WHAT UNITES US: REFLECTIONS ON PATRIOTISM
By Dan Rather & Elliot Kirschner
“The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults.” – Alexis De Tocqueville
A couple of months ago I had the honor and pleasure of hearing Dan Rather speak here in our mutual hometown of Houston and I received a copy of this book at the event. I’ve long held Mr. Rather in high esteem, not only for his journalistic abilities, but for his rational, steady voice over the years during times of turbulence and uncertainty. His voice is just as steady today as we face a political crisis in America. I must say that his intelligent outlook and the way that he voices his thoughts on our country have a way of comforting me, even when he’s discussing unpleasant situations. So I began reading his book with much anticipation.
I wasn’t disappointed. The book is short – under 300 pages, but it’s packed with wisdom. There are anecdotes from the author’s childhood that helped form his character and his thoughts, bits of his early career and things he learned, and a look at where he is today based on his experiences and those who shaped him.
But the book isn’t really about Dan Rather. Those are just pieces of the whole. The book is about America, and the people who helped form our country, the well-known and the obscure. Every chapter covers a different topic and how America has reacted to, or allowed, events to mold us. The book is about patriotism, and what it really is. How freedom, community, exploration, responsibility and character (all chapters in the book) have impacted our lives.
Dan Rather is always hopeful. And he gives me hope, when I sometimes feel like giving up on my country.
Reviewed February 2019
House of Black and Blue 