December 6, 2019 “The families of the earth shall bless themselves by you”    Vayeitzei 28:14

Pride in America’s role as a peacemaker, as a source of economic stability, a mediator, a steward of security, and a sponsor of democracy has always served as a guide for our leaders and as a foundation for patriotism among our youth. As we shrink from international leadership, embolden foreign autocrats, disrupt markets, coerce our neighbors and allies, and disavow our promises, we not only sow chaos around the world; we also breed cynicism and apathy at home. Worse, this international detachment seeps into the domestic consciousness and permits a cynical coddling of political and economic elites and an apathy about essentials such as public education, food security, health care, and economic mobility. If we ignore what we, as Americans, were raised to revere, the world we once illuminated will suffer, but we, too, will become a wretched and divided society.