Life Events

One reason for the lack of activity at this weblog has been the addition of a new member to our family. To a not-so-young couple like ourselves, this was a truly miraculous and blessed event, and needless to say, it means a total change in our daily life and in our way of looking at things. I would love to share more with my readers, who have been real friends these past several years, but discretion forbids it.

The concerns that led me to start the Heritage American are in no way diminished by this life event; I want more than ever to tap into the shared heritage of America and Western civilization and to help pass it on to the next generation – who will surely need it. Surely a civilization and culture are propagated, first of all, at the level of the family. In an ailing society such as our own, the family may be the only source of continuity for many individuals.

I have tried, as much as possible, to have every post bring in some voice or perspective from our past, usually drawn from literature or history, and to relate it in some way to present concerns. This is still the plan, but it has been rather difficult lately to do the heavy reading and writing needed to carry out the self-assignment as I’d like, certainly on a weekly basis. Consequently, I’m going to try from here on to go easier on myself, and write postings that may more spontaneous and less documented.

Current events continue to reach new levels of insanity, don’t they? Here’s hoping we all can stay grounded during hard times. There are better times ahead.

See You In July!

I’ll be doing some traveling for the next 10 days and am unlikely to have the chance to post. I hope to catch up with you on July 4th weekend.

Not much chance…

…of a full-length posting this weekend. I hope everyone is enjoying the turning of the season – nice autumn leaves here, but the rain and wind are a little oppressive.

“When the Frost is on the Punkin”

WHEN the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock,
And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin’ turkey-cock,
And the clackin’ of the guineys, and the cluckin’ of the hens,
And the rooster’s hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence;
O, it’s then the time a feller is a-feelin’ at his best,
With the risin’ sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest,
As he leaves the house, bareheaded, and goes out to feed the stock,
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock.

- James Whitcomb Riley

Leavin’ on a Jet Plane…

…on a trip that will keep me away from the Intenet for the next 10 days or so, so won’t be posting or replying to comments and emails.

The Heritage American is now more than one year old, having officially started, after a couple of test runs, on July 4, 2008 (the previous entries were tests). While our political situation is, on the surface, more discouraging than ever, my feeling has only grown that the truth is making its way to the surface. With this will come new hope and new possibilities.

To those readers who have stuck with this blog (those who haven’t won’t be reading, I suppose!), I offer my deepest gratitude.

See you in September.

A Note to my Readers….

The Heritage American has been low in activity of late; I hope to return to a regular posting schedule by the end of this week.

From “A Psalm of Life,” by Longfellow:

Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream ! —
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.

Life is real !   Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal ;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way ;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.

Welcome, Readers!

This weblog has been created in response to the terrible crisis faced by the American people and by the West as a whole. Its author is an ordinary citizen of the state of Michigan, whose own field of expertise cannot be applied in any obvious way to the struggle to save our nation. In a better world there would be plenty of talented politicians and statesmen fighting for our cause, and I might be content to send checks, stuff envelopes, and hold meetings in their support.

Sadly, with a handful of exceptions, there are no such men and women in our public life. Our movement as yet is manifested mainly on the Internet, invisible to the larger society. To post messages on little-known forums, often under a pseudonym, is unsatisfying to one who feels a moral call to sacrifice his own comfort for the good of his country. And yet, with no publicly recognized base to work from, and the prospect of ostracism and worse in the workplace if one challenges the “politically correct” orthodoxy, for many of us it is still too early to take a stance of open confrontation. Instead, anticipating a long struggle, perhaps for many generations, we need to study the past and present, gather our weapons, and plan for the future. It is a daunting task, but we have no choice. May we find strength in our fellowship as our numbers grow, and may we find joy in engaging with the truth and fighting for the good!

With this blog, I hope to engage with and contribute to the existing discourse on Western traditionalist conservatism and American nationhood. The basic format will be a weekly entry, posted on Fridays. Barring unforeseeable difficulties I plan to maintain this schedule for at least one year.

Every writer and blog takes a particular perspective. This blog will focus on traditional American culture – specifically, on the task of reviving and reconstructing an actual, living American culture which expresses the particular, historic traditions of our society and orients us toward the transcendent truths – towards the true, the good, the right, the beautiful. While using the blog to discuss how to do this, I also hope to draw like-minded readers, especially in the state of Michigan, who are interested in meeting in person to begin the rudimentary work of forming a living, alternative community of American traditionalists. It may be early yet, but I believe that if even “two or three are gathered” who truly love their country and people, we may awaken powers that none of us have access to as individuals. I therefore request any readers in Michigan (or able to travel here) who agree with the organizational principles of this site to email me at the address indicated at the top of this site.

A discussion of basic principles (a work in progress) will be the subject of the next entry.