National Perspective: Re-examining the value of studying history

We have just heard the president's State of the Union address. It was delivered in a fraught time by a man freighted with responsibility. He hit the right notes and struck the right tone. We have domestic differences, to be sure, but we are united in our disdain for Vladimir Putin, his expansionist impulses, his delusional view of history. Men and women of both parties generally applauded at the appropriate times. It was the sort of American moment that is rare in today's America.

The invasion of Ukraine has had many effects on us. It has caused us to reflect on the nature and value of freedom at a time when both are contested because of the spread of the coronavirus and the controversies about mask and vaccine mandates. It has prompted us to think about the role of government and elections at a time when the integrity of both have been challenged like never before, or at least since the onset of the Civil War. It has moved us to examine our views of what is a civil society and how we can build one together while retaining our separate views on the issues of the day.