"THE LEGACY OF AMERICANS IN A TIME OF CRIIS" - Lee Edwards / @LeeWEdwards / March 19, 2020 / https://www.dailysignal.com/2020/03/19/the-legacy-of-americans-in-a-time-of-crisis/ [AS I SEE IT: Some would doubt the optimism of this writer as we face seemingly unprecedented division in our country. but whenever Americans have faced a common enemy that transcends political differences, Americans have found a way to unite. Yes, once this crisis is past, we may go back to the divisions that rock our society. But at least until then, we can remain hopeful and that Americans will be "United" as we have time and again to endure the most dificult challenges that come upon us. - Stan]
No one except the foolish or perhaps the suicidal would deny that the coronavirus has created a deadly crisis affecting every American. But it is in a time of crisis that Americans are at their very best.
America was born out of crisis. Taken for granted by an arrogant king, we fought and won a war of independence over the most powerful nation in the world—England.
Bitterly divided over the issue of slavery, we engaged in a bloody civil war from 1861-65 that preserved the union and banned slavery.
We were plunged into a Great Depression that lasted almost a decade from 1929-1938 and ended only when we went to war against Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany.
No sooner had we led the Allies to victory in World War II, than we were forced to assume the reins of leadership in a Cold War that lasted 40 years and took the lives of 93,000 Americans fighting in Korea and Vietnam.
We enjoyed a decade of normalcy in the ‘90s, but in 2001, radical Islamists flew hijacked jetliners into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, killing 3,000 innocent Americans. Once again, we rose to the challenge and a wave of patriotism not seen since World War II swept the country. America was once again not red and blue, but a red, white, and blue nation.
We barely had caught our breath when the Great Recession of 2008-2009 hit, plunging us into the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Recovery took longer than the experts expected, but under President Donald Trump the economy grew, unemployment fell to a record low, and we looked forward to a lively presidential debate between two very different philosophies of government.
And then we plunged into crisis again—not by a war or a depression but by something invisible, a virus. What then are some of the lessons we can draw from past crises that can be applied today?
Leadership matters. Who can forget President George W. Bush standing at Ground Zero in New York City with a bullhorn and warning the terrorists there was nowhere they could hide?
Who can forget President Ronald Reagan striding down the aisle of Congress just six weeks after a man tried to assassinate him and challenging Congress to pass his economic recovery legislation?
We need inspiring leaders like Trump in the nation’s capital and in our state capitals and city halls today.
Community matters. The Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor and the terrorist attack on 9/11 brought us together and made possible our united response to our enemies. These were times when we put aside partisanship and politics as usual and united against a common enemy.
Truth matters. The mass media always has played an essential role in a time of crisis. This is especially true today when the truth can be so easily twisted and distorted by the omnipresent social media. The mainstream media can prove its commitment to the truth by shooting down the vicious lies spread by Communist China that American soldiers brought the coronavirus to China last year.
We shall come through this crisis as we have other challenges in our 241-year history, following the example of leaders such as Reagan, who reminded us in his first inaugural address just what kind of people we are. "The crisis we face, Reagan said, requires our willingness to believe in ourselves, “to believe that together, with God’s help, we can and will resolve the problems which now confront us. And after all, why shouldn’t we believe that? We are Americans.”
[italics and colored emphasis mine]
Lee Edwards is the distinguished fellow in conservative thought at The Heritage Foundation's B. Kenneth Simon Center for Principles and Politics. A leading historian of American conservatism, Edwards has published 25 books, including "Just Right: A Life in Pursuit of Liberty."
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PRAYER MATTERS:
"To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against
the disorder of the world. - Karl Barth
the disorder of the world. - Karl Barth
"Prayer is inviting God into a seemingly impossible situation and trusting/resting in His love and grace to accomplish His perfect will in His perfect time and for His greatest glory. Intercession is one of the great privileges AND responsibilities for EVERY believer."- Stan
World-Wide Prayer Requests:
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Praying Through the Open Doors World Watch List for persecuted believers:https://www.opendoorsusa.org/take-action/pray/monthly-prayer-calendar/
Rock-solid faith in Mexico - Church leaders in Mexico need not only a rock-solid faith and a deep commitment to their mission but nerves of steel and a fearless attitude. Parts of this country are some of the most dangerous places in the world to preach and lead a church. One leader has coined the term “clericide” to describe the violent killing of religious clergy by crime
groups and drug lords.
March 22 - Father José Martín Guzmán Vega, 55, was stabbed to death in his parish in August. Pray for comfort for his congregation.
*Representative name or photo used to protect identity.
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