Finding our courage

The more time I spend living in America, the more I like Americans.

And George Will illustrates why.

Progressives and the Growing Dependency Agenda

I actually disagree with George's argument about Federally-funded school vouchers. While I agree that government money that is spent on education is best put in the hands of parents and children to choose schools that best fit their children's needs - a learning curve that would be valuable and that government paternalism cannot possibly replace - I agree with progressives that school vouchers, if they are going to be funded consisent with the ideas that inspire them and if they are going to be better funded, need to come from private donors. Federal funding of education is and always will be a disaster, with No Child Left Behind and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act demonstrating George's concerns about dependency and quality in public education.

George is right that if we are going to spend Federal money on schools, private vouchers are more consistent with the liberal values and liberal education that better schools would provide. But I think this is the dead end, ultimately, except as a redirection of already codified Federal funding that, like Medicare and Social Security, should, ideally, be transitioned into efforts that fund and administer help for people who need it into private non-profit, and, when appropriate, for-profit hands.

Having said that, George's criticism of progressive ideology as one that, too often, foolishly and counterproductively - for everyone involved - promotes dependency of citizens on government is on-target.

And this line sums up what contemporary progressive ideology has reduced itself to when it does not take more honest and consistent liberal values seriously.

"A century ago, Herbert Croly published 'The Promise of American Life,' a book -- still in print -- that was prophetic about today's progressives. Contemplating with distaste America's 'unregenerate citizens,' he said 'the average American individual is morally and intellectually inadequate to a serious and consistent conception of his responsibilities.' Therefore, Croly said, national life should be a 'school' taught by the government: 'The exigencies of such schooling frequently demand severe coercive measures, but what schooling does not?' Unregenerate Americans would be "saved many costly perversions" if 'the official schoolmasters are wise, and the pupils neither truant nor insubordinate.'

Subordination is dependency seen from above. Today, it is seen approvingly by progressives imposing, from above, their dependency agenda."

The heart of liberal values and the strongest liberal education - the heart of what makes liberal democracies stronger than their illiberal brethren - is teaching people, kids and adults, to be good people of their own accord and the folly of every other path.

The problem with our schools, like the problem with our culture and society, is that we are not liberal enough, in this sense. We lack confidence in the strength of our liberal values.

And George's criticism gets right to the heart of those fears we harbor. And their counterproductive consequences.

As it turns out, it is the American people who will correct this problem. Not her leaders or her intellectual, media, or other elites. It is each of us. And all of us. Despite our insecurities.

That's how courage works. Courage is not the absense of fear. Courage is doing what is good and what we fear despite our insecurities.

And the truth is that Americans would rather do the courageous thing, even when they are afraid of it. Including taking responsibility for their own lives.

It just takes time for them to work up the courage, I think.

Me too. And I like folks like me. Folks working at doin' the right thing, even when the wrong thing is sometimes too tempting to pass up.

The truth is this describes all of us. Every one of us. Some people just have more courage to admit it, to themselves and to the world, which makes it easier for all of us to find the courage to be honest, as well.

Yeah, I think I like these people. These Americans. And the whole lot of us homo sapiens. And I like them more the more honest they get about who they really are underneath all that fear, that fear of what others might think if they knew, and honestly aspire to be better, to the best of their ability.

Like every generation, it will take courage to do that.

Luckily, it's our strong suit. Even when it takes time for us to find it.