In late February 2021, Myanmar, the former Burma, experienced a takeover of its fragile democracy by its military, supported by its police.  As is always the case with such dictatorial juntas, the press was throttled, the right to assemble, and the right to vote were curtailed.  Tanks and armed soldiers and police patrolled the streets of every major city.   The military, with its natural ally the police, threatened protestors with death for violations of these emergency laws.  The “emergency” was the usual lie of “National Security.”  In the deadly face of these laws, millions of unarmed Burmese took to the streets.  One 17-year-old young man was quoted as saying, “I am willing to give my life to protect our democracy for future generations.”   Precisely the sentiment that our Founders pledged their fortunes, lives, and sacred honor to secure and defend.

At the same time, a lengthy article in our press opined on the “boredom” Americans were suffering from because of the social restrictions of Covid-19.  Americans were dealing with their boredom by a record mania of consumerism, alcohol, and drugs … the signature diseases of affluenza.  The usual “experts” pompously, lovingly, and forgivingly opined on the psychological sources of this national boredom and its remedies.  They were doing so not one month after their own democracy suffered its greatest threat for survival since the Civil War… the assault on our national institutions by “Patriot” thugs and hypocritical “Christians” in support of the lies of a pathologically self-absorbed, draft-dodging ex-President.

We are in a suicidal war among ourselves.  Whether a flabby people – in their bodies, minds, morals, and souls – can remain free, is a question that we, or our grandchildren, or their children at the latest, will certainly live to see answered.  History provides no encouraging parallels

The only exit from this future will be a nation of brave and committed Americans willing to risk something more than their divided opinions.  It will take, in a word, citizenship, a citizenship both unselfish and sacrificial.