Did you know that in the early 1900s a bunch of American's got together and formed the Optimist club?  I cannot imagine another country where this might have happened, and it is an amazing story to see the impact it has had in nearly a century of spreading it's message both here and abroad.  You can check it out here.

Alright, so now you are wondering where I'm going with this.  It has struck me these past few months, and especially the past few weeks, that the people of this country need to be reminded of their roots from time to time.  I have been reading the news, and checking out the comments by those inclined to discuss the news on the internet, and I have noticed a steadily worsening sense of desolation.  And I must ask myself why.  Do you not remember the story of the founding of this country?  You know, the one where a group of underarmed, underfunded, and undertrained men took on the greatest military force of the time, and won.  This wasn't done because someone woke up one morning and said "Well, we don't like the way the King is treating us, but there's nothing we can do about it."  It happened because a courageous few saw injustice all around them, threatening the freedoms they held dear, and stepped up to the plate.  Through sheer faith, optimism, and stubborness, they succeeded in forming a Union, and throwing off the rule of their oppressors.  Wow.

On from there, Lewis & Clark began explorations to the west.  They endured hardship, hostile treatment from the natives, illness, and many other things, but through will, determination and faith, made it to their goal and brought back a wealth of information, as well as new friendships established with the Indians.   During this time, our President also recognized the danger of the Islamic terrorists then known as the Barbary Pirates, and took the fight to them in Tripoli, and won.

During the war of 1812, Fort McHenry stood against all odds under the bombardment from the British fleet.  The fact that the flag still flew all night long, under pounding from a naval force that had reduced every other opponent to nothing, was enough to inspire the words of our National Anthem, which still brings a lump to my throat. 

During the 1830s we faced the Mexicans, as they tried to seize the lawful property of citizens.  Our men held at the Alamo for days, holding up Santa Ana's troops for the thirteen days that Sam Houston needed to get into position for the Battle of San Jacinto, where Santa Ana was captured, and his troops scattered. 

Later, we faced the most devastating event that can happen to any country when the Civil War began.  Brothers and friends fought each other for four long and bloody years.  Each side fighting valiantly for what they believed was right, and coming close to tearing apart the Union that had formed nearly 100 years before.  Even with the battle raging for the very fabric of our society, the Army was still securing the borders against outside invaders, two new states were added, and the Westward Expansion continued unabated.  When the war was done, though there were many bumps, some with reprecussions still felt today, the United States of America still stood unbowed.

After the Civil War, the Westward Expansion continued, bringing about the shape of the country we now hold dear today.  Advances were made in industry with electricity, telephones, the trans-continental railroad, Seward's Folly in the unappreciated aquisition of Alaska, and any number of other advances that are the foundation of the advanced society and economy we now live in.

In the late 1890s, the Maine was blown up.  Combined with the severe maltreatment of the Cubans by the Spanish, this event triggered the Spanish American War, in which our volunteer military beat the Spanish military in Cuba, and showed the world that America was not to be attacked.

During the time between the Spanish American war, and World War I, our Army secured our Southern border against the raids of Poncho Villa and his men.  They chased them into Mexico, and captured the enemies, and stopped the raids of our border towns.

During the late teens, we were once again called upon to step onto the world stage when the war in Europe threatened to envelope and enslave the entire world.  After trying to stay out of it, trying to stay neutral, and still supply the forces we saw as in the right, it was finally incumbent upon us to step up once again, and fight for freedom.  We entered the war, and bolstered the flagging European Armies, giving the Allies the opportunity for a final victory over Germany.

In World War II, we once again waited, trying to stay neutral, and supply our allies in their battle against the evil of Hitler and his Nazi regime.  Once again, we were impelled to join the battle when we were attacked by Japan, and Germany declared war on the United States, assuming that we would fight the Japanese, and stop being able to supply Europe.  Germany and Japan soon learned their mistake.  The United States Armed Forces, and the civilian production workers stepped up to the plate, and fought a two front war.  In the midst of the war, the United States won the race to produce nuclear weapons.  Our President, on seeing that the war would continue indefinitely, costing millions more lives than had already been spent, inheriting a war from a three term President who died in office, made one of the most courageous decisions in history.  President Truman chose the possibility of vilification by the rest of the world, and sent the bombers to Japan that dropped the first and only nuclear bombs ever used in war.  While there were hundreds of thousands of lives lost in these attacks, history records that the cease fire it brought saved millions more of both military and civilian personnel on both sides of the conflict.

In the years since World War II, there have been tremendous advances in technology, staggering increases in the standard of living, even among the country's most poor.  There have been huge social advances with the advent of Martin Luther King, and his ideal of a color blind society, and equality for all Americans.  The largest and most pernicious Communist regime was defeated by the sheer strength of our economy, and the will of our President.  The Islamic terrorists that have been waging war against us on and off since the time we became a country have been kept in check until recently.  Our enemies from World War II have become allies, adopted democracy, and prospered.

None of these things were accomplished by men and women who were faint of heart, who spent their time wringing their hands over adversity, who contemplated failure as an option.  The question was never can we do it, but how do we do it.  And so it must be now.  Those of you out there reading this, why have we elected leaders that do not share in the great optimism, the great hope, and the great faith that is the very bedrock of this incredible nation that has weathered so much and grown stronger because of it?  Those in government, why would you wring your hands, cry defeat, say we cannot win in Iraq, or anywhere else?  The question has never been can we, but how.  All of us must quit bickering, quit posturing, quit moaning, and remember who we are. 

I have been hearing a movie trailer lately, that I think makes the point here.  I don't like Billy Bob Thornton all that much, and I hate dramas.  If it doesn't have explosions, fight scenes, or ridiculous scenes to make me roll on the floor laughing, I probably won't enjoy it.  But one line keeps pulling me, and I may have to go see this one anyway.  "Somewhere along the line, we stopped believing that we could do anything," from the Astronaut Farmer.  I don't think we've stopped believing, just forgotten.  It's time we remembered.  We are Americans, and we can do anything.