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Ben Carson, The Washington Times

In 1831, Alexis de Tocqueville, the famous French historian, came to America to study our nation. Europeans and others were fascinated by the success of the fledgling nation, then barely 50 years old and already competing on the world stage. …

As isolated communities sprang up throughout the nation, they were able to thrive through innovation, industry and compassion. The “can-do” attitude involved hard labor, but also included a sense of responsibility for those, who through injury or other hardships, could no longer care for themselves. The spirit of caring, although diminished, remains an important part of who we are today.

Tocqueville was impressed by the fiery sermons that emphasized the word of God and not the social mores of the day. He concluded his American analysis by saying, “America is great, because America is good. If America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.” America was different because we openly acknowledged the role of God in our lives.

What is disturbing in the pursuit of goodness is the turning of a blind eye toward corruption, much like the Romans did before the fall of their empire. Episodes such as the Internal Revenue Service scandal should alarm all Americans, regardless of political affiliation. The fact that one party has characterized it as a “phony scandal” tells you a great deal about the loss of honesty in our society. … As we depart from our former values of decency, honesty, compassion and fairness, our status as a blessed nation will also be diminished. …

Fairness is a two-way street, and so is tolerance. If the majority refuses to fight for its rights while a vocal minority uses a compliant media to try to fundamentally change America, we will have only ourselves to blame.

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  Ben Carson, LIFE, Now is not the time to abandon American exceptionalism to a compliant media, WorldTribune.com