Why I’m glad to be an American!

Some of my friends think I’m crazy for being so optimistic and joyful during this juncture in America’s history. While they tell me it is time to pack up my guns and canned food and hide out at the ranch, I try to explain to them why this is a wonderful time to be a patriotic, liberty loving American.

If all you focus on right now is the damage being done by the socialists in Washington, D.C. or the loss of liberty taking place there, then you will be depressed and decide it is time to give up.

But if you step back from television and you look at our situation in the context of history, you will discover several very important lessons that should restore your optimism and joy.

First, our joy should remain regardless of the circumstances. This is virtually impossible for those with no faith because they only live in the here and now. It is, however, perfectly reasonable for those who have faith in God. Imagine how illogical it would be for President Lincoln to have any joy at all in the middle of the Civil War when our own countrymen were killing each other by the thousands.

“The Year that is drawing to a close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God… No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.”

Joy comes from knowing whose you are, not from where you are or the circumstances that surround you.

Second, there is nothing new under the sun. Even America, the greatest and most free nation in the history of the world, has never been composed entirely of liberty lovers. Our story, like any other nation, has included an ongoing battle between those of the socialist mindset versus those who believed in individual liberty. The difference in our story is that other than the first few years of Plymouth and Jamestown and during the first two years of the Obama presidency, socialism has been mostly beat back by the freedom lovers. The question that our generation must answer is whether we, like William Bradford, will learn from the obvious failures of socialism and return to limited government and individual liberty.

Think of the Pilgrims. They tried exactly what our current leaders are doing. They required everyone to put the fruit of their labor into the common stock and then let everyone take from it as they needed. The result was laziness, corruption, famine, and death. In 1623 Bradford gave each family a parcel of land and the colony switched from socialism to a free market. No longer were you punished for working hard and rewarded by not working at all. Now every able body person produced and the result was abundance. How much abundance? They exported corn in 1624 rather than starving.

Interesting how it took a couple of years of misery from the failed policies of complete socialism to wake up the people.

Think of the failed price fixing, micro-managing government policies of Ford and Carter in the 70’s and how that misery led the way for the Reagan Revolution of the 80’s. A partial turn to socialism for several years was enough to have at least a partial resurgence of free market principles.

For the past several decades we have been softly creeping towards socialism and remained asleep, but the full on socialist onslaught of the last couple of years has finally awakened the American people. And this brings us to our third lesson, which is where the optimism begins.

The Declaration of Independence clearly states that “mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to…provide new Guards for their future security.”

We the people may have been too busy enjoying the Blessings of Liberty to realize just how under attack liberty is, but over the last year we have shaken each other from our slumber. Not just a few, but literally millions of Americans have dedicated themselves to the cause of freedom and committed to exercise their right, their duty, to provide new Guards for their future security.

Our Founding Fathers had to create an entirely new government in order to exercise their rights and duty. But in so doing, they had the wisdom to design a system where you and I can revolt with ballots, not bullets. This system is not broke and this is not the time to run off to the hills. The system works, we just simply have to work it. Study our practical “The Constitution Alive: The Citizens Guide” to learn more about our system of government.

There will always be socialist minded people in any society whether it is only 100 people from the Mayflower or 300 Million fellow Americans. Socialism sounds so easy and so fair and it provides a mechanism for power hungry people to control others. There will always be those who push for it out of personal interests, whether because they want to control it or because don’t mind being controlled if they can be lazy.

The only way to protect our freedoms from the socialists is to work the system better than they do. We do that by educating ourselves and our neighbors, and each generation about the lessons already learned about socialism. If the schools will not do it, then we must do it ourselves. Then we take action through the electoral process, as well as influencing the legislative process. In other words, we simply live our freedom. It’s not complicated, not even that difficult.

And that is why I’m so optimistic. Because history shows us that socialism can be defeated, we can return to the principles of freedom, and Americans by the thousands are stepping up to do their part.

Some people prefer to live at a time when there are no struggles, but I believe we become our best when we are challenged and must rise to the occasion. As I travel across this great land sharing the principles of our freedom, I get to see America at her best. People are answering the call, refusing to lay down and give up, and accomplishing more for the cause of freedom than they ever dreamed possible.

Won’t you join us?