revolution as we have seen in other parts of the world. No, it was a revolution of a very slow burn--one, that some would argue, still continues today. Slow was its genius. It gave time for the people to awaken and be touched by the light of liberty that was burning. It gave time to lighten the darkness. This slow paced revolution continues in our founding document the Constitution. It has the component of Federalism, reserving certain rights to the states. The boundaries are meant to be discussed and constantly shift. It is not meant to be an absolute rigid measuring stick. It's soft and malleable to avoid breakage. Different people will interpret it differently. There is no black and white. There are checks and balances.

People are born with the potential to make a difference if they involve themselves in the flow of the revolution. It is not the end that matters. It is the progress of the process. Although the lanterns of the night only burned a short while so not to be given away to the enemy, that light is still expanding out into the dark night.