Blessed are the Peacemakers

US: 250 Years Later – Part 62: Guns

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In 1776, firearms occupied a practical place in everyday life as tools for hunting, protection, militias, and survival in a world with little centralized infrastructure or security. Two hundred and fifty years later, guns exist within a far more layered landscape of technology, politics, culture, identity, and public debate. This letter follows America’s changing relationship with firearms and asks whether the deepest question has ever truly been about weapons themselves… or about what people believe keeps them safe.

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US: 250 Years Later – Part 58: Gardening

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In 1776, gardens were not hobbies or decorative spaces. They were living systems of survival, medicine, labor, and community, woven directly into everyday life. Two hundred and fifty years later, gardening exists at the crossroads of sustainability, mental health, environmental stewardship, and personal meaning. This letter follows America’s changing relationship with gardening and asks why, even in a world of supermarkets and technology, people still feel compelled to kneel in dirt and help something grow.

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US: 250 Years Later – Part 43: Dueling

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In 1776, reputation could become more dangerous than a loaded pistol. Honor shaped politics, business, military life, and social standing so deeply that public insults sometimes escalated into formal duels. Two hundred and fifty years later, Americans rarely settle disputes at dawn with pistols, yet public conflict still thrives through media, platforms, and reputation battles. This letter follows America’s changing relationship with honor and asks whether modern society truly abandoned dueling… or simply changed the arena.

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Duck and Cover, Then and Now

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Dear Elementary School Teachers of My Childhood, We’re writing you this love letter from a place you might not expect – a place where the echoes of our old duck-and-cover drills have suddenly become vivid again. You taught us to hide under our desks, to cover our heads, and to wait out a threat that, … Read more

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