One hundred and eighty-four days from now the United States of America will celebrate 250 years of independence with bread and circuses on the White House grounds.
“…government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” To Democratic politicians who seem eternally in search of a message: There’s a good start.
As you can see below, Trump is calling for just the opposite, a government by tyrants designed to control and exploit the people, and it is amazing how many Americans do not see this as a threat to themselves:
Critics are calling out President Donald Trump and his Homeland Security Department for a social media post threatening to deport millions of people ― including, by implication, millions of American citizens. The agency posted an image of a vintage car on a beach with “America After 100 Million Deportations” written across it.
“The peace of a nation no longer besieged by the third world,” the agency added as it shared the image, which is a detail of the painting “Impender Beach,” by Japanese pop artist Hiroshi Nagai.
There is no indication that Nagai approved of the use of his work, nor is even aware of the social media message, which the agency posted on Wednesday afternoon, then reposted a few hours later.
Is it possible that we have lost the ability to recognize and laugh at absurdities? Watching Trump bloviating and waving around a model of his triumphal arch or acting like a child smoldering over peoples’ failure to recognize his fake achievements, “solving” eight wars for example, is beyond theatre of the absurd. Last night, with a few drinks under my belt and a legal marijuana gummy, I watched Trump on several videos and laughed until tears rolled down my eyes. Imagine if millions of us laughed every time we saw him. The absurdity, meaninglessness, and futility of his entire regime would become obvious and his authority would be undercut, as would the authority of his ridiculous cabinet. Rubio looks like a deer caught in the headlights. RFKJr. looks like an insane person determined to lure everyone into his crazy ideas. Homan looks like a high school industrial arts teacher who is in way over his head. Noem looks like the result of botched and overdone plastic surgery, a sort of aged Barbie doll come to life. And so on. I know how dangerous these people are but at the same time, they are, at some level, hilarious. If we could all come together we could laugh them off the public stage. Possible?
I agree with you about the incredibly absurdity of it all, and in a sane world it would be laughable. But this absurdity has caused, and continues to cause an enormous amount of pain and anguish in the world. That’s what keeps me from laughing.
I agree. But, I am so desperate to put Trump/MAGA/"Christian" nationalism behind us that any tool, including ridicule of a ridiculous man and his ridiculous allies, should be used to increase awareness of how dangerous and "off-the-wall" Trump's strategies and decisions are. He is notoriously thin-skinned. Is it possible to make him go so far as to expose how deranged he is to even his most ardent followers?
Perhaps. But there have been so many times over the past few years that I thought “Trump has done it now. THIS will show his followers what a demented psychopath he is!” And yet his followers remain dedicated and obedient to him. I cannot now, nor will I ever understand it.
And to support you both, let us also not forget the power of economic boycotts: that is what put Civil Rights on the map along with Jimmy Kimmel keeping his job!
I have been reading the Jack Smith testimony. This insane clown show has distorted reality so badly that there is no trust anywhere. Jim Jordan is an opportunist and a Trump tool. He wants to hide behind Speech and Debate like the Trumps hide behind the 5th. We all watched Jan 6th. We heard him call the election rigged in July 2020. The catch and kill of Stormy Daniel’s and election interference, the phone call to Raffensperger in GA, the photos of the documents in the freaking bathrooms…
Trump still has his stooges in congress running interference for him. These guys are all criminal. He will do whatever it takes to stay out of prison. It’s obvious to me. Why not to the people running our government?!!🤬
I doubt anyone is saying ridicule is enough. But it does have a long history of being effective. We are very social animals. It takes great strength for a human to persevere in the face of mocking laughter.
FAR too much Maury Povich "trash tv", "housewives of .... " and similar "reality" tv on top of our weird obsession with so-called "celebrities" cannot be overlooked as at least some sources of the current general American "easy" acceptance of poor behavior.
I did not think about that and I was a high school social studies teacher. My apologies to all industrial arts teachers. In fact, I have always thought we should offer more programs designed to learn a trade at our secondary public schools. I do want to add Steven Miller to my list. He looks like a Grade B actor auditioning for the part of Josef Goebbels in a movie about Hitler's Third Reich. Sorry, all Grade B actors.
“$2 million? Woah,” (referring to the bid on a painting of Jesus he was auctioning) Trump said. He then reiterated that was “peanuts” for his attendees. Trump added he would sign the painting if people were willing to bid more. Finally, the winning bid was made at $2.75 million.
“They say aspirin is good for thinning out the blood, and I don’t want thick blood pouring through my heart,” Trump, 79, said of why he takes a larger dose. “I want nice, thin blood pouring through my heart. Does that make sense?”
"They stole 18 billion dollars! That’s just what we’re learning about. That’s peanuts. And California is worse. Illinois is worse. And sadly New York is worse. A lot of other places. So, we’re going to get to the bottom of all of it. It was a giant scam. Other than that, we’re going to have a great New Year. Actually, I view that as a reason for a good New Year because we’re going to get to the bottom of– we’re going to get that money back. It’s all coming back.” – Trump, last night at Mar-A-Lago, referring to a widely-debunked viral video by a far-right activist who was acting on the direction of Minnesota’s Republican House speaker and candidate for governor.
“ Last night, with a few drinks under my belt and a legal marijuana gummy, I watched Trump on several videos and laughed until tears rolled down my eyes. “
It’s the ONLY way to listen to the orange imbecile when he speaks and not totally lose your marbles.
Listening to him sober / not stoned can damage your brain
I could laugh at them, if it weren't for the fact that they are representing America, and its people. Are the world leaders also laughing at them, at us? I am sure that they are, with probably Putin and Xi laughing the loudest! What have we done to our country? I read the words of Lincoln, and they are so eloquent. The same about the speeches made by FDR, JFK, MLK. Jr, etc. They were eloquent, and they gave us courage and hope, even during the darkest of days; they reflected America, its values, and its strength! And now, Good God, we have a spoiled brat, who talks and acts like a five year old, with his many tantrums, running our beautiful country! He is striping away all the dignity and respect that America once had. History won't have eloquent words from this man-only: "Well, I don't really know ___.", or "Well, I haven't heard that.", or one of his many insults. What BS this man is spewing! What lies! He is ruining the country that I love, even with all of its flaws! He is ruining everything, and I hate it! Thank you, for allowing me to vent!
I feel the same way Donna. I just wonder if all of us joined the rest of the world, openly and regularly laughing at his idiocy, would it bring an end to this nightmare.
Won’t listen to anything T, but that of MLK is still remarkable. Your message, Steve, gives me a bit of hope at this new year that the US will go on, past the depravity 2025 gave us. We simply HAVE to keep on keepin’ on, no matter what. Thank you.
In addition to being worried about everything else, I am concerned that we as a country will never regain the confidence of our allies. In fact, will we even have any allies left? We have shown ourselves capable of electing a lunatic twice, knowing exactly what we were getting. If I were leading a country previously allied with the US, I would never trust this country again. We have lost respect and trust and these will not be easily rebuilt. We must take back the House and the Senate and then act to stop this madness. In the meantime…yes we should stand up.
I disagree with you FVera, I think our traditional allies, and by that I mean our allies beginning with the end of WWII, to and including those countries we defeated, will recognize how important we have been to the development of world wide freedom. Our traditional allies have been deeply hurt by our uncouth leadership, but once we have removed this cancerous sore, and we will remove it to be sure, they will hear our heartfelt sorrow at what has transpired here during our watch, and will welcome us back to our rightful place among freedom loving nations. I believe that in my soul, and will do everything within my power to see it realized. He is an aberration, that in no way represents the ideals of the majority of Americans, he never has and never will, the same goes for his insipid cabinet of ass lickers. I know I don’t stand alone, but even if I did, I would still stand for the ideals our country has espoused and enumerated in our Constitution and Bill of Rights, it’s a moral stand that I will take with me to my grave. It’s ok to feel demoralized, we all experience that feeling watching what we have been seeing this last year, but know that this too shall pass, and then where do you want to stand, and with whom do you want to link arms. You, me, we are not alone. 🙏
Nothing is permanent, including the significant damage to our alliances. This world we live in is in deed a dangerous place, there are all manner of actors just like Putin , who see most of us as marks to be used. Our allies in the democracies are like people in a boat at sea, any help with the boat is welcome. We are rowing against the tide of autocracy which is rising all over our planet, it has manifested here of all places, due in large part to the ignorance of our fellow citizens. We are not alone in fighting this scourge, Germany of all places is resisting the rise of the AFD and they have spent the last 70+ years trying to stamp out every vestige of nazism. We have had those same seeds lying dormant since the 30’s, now they have grown again and are flowering, the insipid one is just a manifestation of what has been dormant for so long. He doesn’t have the brains to have created this movement. He’s dying in front of us, as much as they want to hide it, his dementia has worsened, if he’s not reading a script he’s incoherent, whatever they are giving him by transfusion is leaving his hands very bruised, you know that if they could hide it they would. He’s frantically trying to leave a mark on this world that we are going to start erasing as soon as he passes, and he knows it. There is nothing permanent about him or the damage he has done.
I could not agree with you more. I have been saying exactly that ever since that psychopathic monster was first elected in 2016. Nevertheless, we have no choice but to move forward and do whatever we can to restore decency, dignity, honesty, and integrity to our government and country. If we can restore those and repair the extensive damage caused by the devil incarnate and his followers, and maintain it for at least two generations, we might stand a chance of regaining the respect of our former Allies.
FVera, may I suggest we worry about crossing the bridge of Trustworthy Ally when we get to it?
It's a natural impulse, or it wouldn't have been around 2,000 years ago: "Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof".
As always, thank you for your efforts. You are appreciated. Happy new year to you and yours. May the light of our democracy shine brighter and brighter each day of 2026!
Beautifully written article. Happy New Year to all and may our republic long stand. As Joyce Vance says, we are in this together. Remember, united we stand, divided we fall. Let’s unite!
I imagine myself attempting to deliver the Gettysburg Address every time I read it. How would I emphasize words and phrases for maximum impact? Would I deliver anything remotely similar to the message he was conveying with such a heavy heart? At the conclusion of 2025, Lincoln’s words have more meaning and importance than they have ever had during my lifetime. In 2026, I will read them daily in order to keep my personal compass pointed to True North!
No choice but standing, moving forward, fending off the enemies of what our ancestors died for. Rejecting Trumpism, MAGA, and the idiocy of those who cannot accept change and progress. Everything we cherish allowed the naysayers but not the ones who will take away our rights, either from in this country or from outside the country. Our Constitution is not for sale. Finally, what speeches of Trump will be remembered, quoted, and served as an inspiration? That’s the measure of the man-utterly worthless.
Because it really doesn’t matter with us now, if we don’t stand up in America’s hour of need and despair. May we finally stand up, may we summon the courage, if need be, to give our last full measure for an America to be proud of, and vanquish the Evil of unfettered greed, grift, hatred and bigotry…
Steve, thank you AGAIN, for a mighty history lesson. The Cause, continued after the American Revolution, is up to each generation, who is challenged, as we are now, by the most disreputable president we have ever elected. I cry when I think that THIS prez will be in the WH for our 250th celebration, and how he will distort our greatness. A cage match on the WH lawn?! Auctioning off a Jesus painting?! Lord help us. But We The People have other ideas. I will be in Philadelphia with my daughters. And leading up to that, is another No Kings rally, and another, and another. We will help our immigrant neighbors thwart ICE.
You wrote of Mastriano in 2022 -- did not know of him, nor how William Scott Hancock rallied the First Minnesotans into the "Bloody Angle" at Gettysburg, that SAVED our nation the second day, with incredible loss of life.
Lincoln, our greatest president -- if we could use words like that today (would have to have decorum, not curse, as is so common today), ... I, and all, are buoyed by his words.
"we cannot dedicate this ground -- it is consecrated by the brave men, living and dead, who gave their lives, their all, that the nation should live."
We are the living, privileged to be living in this time, to finish the work they fought for, because Freedom IS fragile. And it's up to us now, "that these dead, should not have died in vain." "They gave the last full measure of devotion." "New birth of freedom, a government of The People, by The People, and for The People, shall not perish from the earth." So true, that you, Steve, linked it to MLK jr, that he used this as a North Star to finish this work in his lifetime.
And finally, ... and thank you for this ... the United States is great BECAUSE it can be made anew. We are not this great nation because God said we were. Good message to start the New Year. Thank you, Steve.
“…government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” To Democratic politicians who seem eternally in search of a message: There’s a good start.
As you can see below, Trump is calling for just the opposite, a government by tyrants designed to control and exploit the people, and it is amazing how many Americans do not see this as a threat to themselves:
Critics are calling out President Donald Trump and his Homeland Security Department for a social media post threatening to deport millions of people ― including, by implication, millions of American citizens. The agency posted an image of a vintage car on a beach with “America After 100 Million Deportations” written across it.
“The peace of a nation no longer besieged by the third world,” the agency added as it shared the image, which is a detail of the painting “Impender Beach,” by Japanese pop artist Hiroshi Nagai.
There is no indication that Nagai approved of the use of his work, nor is even aware of the social media message, which the agency posted on Wednesday afternoon, then reposted a few hours later.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/dhs-100-million-deportations-post_n_6955e15ee4b0ed8017e05656
I choose to stand up.
Is it possible that we have lost the ability to recognize and laugh at absurdities? Watching Trump bloviating and waving around a model of his triumphal arch or acting like a child smoldering over peoples’ failure to recognize his fake achievements, “solving” eight wars for example, is beyond theatre of the absurd. Last night, with a few drinks under my belt and a legal marijuana gummy, I watched Trump on several videos and laughed until tears rolled down my eyes. Imagine if millions of us laughed every time we saw him. The absurdity, meaninglessness, and futility of his entire regime would become obvious and his authority would be undercut, as would the authority of his ridiculous cabinet. Rubio looks like a deer caught in the headlights. RFKJr. looks like an insane person determined to lure everyone into his crazy ideas. Homan looks like a high school industrial arts teacher who is in way over his head. Noem looks like the result of botched and overdone plastic surgery, a sort of aged Barbie doll come to life. And so on. I know how dangerous these people are but at the same time, they are, at some level, hilarious. If we could all come together we could laugh them off the public stage. Possible?
I agree with you about the incredibly absurdity of it all, and in a sane world it would be laughable. But this absurdity has caused, and continues to cause an enormous amount of pain and anguish in the world. That’s what keeps me from laughing.
I agree. But, I am so desperate to put Trump/MAGA/"Christian" nationalism behind us that any tool, including ridicule of a ridiculous man and his ridiculous allies, should be used to increase awareness of how dangerous and "off-the-wall" Trump's strategies and decisions are. He is notoriously thin-skinned. Is it possible to make him go so far as to expose how deranged he is to even his most ardent followers?
Perhaps. But there have been so many times over the past few years that I thought “Trump has done it now. THIS will show his followers what a demented psychopath he is!” And yet his followers remain dedicated and obedient to him. I cannot now, nor will I ever understand it.
I'm with you on this Dave.
too true
And to support you both, let us also not forget the power of economic boycotts: that is what put Civil Rights on the map along with Jimmy Kimmel keeping his job!
Indeed. We need a list of the sniveling turds at the mar-a-lardo party to add to the businesses to boycott.
Stockholm Syndrome.
They look up to their captors and abusers.
I have been reading the Jack Smith testimony. This insane clown show has distorted reality so badly that there is no trust anywhere. Jim Jordan is an opportunist and a Trump tool. He wants to hide behind Speech and Debate like the Trumps hide behind the 5th. We all watched Jan 6th. We heard him call the election rigged in July 2020. The catch and kill of Stormy Daniel’s and election interference, the phone call to Raffensperger in GA, the photos of the documents in the freaking bathrooms…
Trump still has his stooges in congress running interference for him. These guys are all criminal. He will do whatever it takes to stay out of prison. It’s obvious to me. Why not to the people running our government?!!🤬
He continues, to this day, to say the 2020 election was rigged.
My biggest worry and fear for the midterms.
ridicule will not be enough. Bell the cat.
I doubt anyone is saying ridicule is enough. But it does have a long history of being effective. We are very social animals. It takes great strength for a human to persevere in the face of mocking laughter.
FAR too much Maury Povich "trash tv", "housewives of .... " and similar "reality" tv on top of our weird obsession with so-called "celebrities" cannot be overlooked as at least some sources of the current general American "easy" acceptance of poor behavior.
Agree!
With your description of Homan, I think that you are insulting most high school industrial arts teachers.
I did not think about that and I was a high school social studies teacher. My apologies to all industrial arts teachers. In fact, I have always thought we should offer more programs designed to learn a trade at our secondary public schools. I do want to add Steven Miller to my list. He looks like a Grade B actor auditioning for the part of Josef Goebbels in a movie about Hitler's Third Reich. Sorry, all Grade B actors.
“$2 million? Woah,” (referring to the bid on a painting of Jesus he was auctioning) Trump said. He then reiterated that was “peanuts” for his attendees. Trump added he would sign the painting if people were willing to bid more. Finally, the winning bid was made at $2.75 million.
“They say aspirin is good for thinning out the blood, and I don’t want thick blood pouring through my heart,” Trump, 79, said of why he takes a larger dose. “I want nice, thin blood pouring through my heart. Does that make sense?”
"They stole 18 billion dollars! That’s just what we’re learning about. That’s peanuts. And California is worse. Illinois is worse. And sadly New York is worse. A lot of other places. So, we’re going to get to the bottom of all of it. It was a giant scam. Other than that, we’re going to have a great New Year. Actually, I view that as a reason for a good New Year because we’re going to get to the bottom of– we’re going to get that money back. It’s all coming back.” – Trump, last night at Mar-A-Lago, referring to a widely-debunked viral video by a far-right activist who was acting on the direction of Minnesota’s Republican House speaker and candidate for governor.
https://www.joemygod.com/2026/01/trump-claims-fraudsters-stole-18b-in-minnesota/
“ Last night, with a few drinks under my belt and a legal marijuana gummy, I watched Trump on several videos and laughed until tears rolled down my eyes. “
It’s the ONLY way to listen to the orange imbecile when he speaks and not totally lose your marbles.
Listening to him sober / not stoned can damage your brain
I could laugh at them, if it weren't for the fact that they are representing America, and its people. Are the world leaders also laughing at them, at us? I am sure that they are, with probably Putin and Xi laughing the loudest! What have we done to our country? I read the words of Lincoln, and they are so eloquent. The same about the speeches made by FDR, JFK, MLK. Jr, etc. They were eloquent, and they gave us courage and hope, even during the darkest of days; they reflected America, its values, and its strength! And now, Good God, we have a spoiled brat, who talks and acts like a five year old, with his many tantrums, running our beautiful country! He is striping away all the dignity and respect that America once had. History won't have eloquent words from this man-only: "Well, I don't really know ___.", or "Well, I haven't heard that.", or one of his many insults. What BS this man is spewing! What lies! He is ruining the country that I love, even with all of its flaws! He is ruining everything, and I hate it! Thank you, for allowing me to vent!
I feel the same way Donna. I just wonder if all of us joined the rest of the world, openly and regularly laughing at his idiocy, would it bring an end to this nightmare.
Won’t listen to anything T, but that of MLK is still remarkable. Your message, Steve, gives me a bit of hope at this new year that the US will go on, past the depravity 2025 gave us. We simply HAVE to keep on keepin’ on, no matter what. Thank you.
In addition to being worried about everything else, I am concerned that we as a country will never regain the confidence of our allies. In fact, will we even have any allies left? We have shown ourselves capable of electing a lunatic twice, knowing exactly what we were getting. If I were leading a country previously allied with the US, I would never trust this country again. We have lost respect and trust and these will not be easily rebuilt. We must take back the House and the Senate and then act to stop this madness. In the meantime…yes we should stand up.
I disagree with you FVera, I think our traditional allies, and by that I mean our allies beginning with the end of WWII, to and including those countries we defeated, will recognize how important we have been to the development of world wide freedom. Our traditional allies have been deeply hurt by our uncouth leadership, but once we have removed this cancerous sore, and we will remove it to be sure, they will hear our heartfelt sorrow at what has transpired here during our watch, and will welcome us back to our rightful place among freedom loving nations. I believe that in my soul, and will do everything within my power to see it realized. He is an aberration, that in no way represents the ideals of the majority of Americans, he never has and never will, the same goes for his insipid cabinet of ass lickers. I know I don’t stand alone, but even if I did, I would still stand for the ideals our country has espoused and enumerated in our Constitution and Bill of Rights, it’s a moral stand that I will take with me to my grave. It’s ok to feel demoralized, we all experience that feeling watching what we have been seeing this last year, but know that this too shall pass, and then where do you want to stand, and with whom do you want to link arms. You, me, we are not alone. 🙏
Nothing is permanent, including the significant damage to our alliances. This world we live in is in deed a dangerous place, there are all manner of actors just like Putin , who see most of us as marks to be used. Our allies in the democracies are like people in a boat at sea, any help with the boat is welcome. We are rowing against the tide of autocracy which is rising all over our planet, it has manifested here of all places, due in large part to the ignorance of our fellow citizens. We are not alone in fighting this scourge, Germany of all places is resisting the rise of the AFD and they have spent the last 70+ years trying to stamp out every vestige of nazism. We have had those same seeds lying dormant since the 30’s, now they have grown again and are flowering, the insipid one is just a manifestation of what has been dormant for so long. He doesn’t have the brains to have created this movement. He’s dying in front of us, as much as they want to hide it, his dementia has worsened, if he’s not reading a script he’s incoherent, whatever they are giving him by transfusion is leaving his hands very bruised, you know that if they could hide it they would. He’s frantically trying to leave a mark on this world that we are going to start erasing as soon as he passes, and he knows it. There is nothing permanent about him or the damage he has done.
I could not agree with you more. I have been saying exactly that ever since that psychopathic monster was first elected in 2016. Nevertheless, we have no choice but to move forward and do whatever we can to restore decency, dignity, honesty, and integrity to our government and country. If we can restore those and repair the extensive damage caused by the devil incarnate and his followers, and maintain it for at least two generations, we might stand a chance of regaining the respect of our former Allies.
FVera, may I suggest we worry about crossing the bridge of Trustworthy Ally when we get to it?
It's a natural impulse, or it wouldn't have been around 2,000 years ago: "Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof".
As always, thank you for your efforts. You are appreciated. Happy new year to you and yours. May the light of our democracy shine brighter and brighter each day of 2026!
Beautifully written article. Happy New Year to all and may our republic long stand. As Joyce Vance says, we are in this together. Remember, united we stand, divided we fall. Let’s unite!
I stand with democracy! I stand with our US Constitution!
I imagine myself attempting to deliver the Gettysburg Address every time I read it. How would I emphasize words and phrases for maximum impact? Would I deliver anything remotely similar to the message he was conveying with such a heavy heart? At the conclusion of 2025, Lincoln’s words have more meaning and importance than they have ever had during my lifetime. In 2026, I will read them daily in order to keep my personal compass pointed to True North!
Who knows, maybe by the time that stupid UFC fight occurs, we will have mass protests surrounding the white house, preventing the fight
My heart aches for my country as I commit to fighting for it with all my strength and purpose. Thank you for a beautiful piece of writing.
No choice but standing, moving forward, fending off the enemies of what our ancestors died for. Rejecting Trumpism, MAGA, and the idiocy of those who cannot accept change and progress. Everything we cherish allowed the naysayers but not the ones who will take away our rights, either from in this country or from outside the country. Our Constitution is not for sale. Finally, what speeches of Trump will be remembered, quoted, and served as an inspiration? That’s the measure of the man-utterly worthless.
“We should occasionally account for the glory.” Such beautiful use of words.
Because it really doesn’t matter with us now, if we don’t stand up in America’s hour of need and despair. May we finally stand up, may we summon the courage, if need be, to give our last full measure for an America to be proud of, and vanquish the Evil of unfettered greed, grift, hatred and bigotry…
It’s gonna be up to We The People to make sure it shall not perish!
It was that way in 1774-1776. It will have to be that way again!
We cannot depend on the elected representatives to defend us!
Steve, thank you AGAIN, for a mighty history lesson. The Cause, continued after the American Revolution, is up to each generation, who is challenged, as we are now, by the most disreputable president we have ever elected. I cry when I think that THIS prez will be in the WH for our 250th celebration, and how he will distort our greatness. A cage match on the WH lawn?! Auctioning off a Jesus painting?! Lord help us. But We The People have other ideas. I will be in Philadelphia with my daughters. And leading up to that, is another No Kings rally, and another, and another. We will help our immigrant neighbors thwart ICE.
You wrote of Mastriano in 2022 -- did not know of him, nor how William Scott Hancock rallied the First Minnesotans into the "Bloody Angle" at Gettysburg, that SAVED our nation the second day, with incredible loss of life.
Lincoln, our greatest president -- if we could use words like that today (would have to have decorum, not curse, as is so common today), ... I, and all, are buoyed by his words.
"we cannot dedicate this ground -- it is consecrated by the brave men, living and dead, who gave their lives, their all, that the nation should live."
We are the living, privileged to be living in this time, to finish the work they fought for, because Freedom IS fragile. And it's up to us now, "that these dead, should not have died in vain." "They gave the last full measure of devotion." "New birth of freedom, a government of The People, by The People, and for The People, shall not perish from the earth." So true, that you, Steve, linked it to MLK jr, that he used this as a North Star to finish this work in his lifetime.
And finally, ... and thank you for this ... the United States is great BECAUSE it can be made anew. We are not this great nation because God said we were. Good message to start the New Year. Thank you, Steve.