By Rick Manning
The play Man of LaMancha was inspired by Miguel de Cervantes’ masterpiece, Don Quixote. In the play, Don Quixote takes up a quest where he battles windmills that he perceives as dragons, declares a local woman who works at a tavern as his princess who he serves as her knight champion.
It is a story of honor played out among the absurd.
Even with Ted Cruz and Mike Lee’s vindication through the failed Obamacare rollout, many in D.C. still perceive their effort as little more than tilting at windmills. I see it differently.
Like many people, I used to sing in the shower as a kid. Unlike many, my favorite song was the soaringly hopeful, determined and inspirational “Impossible Dream” from Man of LaMancha. The lyrics by Joe Darian express the valor of unflinchingly taking on the seemingly impossible fight. As I think of the Obamacare battle, I can’t help but recall those words.
To dream … the impossible dream …
To fight … the unbeatable foe …
To bear … with unbearable sorrow …
To run … where the brave dare not go …
To right … the unrightable wrong …
To love … pure and chaste from afar …
To try … when your arms are too weary …
To reach … the unreachable star …
This is my quest, to follow that star …
No matter how hopeless, no matter how far …
To fight for the right, without question or pause …
To be willing to march into Hell, for a Heavenly cause …
And I know if I’ll only be true, to this glorious quest,
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm,
when I’m laid to my rest …
And the world will be better for this:
That one man, scorned and covered with scars,
Still strove, with his last ounce of courage,
To reach … the unreachable star …
Those who fought to end Obamacare embody these principles of courage and leadership. Willing to march into hell for a heavenly cause, that one man, scorned and covered with scars still strove with his last ounce of courage, to reach… the unreachable star.
There are those that say there is no room in D.C. for those who believe in principles and are unwilling to back down from them.
I say, there is no room in D.C. for those who have no principles that they are willing to fight for even against overwhelming odds.
And that is the great divide in D.C., those who are willing to fight for the right without question or pause against those who are not.
Rick Manning (@rmanning957) is vice president of public policy and communications for Americans for Limited Government.
