American Anthem

As American people today, we have a confusing dilemma. We love anthems about our country but our politicians seem only to care about themselves, their re-election and a larger Federal government. Maybe the words to one of our favorite anthems should be – “Federal Government the Beautiful”, or “Senator the Beautiful”, or “Congressman the Beautiful”. Read the article by Robert Freer below to get his perspective on the situation. Even though he is a conservative, he is very even handed in handing out the blame to both American political parties.

By Robert E. Freer, Jr., President of The Free Enterprise Foundation

Three years after Professor Turner declared the American frontier closed, a young professor from Wellesley College teaching a summer course at Colorado College took the time to join her colleagues on a trip to Pikes Peak and was so overcome she commented “… [W]hen I saw the view, I felt great joy. All the wonder of America seemed displayed there, with the sea-like expanse.”

The young teacher was Katherine Lee Bates, and when she returned from her experience, she was inspired to write these words as well, “Oh beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain, for purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed his grace on thee and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.” In Stanza two she pleads “God mend thy every flaw, Confirm thy soul in self control….” We are an anthem loving people with such a rich tradition that her words aren’t the only ones that inspire reflection on our failures to hold precious the democratic legacy our ancestors secured for our safe keeping.

As I write this, Lee Greenwood’s lyrics also come melodically to mind, “I am proud to be an American where at least I know I am free. And I won’t forget the men who died who gave that right to me.” Lest we forget, young men and women are putting their lives on the line for us every day in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our national politicians, particularly the “loyal opposition,” need to reflect on that reality before choosing to trash the Administration’s efforts to keep terror away from our shores by finishing the job begun with almost universal bi-partisan support following the attack on the Twin Towers. While hardly unprecedented in our history, gutter sniping attacks serve the public interest poorly by deflecting the discussion from the substantial issues that deserve debate. I don’t know any thoughtful observer of the Administration who actually believes that George Bush or anyone of responsibility lied to get us into Iraq; everyone was reading the same intelligence gathered not only by our intelligence services but also those of our allies. It appears they were all sadly mistaken, yes, but a recent review I have made of the Annenberg Foundation’s fact check service leads me to conclude they did not lie.

Yet politicians, who have a strong public record of support for taking the action we did, today lead the wolf pack trying to prove the Administration’s dishonesty. Knowing this President, I am confident of his integrity as are most Americans. That integrity is a national resource; do they really want to drag him down? Beyond the seaminess of these attacks, the loyal opposition is missing the opportunity to debate the real issues. Is the war being fought competently? Are we putting as much into it as we should? We seem to have stumbled into this war, but it would also be legitimate to question what our future position should be in undertaking wars of liberation. Could the loyal opposition have no thoughts on these issues? Are they driven to sling mud by the emptiness of their policy alternatives? Do they, for instance, really want us now to pack our bags in Iraq? Afghanistan? What if we leave the fledgling democracies we have helped create to succumb to the dark forces born of the medieval world view of the Ottoman Empire? Will our effort have been in vain? Is that what we want?

In pillorying Democrats, I don’t mean to leave Republicans unscathed. After all we’re in charge here. The President has convinced most of our citizens we should be there, but as to tactics and size and application of applied resources, he needs to do a better job. He has also, nobly but unsuccessfully, led the party into major fights on Social Security, and now appears headed towards a battle on tax reform that if fought poorly will end up with the same result. To be successful as the majority party, we need to show the public we can deliver. We certainly haven’t delivered a smaller more efficient Executive Branch; we have spent like Democrats, and in the face of problems like Katrina, need to give serious attention to our position on federalism. The information age makes what happens in Louisiana as close to us as what happens on our local street corner. In the wake of all the noise on local issues receiving constant national attention, Congress is overwhelming our federal courts by federalizing local crime best handled by state and local courts. Federal paperwork and conflicting requirements are stifling the ability of the states to innovate. We both provide too much money and not enough. We are extending our federal jurisdiction through money bills with mandates attached that make the states in many instances dependent extensions of federal authority. What are we doing?

My sources tell me the Administration has good defenses for much of what is being hurled at it but has chosen a passive posture to face most of it. Well, maybe that should be rethought. There is a federal election a year away; let’s have at it in a civil but thought provoking way .The public deserves no less, and the nation will be well served by debates designed “to mend its flaws”. We need new ideas. I am told that Henry Kissinger once said that “… intellectual capital is not created during your term in office. It is only expended”. I fear ours may be near exhaustion. The “Think Tank” revolution in DC should provide the tools to see we have well thought out national policy alternatives throughout an Administration—not just at its beginning. Well, gin up those word processors and let’s see what comes forth. Let’s not engage in personal attacks. It is becoming tiresome. The times in which we live are too challenging and whatever our differences, we need to have that serious debate not a food fight. Whatever the outcome, if we pursue freedom’s responsibility with honesty and self control, I am confident we will assure that, “our flag {is} still there o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave”.

Copyright © 2007 by Robert E. Freer, Jr. All rights reserved

About the author: Robert E. Freer, Jr. is President of The Free Enterprise Foundation. He is a Visiting Professor, at The Citadel and elected in 2005 to be their first John S. Grinalds Leader in Residence. A regular contributor to the Mercury, He can be reached by E-mail at The Citadel . Copies of his earlier columns can be found The Free Enterprise Foundation.

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