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Current History
Date Published: June 22, 2022
Publisher: Indies United Publishing House
In 1920, while campaigning for the office of president, Warren G. Harding said in a campaign speech, “America’s present need is not heroics, but healing; not nostrums, but normalcy.” That is where America finds itself today.
America: Standing Strong, brings together investigative reporters, scholars, scientists, medical professionals, and an endless string of quotes from respected voices across the spectrum to examine the events of recent years, not what we already know, but what we may not, or have yet to acknowledge, in our quest for reformation.
A wave of mental exhaustion has swept across America beginning with the extreme political polarization, the pandemic that has taken thousands of lives, the shutdown of the economy and jobs lost, the Black Lives Matter movement followed by racial uncertainty, the 2020 election, and the false allegations that the election was rigged, the January 6 insurrection of our capital, supply chain shortages, high prices on just about everything, and climate changes that have led to droughts, violent storms, and out of control fires. All have coalesced into one of the most cataclysmic periods in recent memory and have left a lasting impact on our society to the point that no one knows what to believe or who to trust anymore.
Along with all the ugliness, divisiveness, anger, and negativity in recent years, there’s been overwhelming noise coming from an endless flow of misinformation and wild conspiracies. It’s everywhere, often inflicting confusion, pain, fear, and serious consequences for all Americans. And yet, despite adversity, Americans have always stood strong because they value the Constitution that has allowed our country to flourish
and prosper, and we will again.
America: Standing Strong presents an in-depth examination of what went wrong and how we can once again move forward.
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EXCERPT ONE
We spend much of our lives trying to sort out the perplexities of life. We seek definitions. How did we get here? Why are we here? Does it make any sense? Can we make it better? The good news is that when we muster our combined will, we meet challenges head-on, discovering new solutions and implementing them, for we are the masters of the planet. Like Mahatma Gandhi said, “The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world’s problems.” And yet, these are trying times that test men’s souls. While running for president in1920, Warren G. Harding spoke these words at a campaign stop in Boston: “America’s present need is not heroics, but healing; not nostrums, but normalcy… The country does not require a revolution, but restoration; not agitation, but adjustment; not surgery, but serenity; not the dramatic, but the dispassionate; not experiment, but equipoise.” Mr. Harding’s words ring true at a time when America and the world are experiencing more dark sunsets than bright sunrises. A wave of mental exhaustion has swept across all humankind, coalescing into one of the most tumultuous periods in recent memory. We seek normalcy, and it can’t come fast enough. However, we cannot just 1 AMERICA wish all that has happened away. A wish, after all, is not a plan. It never is. We need, as Mr. Harding said, restoration.
EXCERPT TWO
The Founding Fathers created a free and democratic country, but some warned of the evils that could invade the government over time. They had experienced it when under the thumb of British Rule. It was dangerous to have one person—the British King—with too much authority or control. They wanted to warn future generations of our new country of that danger. At the age of 81, Benjamin Franklin gave his final speech before the Constitutional Convention: “…when you assemble a number of men to have the advantage of their joint wisdom, you inevitably assemble with those men, all their prejudices, their passions, their errors of opinion, their local interests, and their selfish views.” He thought it impossible to expect a “perfect production” from such a 197 AMERICA gathering. Still, he believed that the Constitution they had just drafted, “with all its faults,” was better than any alternative that was likely to emerge. Upon exiting the Constitutional Convention, Franklin was approached by several citizens, asking what sort of government the delegates had created. His answer was: “A republic if you can keep it.” Mr. Franklin’s response was clear: democratic republics are not merely founded upon the people’s consent. They are also absolutely dependent upon the active and informed involvement of the people for their continued good health. If there is a lesson to be learned, our Constitution is neither a self-actuating nor a self-correcting document. It requires the constant attention and devotion of all citizens.
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About the Author
Robert J. Emery is the award-winning writer, producer & director of 8 motion pictures and over 140 hours of cable network documentaries.
He is the author of fiction and non-fiction books and has been honored with 9 awards for his novels Midnight Black and The Autopsy of Planet Earth.
America: Standing Strong is his 10th publication.
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