The American Spirit

Earlier today, something from my childhood randomly sprang to mind. Google is great for curiosity-seekers, and this is how I waste a lot of time.

When I was about 9 or 10, an album of poems written and recorded by Tennessee humorist Richard M. "Pek" Gunn somehow came into my posession. Thanks to Google, I now recall that he was the first Poet Laureate of Tennessee. Beyond that, not much information exists about Pek Gunn.

But I did find a couple of poems which I remember from my childhood, and this is one of them:

THE OPTIMIST

I passed a sand lot yesterday,
Some kids were playing ball,
I strolled along the third base line
Within the fielder's call.

"Say, what's the score?" I asked the chap,
He yelled to beat the stuffin'
"There's no one out, the bases are full
and they're forty-two to nuthin!"

"You're getting beat, aren't you my lad?"
And then in no time flat,
He answered, "No sir, not as yet!
Our side ain't been to bat!"

Commenting on the poem, Mr. Gunn wrote, "We smile at these lines, but this is the spirit that caused John Paul Jones to say, 'I've just begun to fight.' It sustained Washington at Valley Forge. It built all our schools and churches, and it is this never give up spirit of the American people that says, 'I don't care how much is against me, I can still win! Just let me at bat."
Now I can't help but contrast that spirit against what we've gotten from Democrats in the last few days:

- Rep. John Murtha describing the military as "broken, worn out" and "living hand to mouth."

- Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the top Democrat in the House, stepping to the podium to say "I'm endorsing what Rep. Murtha is saying."

- Gov. Howard Dean declaring that "the idea that we're going to win the war in Iraq is an idea which is just plain wrong."

- Sen. John Kerry calling American soldiers "terrorists" on CBS's Face the Nation:

KERRY: There is no reason, Bob, that young American soldiers need to be going into the homes of Iraqis in the dead of night, terrorizing kids and children, you know, women, breaking sort of the customs of the--of--the historical customs, religious customs. Whether you like it or not...

SCHIEFFER: Yeah.

KERRY: ...Iraqis should be doing that.

So we aren't going ever going to be able to defeat these roadside bombers, and the US military is broken and worn out, presumably exhausted from breaking into homes throughout Iraq in the dead of night to terrorize women and children. Which bothers Kerry, because "Iraqis should be doing that."

Pek Gunn, we need you now more than ever.