April 19, 2020

“THESE are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated”  -Thomas Paine, The Crisis  published 1776-1783

Comment by Calleo: The first sentence in this quotation is cited often and repeated in many popular culture references i.e. movies, television shows, and other media. The gist of the whole quotation is often paraphrased and eluded to without a true appreciation and evaluation of it’s character and allusions. If you take the time to read the whole paragraph you should notice a few things. 1) It is couched in the language of its time, 2) It is not overtly political, although it mentions terms like “patriot” and “tyranny,” 3) Its hopeful message can apply to a variety of situations not just politics, revolutionary war, and religion. In my opinion, it is an affirmation that applies to our COVID-19 crisis because it’s overall message is a calling to face the challenges of the day and to value FREEDOM and not to cheapen it by lamenting our daily struggles. Certainly we can all identify with our respect and yearning for freedom as some of us have spent considerable times in our apartments and homes.