See U.S. stands for United States. But we are no longer united!
We are no longer... us.
We are a contrary, divided, backstabbing, self interested, selfish, self centered, me first kinda place.
We are no longer concerned with us as in YOU and me; No we are now only interested in the me part.
It's all about me! Me first, I don't care about you as long as I get what I want. who cares about everyone else. Me, ME, ME, Me, I, I, I, I...
Maybe we ought to disband the federal government entirely and throw the governing of the people to the individual states.
Give the states the status of being their own independent countries. Most of them are big enough!
I know this sounds cynical, but let's face it. the ideals the founding fathers were for, most in our current government seem to be against.
Freedom is a great example. The founders (except for Benjamin Franklin) all liked the idea of the bald eagle being a symbol for our country.
The Eagle soars over everything! It is free from all that fetters others. But of course people today are more worried about safety.
Will my kids be safe? How about me? when I get on a plane the authorities better make sure I won't get hurt/Hijacked/killed... But what about freedom?
What about the spirit that says,
"yeah I might be risking my life but at least I am free! I can pursue my dreams even though it might entail risk."
Well not anymore buddy... you gotta make sure it's safe or you can't do it.
I'm talking about the spirit that allowed Orville and Wilbur Wright to give us the chance to soar like the eagle.
It is the same spirit that let Lewis and Clark map the country when it was still wild.
The same spirit that, I believe, infused Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, Theodore Roosevelt, The pioneers, the Old west lawmen, and so on.
Without that spirit, how much more dull would history be? Oh not that I think history is dull.
Quite the contrary. History, especially American History, is full of awesome things. But if the people who made it so awesome had the same attitude we do today, then nothing would have gotten done. It would have been as exciting as wet toilet paper.
We would have never populated the west, made it to the moon, and we would have never had the guts to stand up and do what was right.
What is it to be united?
During the Revolutionary war they were united in defeating the British, (and again in 1812).
During the "Civil war" the states that remained united eventually agreed on freeing others (the slaves)
In the two World wars they were united against fascism and dictators who would commit genocide and "rule the world".
I have often heard the generation of my grandparents called the last great generation. Why is that???
It is because, when faced with adversity, they didn't wimp out, they didn't say "oh but we just want to be safe." they stood up and said,
"NO! NO more! this will not happen now! we are going to do what needs to be done! we are going to do what is right! and we will do no less than all we can for freedom!"
Right now I want to challenge my generation and all those younger than us. let us take the example of our grandparents and great grandparents! let us stop being so selfish! Let's stand up and say "NO! No more. it is time to do what is right and preserve our country as the founding fathers would have done (Indeed as they HAVE done.)
There is no excuse or reason not to.
Safety be "darned" what use is it to be safe in a pen waiting to be slaughtered? when we could be living free and wild soaring on the breeze.
Then when we Unite in that goal,Unite in the idea that we should strive together for what is right and good (not just what we can get out of it) maybe then we can be called the UNITED States once again.
To quote J.F.K. "Ask NOT what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."
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