On this day in history, the American Revolution began in 1776. A seemingly innocuous, loosely-gathered compilation of thirteen colonies took on an imperial power with the best navy in the world at the time. Ordinary men leading ordinary lives answered the call of their fledgling nation to defend their freedoms that the British mother land was trampling on. They felt that the pursuit of their freedoms was worth the possibility of death.
Today we again live in a time of uncertainty, though now it is a faceless enemy that prowls throughout the world. We cannot take up a weapon and fight it as our ancestors did. We cannot declare our independence from it then back up those words with action. Yet the crisis we face today is no less daunting.
I like to think that human nature has not changed that much over the centuries, and though some occasions have caused me to doubt the veracity of that opinion, I firmly believe that this current pandemic has shown more similarities among the eras of humanity than differences.
In the Revolutionary era, we saw men and women display extraordinary courage in extraordinary circumstances. We learn through the annals of history about the great sacrifices made as men, and some women, left behind their livelihoods and families to fight for their home and the liberties they inherently possessed. Many of these brave individuals would lose their lives in the fight for freedom, but pursued it wholeheartedly despite knowing the dangers because they sought to secure a better world for those they left behind.
We still see ordinary individuals stepping up to protect the lives of others today. We see people at all levels of society making sacrifices for the safety and wellbeing of others. Students are forfeiting their last months in school. For seniors in school, this may very well be the last time they would have met with their classmates to learn and make memories. Emergency professionals in many areas are working around the clock to care for their patients and communities. Younger people are checking in on their elderly relatives and neighbors, and people seem more willing to lend a hand.
Corporations are transforming their operations into building necessary equipment and supplies for health professionals and hospitals much like many corporations did in previous wars in an effort to win and return the nation to normalcy as soon as possible. Now though we fight a different war, many of the actions taken by ordinary men and women are the same.
Hopefully this pandemic will end soon and we will all return to our daily routines. But I pray that we take a look around us before it is over and count our blessings and be grateful to live in a country where we have freedoms and rights that are not guaranteed elsewhere. I pray that we never take for granted the sacrifices of those that came before us and fought for freedom.
Human nature does not change much over the centuries. Though we still make mistakes, and mistakes aplenty, we also will move Heaven and Earth to protect those we love. We see that throughout American history and we see it today. The actions of ordinary revolutionary heroes and ordinary pandemic heroes prove that.
So on this anniversary of a memorable moment in American history, let’s remember the sacrifices of ordinary men and women past and present and strive to live lives that display that exemplary courage in pursuit of life and liberty.
Emily Baer 