Radio program, the Michael Medved show which airs on over 300 stations across the country and reaches five million listens and has written 13 books, include hollywood vespoid america and the ten big lies about america. Join me in welcoming Michael Medved. Thank you, and thank you everybody for coming out, and sampling the joys of the christmas season. We can say christmas season. We can say holiday sent if you presume about president elect trump says we can say Merry Christmas again. Ac Merry Christmas, and happye hanukkah which fall at the sameu time which is unusual. I want to introduce the dedicate ye dedicateee of the book. Were coming up to our my wife doesnt want me to say it, i robbed the cradle. Its true. Of t dr. Diane medved. [applause] and diannes a new book is coming out in march from regnery called, dont divorce. And its not dressed to anyone in particular, its addressed to everyone in general, and its a terrific book, and i cant wait to be sitting in the audience for her presentation about that book. I also cant wait to hear questions, and i think that particularly because were fortunate enough to have cspan with us tonight. That will be particularly important and dramatic and i look forward to it. But i want to begin by anticipating three questions that are inevitable. Going to come up anyway so lets deal with them right now. Question number one. Which i actually will get to att the end. Question number one is, pardon the expression, elephant in the room. The obvious question and something that i wasnt expecting to have to deal with when i set out to write this book. The question is case, you, medved, argue the american miracle Devine Providence in the rise of the republic, you argue there is special, protection, special blessing for the United States of america. Yes, i do, i emphatically aggrieve with bismarck, the iron chance lore, the guy who really welded together the modern german state in 1898. He said, god gives special protection to imbeciles, drunkards, lost dogs and the United States of america. Un he recognized it. Generations of scholars have recognized it. But how can we recognize that special protection in a season when we have just experienced ac president ial election with the two least popular candidates ever, ever. I mean, the disApproval Rating for secretary clinton and for president elect trump were sky high. Theres no doubt, president elect trump has momentum, has been rising in th. Polls, much greater approval, but rising in opolls he just won an election. Right . His Approval Rating just skyrocketed to 50 . Now, its much better. D it was down in the 20s at one point. Still, if god protects america, if the will of history protects this country, how did we end up with this particular election where virtually everyone i know, whichever side you ended up on, was agonized and wringing hands about the decision, about the process and what is happening to our country. How did that happen . Question number two is much more straightforward. And that is how is it that yot ended up writing this book . What was about the topic that sang to you, that got you to do this book . Well get to that. And the third question is, lets say theres a skeptic out there and theyre probably skeptics here tonight. Who say, okay, this is just coincidence. The stuff you write about in the american miracle isnt so miraculous. Its just a bunch of random circumstances that fits together. In fact, the very first weve been very fortunate. We got into official best seller territory at amazon today, and the reviews on amazon have been basically all fivestar reviews. First review yesterday. And guy made the point. I disagree with medved because basically what he is talking about is easily explained. You dont have too use any kind of super natural, woo woo woo, to explain it. Its just lucky, just fortunate it happened. Okay. And by the way, a more sympathetic party wrote back in response people go back and forth said you obviously didnt read the book, which he didnt, because medved anticipated the argument but the truth is heke acknowledged in a response, descently enough, he only read the sample chapter you can get on the web site. Oh, yeah. S so hes going to try to take down the book without even buying it. Thats a terrible thing. In any event we will get to that third question as well. So, let me take the middle question first, which should have been the first one in order but wanted to get the first one out there and then come around at the end to close the circle and then open it to your questions. First question, what was it about this book, this topic, this subject, about this line of argument, that was so compelling to me. It really hag to do with family history. I did this book in part in memory to my late father. My father was an american miracle. He really was. ll tell you the story. My grandfather came to this country in 1910. Hi was a barrelmaker. He never went to school, and when i say never went to school, he never went to school. Lincoln went to school a total of six months and ended up beinm arguably the best prose and stylist in the history of the english language. My grandfather never fully learned english. He spoke yiddish, he wasfrom ukraine. He lived in a tiny little town. He was originally from another up to. Sends like youre clearing your throat. From one great thing about yiddish names or the pronunciation of names. My grandfather comes to philadelphia in 1910 and has a plan. His plan is basically is that better . Okay. His plan is basically that he is going to work long enough and earn enough money to send money home so that his wife, my grandmother, and her six children, can actually make it across the ocean and join him in philadelphia. That takes a lot of work and saving. When youre working as a barrelmaker. To be able to do that. And what happened was and again, this is family lore. Dry up with this and had the opportunity to check it and it is true. You can check the shipping records and all of that. Nd my grandmother, with the six children, and her father, started out and started riding the train and riding the train and then right the train through ukraine and to the border with what was then germany, and they arrived at the beginning ofwi august in 1914. And war had just broken out. World war i. World and the warrant a werent allowed to cross the border because they were suddenly alien enemy. The war was between russia and germany austria. So back they go they ride the train back, and during the course of the war, the rescue revolution three years the Russian Revolution threeer later and then the russian civil war, which lasted six more years. It did nose end until 1923. They are struggling far away, separated from my grandfather, and five of my fathers sisters they were all girls died. One survivor, my uncle, and finally in 1924, they got out. They came to america. My uncle was 20. My grandmother was in her late 40s. And my grandfather was just turning 50. And they came to philadelphia. They reunited and it was tearful and can you imagine separated for ten years. L having all five children and buried five i. D. , and then the tragedy is that my grandmother got sick right away when she came here, and she was terribly worried because they had no money, they couldnt pay for doctors and she couldnt keep down her food. She was absolutely convinced there was a tumor in her digestive tract because she couldnt eat and she couldnt keep food down and she felt this thing growing, and she went to see a physician, a doctor, actually my uncal isaac, and uncle isaac, and he examined her and she she was tearful. My grandmother, who i knew, was very tearful person. She could as they say she could cry on a good piece of chicken. She liked to cry. She had bright blue eyes, bit the way, like my wonderful wife. In any event, uncle isaac examines her, and he they sit down together and she is cryingn and says, do you want me to tell you what is it . She cries, yes, yes, its a tumor . He said, no, its not a tumor, its a baby. And she says, that not possible. It cant be a baby. Ive been away from hi my husband. My late 40s, she says i am not in the way of women, as shay say the bible. And the doctor, ununcle isaac smiled and said, your name is sarah, isnt it . And it was, the baby was my father. The american miracle. His nickname in south philadelphia, really, real, really, and i knew people who still refer now dad this way, his nickname was tumoral. Sayre are medved had a tumor and it was the dad. My dad grew up with people who had never been to school. He was kind of a star and won the mayor yo scholarship in philadelphia and then fought in bar and then went to in university of pennsylvania and undergraduate and two masters degrees and a ph. D in physics. He has an amazing life. And the one thing that he never ever shied away from was a sense of wonder and blessing and destiny. About this parents coming to this country. The First American born child and he was conceived right after my grandmother came in to the United States of america. This random new life, this lan of fresh starts, this amazing, blessed, spectacular land. My dad was 22 when i was born. And he used to take me around in philadelphia to historic sites. To Independence Hall where both to the discussion and theto declaration of independence. I write about the convention and miracle of that convention, in the book, and he infused in me the idea that this is amazing stuff. He took me out to valley forge and i remember my dad used to do word pictures. This where is George Washington was on his big horse, and i was like four years old. And heed say, and those men, they didnt have uniforms, they didnt have shoes, and you what happens win its really old and its snower and walking on . Snow . You believe bloody footprints on the snow. The grossed me out but you also remember it, and this sense of gratitude toward this country, that made my fathers life possible to go from an unschooled barrelmaker to being a successful physicist, scientist, business entrepreneur, academic, he caught out ucla all of this is one of the reasons, even during periods of my life, even during periods of if dads life, when we werent particularly religious, i became more religiously involved as an adult. My dad became a sabbath or server for the first time in is 50s and after his sons hat had gotten involved. But before that he never had i wasnt raised with any doubt there was something special, unique, distinctive about america and if you have that sense, you love history, because its not just a bunch of irrelevant stories. Its not just a bunch of accusations that are supposed to make you feel guilty. Its a series of miracles to make you feel grateful. And thats the impulse that led me to write this book, and its something that ive always tried to pass on to our own three children, that i tried to communicate in a radio show, that history its faulkners great, great quote. Faulkner writes the past isnt dead. The past isnt even past. Is and that is exactly the point. We need to live with this sense of gratitude for the amazing existence of this country, and survival of is in of this country. The other question, before we get to the question about how could a god who protect this United States and imbess imbeciles and small dogs and small children how could that god alaw a chinese between trump and clinton. The other question was, how dowe you argue that this is not just coincidence . And what is fascinating to me is that basically the fellow whoat did the negative review on amazon im focused on it focused on what actually is to me the most obviously bizarre, strange story, that with which i open the book. And its a story that many of you know and a story of one day, one remarkable 24hour day in 1826, july 4, 1826, its the 50th anniversary of the sign offering the declaration of independence and the beginning of this great country, and people being very biblically literal at that time most americans that time were religious at least in one form or another. There was a sense that this is debiblical jubilee. And you are supposed to proclaim liberty throughout the land and that is the inscription on the liberty bell. Nd and people are getting ready to celebrate the great jubilee. Hour population has god drewledh the quadrupled. Going from a set of colonies to an economic power house in a very short ordinary, and people are celebrating partially because the two great giants who had allowed the declaration of independence to come into existence, the guy fought for and it argued for it relent leslie, his name was john adams he was 90 years old and was alive and well and his son was in the white house as president of the United States, john quincy adams. Amidessings. Sim largery amazing Thomas Jefferson, the guy whod a adam has chosen to right the declaration because he recognized jefferson was thehe best writer. Jefferson was also alive. A 55 people who affixed their names to that declaration, only three were still living. John carroll was old in maryland, adams and jefferson. Imagine both president s of the United States jefferson, 83, adam in 90. The typical life expect ten expect tan si was left. And people thought we were incredibly fortunate. John adams died that night on july 4th, and reportedly his last words were, jefferson survive. But he didnt. Jefferson died actually six hours earlier. The only two president s to die on the same day. Okay so this guy who writes in, this guy who writes in says, wait a minute, wait a minute. November 22nd, 1963, the british novelist dies dies and n f. Kennedy dies. So what . By the way i pardon the expression trump that. Also on november 22, 1963, cs lewis died. You have three biggize. Whats the connection between all of al does hulksly and cc lewis john f. Kennedy. Its like the joke about three president s walk into a bar and they have nothing in common. Jefferson and adams have everything in common, and by the way, november 22, 1963, was just another day until that death happened, the death of johnth kent. July 4, 1826 was a special day even before two giants died upon it. T people trying to calculate the odds of this sergeant the odds of this suggest the odds of the happening i cite the mathematical analysis is about the same odds of this happening of the 50th 50th anniversary of july 4th july 4th and two president s tors die on the same july 4th, which is the 50th day and the two president s who wrote thing doing any only other president to die on july 4th, james monroe, also the founding father and the fifth president of the United States. The odd of this happening are about me same odds as drawing a royal flush 45 times in a row. Okay . It is not normal. And that story, and one other story i will tell very briefly. I have to convince you that something is going on. I have three chapters in bee cao devoted to Abraham Lincoln because Abraham Lincoln is such a familiar figure. We know him and know what he looks like. We really lose the sense, unless you go back to guts of . Story, just how weird everything about Abraham Lincoln is. Its incredibly weird, utterly illogical he ever became president. Not because he was poor and didnt own shoes andhave formal education, went to school a total of six months elm did not come from a distinguished background. He came from he most disadvantaged imaginable background. And he wasnt a successful politician. He wasnt a famous billionaire or tv real star or former secretary of state or former u. S. Senator. Heck, lincoln ran for senate three times and lost every darn time. He won only one major race. He was elected the u. S. Congress for a single term and then he went to congress and opposed the mexican war, destroyed his local popularity and so goals his National Political career. The fact that he was nominated is a miracle. Poli the fact that he won is a miracle. But even more than that, who he was. And the journey he took from being a religious skeptic, who because of the same faith inin america, as a predestined land of promise, not Promised Land but land of promise, that that made lincoln simply amazing. And one of the three story is tell about lincoln that i highlight in the book involves the emancipation proclamation. In summer of 1862 he drafts it by himself no speech writer, no president ial assistant. He drafts the proclamation. He reads it to his cabinet. And secretary steward, who is his principle adviser, the secretary of state, who was not an execs son Oil Executive but was a u. S. Senator and former governor of new york, fairly remarkable guy in his own right. Said, mr. President , you cannot issue this proclamation now. We have lost battle after battle after battle. They just lost the battle of second bull run. They had lost the peninsuland campaign, the battle of bull run, the federal army was beaten at every turn bit the rebels, by the southerners, the confederates. You cannot issue this proclamation. In and lincoln agreed, and he told his cabinet he would put is in his drawer and wait for a sign. And wait for a sign from where . From god, from providence, from the forces that control this world. A sign came in an unlikely way. Robert e. Lee is invading the north. Marching at the head of the triumphant army of northern Northern Virginia the most for immediate able man for man fighting force ever the gees were note avoid. Morale was high, won victoryct after victory and now theyre invade thing north to inned the war. Assure the states rights and slavery. The union army is has a switch in general. Lincoln brings back general mccell land. He was a legend in his own mind and you read the letters that mcclelland wrote at the time. His sense of grand tour and selfimportance was insufferable and reverend to lincoln in his letters to his wife as the original gorilla. He was polished and lincoln was a backwoods lawyer. Lincoln brought him back after having fought him before. Brought him back to try to stopo the invasion of the north which would you end the war. Britain is on the verge of recognizing the confederacy which would make it a member of the family of nations, the first new member of the family of nations based upon the principle of chatle slavery. Its very close. The 44th indiana volunteers are marching all night as part of this effort to intercept the confederate invasion. They arrive at the town of frederick, maryland. They lie down in a grassy open field, and a 42yearoldas corporal named barton k. Mitchell, waits while his buddy, guy named Sergeant John mcknight, is brewing some coffee on a campfire. One of their very few pleasures. And then theres another pleasure. Just as Corporal Mitchell is lying down, stretching out, he reaches out with his left hand and it touches something in the tall grass in the field where they are. And what it touches are three cigars. Theyre unsmoked. They look pretty good. He starts asking for a light, h and his buddy,ing their the sergeant sauce, what. What their paper theyd were wrapped in . They looked at the papers covered in dense hand writing and says on the top, general order 181. Okay. This looks serious. And it is signed by a general r. Chilton, chief of staff, robert e. Lee. They take it to their captain, he take athletes major, up the line with the orders because this could be important. The cigars are lost, which is considered a tragedy. The three more important cigars in American History. They take general order 181, the lost dispatch and take it to general mcclelland. He has the good sense to interrupt a counsel with his associated general recalls to look at the papers and said is must be a fraud, fake. Bobby lee is trying to set a trap for me, and because this can really be this information that has the layout of his troops and plans. And all of a sudden he says,dd this was written by Lieutenant Colonel chilton, and someone says i know that chilton from the regular army. Why . Its one of these amazing stories. Theres a guy named sam pittman, who is on mcclellands staff. He says he was stationed out in detroit, he was working at a bank in detroit, michigan. There was a small army base. Chilton used to come in all the time to fill out deposits help said, i know his hand writhing. He looks at the hand writing and says im sure that authentic. So mcclelland says with this paper if i dont beat bobby lee its time to go home. Them battle of anteed dumb follows. The invasion of the north is stopped. Lincoln gets his soon and tells the cabinet and two cabineten ts members write it down i received the sign ive been waiting for and now he will free the slaves. Aing for the emancipation proclamation follows. There is not the possibility of believing that this is random chance, and this is the basic argument in the book. Yes, you can say one thing or another thing or this thing or that thing or these various stories or the fact that goal was discovered in california in the same week that the United States of america got title tohe california, which we did only because there was a clerk in the state department named niklas tryst who defied president perfecting do polks. He riecksed arrest and signed the papers with mexico at the very moment they were discovering gold. Youing say its a pattern of happy accidents. A pattern of happy accidents is still a pattern. And that is what emerges with tremendous clarity in the american story. That brings me to at the final question. What do you say about clinton and trump . Okay. What i say is, is there anyone in america who is sad that the campaign is over . I mean, really . The gn really . . This was a seriously depressing campaign. Ter] but you know what . Have you noticed is . Yes, give some of the credit too mr. Trump and of his decisions. I do. The mood in the country is better. It is better now. During the campaign, it was so dark and the divisions were so horrible, and, yeah, theres things happening that are strange. Think that Rex Tillerson is strength. Dont know. It will work out for the best. Im sure. I hope. But in meeting with kanye west today, im not sure which cabinet position kanye is up for. Secretary of music. Fortunately we dont have that position. But okay. Look, the mood in the country is better. And here is one of those things. One thing that i learned in writing the american miracle was this. Miracl the profound truth that you can find in a book that was revered by our founders, even though who rejected it there some called the bible. The book. Exodus, exodus 33, moses wants to see gods face. M he wants to see gods glory. Said, god, show me your glory. God says no man may look on it and live. I will show my my back. Hides moses in a clutch in the rock and then he can see gods back. The traditional understanding in our jewish tradition of that very, very strange passage, is that it is possible to see history after it happens, and to understand it. In a way that it is impossible to understand as it is happening to bring us back to bismarck, i cant resist. It is such a good quote. Bismarck says, in another place, it is the job of the statesman to listen for gods footsteps, reaching through history. And then to grab on to his coattails and hang on. That is our job. An there may be reasons why this Difficult Campaign and mr. Trumps election really could contribute to good things in america. Anybody here expect the market to be going up the way it is . The market isnt everything but i mean, another great day today, things are going bet better than people expect. If anyonic other ideology attached to donald trump other than he believes in himself i think he does but this is not an eye deal county. He seems to be trying in his own imperfect way to be the president of all the people. Think be possibility of even this Difficult Campaign work ought for americas benefit is very real, and one of the things that it seems to me is beneficial about the campaign is so much of the whole campaign was petty and small and talking about email servers and talking about Trump University and this scandal and that scandal. Right knew its going to be refreshing. Da theyre talking about changes and policies and issues, and i am hoping that this new year and the inauguration of a new administration can bring the best things to the United States of america. People who have bet against our country, thats a losing bet. All of our patriotic songs, really all of them, if you look at the second, third, fighter verses sometimes the all mention the idea that this has been a god entangled land. We are so fortunate, and if you deny the providential nature of the american miracle, youre left with really ruling out the idea of a. Concern of happy accidents which a pattern of happy accidents which is still a patternment youre left with only one other idea which is that america got to be the dominant power in the world from being a string of very ran thinly settled settlements, cling the eastern sea board. We got be the dominant power in the world we were exploitative, so cruel and horrible and so guilty. Heres the problem. There are lot of other countries that were much worse. Particularly colonial powers like spain and portugal and france and even holland. Far more harsh, far more bloody then anything that the british colonists who bill americans did. They didnt succeed. We did. And may we continue to succeed, and with the continuation of providential protection, and the understand that the blessing confers not special privileges but special burdens and special responsibilities. Misway tone to cherish may we continue which cherish and this greatest nation on gods green earth. Thank you very much. [applause] let if we can good, to some questions. Yes. Woo. Sorry. Sorry. So, are you saying that the election of donald trump is was a Divine Providence . Its hard for me to say, especially people who listen to my radio show know i didnt vote for him for president. Its Divine Providence . This is key to Devine Providence in human history. People say you believe that god has blessed the United States, then why did he allow the great depression, why did he allow september 11th, why did god allow John Kennedys assassination, allow lincolns assaying nation. Assassination of lincoln. The last chapter is about that call the messenger and his t message. And basically i would say this. I dont believe that everything that happens in america is providential. But i think that a great many of the big things are. The same way that lincoln asked the question at the second inaugural. Why would god who has always favored this nation allow this what he calls in at the second inaugural, the mighty scorch scorch of war him puts what american thinker were saying, it was punishment for slavery and price that needed to be paid. Now, now whether trump is a punishment for something, or a deliverance for the country in a challenging time. One thing that i resist and people who listen to the raid show joe know i acknowledge the folly for people to say thats are dark days nor america. Its not. This is not a terrible time. And by the way, ive also resisted and people know this, people say, oh, broke barack obama this worst president we ever had. He wasnt a successful president , i didnt vote for him. Its not my idea of what a president should be or should do. But you know what . T . The country is okay. Really it is. And you look at the way we live and some of the indications of progress and theyre very much there. So the answer to your question, i hope that we will be able to look back and say that there was something providential about trumps election. One reason i might be inclined in that direction is it was so unexpected. Did you think he was going 0 to win . I did. No. Me neither. My wife says, still cant believe he is president. And who knows what god has in mind. There have been more unlikely things than that ive written about in the book that this really could be an amazingly beneficial and hopeful time. One thing i think is very good is there will be we went through eight years in which people on the left didnt get everything they wanted, but particularly during president obamas first two years. People on the left got a lot of what they wanted in terms of financial reform in terms ofre doddfrank and own kaz and allwi these things that to president obama called attention to when he was running for reelection. Now i think were going to be able to see some thing that conservatives have been talking about for a very long time, and with a a Republican Senate and the republican house, i am a great admirer and supporter of speaker ryan. I think we may see not radical reform or american blowing up or things being wrenchingly chapping but thissing mannings in a conservative direction for a while. Thats the kind of balance that has all all helped meter. So you think meats its colonoscopy for the country, a cleaning out. Let me say another word. Anybody who is hesitating abouta getter colonoscopy, its worth doing you. Should really do it. Thank you. Y and thank you. But i like that analogy. Because colonoscopies are necessary. Yes, the are. Okay. Ne other questions. Those who listen to your program know that you not only lead tours to israel but ya have a brother who is a journalist there is he still practicing. L c still practicing judaism and jonathan does write columns and things like that but is primarily a businessman, not a journalist. He makes an honest living. He and no. My brother jonathan is actually im very, very proud of him. My kid brother, and he is probably the leading venture capitalist in israel and he has been a very big part of the israeli hightech boom which has been a miracle. Again, theres a saying that is attributed to david ben gurion, the founding Prime Minister of the modern state of israel. He once said in israel we dont believe in miracles, we rely on them. Re and there are aspects to that. When you look at thinged that are completely not believable, theres a wonderful poem from 1854 by Henry Wadsworth longfellow called Jewish Cemetery in newport. The older joyish congregation. He says its silent before beside in the never silent waves. Point of the poem is, gee, jews, interesting people, too bad theyll never have another nation. Theyll never and again, in the entire poem he was simple the tinge to this zionist dream and inspired american clip vieonists in at the 1840s. But in any event, my brother is now the grandfather of six or seven in im asking i think seven grandchildren now, and, yeah its seven. And in any event, doing very well and he has made a Beautiful Life in israel inch terms of gods will in history, the fulfillment and remarkable funnelment of biblical prophecy in israel is very minute part of the story. That was my comment. Ill frame that as question or comment. The fact that if our country its recognize is egg reeks nice forked immigration and agencyes, look at israel. Look where i came from. Everywhere. To create the homeland. Its bib bib lick been lickay back. Have you had conversations withr your brother about the mr. Trump situation . Israel i look on as being thetu other little outpost that is so much like us, and the only one in that region, i think its fair to say. And that do they think about what is going to be going down . Well, okay. First of all, let me just emphatically agree with you. The similarities between the United States and israel are profound. These are the only two countries that are not based on blood and soil. They are based on good ideas and i say that you say how can you say israel isnt based on blood but the jewish people from all over the world. Judaism men people dont realize has obviously had a long history of conversion based on ideas. Its not just,ey, you jewish with youre born to jewish mother. But there are also in the United States today they estimate that more than one out of ten American Jews are what the call jews by choice. Israel isobased on a good idea and a series of good ideas. America is base owned a series of good ideas. America didnt just evolve randomly. It based on intelligent design. Israelis would like to think the same. My brother is a businessman. Will be work with thank you Trump Administration and working with the Trump Administration and i would say that i think its safe to say that my brothers shared some of my skepticism about mr. Trump during the campaign but encouraged by the things mr. Trump has sid and done since he was elected president. On think in terms of the relationship between the United States and israel, that things should be even closer. By the way, im doing another book, my new book, which im supposed to be writing right in stead of talking to you myup new become is call this favored land and its more american miracles. And the story of providential protection from 1865 to the present day. And by the way the around i mention the reason i mention that is a part of what many, many, many people i say many people, a great number of scholars have made the point that america has benefited from something that is promised in genesis 12 3. Not to be too biblical. But abraham is told who owes bless you will be elsewhered and those who curseout we bill cursed. No country in the history of the world has placed the jew wish people jewish people the wayt the United States of america has and the connection between that blessing and the blessings wee receive as a americans, a lot f christian believes and jewish believers hold that connection is real. Thank you. Michael, which concepts and ideas from your message of the american miracle you most like to share with seattles High School Students . Thats a great question. Let me say this. That the appropriate response to American History is not guilt. Its gratitude. And that doesnt mean, by the way, that america has been a perfect nation. American exceptionalism doesnt mean american perfectionism and the idea that we have been specially protected in this country doesnt mean we have always deserved it. There are times when we manifestly have not and there are issues on which we manifestly have not. But one of the problems with so much of what you get in education today, particularly history outsidal, is this long litany of complaints about america. America has spoiled the environment and native americans leveled near perfect harmonywith with nature which is not true and it was peace and eden until the white man couple and everything was exploit anded and miserable ump. Its also wrong on the other side to say that from the very moment that people first came to jamestown, they were righteous and good and everything leveled in lived in harmony. Its history. The important point i would share with High School Student is that history i moyer exciting, more meaningful and more true when you focus on the heroic. And when you focus on things that truly are amazing in terms 0 of giving is this good life we should appreciate. And the idea that the study of history should lead people to not a special burden of guilt but a special sense of responsibility, and a special sense of the capacity in america to lead these amazing lives. America has always been the land of new life, the land of fresh starts. Thats why people came here. Thats why they crossed big oceans. Thats why they left home. Wife any grandfather came, why the pilgrims came. They wanted to start again one thing this in itself is very important for thanksgiving. Right . I really didnt care very much that people get this right. The pilgrims did not come here because the were fleeing religious persecution. They teach this in school and its nonsense. Anybody remember where do the pilgrims come from . Holland. The most religiously tolerant country world they no religious persecution in holland. They came here seeking righteousness and seeking a perfectible society. Not seeking freedom from persecution. The idea that there has been a general arc of dr. Kings birthday, youre going to be celebrating january 16 human being he says the moral ark of American History spins upward and teaches that to kids, the idea that what we really need to do is not focus on reasons to feel guilty but reasons to feel grateful its the primary message. Thank you for doing this. Thank you. I have a twopart question. To me, one of the cleesees signs god touching america is the history of George Washington, when he was a Lieutenant Colonel. She first question, what do you think is the most spectacular sign of gods will in the live of Orange County of George Washington and can you think of any similar in the life of general maddox . I the second part of the question first ump dont know general madis personal history. I know he is from pullman, washington. I think grew up in richland. He is one of our own, a washingtonian. Yay, team. And youll notice im wearing my husky purple tie in honor of the forth coming con confrontation with lamb. The crimson tide is like something that washes up on shore. So general madeis i wouldnt general madis i wouldnt presume to speak about. I spoke with miami served with him. A remarkable man and a remarkable choice and for people who are deeply skeptical atle mr. Trump, very, very reaweout r shiring the defense department, the most important appointment that he will make, that the appointment is one that is universally praised. I think is very encouraging. George washington. I dont know if you have read this sex this section of my book. I heard many of your stories over the years and always face nestled i what they native americans said about George Washington. Correct. I have the entire story about that, which i called in the indian prophecy, and the story is unbelievable but a its very complicated0. Our sourcer is dr. Craig, lifelong friend of was and an eye witness to this story. The story is that apparently washington went out about before the revolution, eight years after a battle nonas brad docks defeat one of the worst days in history of the british army. Where basically they marched into a trap along a road they were trying to build and marching very slowly with heavy equipment, and the woods were filled with french sharpshooter and their native american allies. Some of them native canadian allies. And they shot at the british. There were 70 officers on horseback, british officers and american mill late ya officers, 69 were killed or seriously wound on one tv them was not harmed. His name was washington, 23yearold Lieutenant Colonel of the militia. And washington was a big juicy target. He was 63. At a time when the typical american was 56. He stood out. Two mounted shot out from under him and to survive of your horse is shot and falls and you fall and the chances of breaking a leg, he survived. He shows hid clothes after the battle. There were four bullet holes in clothing, including his hat was shot off from his head. Okay. And this was so striking at the time that samuel davis, a famous pastor the very end of 1755 already long before the resolution washington is 23. That samuel davies, future president of princeton university, delivers a sermon, and says that surely providence has protected that magnificent youth, colonel washington. And sustained him for some Singular Service to his people. Okay. Forcing this is pretty striking. Now, it gets more. And the chapter about George Washington is entitled indestructible, indispensable and he was. The entire history of the world if bullets go this way or that way. Washington was coming back from having delivered an ultimatum to the french and he had all of this adventures which i describe baited upon his own recollection and the recollections of his come pap mons. He had two companions, one foror part of the journey. At one point theyd were thrown into the ice and he miraculously survived and its the squirt its in western pennsylvania and its cold and they survived. But they were fording the river with report rafts they created and an ice flow came and knocked them in. At one point an indian came out of the woods and offered to help them and guide them and saw that washingtons companion was carrying a heavy musket and the indian offered, oh, id be very glad to carry you musket forbe you, and took the musket, and then immediately took aim at washington. And fired at him from they think about ten feet away. It was close. And as i say it in the book, this moment, if someone were making a move about this they should you would see the bullet in slow motion as the entire history of the world depends upon this bullet missing it great big 63 target, and it did. And it goes on. During the revolution, it was rl wellknown that washington could not be shot. He rode at the lead of his trooped in battle of monmouth. They were shooting at him. Pat rick ferguson, a famous majorman in the british army, had the chance to plug washington from a nest of snipers but for inexplicable reasons said that divestsful ana wasnt want to distasteful and didnt want to do is. The closest thing to descendent that washington had. Ever h washington never had children. That it strength it was father of our country. And the reason that people believed and i believe that washington i am just as much a descendent of George Washington as anybody. He didnt have children of his own help had two stepchildren and stepgrandchildren becausehiw martha was widow when he married martha and one of his stepgrandchildren wrote this play and wrote out if the indian prophecy and an indian said he came here because hi wanted to met the great chief, the tall one that would be washington and then he tells this story from an indian point of view, which is in the book as it was cran transcribed by washingtons stepgrandson that the indians concluded their bullets were useless against this great hero. Its spooky stuff and stroke people at the time, should strike us today. Washington died at the very end this time of year, a few days after this, but just two weeks before the end of the century he dominated. Ks he died in 1799, in december. Go ahead. Thank you for your lifetime of scholarship and patriotism. Its given souse man year of enlight i lightened. If god shed hit tender mercys then u. S. Did he give it to rome and alhambra, maybe . Something has big as rome, something as big as the persian empire, you could say that there is something bigger involved there. I was very influenced okay. This is geek stuff but and nerd stuff. When i was 16, i discovered my Favorite Book of all time, which is ask still is and there really is no better novel ever written, war and peace and tolstoy write busy the will of history, which is you can say all of this is a random accident, and napoleon without can woke up and says lets invade russia. If some russian peasant wants to invade france, it doesnt matter. Youre talk about hundreds of thousands, millions of people, to make these individual decisions and all amount to something very, very big. I were talking about big stuff. And if you believe that god didnt just milwaukee the watch make the watch and then set the watch and let it unspool if you believe god is directly involved in big things in human history, written head will of god but clearly that timetable has been heightened. The roman empire was so cruel in so many ways, so hosch horribly corrupt and the corruption became vastly wars an the end of the Roman Republic and the beginning of the empire, and i think that the other aspect of things is they were pagan sod they did not believe in one controlling force in the universe. Which is seems to me is one of the big differences between our point of view in the United States and the point of view of ancient civilizations like the persians or you mentioned the babylonian and the assyrians and the roman asked the greeks. There idea there was one script, one plan, one guiding hand, was foreign to them, and it was not foreign to our leader. Thats one of the striking things. I think youll see from this book that will amaze you. Even those founding fathers, the Great American leaders, who wert we dont associate as being conventionalie christian orat religious at all, believed that god was guiding the United States. Jefferson knew it. And by the way, it played a role, one of the chapters in into can is called providencal purchase. Us it that napoleon gives wise this huge tract of line, and for a song. America didnt even ask for it elm wasnt wayed buy this little town of new orleans which had five thousand people in it. Napoleon says how about the whole kit and caboodle. The whole louisiana purchase. At the price of a penny an acre. Horatio gates, their hero of saratoga when he heard the news slade an air of enchantment to it. And alexander hamilton, he wasnt such a holy joe, religious guy particularly. He said, unquestion my, this is providence. He says the same providence that guided us so firmly during the revolution, that made this purchase possible. And that would be the big difference, is you dont really see that in terms of one script. What you see this greek vision you read in odyssey or illat iy ad of the gods fighting beginnings each other rather than the galled of all and of all time. I want to time tie my question to your topic. Them its providential that america has founding genius in hamilton and madison and others who form lated an almost perfect constitution, its not perfect but certainly works better than any other system. Have an friend who is a middle School Teacher in scorn he said they kicked out the elites after the election, people who stayed awake in civics class. And i resented that at bit, and i was at a conversation, a little dinner conversation debate told them about this and i said, i think that the rust belt guy. The machinist in michigan and truck driver in tennessee have a better innate sense of how the Government Works than this middle School Teacher. And of course the other my opposite in debate says, no, they were just out of a job. Thats why they voted for trump. And im still going to stick by my side because we have people like you in talk radio who are teaching civics and i think part of the rope trump won, proveav proffer den shall or not that people sensed the government has got out control. The president was using dictates to govern where he should have worked with the legislature and the Justice Department and irs were completely out of control itch think the common man did have an understanding of civics so i wonder what your opinion of that argument is. Well, again, you are probably familiar with william f. Buck lee who i had the privilege of knowing a little bit before we lost him, and i think is undoubtedly a great man. Made this wonderful comment where he said i would much rather be governed by the first 2,000 names in the boston telephone directly chosen at random than the 2,000 members of the harvard faculty. Now, buckley could say thatrs because, like me, he is a yale man. But [laughter] but you see, there is fundamental truth in that. And that is basically by the way, its not a fundamental truth that would have been recognize able to James Madison and Thomas Jefferson or john adams. The franchise was limited. Most people dont know this. At the time of the constitution there were six states that had religious tests for voting, only protestants could vote. Catholics were not allowed to vote, let alone jews or athiest. Only protestant christians were allowed to vote in new new hams. There was a different standpoint of view on the part over the founders and let me get back to that in a moment. I think what you have said isor profound, and i think youre right. The basically everybody talkedded in this elects about the appetite for change, and i the can people voted for trump because they were bored and frustrated and they didnt like and it were tired of hearing the same complaints and the same drift in the sim direct and it was let knock down all the chess pieces and start over, and i think mr. Trump is with his selections in the cabinet so far, by and large, is trying give miami what they want. This is going to be different. But the sense of inevitablity is gone, and the think the fact is one reason i believe the mood in the country is better, people are paying attention into i goodbye mr. Trump is going uusher in a new golden pain and, quote, make America Great again . I think america was great before but it is possible we will be greater and there will be a sense that we are not following some kind of inevitable decline . I do think thats dissipating. You can feeling it dissipating. And, yes there are people in the center and people on the left and some people on the right whe are terribly required about what trump could worried about what trump could do but i think our country is better than that, and this is the one area where i do tend to disagree a lot with the a lot of mr. Trumps most enthuseishing supporters. This is not a country that is going to rise or fall on the strength of one leader. And i think that part of what we are seeing may involve a reinvigoration of american politics to get more people involved to pay attention. What is fascinating the demonstrators who are out there, at trump tower and talking meant of the world and in the streets and crying, they didnt vote. Right . They didnt vote. Certainly not enough voted in wisconsin and pennsylvania and florida to make a difference. Wisconsin, michigan, pennsylvania, one percent different. And participation is important. Speak about the founder and miserable rackable group of people okay. We li we live in a big country. 300 million people. You know how many people lived in the United States of america at the time of the constitution in about 31 2 million and about a tenth of those people were slaves. So, were talking about 100th 100th of the population, and you have franklin, hamilton, madison, adams, jefferson, john j. , i mean, aaron burr for better or worse. These are big poem. John marshall. I mean, John Marshall in law school once upon a time had the opportunity of going to law school and, yes, was in law school with big and Hillary Clinton and you can ask me later if they inhaled. Its incredible. Can you think of if you think of the big six of the revolutionary leaders, hamilton, madison, jefferson, washington, adams, franklin, who do you put them up against today . Are you kidding me . Its a much bigger country. Are you kidding me . Okay. You could say that this explains why america seems as if it were designed. It was designed. By really remarkable people. The doesnt can i was intelligent design. Pardon at the phrase. The free is who was at the designer and those guys all of them did not claim to be the off authorizes of duare authors of the design. The claimed to be its instrument. He gives a plea at a time the Constitutional Convention is about to break up band go home with this whole idea of creating the constitution he brings them back together with the national prayer. This is the unconventional franklin and says if the spero cannot fall without his notice can empire rise without his aid . Episode moving and he is 81 years old. It was not more men store baptist laugh laugh but one of the things that is fascinating was some of the bills. Maybe that was the real miracle of philadelphia. Another question . I just want to say queued to that i have not then privilege but thinks for the history lesson. I have a question for you but as i was waiting for my turn he made a couple of comments and now want to say i appreciate your work even more and i have a slight difference of opinion with you so i will go home to do my homework in regards coming into the United States for religious persecution. Nono no. Just the pilgrims. You win. Many others did come over to flee even religious persecution but pennsylvania was founded by williams and one of the more amazing figures who was a convert to the quaker faith that were considered vaughan hippies that the time they were ruthlessly persecuted in old england and in new england and the quakers were banned from massachusetts. There was very serious religious personage persecution you or 100 percent right many people did come but not the pilgrims. My question is in regards to that talk about the divine blessings of the United States i will have to go home to buy more of your box. This is phenomenal. Day want me to talk about really factors . But in regards to education with the pendulum to swing back and forth so in regards to those wonderful things, i agree with you. Did even though is such a pleasant thing to say to have a difference of opinion to have a different point of view and feel that we dont hate each other that i appreciate but to separate church and state that i feel is positive, with a pendulum going from one extreme to the other. With the future of our country and to have any thoughts for the pendulum will go over the next four years about separation of church and state . I love all of our freedoms and i am a conservative. This is a great question. And it is a profound question. We should understand of course to say separation of church and state does not come from anything of the constitution, bill of rights and legal documents of the United States but all letter that president jefferson wrote 18 05 where they were writing to president jefferson because at the time baptist suffered a serious persecution and there were parts of the country where the baptist for having a tough time to not be participating as full citizens. Jefferson wrote back the term separation them later in the Supreme Court case they cited the term and injected the into the jurisprudence. But from jeffersons original intention and from five jurisprudence the main idea of the role of separation was not to protect a government against religion, but to protect religion from government. The idea is jefferson was not worried that there would be religious attempts to take over the government and to impose one religious standard. That by the way is why the amendment is worded the way that it is. What is says is Congress Shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion for their free exercise thereof that is what you learned they actually emphasize there are two different parts of the first amendment. There is of no establishment clause in the free exercise clause. And sometimes they run against one another. But the basic point that allowed america to enjoy amazing religious freedom is totally unprecedented in the world. And we had a free market of ideas. This is where john adams was wrong. He was in favor of taxpayer support. The bad idea because then you argue what is the official church and which do we support . England still has an established church the church of england is the official church of england supported by government. Nobody goes but it is supported. With the most recent survey and america 36 percent of americans go to church least once a week or more. That is a lot of people in britain and the number is 5 . We have an amazing tapestry of religion. Yes you could get into arguments on a bus or in universities anywhere with people and to have the freedom to try to convert to the or argue with them and basically you can choose. That is another amazing thing today in america about half of the people that describe themselves as religious are of a different denominations of which they were raised. I bet i took a show of hands are there people here that are of different denominations of which you were raised . Yes. Is extremely common in the United States. And glorious and why it is much stronger third year than other parts of the world. This goes to your point. Establishment clause does not mean that the United States must embrace atheism or secularism and this is pretty well and the congress of the United States. Basically you know, that congress pays attention to benjamin franklin. By the way when he called opening every day with prayer what happened . It would drop it. They said no. Not because it was a bad idea that they could not afford it. They had no money in the budget and they were worried they would have to pay taxes. That was the point that hamilton made. The point about this is a do have chaplains to come in and it used to be there is a chaplain in the house and the senate now they have everything. They have had a buddhist priest and of Buddhist Monk and imam every rabbi and people from every denomination. By the way that from the Religion Foundation there was the easiest to lead prayer and as long as he does not attack other religions why not . This is the great strength of our country. So what if the christian right takeover . I have not heard anyone there is such a tiny percentage of people to have the Death Penalty for adultery . To solve the of population problems but it is one of those things where did we have religious freedom in this country where they began in the state of new york the text of the prayer dear god thank you for this school and our parents and beloved country. This is not constitutionally forbidden but we will not go back to that situation and any fears that people have but in just a few minutes we can wrap up in just a of a moment. I love talking about this book and mentioning to you there is us second book on the way. And random House Crown Forum is the name of the sub publisher. Within new book is called this favored land the subtitle is more american miracles or perhaps continued providential protection. There are stories that just need to be told. The battle of midway. Completely inexplicable. Three japanese carriers in four minutes. And did miraculously and that was uh turning point but Franklin Roosevelt recognized providence but to be so profoundly religious. To say dear god protect our young men for those who are fighting for christianity. It is astonishing and fdr but so are we all. By the god the history. So i would just come back in conclusion so men you are scheerer is seems like special protection for america, it doesnt make americans better, it makes us more obligated. To assume much is given much it is expected. With the model great power comes great responsibility and america has to demonstrate that. One of the border full quotations that i have found from a historian m prof mcdougal says try to imagine a mystical time traveler where someone comes into our world not that long ago. He looks around the world aggressive in, angry come my fighting against of west with china as a fast empire with a great sense of superiority and yet not much real power. The french think they are superior to everyone else particularly with cultural matters. Looked round of world now but they could say in 1616 russia is the country of the future and always will be. [laughter] and if you look around the world, the only part of the time traveler will absolutely not recognize it is the United States. Nobody would have thought in 1660 the dominant civilization on earth for n for north america. And drug north america nothing comparable to these civilizations that the income and my pants have built even before the europeans even disappear before the europeans got there. This is why the development of america is by far the most historical development. Then to change the course of everything in the influence to put forth. I will try one more story that i really did not know. Is the story the name of sam houston. I know if there are other sam houston fans here but his father was a virginian they moved out to North Carolina and sams father died when he was young. But as a very young man that according to some reports some people say he was at least 6foot 2 inches and either way he was a giant. Said he runs a way to go off with the cherokee indians and is adopted by the cherokee. They give him the name and he loves the cherokee weighs one of the things he inherited from his father from the transition to translation of the iliad and continues to live until he volunteers to fight in the war of 1812. He becomes a warrior and forming a lifelong devotion sucked his chances then politics he becomes the congressman from tennessee. As the governor am president jackson but he was incredibly popular front for president you have to have a wife. Houston said know what is wrong with the girl is the governor of tennessee. Supposedly he had the most beautiful girl in this day with a storybook wedding but houston is involved with the omens and messages and then he remembers the raven from his charity name on the way to his wedding and reagan drops dead in front of his horse that he is riding out to the wedding ceremony the most disastrous night of wedding history there are all sorts of theories with governor houston but what we do know the next morning she hated him and wanted to kill him the wedding night did not go well. Then do first lady of tennessee and he is forced to resign. He goes off he now has the new indian name that is big trunk and drinking his life away the combination of circumstances to be encouraged by president jackson to start a new life. Going back to washington and 1. Only 300 pounds at the time but stan berry has accused houston of stealing from the treasury. But the on one of the trips to washington where he cuts the hickory rod from Andrew Jacksons estate he fires that sam Houston Point blank at his heart but the gun misfires houston eventually finds his way. Now there is an eagle before him and he arrives just in time to take command of the Texas Military force if it was uh great big disaster to be massacred at the alamo and then to be captured and killed but in any event it was a conflict. But texas and arizona are still parts of mexico. But it is a very different america up. The idea that houston had about god if the wedding night had gone better then there would not be in independent texas. But that is unbelievably amazing but everyone at the time season something supernatural. We have ben enormously ablest to be a product of so many breaks. If you play poker and with n every hand he figures he is cheating or it is rigged. I think it is raised in behalf of the United States of america and now it is up to was to continue to merit that favor with everything we have ben given it is a pleasure to be here at your town hall. [applause]
comparemela.com © 2020. All Rights Reserved.