Can American Exceptionalism Last?
What is American exceptionalism? Is it ‘All men are created equal’? Is it capitalism and prosperity? Freedom of speech? Land of the free, home of the brave? Rule of law? Free and fair elections? Is America exceptional because a major factor in its founding started with religious freedom?
I believe America is all that and so much more. Another thing, for me, America is ‘home’. My heart is here.
I bet you believe America is exceptional. And why not? There’s never been another country like it. I’ve always felt very blessed to be born in America. I don’t take for granted the gifts of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The current immigration/border issues forcefully remind us that millions of people from all over the world believe America is the best place to live.
I’m proud to be an American! Those words, and Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA”, bring tears to my eyes. For that matter, the Pledge of Allegiance and the Star Spangled Banner do too. Click the link above to hear this outstanding rendition of the song.
“What is patriotism? We all know what it is. It is love of country. It is pride in what a country stands for and was founded on. It is the full-throated expression of that love and that pride.” For the full article, click Peggy Noonan, 12/9/1998
Now Is the Time for All Good Men to Come to the Aid of Their Country
No, really, it is.
This sentence, originally used as a typing exercise, could be the new American battle cry, the new ‘Rebel Yell’
For centuries people have been pushed to the brink of mutiny and beyond by incompetent captains, unkind kings, lascivious leaders, and dubious dictators. Sensibilities be damned, the ruling class has its own rules. The common man, the average citizen, is always caught between the 24/7 rock and hard place job of survival and mediocrity, while the more privileged among us have the luxury of time to speculate. Their money does their talking, and money rules.
For the full article , click John Kushma, July 12, 2017
Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country
Suddenly, it seems a very important call to arms, so to speak. The United States as founded is certainly under attack; that has been true almost from the beginning. It began in earnest with the election of Abraham Lincoln and his intent to end slavery. The racists hated Lincoln easily as much as our left hates Trump and for pretty much all the same reasons. Clearly, it is the left today that values skin color and sexual orientation over any and all other human characteristics.
Today we find ourselves, the whole of the American populace, under attack by a vicious, anti-American left that is totalitarian by nature. These are the folks who would kill free speech, impose wealth redistribution, punish white people for being born white, and promote LGBT and trans issues as if they accounted for half the population.
And the most egregious aspect of the left today is that they feel entitled to cheat to win. … Bottom line? The country is under attack, and all good men and women do need to come the aid of their nation.
For the full article, click Patricia McCarthy, December 16, 2020
Now is the Time for All Good Men to Come to the Aid of Their Country
Joseph Loconte… also a Believer, and his message is spot on: now is the time not to shrink from the responsibilities of citizenship but to grasp them fully.
He puts it much more elegantly than I:
"The new conventional wisdom is that the greatest threat to American democracy is the person who believes that there are universal, transcendent truths, that these truths are embedded in human nature, and that they are meant to govern human life and human societies. The people who hold such views, people of faith, are now called extremists.
It will take those courageous enough not only to know their history but to learn from it, and then decide to take part in the grand restoration of the republic: "If we hope to bear witness to the truths of the gospel in our generation, for the sake of our neighbors and our nation, then we must choose sides in this battle for hearts and minds. Moderation and neutrality are not options, for both involve a retreat from responsibility. Both would allow the dark forces of this world to gain ground."
For the full article, click Bob Adelmann, Feb 18, 2013
Is America Still the ‘Shining City on a Hill’?
… in my mind it was a tall, proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, wind-swept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace; a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity. And if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. That's how I saw it, and see it still.
For the full article, click David Frum, Jan 1, 2021
Did you notice the dates of the articles? These symptoms of America’s downward trend have long been noticeable. We have been deaf to these warnings. America, and all it stands for, is in danger. God is with us. Never forget. Never give up. The time to take action is now!
American Exceptionalism with Nick Adams (43-minute video) One of Nick’s best-selling books is “Retaking America.”
We are failing America.
For whatever it is worth, the Declaration of Independence has weathered every storm for 245 years. It birthed a great nation. It abolished the sin of slavery. While we have failed the ideals of the Declaration time and again, I know of no time when the ideals have failed us. The Declaration of Independence establishes a moral ideal that we as citizens are duty-bound to uphold and sustain. We may fall short, but our imperfection does not relieve us of our obligation.
- Justice Clarence Thomas
It is when people forget God that tyrants forge their chains.
- Patrick Henry
Consider what Samuel Adams said about patriots. “If ever a time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in Government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin.”
- Samuel Adams
French diplomat and political scientist Alexis de Tocqueville said when he came to America, “America is great because America is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”
The quotes above are timeless. Take heart; be encouraged. Stand up, speak up, take action.
Until next time…
Please share your thoughts in the comments. Or email me, and let’s have a problem-solving conversation. I welcome ‘letters to the editor’ type emails and may publish yours. I hope we can create a caucus with positive, back-to-the-founders’-dream-for-America results. Have a topic you want to know more about?
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Thanks again for reading! I’m glad you’re here!