Friday, February 18, 2011

ENCOURAGER IN CHIEF

I don't usually dedicate these, but this one is for Ronald Reagan, happy 100th Mr. President.

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One of the titles given the President of the United States is Commander in Chief. This is of course because in addition to his other duties he has the awesome responsibility of being in charge of our military. But lately that title has been being used by the civilian world. I have a problem with that. Mainly that the American people don't need a Commander in Chief in the White House, we need an Encourager in Chief. The American people don't need to be commanded. They need to be turned loose and encouraged to run their own lives.

This is especially true lately when it appears that the entire world is trying to slip into George Orwell's world of 1984, and let Big Brother take care of them. So many people are demanding more and more from the government and once they realize that the government doesn't produce it merely takes we are in for one serious down hill ride. It could conceivably wind up in another civil war, and even the end of America as we know it.

So what we need is another Encourager in Chief like Ronald Reagan. Now for the purposes of this discussion I don't care about your politics, or Reagan's. What is important was his tone. I distinctly remember his campaign ads when he ran in 1980. I remember the 'Sunrise in America' ad, and the speeches he gave, and I remember he took a nation that was feeling distinctly run down and even ashamed and made us feel good about ourselves. Basically he told us that we could do whatever we wanted to do, as our forefathers had done. And he was right. For the 8 years he was in office most of us felt actually proud to be American again. And after the hideousness that was Vietnam, the shame of Nixon and Watergate, and the atrocity that was Carter we desperately needed to feel proud again.

And I believe once again we need that. We need to understand that we are the people who fought off the reigning super power of it's day to establish it's sovereignty, and established the first capitalistic republic in the world. Then for an encore we did things like conquered a continent, and put the first humans on the moon. That's not even touching on things like curing polio, and other diseases. Oh, and let's not forget saving western civilization for the likes of Mussolini and Hitler. Which not incidentally entailed stopping one the great genocides of modern history.

Our ancestors did this, in some cases our parent's had roles in these great achievements. Are we now to believe that we need the government to help us go to the doctor? Or to make a simple living? I think not. So what we need is another Encourager to help us remember that we can do whatever we set our mind to.

I wish I was that man, but I fear I am not. But I will continue to encourage the American people every chance I can that yes, we can do it. Whatever it is. And we don't need the government to do anything for us. So be proud of our history, and of our accomplishments, and realize that everyone from George Washington to your great uncle killed in Normandy in D-Day is counting you to make to make your children future as great as the one they left for you. If we all do that it can once again be Morning in America.