Common Sense for Today

President Kennedy, Dr. King, and President Reagan were dreamers. In his first inaugural address, President Reagan reminded us that “we have every right to dream heroic dreams.” Unfortunately, if we listen to much of what our media and politicians tell us, our dreams will be swept away in a torrent of negativity. Please don’t misunderstand my point. I am absolutely for a free press and our political process. I am, on the other hand, strongly opposed to those who emphasize only the bad news. Why would we deliberately crush the wonder and hope of our citizens by continually ranting about all that is wrong in our country? This is still the United States of America, still one of the greatest nations in the world, still a bastion of freedom and still a place where heroes live. We’re not talking about the fictional “super heroes” of movies and TV. Instead, we are talking about real life heroes. President Reagan reminded us: You can see heroes every day going in and out of factory gates. Others, a handful in number, produce enough food to feed all of us and then the world beyond. You meet heroes across a counter – and they are on both sides of that counter. There are entrepreneurs with faith in themselves and faith in an idea who create new jobs, new wealth and opportunity. They are individuals and families whose taxes support the Government and whose voluntary gifts support church, charity, culture, art, and education. Their patriotism is quiet but deep. Their values sustain our national life. Truthfully, most of us don’t look in the mirror each day and say, “I am a hero.” So, what makes a hero? Again, President Reagan told us about a young man named Martin Treptow who gave his life in World War I. On the flyleaf of his diary, under the heading MY PLEDGE, he had written, “America must win this war. Therefore, I will work, I will save, I will sacrifice, I will endure, I will fight cheerfully and do my utmost, as if the issue of the whole struggle depended on me alone.” The fight for freedom is not always fought on the battlefield in armed conflict. In fact, the fight for freedom is first and foremost a struggle of ideas. Nevertheless, even though the conflict is between competing ideas, the attributes of heroism still apply. Let’s look at what Martin Treptow wrote again: • America must win this war – Each generation must realize that freedom can be lost even when there is no armed conflict. There will always be competing ideas that may seem to contain great promise. On closer examination, however, they can take away individual freedoms through increased government control. • I will work–You and I know that there is always beneficial work to be done. Whether it’s in our homes, in the factory, on the farm, in the lab, at the school, in the healthcare facility, at the food service facility, and a myriad of other jobs, there is a work to be done and heroes do not shirk their responsibilities. • I will save–Heroes do not hesitate when they see another person in trouble. Even if it puts their own life at risk, they rush to rescue and help others. The covid pandemic reminded us very graphically that we have heroes all around us. Heroes step in, even against all odds, and try to save because they understand the incalculable value of the unalienable right of life.