We live in an age of facts. Coming at us faster and more furious
than ever. It's been estimated the total of human information first
doubled by about 1800. But then that doubled by 1900. Again by 1950. And
now, with a deluge of daily digital data, it's doubling exponentially.
Leaving the human brain's storage capacity far behind.
Still, one of the facts that never seems to change is each country's myths.
Myths
are not always lies. They are a country's collective beliefs about
itself which have the power to move and motivate entire populations.
Like most myths, America's trace back to our early days. Like the
enduring myths we're an exceptional people [see colonies like the
Puritans for details], we're destined to lead the world [see Native
Americans and Mexicans for details], and we're rugged individualists
[see strong silent icons from Davey Crockett to Clint Eastwood for more
details].
Myths -- something like mysteries and magic -- can
energize an entire people, helping channel their national energies. So
many myths, large and little, dot the lands of the world. The pyramids
of Egypt ..the Olympian gods of ancient Greece...Stonehenge in
England...Mecca in Saudi Arabia...Lourdes in France ....Fujiyama in
Japan....even the Teutonic racial mythologies exploited by Hitler in
Germany.
What to do with the great myths?
Some of us
saddle and ride them for all they're worth [watch a Fourth of July
celebration, a national burial at Arlington Cemetery, a Notre Dame
football game]. Some of us see some myths as dangerous broncos to be
broken [consider the myths Blacks, women, gay, and handicapped are
inferior].
In the great national corral, America has this herd of
myths snorting and pawing. Either they need to be ridden for all
they're worth, or broken for all their evil. What are you planning to
do, pardner...?
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