And Now, a Tiny Optimistic Note

Steve Horton, another journalist-turned-Substacker whose work I admire, wrote a wonderful column yesterday (“Why History Matters”) about some recently published works by the late great historian David McCullough, the author of biographies like John Adams and Truman. McCullough was a man whom I interviewed at length a couple time and who I considered a national treasure.

David McCullough

The new collection of McCullough essays were featured on an NPR Weekend Edition interview, which included the historian and biographer Jon Meacham, who, among other interesting works, actually wrote a book about George H.W. Bush that was worth reading. The Constitution, and our very democracy is under siege these days by would-be fascists, and I am sure I need say no more than that.

But when asked about that great and so often misused document, Meacham, as quoted by Steve Horton, offered this assessment:

“I believe that it is a source of inspiration because a group of very flawed white men at the end of the 18th century managed to set us on a path, creating documents, both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution — our mission statement and our user's guide, if you will— that gave us a North Star, a goal to seek, a standard to try to meet. And if the men and women who prevailed at Lexington and Concord and prevailed at Gettysburg and prevailed at Omaha Beach - if they could do it, then in the challenges of our time, we can too.”

**

To which I say, on this first day of fall, hear ye, hear ye!

And let’s not forget.

Happy New Week!