100 years ago today, on October 15, 1910, Walter Wellman, a cat, and five other men took off in a massive zeppelin to attempt the first trans-Atlantic by an airship. They failed on day three and were still welcomed home as heroes. The fact that they got the ship up, that they got people behind the experience and gave it a go, despite all that was stacked against them, despite the fact that they failed, they were still hailed as heroes!
Mr. Wellman’s story is wonderfully American. The audacity of it, the belief in the impossible that became possible, the sheer single mindedness of his desire to create change and do something different, to risk it all and still to fail, but for those that were watching to see it as a step forward. Wellman, and perhaps it could have been a number of dreamer’s at the time, but it was Wellman who showed the way to what could be done.
While there are plenty of examples today of American’s doing great things in the world, it seems like we, as a nation, or at least a vocal portion of our nation, have ceased to believe that we can do anything great, that we can move forward as a powerful, strong, innovative nation. Why is it that the word progressive has become such a nauseating word to people? What is the word they should wish to replace with progressive? Is it conservative?
It seems that in 1910 our nation’s collective eye was on a bold new future, but then again, perhaps it was not, it just seems that way now. In 1910 we were a mere 55 years removed from a disastrous and bitter secessionist war, the Reconstruction project in the South that followed we can now look at and say with some conviction was a failure, and our labor standards for workers, children, and women, as well as the rise of corporate monopolies and political machines were all indicators of a nation struggling to come to grips with its successes. Never mind our nation’s attitude towards race and women being far from healthy, our nation then, as now had problems.
However, our nation then, as it does not seem now, was also looking to make the impossible possible, or was it just a few dreamers like Walter? I know he had his distracters, but it was his celebrators and apologists who seemed to win out in the end.
Today, we seem embroiled in political mudslinging rather than political dialogue. I do not want to alienate those readers who may be of a particularly right leaning, instead I want to understand what it is you are after, what it is you are afraid of, and what it is you want?
From my perspective, which when I was in the military was seen as far left, and when I have worked in the non-profit and environmental and clean energy fields has been seen as right of center, it seems like the current movement from ‘conservatives’ is one based on fear and bumper sticker philosophy, and to be honest, there’s quite a tinge of racism. I am, however, open to hearing other perspectives, what is the Tea Party and its sympathizers about? Are you afraid of the future? What kind of future do you want?
