In 1776 a group of American patriots pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor when they signed the Declaration of Independence using a single feathered pen that might as well have been dipped in their own blood...because that is what they risked and what many after them sacrificed for the sake of freedom. Today, though, the very liberty earned with the blood of our forefathers is under assault, and we need more people who are willing to take up the pen in the defense of our free republic.
To say that our ancestors who forged the United States of America were brave is a gross understatement. They weren't just brave; they had courage, too. Bravery is an act that takes courage to do. The latter is a mark of character. It's about being willing to make sacrifices in order to act bravely. One cannot be brave without courage first.
Bravery without courage is mere vanity; done to make one look good and not for the good of others. Our founders did not act in vain, but rather for the good of the people. This required courage to risk one's life for an idea; one that changed the world.
Our service men and women notwithstanding, the cynic in me doubts that a majority of Americans have the courage to act bravely anymore. When people today do act bravely, it seems that more of them do so for recognition, fame and a book deal.
At least the ones who get the media attention do.
But the optimist in me is still humbly amazed by the extraordinary courage displayed by Americans under very difficult circumstances. Whether it's neighbors in North Dakota piling sandbags to save their communities from a surging river, or the many police and firefighters who died trying to rescue others from the imminent collapse of the World Trade Center towers on Sept. 11, 2001 courage still exists in the United States of America.
The question, however, is whether or not Americans today have endurable courage; not just courage for the moment. Our nation's founding generation as well as those of the tumultuous Nineteenth and early Twentieth centuries displayed courage of a lifetime, having endured a series of bloody wars and chronic, arduous chaos.
Perhaps through this blog, people may become inspired to stand up and be counted for a lifetime of courage, and not just courage for a day.
