Alan S. Austin
Arizona Playwright • Writer • Poet
  

THE LANGUAGE OF LEADERS (3/27)

In the past, when it came to the sort of crisis we are in right now, leaders rose to the occasion. "...that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." "...we shall fight on the beaches, on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, ...we shall never surrender." "With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph -- so help us God." The language rose to meet history. The People heard. The People listened. They understood and made the sacrifices. Now our nurses, doctors, medical workers, and countless others, are going into the front line to confront this pandemic with few weapons to fight with and little armor and what do we hear? "I hope we can do this by Easter. I think that would be a great thing for our country, and we're all working very hard to make that a reality. We'll be meeting with a lot of people to see if it can be done. Easter is a very special day for many reasons. For me, for a lot of — a lot of our friends, that's a very special day. And what a great..." The language gives you the man.