A Reason to Be Cautiously Optimistic or a Case of Wishful Thinking?

There are definitive societal parallels between the late 1960s / 70s and what we’re witnessing today. Social upheaval. Violent riots that divided the country. The injection of Marxism. Pockets of militance and radicalism. Attempts to subvert faith, the nuclear family and capitalism.

Then the 1980s arrived and most of this ideology seemingly vanished, albeit temporarily, replaced with collective optimism about the future of our nation.

When I’ve expressed angst over the malaise that has gripped our nation, people who lived during these periods alongside me would mention all of this.

Yes, history does indeed repeat itself. Pendulums swing back and forth. We experience peaks and valleys. Understood.

Yet I couldn’t also help notice new variables that stood to threaten our comeback; like overreliance on social media and the disintegration of our cherished institutions.

The nuclear family was still mostly in tact back then. In the 1960s, about 73% of us were still living in two-parent households. Today, that number is at 37%. This is not to say that kids raised in single households can’t emerge well-adjusted or that every kid coming from a two-parent household is perfect. The truth, however, is that kids raised via a stable, nuclear family situation generally have better outcomes.

Faith in God has also historically united us and seen us through harrowing times, yet that, too, was in decline.

The two institutions of faith and family shielded us from cultural decay. It taught us to distinguish between right and wrong. When you did something wrong, your parents (and in my case, also the nuns at our parochial school) were certain to let you know. Parents as friends? Ha!

Our shared understanding of right and wrong was now being replaced with moral relativism. Meaning in life was being overshadowed by nihilism. Faith and family were being replaced with indoctrination and an over-dependence on the government. Reason overshadowed by insanity. American exceptionalism was now something to be ashamed of, not revered.

(Speaking of exceptionalism, shout out to the Artemis II crew and the men and women involved in saving the life of the pilot stranded in Iran. You represent the very best of us!)

How can our country ever get back on track without these foundations in tact. How do we overcome the cultural rot permeating our country, I pondered. The situation seemed dire.

There is a new-found reason to hope.

You may have heard about the revival of faith in God, especially among younger people, who are our future. Although this surge has been most notable in the Roman Catholic Church, it’s been happening in other Christian denominations and the Jewish faith, as well.

Per Revival with Lawrence Jones,

“Mass baptisms. Packed churches. Across the country, a new generation is embracing faith.”

Could it be that our best times are ahead? Perhaps we needed to get through the past decade, hit rock bottom and experience the pain to get to this point.

It feels like our nation is in a push / pull situation. On one hand there are forces still trying to bring the United States down, and in some ways, they’re succeeding. On the other, there is a revival of the foundations that have gotten us through the most harrowing of times.

Though we’re still in a fragile position, I also believe we have reason to retain hope.

For those of you who could use some additional guidance with prayer, help getting closer to God, becoming more spiritual, or becoming an improved version of yourself (that’s all of us), I highly recommend an app called Hallow.

This app has made a big difference in my life and helped me grow closer to God. In fact, it’s been uncanny how on several occasions, the sermon of the day was precisely on the issue / topic / emotion that was causing me distress.

Hallow has a free version, though I pay for the premium version and get access to sermons, guided prayers, music, sleep guidance, meditation, and stories. It’s just $70 a year and one of my best investments. It’s Catholic based, but I think it can be a valuable spiritual tool for any denomination.

So you know, this is not an affiliate link and I couldn’t even tell you if they have such a program. This site is completely revenue-free. I just wanted to put it out there.

Do you feel that our nation is experiencing a revival? Do you feel optimistic about our future?

In the next edition, I’ll be asking you to take action on a federal bill that has the potential to benefit both law enforcement and animals.

For the Blue is a solutions-based initiative. I’m just an American patriot asking questions. I don’t work with any political party and I answer to nobody. For me, the health of the nation, due process (including for police officers), the rule of law, and respect for individual liberties, will always transcend party affiliation. I welcome your thoughts, even if you disagree; though personal attacks will be ignored. You can reach me at fortheblue@substack.com.