By someone who still believes in mornings and the echo of old speeches.
Do you remember? Back in October 1962, a young American president from Massachusetts stood his ground against a Soviet titan playing with fire 90 miles off our coast. John F. Kennedy — a Democrat — didn’t blink. He showed them what American courage looks like when it’s tested. Quiet, firm, and steady as a lighthouse in a storm.
In 1961, he told us: “United, there is little we cannot do… Divided, there is little we can do.” And of course: “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” That kind of talk could wake a man up in the middle of the night and make him proud to be alive.
Then came a dark day in Dallas. And with the weight of the world on his shoulders, Lyndon B. Johnson — Democrat — stepped in. He was a Texan with a heart wired to care for folks who didn’t have much. The “Great Society,” he called it. Civil Rights Act of ’64, Voting Rights Act of ’65. He brought us Medicare and Medicaid — safety nets that still catch millions of Americans when they fall.
Do you remember Nixon? Richard Milhous Nixon — a Republican — the man who spoke of the “silent majority” in 1969 and asked us to “surmount what divides us, and cement what unites us.” He founded the EPA and OSHA, built a bridge between Beijing and Washington. Say what you want about the man, but the environment and the American worker found a champion in him.
Then came Gerald Ford — Republican — the man who never asked for the job but took it anyway when the country was raw and bleeding. He tried to heal the nation after Watergate, kept the Cold War from boiling over. And though the economy groaned and streets sometimes burned with unrest, he stood for civil rights and passed laws to prove it. He said, “I am a Ford, not a Lincoln.” But sometimes, patchwork holds better than marble.
Do you remember Jimmy Carter? A peanut farmer turned president — Democrat. He gave us the Camp David Accords, opened the doors of peace between Egypt and Israel. He expanded the national parks, preserved the wild for our grandchildren. And back in Georgia, as governor, he hung a portrait of Dr. King in the statehouse, telling the Klan where they could put their hatred.
Do you remember Ronald Reagan — Republican — rode in like a western hero with a twinkle in his eye. But behind that smile was steel. He challenged the Soviets and reminded us that freedom is fragile — never more than one generation from extinction. He believed, deeply, that if we stand for what’s right, freedom will not just survive, but triumph. And you know what? He wasn’t wrong.
Do you remember George H. W. Bush — Republican — built a coalition to stop Saddam Hussein’s tanks in Kuwait. Desert Storm, 1991. He believed in civility, in quiet strength, in choosing decency over division. He warned us about the dangers of extremism, and reminded us, even in disagreement, that we are one people under one flag.
Do you remember Bill Clinton — Democrat — brought peace to the Balkans when the world seemed ready to look away. He saw “One America” — a dream where diversity isn’t a wedge but a thread in the same flag. He believed our common humanity mattered more than our differences. That unity wasn’t just possible — it was necessary.
Then came September 11, 2001. George W. Bush — Republican — stood atop the rubble in New York and told the world we would not be broken. His voice, dusty and hoarse, echoed the grief and resolve of a nation. Later, he launched a fight against AIDS in Africa and malaria too — saving lives oceans away because that’s what Americans do. And even after the noise and fury of politics, he spoke out against bigotry, calling racism “blasphemy against the American creed.”
Do you remember Barack Obama — Democrat — stepped into the White House after an economic meltdown. Slow and steady, he helped nurse America back to strength. He believed that freedom didn’t just mean doing what you want — it meant recognizing the dignity of others. He spoke of E Pluribus Unum — “Out of many, one.” And tried to remind us that what unites us is bigger than what divides us.
Now, here’s the thing. These men — Democrats and Republicans — weren’t perfect. They made mistakes, some of them big ones. But they had something rare these days: loyalty to the country over loyalty to party. They stood in different rooms, wore different ties, but when America needed them, they reached for the flag, not the spotlight.
They didn’t kneel before polls or pundits. They looked out the window of the Oval Office and remembered who they were working for — all of us.
So, as we ride through these rough patches of division and noise, let’s remember what these presidents tried to teach us. That America — this big, beautiful, contradictory place — is worth the work. And unity, like freedom, isn’t something we inherit. It’s something we build. Together.
Now, adrift in a time of shouting and suspicion. And I just want to say this, from a little house in Richmond, VA:
Remember who we are.
Remember what we’ve stood for.
And don’t let anyone tell you we’ve lost it.
We haven’t. Not yet.
We just need to remember.
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A Kings 
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