The Truth is the Wagon Train

There is a historical marker in east Texas. It records that in 1842, one John McGarrah brought his family to Texas and settled there, founding the town of Buckner. Soon a church was built, then a school, then a trading post -- indications that neighbors had settled nearby. Four years later, on July 4, 1846, John McGarrah and his neighbors elected their first public officials and opened a post office. The marker captures the story of civilization, the progression from solitary initiative to social cooperation. First the prime family unit; then the wagon train; then the church and the school for worship and learning; then a trading post for the goods of survival and comfort; then local government for roads and public order; then the post office for communications with others; then a public holiday for celebration and recreation.

It is the story of a political culture that nurtures obligation, reciprocity, and trust.

Yet, many in our society today believe in and promote the myth of John Wayne. It is the fuzzy myth surrounding the embodiment of the rugged individual as savior of the West, and by extension the role of society in the life of the individual. It is the belief that I can go it alone, with my gun and half a reason to use it; I don't need a government that "comes at me".

The truth is the wagon train: if we don't get there together, we won't get there at all.

This is the truth for our society today.