Happy Birthday

  We are around two hundred and fifty years old, a relative baby as nations and civilizations go. But of all the great countries, both past and present, The United States of America still stands, as we did from our beginnings, as a beacon of freedom for all the world to see. This beacon shined so brightly, that it brought people from many different countries and cultures. Blessed from the beginning, as this new land offered hope, a new start, a dream of self rule, an exit from the ownership of any king, monarch, or country. A country for people, ruled by those people. In a word, Hope. A country of such size and opportunity, that we were almost a continent onto ourselves. Along with all of that seemingly endless land which started on the east coast against the shores of the Atlantic ocean, all the way west to the shores of the great Pacific ocean. We had, and still have an embarrassment of riches, an abundance of natural resources that made us of little, if any, need of any real help from anyone, a country that was truly self sufficient. But our real strength came not from the real estate and natural resources, but from the diversity of our people. People of every type came, and along with them, their best and their brightest. We took those individual gifts and knowledge from each, and each being the best strings and strands available from each, and wove them together, making the quilt of many colors that our people cover the land with. We have slept in peace and comfort under that blanket from day one, but now there are those who look to separate those individual strands and fray the edges of our blanket. 

  We were, and still are, a type of political experiment to see if a group of different nations and people could bond together as one, and look not only for their own good, but more importantly, look at it as what is best for the country as a whole, one country, one people. But this nation again, almost from day one, looked collectively out at the rest of the world as to their needs, and what if anything we could do to help. We were a protector of the weak militarily of course, but again, possibly because of that embarrassment of riches, America is always the first to come to the aid of those hurt by natural calamities like floods and earthquakes. We are always willing to provide food to the starving. Though we no doubt have made some mistakes along the way, we looked to correct them, learn from them, and move on. But even our most ardent haters when looking at the ledger of history, would be hard pressed to show that we did more harm than good. 

  American life has two sacred documents that are the reason for, and at the the heart of our success. The Bible as our guide to life, and the perfect law of our Constitution. But as the fall voting season comes around again, there is no place for the apathetic. For with this one, we the citizens must decide that what we have and who we are as a people and a nation is good and should remain, or, choose to allow a centralized form of government, one of the same type we ran from as we came to settle this land some two hundred and fifty years ago. Resist the forces who look to label you as being a black American, a white one, a male or a female, gay, straight, and so on. We are Americans, E Pluribus Unum, out of many, one. Reject those who look at our diversity as a weakness to be exploited, and vote to have this country live up to our creed, and that is, that we are one people, one people under God, the United States of America.  

  Happy Birthday America! Forgive it being a belated wish. Yesterday we celebrated our independence. In November, we will vote to keep it, or throw it away.