Friday, May 6, 2011

God Bless America

"I’ve always believed that this blessed land was set apart in a special way, that some divine plan placed this great continent here between the oceans to be found by people from every corner of the Earth who had a special love for freedom and the courage to uproot themselves, leave homeland and friends, to come to a strange land. And coming here they created something new in all the history of mankind–a land where man is not beholden to government, government is beholden to man."

President Ronald Reagan considered America to be a divine experiment, a country set apart from other nations.  Here in the United States we have the freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, and the freedom of religion. We are the only country in the world with these bragging rights. 






This is what I believe sets our country apart. We used to be the most feared and most respected nation in the world. We held the reins of power and the rest of the world understood that. In 1986, Reagan had no problem ordering the bombing of Tripoli as a retataliation for terrorist attacks against US soldiers. 

Today, 25 years later, such an order would never be given. As a country, we have forgotten how to carry the big stick. The current administration is convinced that diplomacy is the answer for nearly every international crisis and a state dinner with China can end decades of international conflict. 


As Americans, we are held to a higher standard. This country is expected to rise up and set the example for older nations founded on lesser principles. Even in the last generation, however, we have stepped away from the basic guidelines of responsible government and allowed ourselves to become blinded by greed and a sense of self entitlement. In just the last 10 years, we have borrowed more than tripled the national debt compared to America's entire history combined. 


As Americans, we feel entitled to free health care, free housing, free food, and government sponsored education. We expect congress to pay our rent rather than maintain the laws we elected them to protect. 




Regardless of your religious or political affiliations, Americans must realize that we are unique. There has never been a country like ours before. We are a new nation, and with this rebirth comes a grave responsibility.