Dan Rather wrote this book a few years ago, but I believe he would still echo the principles he wrote about here, even as the Capitol glass was still shattered on the floor.
Courage is how he ends it and I suppose it's the virtue we need most as a country right now.
Rather's book doesn't have all the fun, quirky sayings he's most known for (I'm partial to the one about the frog with the side pockets, though I don't understand it at all.) Instead, it's a mix of observations, stories from history and a reflection of the things that Americans can agree upon, rather than the million things we're fighting about.
Rather says a guiding word of his life has been "steady." His parents said it to him when he was recovering from a rheumatic fever as a child. He said it to himself before he went on the air to report on the JFK assassination. He's saying it to all of us now, as turmoil has gone far beyond simply bubbling below the surface.
Rather writes about not learning early enough the realities of racial injustice in this country. He writes about Americans truly feeling connected to the country when we learned about it in Civics classes, which have largely faded away. He learned about a connection to the country when Americans had to sacrifice for the war effort. This is not a "oh, things were better back then" book. But he tries to remind us of what was good and what was bad, in an effort to push forward in a more productive way.
Overall, this book was a little boring for my taste. Maybe a little too steady in the delivery. But the lessons are important, even hopeful. And we could all use a little of that right about now.
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