What Have We Learned?

(This piece first appeared in the March 9 edition of the Times Advocate as a guest editorial)

As sad as it is predictible, history tends to repeat itself.

It took a devastating, bloody and savage civil war to bring our young nation's fueding leaders to even consider reconciliation. It took the assasination of the Republican President, who risked everything to save the Nation, to bring about reconstruction.

Will it take another assasination, another 911, or something worse, to bring our leaders together to subjugate their selfish and narrow interests, to restore our Nation's sense of destiny and strength to keep our Motherland from imploding?

Just what will it take to get Americans to sit at the same table and find solutions to the pressing needs of our people, so we can collectively extend a helping hand to the oppressed people of the world?

For all the do-gooders, the compassionate, and the unhappy people in our society, and those that are incredibly successful and happy too, isn't it in all of our best interests to stop the infighting and do something positive? To restore America to it's necessary place as the Leader of the Free World?

What will it take for us to take off the blinders of ideology before we destroy the amazing life we all have? Will it be another war? An alien invasion? A worldwide epidemic? A natural desaster such as a collision with an asteroid?

Those interventions would probably work, but isn't it shameful that as intelligent as human beings are, that we can't recognize how great it would be if we didn't wait until some unforseen or unmanageble catastrophy forced us to reconcile our differences?

In his address to Congress President Trump attempted to reach out to all of us.

"We can only get there together, we are one people with one destiny. We all bleed the same blood. We all salute the same great American flag. And we all are made by the same God…

The time for small thinking is over. The time for trivial fights is behind us. We just need the courage to share the dreams that fill our hearts … and the confidence to turn those hopes and those dreams into action.

From now on America will be empowered by our aspirations, not burdened by our fears. Inspired by the future, not bound by failures of the past, and guided by a vision, not blinded by our doubts.

I am asking all citizens to embrace this renewal of the American spirit. I am asking all members of Congress to join me in dreaming big and bold… I’m asking everyone watching … to seize this moment, believe in yourselves, believe in your future, and believe once more in America.”

Unfortunately, President Lincoln did not live to see the result of his efforts at reconciliation. Can we Americans learn from that tragedy?