When Glenn Beck announced his Restoring Courage event, my first reaction was to actually go to Israel since I have never been. But circumstances prevented that or I thought they did. When merchandise supporting the event was available, I ordered the silicone bracelet and the yard signs. I have worn the bracelet most days but I am aware of a reluctance, knowing that it could bring down criticism on me. The yard signs are still in the box. I lacked the courage to put them out, even for the day of the event. I don't even live on a particularly busy street so few would have seen them.
I think of myself as a realist but perhaps I am really a pessimist. I do expect the worse to happen and I struggle to hang on to hope. Glenn Beck's words today at his event in Jerusalem were inspiring. As he spoke, I began to take notes:
- Hold on to what is Right, Good and True
- Fear is the pathway to surrender
- Courage is the first step into the dark
- Rights go arm in arm with responsibility
- Do not fear to call evil by its name
I needed to hear these things and to make them realities in my life. There is that old saying: If it is to be, it's up to me. I believe that to be the path out of the mess Americans have gotten themselves into. We could say that the government has done all these horrible things, spending 40% more money than they have but it is we who have also done that. We lived on our credit cards, our home equity and put nothing into savings for emergencies. This is the same as the government. The only difference is that if we write checks which we have no money to cover, that's called fraud but when the government kites checks it's called deficit spending. Let's speak the truth, it is fraud for the government as well.
At the end of the Restoring Courage event, a young black singer sang the song "Make Them Hear You." I was taken by that song which came from the musical Ragtime. I think perhaps it should be the theme song for Americans who want to return to the times on honor, dignity, goodness, trustworthiness, and all the virtues which made American the exceptional country that it was.
So I say, "Make them hear you!" Make the entrenched politicians and career bureaucrats hear you. Speak out. Be not afraid, speak out; make them hear you loud and clear.
