Notable Quotable: Alice Munro On Having A Treasure
If we happen to be lucky enough to be one of the very few, what is this treasure we must hang on to?
Perhaps, if we were allowed to visit a detention center, we could ask the detainees what drove them to brave rough waters or harsh terrain to reach our cherished land. But we are not allowed near them.
But we can remember our ancestors and the stories they told when they made their own perilous journeys to this land of opportunity. They did not come for this nation’s beauty or vast wealth or unparalleled military might. They came for the blessings of liberty.
America was that country—the one that was the envy of the world, the one that not only fought for our liberties at home, but also fought for them around the world.
This rare treasure was abundant in America, for it allowed each individual to exercise authority over their own personal and innate god-given treasures which they could now freely express into the world.
This is our real greatness.
Now it is being taken from us. Teachers, comedians, news analysts, intellectuals, students who dare to tell the truth, or whoever criticizes the leader is no longer tolerated, no longer looked upon as loyal to America. But these are the greatest among us, and they are not done.
They will not let themselves be waylaid. They will not allow the blessing of liberty, our most significant national treasure, to be taken away. They will fight on at home, in the streets, in the classroom, on social media, and through any means possible for as long as it takes—to prevent it from being taken from you, too.
To all our liberators in action, thank you!
Slipstream
We've all taken democracy for granted. We thought it would always be here. I can't remember when I heard it the first time, but the statement was something like: It won't be a foreign invader that takes over our country; it will come from within. Whenever I heard it over the years, I thought that couldn't happen. But here we are.
However, as with a foreign takeover, we can push back in every non-violent way possible. Other countries have done it; we certainly can.
Well Street
We could have learned from other countries that democracy's foundation isn't unbreakable, especially when many in the population want autocracy. I've been ignorant of that fact nearly my entire life, believing that an autocrat could never get a foothold in America.
I wonder if mass protests will happen more frequently over the next few years, especially those lasting many weeks or months, as have happened in France, Hong Kong, and here after George Floyd's death.