Welcome to the GAB

My Journey

I began working on the Great American bridge the day after returning from vacation with my parents. During the trip, Charlie Kirk was assassinated. The news I saw was about:

1. How sad it was that this American citizen was assassinated.
2. Remembering the best of Charlie.
3. Showcasing his commitment to free speech and public debate.

But the news my parents saw led them to believe that Charlie had said “some dangerous things”. What specifically, they could not say, but they sure believed it.

While I would not call myself an expert on Charlie Kirk, I knew enough to not call him “dangerous”. I had seen and heard him enough to know his name and face. And I had accumulated about 2-4 hours of watch time to have an understanding about who he was and what he was about. However, my ability to articulate this was not developed.

I know more than some and less than others, but nothing I saw was cause for him being shot. Furthermore, it struck me that the day after a US citizen was murdered while engaging in free speech, the media’s message to my parents was that this was a dangerous person. It’s not exactly justifying it, but it certainly leads to justification. While my parents may not make that leap, many have.

My Starting Point

In the days following, some people’s reaction went from suggesting he brought it on himself, to mocking, cheering, and celebrating. The rhetoric that celebrates the death of someone you disagree with is dangerous.

Nine days after Charlie’s death, AOC went on the attack when asked to support a resolution in Charlie’s honor. AOC called Charlie out on four points, the first was his calling the Civil Rights Act a mistake. To AOC, to say that the Civil Rights Act was a mistake, is the mistake. Debate is not open for this topic, to say otherwise is to be a racist.

We live in an age where it is easy to call someone Hitler, a fascist, and anything but a child of God. But we don’t have a culture of taking responsibility for these claims.

A More Perfect Union

As a US Citizen, I now see it as my responsibility to maintain and extend the concept of “a more perfect union”. It is my responsibility to read, research, and understand. It is my responsibility to articulate, communicate, and debate. It is my responsibility to show up for my country and to “keep the good and eliminate the bad”.

The ability to know one’s positions and beliefs, and then to be able to articulate them is a skill. And it is a skill worth cultivating. The more able I am at articulating what I have to come to understand, the more capable I will be. Additionally, the more able I am at listening and engaging with others, the more able I will be to understand.

This is my primary goal with the Great American Bridge project. As I deepen what I believe and gain in the ability to articulate what I think and believe, I will become a more capable person. With these expanded capabilities, I will be able to play a more positive role in fulfilling my responsibilities to my self, my family, and my nation.

Let’s Go!

The Great American Bridge leads to the right side of history. Join me on this journey to cross over.