Is the Country Smothering Under a Blanket of Darkness? Or Is There Room for Hope and Optimism?

If you want to know the answer to that, do not consult our media. Take a fresh look around you and talk to normal Americans.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” — Martin Luther King Jr.

As we approach the Nation’s 250th birthday, we are forced to wonder whether the Country is filled with light or smothered with darkness. For CBS’s Margaret Brennan and other members of her tribe, it is the latter. Light symbolizes freedom and hope, darkness is where monsters lurk. It frightens both children and news readers from the ancien régime news media.

On CBS‘s once-respected Face the Nation, Ms. Brennan could not avoid revealing her view of the Country. For Brennan, the U.S. today is a “dark place.” Her view is doubtlessly formed by her view of President Trump and his remarkable belief that we should “Make America Great Again.” Of course, Ms. Brennan would never spell it out quite that clearly. She would simply use “MAGA” as a Neanderthal-like perjorative to describe half the country whom one erstwhile presidential candidate referred to as the “deplorables.” If, like the disgraced FBI agent and now Georgetown University professor Peter Strzok proclaimed, and can SMELL the Trump supporters around you when you are in WalMart (if you are ever in a WalMart), you may indeed feel like you are smothered in darkness.

On Memorial Day Brennan hosted two guests on Face the Nation. Both were recipients of the Medal of Honor, Lt. Col. William Swenson and Master Sgt. Matthew Williams.

Here’s Brennan (beginning at 23:10):

We are coming up on this 250th anniversary of the American experience. I know I can’t ask you a question like are you optimistic? There’s no way that two Medal of Honor winners could say they’re not optimistic.

So, what specifically makes you optimistic? Because this Country at times can feel dark these days. There’s a lot of darkness. What makes you feel optimistic?

Before addressing Ms. Brennan’s bleak outlook, allow me a few observations about her question. She may have read too much Joseph Conrad. For those whose world is defined by the boundaries of the DC or the national political establishment, then their world view no doubt convinces them that they are immersed in the Heart of Darkness.

To be sure, Ms. Brennan is not alone. Darkness and despair are the core of the current leftist zeitgeist:

The so-called “boss” understands why you feel helpless and hopeless, betrayed and “angry.” That is his view of the Country that he wants to share with you. It is indeed dark.

There is no need to belabor all the reasons why the media and their Marxists comrades see nothing but darkness. We all can roll them off. It is sufficient now to note some of the reasons for the phenomenon:

• Border security: darkness

• No free tuition or other give-aways for those in the Country unlawfully: darkness

• No life altering genital removal surgery for adolescents: darkness

• No boys in girls sports: darkness

• Election security to protect against fraudulent voting: darkness

• No illegal aliens voting in elections: darkness

• Calling illegal aliens “aliens:” darkenss

Darkness, darkness. Darkness everywhere.

Interestingly, although Brennan makes clear her view that she feels the darkness, she also feels that she cannot ask the recipients whether they are optimistic because “there’s no way that two Medal of Honor winners could say they’re not optimistic.” So she asks they why - not whether - they’re optomistic. Why is that? Does she just assume that Lt. Col. Swenson and MSG Williams must be optomistic because they are just PR flunkies who have to claim to be optomistic despite her belief that “this Country at times can feel dark these days.” Or is she just mystified that anyone could be optomistic about the future of the Country since there is so much darkness to be felt? It is puzzling.

Finally, it is necessary to comment of Brennan’s failure to do basic homework before interviewing two MOH recipients. She referred to them as “Medal of Honor winners.” Those who have had Medals of Honor bestowed upon them are properly called “recipients,” not “winners” of the MOH. The Congressional Medal of Honor Society explains why:

The Medal of Honor, like any combat award, is not “won” like a trophy, but rather bestowed upon a Recipient as a symbol of immense sacrifice. Veterans who wear the nation’s highest military award emphasize that their acts of valor were simply a matter of duty and compassion, not a competition. Therefore, using the term “Recipient” shows respect for the profound humility and sacrifices made by all who have served.

Consistent with that philosophy, every MOH recipient I have ever met was completely humble about having received the award. They will tell you that they wear the Medal not for themselves, but to represent the courage and sacrifice of countless others who served the Nation, particularly those who died in the action for which they were presented with the Medal.

I will not swell the length of this discussion of Ms. Brennan’ bleak outlook with a comprehensive study of all the reasons why her unabashed pessimism is a bad thing and fails to grasp the true nature of our beloved Country. I will instead offer two recent anecdotes.

The recipients’ response to Brennan’s question

When Brennan wondered how they could possibly be optomistic about the state of the Country when “there’s a lot of darkness,” both recipients knocked it out of the park. Keep in mind as you read this, these are not seasoned politicians; their responses were not scripted by speech writers or molded by focus groups. They are impromptu, unrehearsed responses from patriotic Americans.

Here is Lt. Col Swenson:

Well, ultimately, because we’re in Washington DC and everything revolves around politics, we have to remember that politics aren’t everything. American lives continue on. Children are born, children go to school, lives are achieved, dreams are achieved. This Country is a great place. It’s not politics. It’s not just the news bites coming off the media.

Ultimately, we continue forward as a Country, continually imperfect, continually evolving forward, always trying to achieve a more perfect union.

That’s what’s important to remember, what we can achieve aspirationally. No other place in history, time, or on this planet has ever gotten to where we are today. We need to be proud of that. And we need to remember that is what we stay focused on, what we can be, what we can be and the promise of it.

And MSG Williams:

It’s so important to remember who we are as a Country and take an opportunity to celebrate that and think about all the challenges that we’ve overcome, how far we’ve actually come.

I think if you frame it that way, you think very deeply about our trials and tribulations from the beginning to today. We’ve made tremendous strides and our Country is … a global superpower. Our economy is doing well. All those things are great.

And take politics aside out of this whole conversation. Just talk about our communities that that we live in and the people that you surround yourself with and your families, the opportunity to be free and choose what school you go to, where you want to live, and do what you want to do and what career path you go down … there’s so much to be positive about….

Talk about our Country, celebrate Country, actually celebrate it. Be grateful for what you’ve got and the opportunities that it’s provided for you.

And if you do that, I don’t see how you can’t be optimistic about our future.

My next anecdotes is a thing that happened, not comments that anyone else made. But such things that happen tell us more about this Country that all the talking heads on TV ever could.

Unexpected but welcome responses to my Memorial Day article

One other example gives the lie to any thought that, like Dante, we must abandon all hope. It is the response to my Memorial Day post, Preparations and Reflections for Memorial Day 2026. That article honored Garney Burlson, one of my 1st Cavalry troopers who was killed in action on January 28, 1971. I asked readers to think about Garney and what he lost by his untimely death, and to considering visiting his final resting place during Memorial Day weekend if they were nearby. In prior years, others had visited his gravesite at my suggestion. This year proved to be no exception.

On Sunday before Memorial Day, I was both surprised and a bit overwhelmed to receive a message from my son, David, who had driven over 4 hours out of his way to visit and honor Garney. He left the flowers in the stars and stipes sleeve at the foot of the marker. I had no idea that David was going to do that.

David reported that others had been there before him. Someoene had left flowers, a flag, a penny, and a quarter on the top of the gravestone. Whoever you are, thank you.

Some of you may have seen coins on headstones for deceased veterans, without fully understanding their symbolism. Visitors who had no military connection with the veteran may leave a penny just to honor and respect his or her life and service. A nickel signifies that the visitor went through boot camp or basic training with the deceased; a dime denotes that they served together; and a quarter tells us that the visitor was with the veteran when he was killed.

On Memorial Day Monday I received an email from old friends in Tennessee. Jim and Martha Burnett made the 4 1/2 hour round trip from Gatlinburg to Pleasant Grove Cemetary and left more flowers at the grave sites for both Garney and his parents.

Jim and Martha, like my son and some of the others who made the trip, never knew Garney or anyone in his family. They only know a little about him from what they have read on this Substack. But they took hours out of their holiday weekend to travel to his final resting place to honor him.

So, Ms. Brennan, you (or your producers) are to be commended for hosting two MOH recipients for Memorial Day. But I reject the message of darkness and despair embedded in your questioning. Criticize politicians all you want, but on Memorial Day weekend resist the temption to allow TDS to dominate your feelings. So please hold your darkness memes for another day.

These are people who love the American soldier and who honor the sacrifices made for all of us. The acts of these ordinary Americans, for which they neither sought nor expected any recognition, signify light, honor, and love of their fellow countrymen, not darkness, nor hopelessness and anger. And I respectfully suggest that is where a majority of the Country is, at least once you get out of DC and Manhattan.

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