“…I am very proud of the Americans…”
24 December 2010
At 4:17 PM EDT on 20th July 1969 Apollo 11 touched down on the Moon. Later that night, at 10:56 PM, the 38 year old astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first man to step foot on its surface.
We had forgotten the interview with Armstrong’s parents. Watching them, choked with emotion, helped us to recall just how special that day was.
This America is the land of our teenaged memories. We were a nation mired in a war that was tearing the country apart. But on that summer’s day, we were proud of our fellow citizens who accomplished the fantastic vision of President John Kennedy: that within the decade an American would land on the Moon and return safely to Earth again.
This “can-do” America, the freest nation in the history of mankind, is rapidly disappearing before our eyes. We cannot quite believe this nightmare of self-destruction is truly happening, yet we know it is. For the false promise of safety and comfort America now seems to be willing to be enslaved, diminished. At Common American Journal our dream this Christmas is that the exceptional individuals among us–and within us–will re-awaken, remember who we are, and step forward to restore the American spirit to our country before she ceases to be.
God bless all of you. Merry Christmas.
