I recently addressed an enthusiastic crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference on a concern that has been growing in my mind. I call it the “crisis of legitimacy,” and by that, I mean the growing distrust of people in our legacy institutions. Institutions such as the media, academia, medicine, and even the government itself.
At our country’s founding, our forefathers’ understood that political power comes from the consent of the governed and that sovereignty doesn’t belong to any official or institution — it lies in the people itself. Today, this notion often seems to have been entirely abandoned.
Just think about what is happening. Our military is facing recruitment shortages because it is more interested in woke politics than in defeating our enemies and securing our homeland. Our education system has been taken over by radicals who push partisan ideologies like diversity, equity, and inclusion, critical race theory, and transgenderism. At the same time, our children no longer adequately learn basic reading, math, or civics.
Our borders are wide open. Millions of people are coming across the U.S.-Mexico border without identification. Some are surely terrorists, spies, human traffickers, or cartel members.
Inflation is causing continued hardship while our leaders push insane environmental policies like the Green New Deal and mandatory electric vehicles.
Meanwhile, the rule of law is in deep trouble. Prosecutorial decisions from the Justice Department seem driven by politics. Violent crime is exploding in our inner cities, and the government stands by and lets it continue.
Much of the media presents partisan opinion as objective reporting.
It just seems like nothing works anymore. Our public transit is unusable; our streets are full of homelessness, litter, and filth.
On top of it all, we have a president who doesn’t seem to know where he is half the time. Everyone can see it; he struggles to make it through a sentence, he forgets simple details, and a special counsel recently determined he wasn’t even mentally aware enough to stand trial! The incompetence starts at the top.
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Nevertheless, when I meet with patriotic people from all walks of life, I cannot help but have hope. We must stay true to our foundational values and rely on God’s divine providence. I am confident that America’s best days are still ahead.
Together, we can become that storied “shining city upon a hill” once again — and secure the blessings of liberty to our children and grandchildren for generations to come.
Dr. Ben Carson is the Founder and Chairman of the American Cornerstone Institute.