It was Einstein who said the difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits. If you swing the pendulum too far, at best, you mitigate the legitimacy of your cause and, at worst, you bring out the crazy. 

Remember when Harvey Weinstein’s despicable criminal behavior was finally outed? In his mind, neither rules nor societal norms apply to him. Like you, I watched story after story of too many victims, wishing I was on the jury to cast my guilty verdict. However, at some point, I saw other purported victims slide in under the same umbrella, those who were jumping on the bandwagon with little or no legitimacy other than publicity. When probed for facts, little existed. This simply undermines the (too) many with clearly legitimate grievances.

Who among us does not embrace and support the desire for equality? However, as I’ve stated in previous columns, while some contend that they seek equality, actually they want preferential treatment. Even further, some who contend they seek equality and state a desire for preference, actually what they seek is revenge. Let’s extrapolate and consider what happens when those seeking revenge outnumber the “others.” In a democracy, they will elect those who create policies that will make them whole and further the divisiveness throughout our society. Just think, what other country has two Independence Days and two national anthems? If your great, great, grandfather did something to my great, great, grandfather, I’m not certain why you would owe me money or privilege. Yet our taxpayer-funded school system furthers this narrative of guilt. I have an idea: how about our school system returns to teaching our children “how” to think as opposed to “what” to think? I have some very smart grandchildren; in fact, many of them. After too many entertaining but, at times, frustrating debates, I have invoked a new family rule: “Don’t tell me what you heard, tell me what you think.” If the school system won’t do it, I will at least attempt.

So far, these are observations shared to some extent in previous columns, which brings me to today as the insanity continues its escalation. To explain what triggered my current rant, remember I come from an extensive military family. Extensive as in father, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, mother-in-law, and father-in-law. As an aside, during a recent trip to Dallas, I had lunch with my totally functioning 101-year-old WWII Veteran mother-in-law. Our family has paid our price from WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam. We incurred debilitating injuries from bullets all the way through the ravages of Agent Orange. In fact, my father did not work for the first few years of my life due to the combat injuries that he carried through life. As a result, this placed my early years in public housing. Yep, I stand for the national anthem and remove my hat! 

Recently, the Veterans Administration (VA) issued an edict to remove all photos throughout their facilities of that iconic photo of the sailor kissing the nurse in Times Square celebrating the end of the war. The VA’s position was it deemed the kiss “nonconsensual.” Enough already! 

The State of Pennsylvania was removing the statues of William Penn from the state parks under the rationalization that they were trying to create a more welcoming entrance. Wait a minute, wasn’t it William Penn, the Quaker, who embraced the foundation of nonviolence, pacificism and inclusion of all? I can’t envision a more welcoming reception by what I feel is “just the right person.” It appears many fighting for this hell-bent crusade to eliminate history didn’t pause to even understand that history.

We remove Christopher Columbus statues but do so in the most visible and most hurtful way. Specifically, they go right to the middle of the Italian neighborhoods with the media in tow. Think Little Italy of Chicago or South Philly. 

Then there is Robert E. Lee, leader of the Confederates. The righteous tear him down, eliminate his legacy. Are we really that arrogant that we can take today’s knowledge and information and judge yesteryear? My childhood discipline was at the end of a belt, but today, my dad would be in jail along with all the other dads of the era. You see, in my childhood, stupidity had consequences and those consequences were painful. How many know that         Robert E. Lee was a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point? 

Statues and memorials exist primarily to preserve history, some famous and others apparently infamous. Have we forgotten the caution of George Santayana: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”? Is the question not, why are they tearing down these statues, but rather, why are we allowing them to tear down the statues? 

So, the William Penn and V-J Day in Times Square decisions were reversed as the immediate blowback and the magnitude of such was severely underestimated. 

You see, as I opened this column, a pendulum or cause pushed too far has consequences. As those intent with a premeditation to provoke don’t understand, consequences are predictable. 

So, if we don’t curb the escalating insanity, we divide our nation even further. In this world of unrest, with America positioned as public enemy No. 1, we might be well-served to recall Benjamin Franklin’s caution: “We must all hang together, or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.” 

“The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” — Winston Churchill