BuckeyeBlog

Today is a day of celebration as well as a day of thankful reflection.  Take a moment to reflect on the good character of Horatio Bunce of Tennessee. Mr. Bunce held his representative accountable for his actions, refusing to support his re-election after learning that the representative had voted to use public treasury funds of the many to finance the rebuilding of private homes of a few.  Mr. Bunce eventually voted for his representative again, after convincing him of the error in his ways. This decision was again a wise one, as his representative was able to correct his mistake several years later by convincing his fellow representatives to reject a proposal of the same nature. You may have heard of that representative; he was the famous Colonel David Crockett. The full story is related in an essay entitled “Not Yours to Give,” and is a wonderful example of what true patriotism requires.

On this day, many Americans thankfully remember the likes of Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, James Madison, and many others who waged war for eight long years against Britain. But few remember to thank the countless ordinary men and women among us who have waged war for the 200+ years since against our own human faults.