By: Javier Sanchez
 

When my buddies and I would go backpacking, they’d put me in charge of conversation-some deep philosophical thought.  One guy was in charge of GORP (good ‘ol raisins and peanuts), while another guy making sure we had enough potable water.  Backpacking for hours at a time gives you clarity and it frees your mind, but after several hours of silent trekking you want a little deep conversation to break the monotony.  So after a long morning of hearing the deep thud of our boots hit the moistened earth and glancing at the rays of sunlight through the leaves, we became one.  Our rhythm was paced and through some unknown force, we collectively joined in mind and spirit.  It was time.

There was a great battleship, I explained.  It had seen many wars and in its lifetime was led by many brave captains.  The countless men who steered her into battle had come and gone, but the memory of her steadfastness, cunning and speed remained.  So renowned was her reputation that every sailor around the world wished only to one day be a member of her crew. One day, after countless voyages, she was honorably decommissioned and permanently docked.  As the years went by, her wooden planks were replaced and tossed into the sea as each new piece of wood was set in place.

Unbeknownst to anyone, there was a former captain of this vessel just downwind from the retired ship who secretly took in every single piece of the jettisoned flotsam.  Little by little, the former captain built the previous ship in its entirety.  Before long, there lay two identical ships side by side, which begs the question:  where does the soul of the once great seafaring vessel lie? 

If you took all of the great ideals, victories, land, social justices and injustices, the people, its sacrifices, its hates and its loves, all of the elements that comprise this great country -the United States- and built an entirely new country, somewhere down the line, what would come of our soul?  Would we be just a shadow of our former self?

By the time you read this article, Election Day will have come and gone, and we may not know who the President of the United States is.

Even when we learn who won the election there will remain from this rancorous election many among us will wonder, given all the warnings and criticisms, if the country is going to Hell in a hand basket? Do we have soul?

 I can assure you America still has a soul.

We cannot discard the shards of our past in an attempt to recreate ourselves.  But we can fortify the basic infrastructure of our backbone.  We can strengthen our spine and take a fresh coat of paint to the parts of ourselves that have seen better days.  No matter how great or how putrid our past, the experiences over the last almost 250 years have defined who we are as Americans.  We must learn from the mistakes and chart a new course with determination, self-destiny and courage. 

Regardless who won, they will face a tough job. Our ideals, our convictions, our history, our values will be tested. Our will to be the leader of the free world will be challenged. The job may be so difficult they might regret winning the presidency. The challenges to our soul will be great.

North Korea last week tested an ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile), a launch believed to be its longest and highest ever- a feat unachievable without Russian help and technology.  Is that why North Korea just sent 3,000-8,000 troops to help Russia fight the war in Ukraine? Perhaps.

Israel continues to fight for its existence.  Iran is single-handedly funding Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Palestine and other nations to fight Israel.  The Jewish state is literally fighting seven wars along its borders. A missile pileup lies minutes away in Iran.  All sides seem to be testing U.S ambivalence for an all-out war in the Middle East.

Last month, nearly 30 nations met at a conference in Russia.  Known as BRICS+, the nations of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and others such as Egypt, Iran and Saudi Arabia are conspiring to upend the US’s dominance economically and militarily.  Their goal:  usurp the US dollar and remove it as the dominant world currency, potentially devastating our economy.  These countries represent nearly 46% of the world population and 26% of the world’s GDP. 

In the midst of these threats our country and our politicians are blabbering about nonsense and acting directionless.

We are arguing over who called who garbage and which presidential candidate received more endorsements from Hollywood actors (as if they know how to run a country) and who really worked the fry station at McDonald’s? This all appears rather insignificant when compared to real world issues.  Our American soul is surely being tested. 

Which brings us back to hiking.  When you’re in lock step with your buddies, breathing the same air, creating the same cadence and rhythm, walking toward the same goal, you start to think more deeply and profoundly about what matters most.  If our soul does exist, where does it find itself most at home?  Is it in the memory of a long-lost plank, or is it in the hope and pride of the actions that bring about change? Is it in our resilience and our fortitude? Does it matter what battles we fought valiantly? Or is what matters most that we carry the torch of liberty to shine light on ourselves, our brethren and our world.  Take one step forward.  Breathe.  Exalt.

Javier Sanchez is the former Mayor of Espanola, an independent businessman, and El Rito Media investor and columnist.