Courage: What is it? Do you have it?

Courage is displayed in numerous ways by many people throughout their lifetimes. It can be defined in different ways under various circumstances. 

There is the courage of a pregnant mother anticipating the wondrous and frightening birth of her first child. The mother shows all the courage she can muster to get through the challenging pain of the birth process and then face the harrowing and beautiful role of mothering an infant. Being responsible for the life of a child can be overwhelming, but the mother will carry on with hope and faith and courage and she will be a mother for the rest of her life. All the while hoping to make the best decisions she can for the safety and good health of her child.

The father of that child needs courage to face the responsibilities of supporting the mother and the child in so many ways: emotionally, physically, and financially. The necessity of teamwork is vital if the father and mother are to help each other succeed in this awesome task of parenthood.

Then the child shows amazing courage when they say their first word, eat their first whole food and take their first steps. This little being is entering areas of complete unknown. But the move forward is filled with the necessary courage for survival.

Courage is exhibited in every sport by every athlete. Being an actor or actress, singer, dancer, or musician takes courage to face an audience at each performance. The courage of a doctor, surgeon, nurse, medical technician, or physical or occupational therapists, is crucial to fulfilling their purpose in life.

Military men and women, police and first responders exhibit courage every minute of every day.

And the extreme courage it takes to be a leader of a country when that leader is being ridiculed and criticized in online podcasts, TV shows, and radio broadcasts, getting lied about at every opportunity the opposition party can present. It takes a special courage and patience to watch paid protestors with prearranged demonstrations, financed by organizations that openly call for your country to be destroyed from within. It takes tremendous courage to start every day facing vicious threats to oneself and one’s family. To be called names that are mean and ugly. To be hindered by the opposing party for trying to make life better for the citizens of our country. 

The courage of such a leader comes from deep introspection, love for his country, and confidence in the people he relies on to keep him informed. It also comes from the ability to separate fact from lies and knowing the joy of showing how incompetent the opposition is when their lies are proven wrong. 

In my opinion, our country is suffering very dangerous undercurrents that are taking control of our college students’ values and infecting the thoughts of our vulnerable young schoolchildren.

When people question if they should show patriotism as they celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary, it says something is inherently wrong with their concepts of patriotism and courage. 

As a citizen, if America is your home and you have even the slightest knowledge of American history, you should be proud of your home. Our nation is constantly improving. We are always trying to accommodate all views and all voices. Yet in being so accommodating, Americans have opened our freedoms to those who want to use those freedoms to destroy us. And it appears that we are willing to watch them destroy our values, our freedoms, and our very special way of life. 

As citizens, we need the courage to stand up for what we believe, to defend our laws and our values and our elected officials who we require to defend our Constitution and its Bill of Rights. 

We are Americans. This is our beautiful American home. If we don’t have the courage to defend our way of life, we will lose it.

Be courageous. Stand up for your American values. Defend your rights. Celebrate your freedoms and don’t allow any organization or misguided elected official to strip you of your pride in America. Patriotism is fundamentally courageous. America was created by courageous people. Show your courage. Vote your convictions. Be American.

Carol Dubas is the author of Tripod: How Two Teenage Boys Inspire An Entire Community. She lives in Lower Southampton Township.