Pause to Remember

Many Americans will enjoy a day off work tomorrow in observance of Memorial Day.

It would be right and just if we all took a moment to remember that our "holiday" was purchased at a terrible price.

History in Shadows

Victor Davis Hanson provides us with a refresher course in World War II history as President Obama visits Hiroshima. The facts regarding the buildup to and aftermath of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor are rarely presented today.

In ending the embargo on Vietnam arms sales, the president vows to end a lingering vestige of the Cold War. New York Post writer Seth Lipskey cleverly wonders when we're going to end the "lingering vestige of the Communist Party."

The United States is not perfect; we've got more than our share of flaws and errors. But we are far from the destructive villain popular myth makes us out to be. Our historical reality has been so distorted by political correctness run rampant and defamed by ignorant elites that love to hate us that we are forgetting--or, more sadly, never being taught--the heroic achievements and enduring promise of our country.

Our unique history has been shrouded in shadows. I wonder if Donald Trump's success thus far can be attributed to the simple fact that he's shining a light on our good points. I suspect it is, for that's something most Americans long for dearly.

Mother's Day

“Behind all your stories is always your mother’s story. Because hers is where yours begin.” ― Mitch Albom

"The Rise of the Unprotected"

The protected make public policy. The unprotected live in it. The unprotected are starting to push back, powerfully.
~ Peggy Noonan, Feb. 25, 2016

Peggy Noonan wrote this piece back in February. The continuing success of the Trump candidacy seems to prove her point, and as usual Noonan presents it with more pith and style than just about anyone else, except perhaps Mark Steyn.

Conrad Black also has some keen observations on how we got into Trump-land, and it was his article on Trump's "inevitability" that linked me to Noonan's analysis of the rise of the unprotected.

I think Noonan's choice of words--"protected," rather than the shopworn term "elites," vs. the "unprotected," meaning you/me/everyday working people--and the powerful imagery of her examples, are spot on target to explain the uncontrollable mood of today's electorate.

In a nutshell, the unprotected are tired of taking all the hits to keep the protected safe and cozy. Donald Trump has tapped that vein and is running it wide open. If Trump is the Republican nominee, and if he can keep that line flowing clearly, he will be the next president.

I'm not saying I like what's happening in our national politics today, but I am a realist. More to the point, I'm also weary of being unprotected.