In 1920, while campaigning for the office of president, Warren G. Harding said in a campaign speech, "America's present need is not heroics, but healing; not nostrums, but normalcy." That is where America finds itself today. "America: Standing Strong," brings together investigative reporters, scholars, scientists, medical professionals, and an endless string of quotes from respected voices across the spectrum to examine the events of recent years, not what we already know, but what we may not, or have yet to acknowledge, in our quest for reformation. A wave of mental exhaustion has swept across America beginning with the extreme political polarization, the pandemic that has taken thousands of lives, the shutdown of the economy and jobs lost, the Black Lives Matter movement followed by racial uncertainty, the 2020 election, and the false allegations that the election was rigged, the January 6 insurrection of our capital, supply chain shortages, high prices on just about everything, and climate changes that have led to droughts, violent storms, and out of control fires. All have coalesced into one of the most cataclysmic periods in recent memory and have left a lasting impact on our society to the point that no one knows what to believe or who to trust anymore. Along with all the ugliness, divisiveness, anger, and negativity in recent years, there's been overwhelming noise coming from an endless flow of misinformation and wild conspiracies. It's everywhere, often inflicting confusion, pain, fear, and serious consequences for all Americans. "America: Standing Strong" presents an in-depth examination of what went wrong and how we can once again move forward.
