This Just In – Shakespeare’s King Henry V had some interesting things to say, some of which have remarkable relevance today.
“Every subject’s duty is the king’s; but every subject’s soul is his own,” is probably my favorite. If you put this one in front of Joe Biden, he’d agree. As we see Biden’s career of elected public service come to its end, he would certainly say that he found it to be his duty to serve every American, including those who didn’t vote for him.
It’s the second part of that famous quote that we should all take on board now, as we approach a dangerous era in America civil life – the second administration of a criminal president. We have knowingly, deliberately restored to power a fraudulent felon. History might tell us why or how, but for now, it’s just fact.
“Every subject’s soul is his own.” This is the part that President Biden was getting to in his farewell address. What happens now will be a difficult time in American political life. It will take time, attention, care, energy and tremendous determination. To preserve the institutions and values of American life will require the strength and balance of all Americans.
President Joe Biden speaks from the Oval Office of the White House as he gives his farewell address Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025 in Washington. (Photo via Mandel Ngan/Pool through AP.)
Yes, we have elected an unserious, disloyal leader, but our souls are our own. To me, this says I do not have license to give up on my own values and expectations of myself or my leaders – local, state and federal. I still expect first responders to show up if I call 911. I still expect my taxes to be fair and I still expect to see how they’re spent.
I still expect to hold the door for someone carrying a child or packages. I’m still going to be the driver that waves on someone trying to gain access in a busy traffic situation. The fact is, I’m going to lean into those things because they’re a way for me to resist the presumption that political toxicity invades everything. It doesn’t have to do that.
Approaching the inauguration, there’s a grim feeling. Much of it is the sense of lost opportunity. Instead of building on the many achievements that the Biden administration can point to (emerging from a pandemic, building a stable economy, record infrastructure investment) we’re going to be facing the need to defend Social Security, the EPA and public education.
I have family in Southern California and friends in Western North Carolina. I need no convincing that our climate has been changing and the severity of our weather patterns is going to require some aggressive actions to protect human life. Now, unfortunately, we have the extra layer of responsibility to protect ourselves from determined campaigns to misinform us. The simplest facts may be hard to find.
Henry V urged on his people to be ready for battle with “Once more unto the breach.” He talked about finding the weakness in the enemy’s forces and exploiting it for victory. He was talking about finding a gap in a wall, but also a larger idea about collective determination.
“Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more; Or close the wall up with our English dead. In peace there’s nothing so becomes a man As modest stillness and humility”
He’s talking about the togetherness of mission, the peace in singular determination and the greatness for trying a difficult thing for a second time.
A tsunami of decency, determined civility and reinforcement of our values can be enough to resist a powerful, petty individual. It must.
Jean Bolduc is a freelance writer and the host of the Weekend Watercooler on 97.9 The Hill. She is the author of “African Americans of Durham & Orange Counties: An Oral History” (History Press, 2016) and has served on Orange County’s Human Relations Commission, The Alliance of AIDS Services-Carolina, the Orange County Housing Authority Board of Commissioners, and the Orange County Schools’ Equity Task Force. She was a featured columnist and reporter for the Chapel Hill Herald and the News & Observer.
Readers can reach Jean via email – [email protected] and via Twitter @JeanBolduc
Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
This Just In: Once More Unto The Breach Chapelboro.com.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( This Just In: Once More Unto The Breach )
Also on site :
- Billboard’s 2025 Global Power Players Revealed
- Amazon’s Best-Selling Power Bank Is Now Nearly Free, 76K Reviews Can’t Be Wrong
- Meghan Markle shares unseen family photos on seventh wedding anniversary to Prince Harry