Should Be Required Reading Throughout the United States
Wow. I have utmost respect for the Founding Fathers, & I definitely think we are a nation in crisis. It is truly impressive how their words ring true across the centuries. I thoroughly enjoyed this book (though it's a lucky thing I read the Kindle version, as my highlighter would've run out of ink were it a hard copy), well enough that I intend to buy a paperback version to keep around for easy rereading of favorite quotes & to help spur political discussions with close friends.
I read at least one review in which someone was complaining because Abraham Lincoln, who is not a Founder, is quoted. That person said they couldn't continue because of his inclusion, but if you read the Introduction, you will understand why Lincoln, as well as other great minds who existed both before & after the time of our nation's founding, is included.
The introduction sets up the premise of the book, which is as follows: the Founding Fathers have been resurrected & gathered together in present day to write a speech that will inspire our nation to come together, to stop this partisan political war & work together for the good of the country, lest the United States fail while we fight within. To this end, they have access not only to their own thoughts & writings, but also to those of other wise people who have had something to say on the subject of liberty, across the scope of time.
To name just a few of the folks whose quotes are included: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Charles Dickens, Friedrich Nietzsche, John Locke, & John Hancock. And those are only the ones I can recall off the top of my head. Quotes from those folks are then woven together into a remarkably relevant commentary on the state of our nation, & a suggestion regarding what actions we must take to save it.
I would like to emphasize that the book itself is nonpartisan. I believe it can be read by Democrats or Republicans (or any other party, for that matter), & equally enjoyed by both (though they might choose to interpret the words differently). The point is not to call out who is right & who is wrong, or to place blame with one side or the other. The point is to start a conversation about the fact that the American Experiment is failing, & how we might still save it if we can stop the infighting, remember that which is great about our nation, & work together to restore the Republic-- or even raise it to never before seen heights.
The Founder's Speech should be required reading in every American home. If you are a political buff, or a fan of American history, or just a concerned citizen like myself who hates to see the country so divided, this book will resonate with you.