We survived the Great Depression, two world wars, 9/11, the 2008 financial crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic—but I worry about what will happen the next time a big surprise arrives on our shores. Will we have the cohesion, the belief in the rule of law, and the confidence in democracy to see us through? Or will we resort to trammeling the Bill of Rights, seeking to silence dissenters, muzzle freedom of speech, get rid of political enemies, and assent to the government assuming indefinite “emergency powers”?
