Raised Character Limits

I can remember the many times I’ve nervously fumbled for the remote when my kids walked in on me watching politics. Like many parents, I’ve worked to provide a bit of a shield from the disturbing nature of today’s political environment. Sure, adults can remind themselves that all of this is not normal, but my kids are just coming of age. This is the only political environment they’ve ever known. So to them, sadly, it’s normal. That’s why I see a very bright side to the past couple weeks during which we were called to serve on impeachment jury duty. For the first time in years, I urged my kids to watch the news with me so they could see the amazing (and often, heroic) examples of remarkably smart, talented, loyal Americans stepping forward to speak the truth. And it wasn’t just their testimony. From Alex Vindman, to Marie Yovanovitch, to Fiona Hill, we got to observe the grace, wit, and excellence of patriots, who, regardless of which party is in power, have America’s back. Some of the smartest and best people I know sacrifice millions of dollars on the free market because of their dedication to keeping watch over our free country. I’m glad my kids got to see some examples of this dedication playing out in real time. From Mark Leibovich in the NYT: They Toil Gladly Offstage. Impeachment Lands Them in the Spotlight. “They have put faces on a Washington bureaucracy often dismissed and disparaged. Their stories are compellingly human, uniquely American, often immigrant.”

+ “Her testimony will also be remembered for her manifest smarts, her directness—a trait of the region where she grew up—her steely self-confidence, and the moral earnestness she displayed.” The New Yorker: The Extraordinary Impeachment Testimony of Fiona Hill.