#Scary March 29

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Like everyone I have heard a lot of common phrases over the past two weeks. Remarks include “When are we going back to normal” and “these are SCARY times“.

I have been reflecting on SCARY times and did some research on what our country has endured. Sometimes it is good to remember history and the lessons it teaches us.

On April 9, 1865 Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses Grant to end the Civil War.  On April 14, 1865 Abraham Lincoln the 16th President of the United States was assassinated. The fear and SCARY thought that the war would reignite gripped the country. That did not occur.

In August of 1814 the War of 1812 was not going well for the US. The British had decided that the US was weakly defended and they could recapture what was lost in the 1770’s. Many Americans do not know that the British invaded DC and burned the capitol. Heavy rains that evening put out that fire. In December of 1814 America and Britain signed the Treaty of Ghent. It took almost two months for the news to reach the US.

In 1941 many Americans believed that the two great oceans, Atlantic and Pacific would prevent us from being dragged into wars going on in Asia and Europe. Many felt safe because of the distance. On December 7, 1941 that feeling of security was shattered with the SCARY realization that America had been attacked at Pearl Harbor. The country remained fearful for much of the war that other attacks would take place.

There are other examples including –The Great Depression– 9/11–JFK being shot–the Cuban Missile Crisis. 

Each of these events caused America to become fearful and SCARED. Each situation was unique in how our country recovered but they included patience, sacrifice, and a unifying common purpose. The recovery from COVID-19 is asking for all of the above.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt made his 1933 inaugural  speech on the steps of the US Capitol where he uttered the famous line “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself”. We should not be unrealistic about the COVID-19 Pandemic but we need to learn from history that we can recover.

I suspect that when we do recover we will be changed. It will be up to each us how that change unfolds.

Here is small documentary on the Great Depression.