I’ve marveled before about how statements of the past can read like today’s headlines, especially those like the following taken from the front flap of Martin L. Gross’ 1997 “The End of Sanity”:
“At the University of Pennsylvania, separate dorms have been set up for minorities in the name of racial harmony….”
“An apprehended mugger successfully sued a New York policeman for using excessive force….”
“Women who score relatively low on medical school admissions tests are replacing more qualified men as doctors….”
On page after page of Grossman’s book there appear familiar lines regarding the beachheads made by political correctness (PC) in universities, government agencies, and corporations; the ongoing battles of race and sex with white males targeted as the main enemy; the failed attempts to halt illegal immigration; and more. Leading the way in these cultural assaults was what Gross called “the new establishment,” an informal coalition of academics, politicians, bureaucrats, judges, and others bent on exchanging American traditions and rights for experiment and “a culture that favors the few and ignores the many.”
Written at the dawn of PC, “The End of Sanity” affords a look at the seedlings of insanity that have plagued the 21st century. Here were the fields and fertilizer where PC ideas and policies sprouted, growing into everything from transgender surgeries to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies in education, government, and the workplace.
Morris hoped that the fierce sunlight cast by his analysis might wither these PC seedlings. He and other writers of such jeremiads, like Florence King and Pat Buchanan, sold books, but the blossoming of PC in the new century, and especially the last 10 years, seemed to indicate that the battle for public opinion was over. Morris and his conservative counterparts were the losers.
Or were they?
Certainly Donald Trump’s presidential victories and the coalition cabinet he built in his second term – Elon Musk, Tulsi Gabbard, and Robert Kennedy were not typical picks for a man elected as a Republican – indicate a widespread dissatisfaction with the direction of the country and business as usual.
Closer to home, however, are the comments by people I’ve interviewed or spoken with in casual conversation. They tell me they sense a change of direction in America, a return to common sense and a desire for virtue in the public square. They’ve become deaf to the propaganda put out by the establishment, ideas like “men can become women,” “we have to obey the experts,” and “your truth is not my truth.” Here’s just one example: Whenever a friend of mine hears or reads about “male patriarchy,” he bursts out laughing, cognizant of the preponderance of women in the media, in the legal and medical professions, and in the universities both as professors and as students.
Here is a key point often overlooked by many commentators. Lots of average Americans no longer see today’s culture war as a fight between liberals and conservatives. They see it instead as a battle between sanity and the insanity.
In this year of celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence another influence has come to bear on this conflict. A number of Americans have taken an interest in the founders and are learning that those fathers of our country repeatedly addressed the vital connection between a viable republic and a virtuous citizenry.
In 1798, for instance, John Adams famously declared in a letter, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
In his 1796 Farewell Address as president, George Washington said, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.”
In a 1787 letter, Ben Franklin noted, “Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.”
These same men, and many of their contemporaries, constantly advocated self-restraint and moderate behavior among citizens as an absolute necessity for personal virtue and the preservation of the republic. A limited government like a republic could only succeed if the citizens themselves practiced moderation in their words and deeds.
Reading the American founders makes us aware of the significant roles played by self-control and virtue in a republic and its citizenry. And those writers who once spoke out against radical change? They affected the culture more than they realized. By pushing back against an extremism that often crosses the border into madness, they left a mark. They may have lost a battle, but by attracting followers and pointing to folly and derangement they kept alive the hope that common sense and virtue would eventually win the day.
Jeff Minick is a father of four and grandfather to many. A former history, literature, and Latin teacher, Jeff now writes prolifically for The Epoch Times, American Essence Magazine, and his Substack.
This culture article was made possible by The Fred & Rheta Skelton Center for Cultural Renewal, a project of 1819 News. To comment on this article, please email [email protected]. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News.
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