Happy Birthday America!
Have we lost the appreciation we have for this country and what it took to make us a country.. To have the freedoms we have.. To be the greatest nation on the planet!
America’s birthday (4th of July), according to John Quincy Adams, and Christmas (birth of Christ) were intrinsically connected. He went on to imply that on the 4th the Founders simply took the precepts of Christ and incorporated those principles into civil government.
The Founders understood that for America to survive it had to have a solid code by which it functioned and existed. It had to have a moral compass and guide. But who’s? And what kind?
The French? No, that was a monarchy and tyranny. The Spanish? More of the same. The Brits? That’s what they were running away from. The Germans? Who?
They wanted freedom for man. None of these provided that. The ultimate power was in a King, a man. That’s not what they wanted. They wanted freedom for the citizenry to choose their leaders, their way of life, their religion, to start or not start a business, to celebrate or not celebrate Christmas or any other holiday! Complete freedom!
The America my grandparents came to live in, the one my mom came to live in, the one I saw those many immigrants that came to the Italian North End of Boston to work and start their own business in is no longer here. Now for clarity, many of the immigrants I have spoken with over the last years say America is still much better than where they came from, but that even they have seen freedoms erode since arriving.
Great presidents have understood how the Constitution worked and usually reached out to all parties. Reagan and Tip O’Neil worked together, Clinton and Gingrich did too, and they got things done. It was not uncommon for those presidents to call the speaker of the house and others over to discuss working through these issues with both sides giving and taking to come up with a solution.
Happy Birthday America? Only if that means we go back to a free market not one propped up by over $80 billion a month infused by the Fed. Happy Birthday America? Only if that means we back off the EPA, IRS, NSA to name a few! Happy Birthday America? Only if that means we go back to a 3 branch government.
In the words of Ben Franklin: (speech at continental congress)
“Mr, President: The small progress we have made after four or five weeks close attendance & continual reasonings with each other our different sentiments on almost every question, several of the last producing as many noes as ayes, is methinks a melancholy proof of the imperfection of the Human Understanding….” “…..In the beginning of the Contest with Great Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayer in this room for Divine protection Our prayers, Sir, were heard, & they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a superintending Providence in our favor. To that kind Providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity.” “And what is worse, mankind may hereafter from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing Governments by Human wisdom and leave it to I chance, war and conquest. I therefore beg leave to move that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessing on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the clergy of this city be requested to officiate in that service.”
In the words of Ben Franklin… Let’s not look to human wisdom, but ask for Divine Providence to strengthen this country…
Happy Birthday America? I hope so! Only God knows.
