C.O. Montomgery: Who will step up to the plate?

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C.O. Montgomery

There is an old axiom: “You need to step up to the plate.” This saying rings true today, especially in this day of social media and culture wars, including cancel culture. When one thinks about the axiom, visions of Babe Ruth are conjured up. The Babe, of course, was the home run king of bygone days. It has been reported that his record of striking out is almost as legendary as his home run record.

In today’s society we definitely need men and women who can “step up to the plate.” We need this on a global scale. When I look at the condition of our world, one word comes to mind. The word is “scary.”

Never in my lifetime would I have expected our great country to become the laughingstock of the world. It seems as though regardless of which political party is in charge, we seem to keep going backward from the principles upon which our country was founded. I am not a Joe Biden fan. But the disrespect that the office of the presidency is being shown is appalling. Was the office held with high regard when President Trump was in office? Unequivocally stated, it was not. When one picks up a newspaper, or goes on the internet, social media or whatever, the disrespect is there. Whether it is disrespect for God, education, religion, country, women or children. One needs to ask themselves the question, as a supposedly civilized nation, how we got this way.

I would like to quote from Helen Keller. In 1940, she stated, “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much. The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched — they must be felt with the heart.” Here is a lady that overcame the obstacles that life dealt her. She definitely stepped up to the plate.

In Hancock County, we see evidence of stepping up to the plate. Our own James Whitcomb Riley was an obscure verse writer and a sign-maker. His success is legendary, elevated to prominence in the 1880s. By the late 1890s, he became a bestselling author. I am sure that he would marvel at the adulation that is now bestowed on our beloved Hoosier Poet.

When one picks up a newspaper, or looks at media, we see disrespect for our teachers, our politicians and our clergy. Recent articles have pointed to shortages of teachers, nurses, skilled workers, truck drivers; the list could go ad-infinitum.

We are the greatest nation on Earth. This is not just a boast. It is true. Amazingly today, we look at a myriad of local, state, national and international problems. These problems range from teacher shortages to supply chain issues. These recent shortages should not require an Einstein to fix. America has always been a nation that prides itself on problem solving. At the end of the Civil War, America desperately needed a transcontinental railroad. Abraham Lincoln issues the challenge. President Ulysses S. Grant saw it to fruition. Almighty God has blessed our nation from the very beginning. We truly are a “melting pot” of many nations.

Today COVID-19 is a ready scapegoat. I certainly am not making light of the seemingly “ongoing” pandemic. But this pandemic has spawned other social problems. We cannot, and must not use this as a reason not to get our country moving forward.

So what is the solution? There is no easy fix. The younger generation seems to take the attitude that the older generation has dealt them a “bad deck.” I totally disagree. We are in an age of “global” cooperation. We as a country need to take advantage of our natural resources. We need to reach across the aisle. We need to do this politically, economically and socially. We must remove the stigma of racism and individualism that prevails in our country. Our world and our country need the likes of a Babe Ruth. We need the likes of a Helen Keller, or a James Whitcomb Riley. We need leaders in the ilk of a Lincoln, or a Grant .We all need to work collectively to find an answer to the shortages. We need to come out of the “doldrums” of the pandemic. In short, we need to get the economy and life back into “high gear. Almighty God has blessed our nation from the beginning of its inception. I ask you. Who will step up to the plate?