America is the leader of the west.
Or at least, it once was.
We were born as a marvelous experiment in Democracy, in FREEDOM. We, the 1776ers built our country as THE CITY ON THE HILL, the bright, shining beacon welcoming all to enjoy these precious freedoms with the Pledge of Allegiance to protect, preserve and defend our precious constitution and our way of life.
We were built as a nation, one nation, indivisible, UNDER GOD with the promise of liberty and justice for all but America 2021 is nothing more then divided, deeply divided. We the people are polarized in virtually every aspect of our lives and our society. Instead of UNITED WE STAND, our motto should be divided to the core. We are anything but one nation.
We are weakened in virtually every aspect of our society. Our economy. Where the dollar once used to be the measure of financial stability, it is no longer. We pile debt upon debt and print money for anything and everything. Our military is nowhere near as strong, threatened as we are by China and Russia. We are culturally far different, Judeo – Christian standards mocked and ignored. Religion wanes, faith in the God of the universe, and especially the God of our Lord Jesus Christ crumbles daily. We are a house divided, and a house divided:
CANNOT STAND!
No matter the wars of the world, Continental America was never attacked. That was so until September 11, 2001. Then came Bin Laden and his minions and the World Trade Center twin towers were destroyed, as was much of the Pentagon in Washington D.C. We found it unbelievable for these incredible acts of terrorism had never happened to us before, NEVER. But we rallied. We became almost overnight UNITED, ready to defend, to protect and preserve all that we held dear. Some 4,000 of our fellow citizens perished. We rallied to their cause, their families, their aid and support and our President George W. Bush vowed to bring the killers to justice. There was a feeling of PATRIOTISM which America had not experienced in decades. We were ready to do whatever was required. America was the America it should be, the America of old, the America of 1776. In the midst of this incredible disaster, the 9/11 massacres, America was:
PATRIOTICALLY BORN AGAIN
But that renewed Patriotism did not last long. It gave way to partisanship, ideological differences, deep societal divisions and rather than the patriotic love for country, an ever growing hatred for so much of what America stood for. There came about a more active socialism, something to replace democracy. Marxism reared its ugly head again. China and Russia emerged as ever growing threats to America, more each year in the past two decades. Iran and other terrorist African and Middle East nations flexed their aggressive muscles. Terrorism spread virtually everywhere. The world seemed never to have been more unsafe. There were wars and rumors of wars. America fought such wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and it seemed as though the world we knew in the year 2000 was now dramatically changed. At least America was.
But, who are we my fellow Americans? What kind of people are we and what kind of society, civilization and political orientation do we have. What is America today? And how shall we live, HOW?
I wonder if we are the descendants the people of 1776 who fought and gave their lives for the freedoms we enjoy today. I wonder whether we are freedom fighters, willing to fight with our lives for our freedoms.
I wonder what we really believe, what are our real priorities. I wonder what kind of government we want to have and how active and aggressive we will be in participating in that government. I wonder whether or not our Judeo – Christian values, the moral principles upon which this country was built, will endure and how meaningful they are. Is it not time, with the lessons of 9/11, of Patriot day in mind to ask straight forwardly:
WHO ARE WE?
We were leaders of the world, world watch dog empower. We were proud to be Americans and citizens the world over respected our country and WE THE PEOPLE. We honored our commitments, our WORD but today, America lives in the error of POST TRUTH where the lie abounds. We can no longer be trusted. We have abandoned Afghanistan and for the most part Iraq, military endeavors we undertook after 9/11. We have left thousands to die as terrorism spreads and rules. It is in many ways embarrassing to be an American for so many.
How good it would be for our country if that born again Patriotism were to be revived an become once again our way of life. If only Patriot day could awaken once again the spirit of Patriotism, love of Constitution, and an even deeper love of freedom, all of the freedoms we enjoy. A young American saved hundreds of lives when he and his cohort aboard a plane bent on sabotage and killing said to his fellow passengers:
LET’S ROLL
He and they gave their lives as the plane went down, saving hundreds of other lives and perhaps even the very White House of America itself. This man was willing to die for freedom. Are we? Are we willing to give our lives for the incredible life and lifestyle we now enjoy, are we? Patriot day asks that of us. HOW WILL WE RESPOND. What will we tell the world America is and what do we believe.
The real America would heed the call of President Thomas Jefferson who said so clearly that:
“The tree of liberty needs to refreshed by the blood of Patriots from time to time.”
And now is surely the time when that might happen if in fact we are determined to live free.
The lesson of 9/11 should be that we the people have a renewed hunger for freedom, that we have a far deeper appreciation of what freedom is, how fragile it is and what we must do to live free. Perhaps 9/11 allows us to once again adopt the slogan, the theme of the great revolutionary state of Vermont:
LIVE FREE OR DIE
I wonder if we are willing to die for freedom like they were, are we? Are we willing to lay our all on the alter for freedom to protect, preserve and defend our way of life, are we?
May it be so. Be willing, my fellow Americans, to do whatever it takes to preserve, protect and defend our beloved America.
For these precious freedoms once lost, are lost forever.