Thomas Paine had it right two hundred and forty
eight years ago.
He has it right today.
For indeed:
“THESE ARE THE TIMES THAT TRY [OUR] SOULS.”
And in the midst of the current panic over the coming presidential election, it is worth looking to Paine for guidance:
“TIS SURPRISING TO SEE HOW RAPIDLY PANIC WILL SOMETIMES RUN THROUGH A COUNTRY. YET PANICS, IN SOME CASES HAVE THEIR USES; THEIR PECULIAR ADVANTAGE IS THAT THEY SIFT OUT THE HIDDEN THOUGHTS [and, especially, FEARS — ed. note]… AND HOLD THEM UP TO THE WORLD….
….I LOVE [Those] WHO CAN GATHER STRENGTH FROM DISTRESS, AND GROW BRAVE BY REFLECTION. ‘TIS THE BUSINESS OF LITTLE MINDS TO SHRINK; BUT [They] WHOSE HEART IS FIRM… WILL PURSUE [THEIR] PRINCIPLES…--
In this moment of our own American Crisis, we, ourselves, may well “GATHER STRENGTH FROM DISTRESS, AND GROW BRAVE BY REFLECTION.” —
REFLECTION on Trump’s call to “FIGHT.”
Let us gather the strength to join his call to OUR OWN CALL TO FIGHT:
— A FIGHT
AGAINST
GUN
VIOLENCE!
— A FIGHT
FOR
ABORTION
RIGHTS
AND
WOMEN’S
REPRODUCTIVE
FREEDOM!
— A FIGHT
TO
PROTECT
THE
ENVIRONMENT
AND
FIGHT
AGAINST
CLIMATE CHANGE!
— A FIGHT
AGAINST
RACISM!
— A FIGHT
FOR
VOTING
RIGHTS
AND
TO
DEFEND
DEMOCRACY!
Indeed, “These are the the times that try our souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of our country; but they who stand it now deserve the thanks of man and woman.”
Let us resolve to
“Stand It Now.”
AND FIGHT!