These days, there is fear in the air. Not the kind that comes from the deep woods or the things that go bump in the night, but the kind that seeps in when we stop questioning, when we let the loudest voices drown out reason, when we start believing that our neighbors are the enemy. The rise of nationalism, of fear-mongering governments, of leaders who tell you that the only way forward is through division, suspicion, and anger.

The slow degradation of our moral compass, letting confusing words—pronouns, fake news, the outright lies of those with influence in government or society—override the better angels of our nature.

History’s got a whole lineup of men who thrived on it—Napoleon, Stalin, Hitler, Mao Zedong, Pol Pot, Putin, the Ayatollahs of Iran, Kim Jong Un. Men who demanded silence, obedience, and just enough despair to make sure no one ever dared to dream too big. And now, some say democracy is slipping, that a new world order—or maybe just an old one with fresh paint—is creeping in.

People call themselves Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians. But how about just Americans? It’s old-fashioned, but I think we could use a little old-fashioned right now. A little common sense. A little unity. Instead of screaming across the aisle, maybe we start listening. Instead of tearing each other down, maybe we start building each other up. Maybe we stop constructing walls—between parties, between neighbors, between what we believe and what someone else does—and start building bridges instead.

And let’s not forget who we are. The land of Jefferson, Franklin, Washington, Lincoln. The land of Teddy Roosevelt charging up that hill and FDR telling us the only thing to fear is fear itself. The land where Martin Luther King Jr. marched, where Rosa Parks refused to stand, home of the Greatest Generation who stormed those Nazi held beaches, their admirals and generals leading them through fire and thunder, because some things were worth fighting for. This is the land of V8 muscle cars and open highways. The land of apple pie and cheesesteaks. The land of cool vibes, of rhythm and blues, of jazz and rock and roll. The land of free spirits and big dreams. This is the home of the brave.

Maybe we’ve lost our way for a moment. Maybe we’ve let the wrong voices whisper in our ears. But this isn’t the decline of America. No, this is just a lesson to be learned, part of growing up. A test of who we really are.

Because it is always darkest before the dawn. And history shows that when the storm rages and the night is at its darkest, we don’t kneel—we rise. We don’t cower—we charge. From Concord to Normandy, from Selma to the moon, then to the stars, we have never been a people who bow to fear or falter in the face of tyranny. We are the dreamers, the builders, the fighters. We are the ones who stand when the world says sit, who speak when silence is demanded, who press on when the road is long and hard. Because that is what Americans do. That is who we are. And by God, we will do it again.