“22 February, 1980”

You can't be common, because the common man goes nowhere. - Herb Brooks

At 5PM Eastern time on 22 Feb, 1980, the world stood in stunned silence as thousands of Americans shouted “USA! USA!” and unabashedly waved American flags of every conceivable size. Over the ensuing hour and a half, the chants rose like ululations to a fervor. Against the backdrop of a decade of collective funk encompassing Viet Nam, Watergate, record inflation, and a hostage crisis, an epic battle was being staged in a sleepy little villiage few had heard of before that night. Americans of all creeds, colors, and political persuasion united in an unmatched show of patriotism behind 20 college students no one even knew. In truth it was nothing more than a hockey game, but when it was over, it seemed that the forces of good had conquered the forces of evil. And so began a period of resurgent American pride, and most importantly, the undaunted American spirit.

Today the legacy of that spirit is being crushed for political gain. The forces of unity have given way to the forces of division. The pride is hidden away lest the anti-American zealots start yet another violent “peace” protest. Partisan politics have trumped national security. The flags have disappeared. We are told that true patriotism means hating America. We are told that supporting the troops means calling them stupid, criticizing their leaders, and denying them the tools needed to do their job. We are told that the solution to the problems of government is more government. We have people abandoning their principles for the sake of better poll numbers. We have a group of people who's irrational hatred of one man causes them to stifle all debate because they know that their own vacuous pontifications cannot withstand the free market of ideas.

Where is the Mike Eruzione, who's simple realization that he was only one small part of a team was the spark that ignited the talents of all? Where is the Jim Craig who responded to criticism of his performance by channeling anger into raw motivation? Where is the Mark Johnson who's sheer ability and knowledge kept us in the game even while others were getting the spotlight? Where is the uncommon man who will have the courage to do what is right not what is popular and in so doing ensures America goes somewhere?

It's not rocket science. Stop the bickering. Stop the carping. Stop the personal attacks. Stop fighting and start doing. It is an undeniable fact that America is the most free, most open, most giving, and least imperialistic power the world has even known. And while America certainly has problems, the problem is not America.