A Sense Of Urgency

The first few days of the second Trump administration might seem historic, but that is only because they are. There is much to be said and written about the specific actions taken. They do not just hint at an active and transformative administration. They set a standard and an expectation as well as a pace which could begin a true reversal of a 100-year erosion. It could be an administration that will not fundamentally transform America but build on the basic fundamentals given us in the Constitution and our traditions. It has the promise of halting what has been a deliberate transformation away from those traditions and that fundamental document.

Trump’s broad, sweeping executive actions are addressing a wide range of issues. Some will require additional action by Congress. Others will survive simply because Congress has long since abandoned its responsibilities. Some will be court-tested, as they should be. Birthright citizenship comes to mind. The current application of it was certainly not what the Reconstruction Congress had in mind when they enacted the 14^th Amendment. And the way in which we now apply it is not just senseless but self-destructive. The Supreme Court has never held that children of illegal immigrants were entitled to citizenship. It is long past time for the Court to answer this practice.

But to my rather unsophisticated mind, perhaps the most important element shown by Trumpian actions is that the core issue we are facing is cultural, and there has to be a determined urgency in all we do to reclaim the very nature of the republic. We have been up to the very last inch before the abyss, and it is not the time for the timid incrementalism that establishment types have fooled themselves into endorsing for so long.

You will, I hope, forgive me if I slip back to coaching examples. Not being as worldly as the average swamp creature, I have to stay within my own common-man experiences. Among the most important things a head coach does when coming to a new job is set the tone immediately. If it is a traditionally losing program, it is critical. Although it is an overused term, there is such a thing as a team culture. And in many cases, it needs fixing.

You do not establish a culture without modeling it. The issues judged to be most important in that “transition” must be met head-on and with clarity. Of course, there are always those who do not wisely determine the most vital issues. Others may ignore them. Those most effective at this “transitioning” realize the culture is not just important but it is their responsibility.

The two most successful NFL coaches over the last twenty years or so both came to the teams they are most identified with after being fired from another. In fact, the Pro Football Hall of Fame has 18 members who were induced primarily as coaches (by my count, regardless of suspect math skills). Twelve of them were fired at least once. And that doesn’t count three others who are sure locks to be there one day. One once (so far), another twice, and yet another three times.

What they all brought with them to their new teams was a careful and clear evaluation of their past coaching stops. They also understood that the changes they make must start the second they walk through the door.

With nations, as with football teams, the more serious the conditions, the more important it is to show an urgent but calmly determined (yes, there is such a thing) and focused pace. Those things which are acceptable and those things which are not, those things which pave the path for the overall team success and those things which undermine it are all wrapped in culture.

Culture is value-based. It has nothing to do with race or sex or location. When those values at the core of a culture become instinctive, the society will function best for all.

The fundamental American culture (The American Character) is liberty-based. Its moral code is rooted in the Judeo/Christian tradition. That liberty culture requires a government that reflects individual achievement, responsibility, accountability and virtue.

One of the aspects of Trump's rise in politics has been a population that recognized in him the same sense of dread they felt at the crumbling of the American identity; an identity that had been the basis for our incredible path to becoming the freest society in history. They felt a true sense of urgency, not just from what they saw but because those who had promised a change of direction in the past had proven to be unserious about it. They saw in Trump the urgency that they felt themselves. A culture was not just being lost, it was being abandoned and those in charge of protecting it were just watching.

If the presidential actions of late seem sweeping, it is because they must be. The sense of urgency that accompanies them is only chaotic to those who prefer the collective ruin of our culture. The rest of us can see a focused purpose and a realization that a return to our intended national nature is not just long overdue but immediately necessary for our grandchildren to enjoy the Liberty intended for them.