Thursday, May 31, 2012

The Making of an American


I have been pondering what it means to be American.  From the time I could think in a cognitive fashion, I have been proud to be an American.  I knew in the core of my being that I lived in the greatest country on earth.  My countrymen where honorable and true and our leaders were fearless and just.  Americans were the "knights in shining armor" of two world wars and they conducted themselves in a manner befitting our princely nation.  My heart swelled with pride and thanksgiving knowing I was a child of the great United States.

What is it that I loved about my native country?  I loved that our citizens were fiercely independent.  I loved that we were willing to sacrifice personal comfort in order to do the right thing.  I loved that we were a country of principle and character.  I loved that we could make do with anything and thrive in any circumstance.  I loved that we would rather go without than burden someone else with our problems.  I loved the fact that we made a stand for right and hated wrong.  I loved the fact that we cared about our fellow man more than we cared about ourselves.  I loved the fact that we were more concerned with disciplining ourselves than policing everyone else.  I loved the fact that we rewarded achievement and punished evil.  I loved the fact that we were willing to work hard for what we wanted.  I loved the fact that we had the strength of character to succeed when the odds were against us.  I loved being an American.

I am still proud to be an American.  I still see the best in us.  But I see the worst too.  I see people who would rather take than give.  I see leaders who would rather be served than to serve.  I see good being called evil and evil being called good.  I see a people who have lost their dignity, willing to accept handouts rather than resolutely making their own way.  Americans are being replaced.  We are being replaced by impostors - haters of the American way.

It's not too late.  We can reclaim our heritage - our country.  It starts with you.  It starts with me.  It starts by throwing off the shackles of an over-reaching government.  Get off welfare, get off WIC - be too proud to accept the state's handouts and be bound by their chains.  Do the hard things.  Be willing to suffer, work hard and make your own way.  Don't blame the economy, the government or your parents.  Find that inner strength and rebuilt your nation.  Embrace good and shun evil.  Stand up for what you believe in, no matter what the cost.

It starts with you.  It starts with me.   We are the making of an American.

14 comments:

  1. I tell my grandchildren that they WILL have to make their own jobs. Get a needed skill, learn it and build their own way.

    We need to get our backbone back.

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  2. Excellent post as always. So true!

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  3. I have had so many people ask me why I'm not on WIC...including my own parents, which really kind of shocked me. My dad said "I've been paying into that system for years. I'd like to know someone I cared about was benefitting from it." I understand that, and goodness knows, with three babies in six years, while my husband was in graduate school (which, believe me, put us WAY below the poverty line even without babies) we certainly could have used the help. But I've never been comfortable with the idea, and I'm proud to say that we have not taken help from the Federal government. It's nice to know there are people out there who understand (and approve), rather than just thinking I'm stubborn and too proud for my own good. When did THAT become the American attitude?? That if you won't take a handout the government strong-armed from other people, you're arrogant? So sad!

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  4. As Teddy Roosevelt would say:

    Bully!! Good Stuff!!

    I will always, although disabled, be a Veteran willing to stand and fight for America, as I did for over 20 years.

    Thanks for sharing.

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  5. My Dad died when I was 14, and my Mom never went on any sort of assistance, and I never felt the lack(at that time-1976-there was a stigma attached to receiving any sort of public assistance as well). I picked up deposit bottles for money(laugh if you will, but I made more than I would have flipping burgers, and in less time-all I had to do was ride my bike around and pick them up off the sides of the road..In one summer, I saved up enough to buy a TV and new bike-1976 prices-in addition to having some saved back and pocket money).
    The decent and honorable Americans far outweigh the parasites-at least in my experience. That may seem to not be the case at times, because the parasites just make more noise and get noticed.

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  6. Your posts are always so good. I too can remember have always being proud to be an american. For all the reasons that you stated. I also loved that it was and is a God fearing nation. The pilgrams consecrated this land to God and the government was founded on the bible because they loved him and wanted to be free to worship him. God will not abandon those that love him. I do believe we are in the beginnings of the third great awakening. America is under attack right now, but she will stand and be glorious once again. The enemy is defeated, God is exalted and Jesus is Lord. God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ will honor those that honor him. Remember Abraham's conversation with God when the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was eminate?

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  7. From your post: " I see a people who have lost their dignity, willing to accept handouts rather than resolutely making their own way. Americans are being replaced. We are being replaced by impostors - haters of the American way."

    Are disabled people without dignity, then?

    I have been a longtime reader and fan of your blog up until now, but your statement smacks of self-righteousness. May you never find yourself in straits or married to a man who has become disabled...not ALL who receive a helping hand are lazy leeches who do not love God and our country.

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    1. Please accept my humble apologies. I don't for a moment believe that all people that are handicapped are leaches. Heaven forbid! The people I am referring to are people that are perfectly capable of working and choose not to. I, unfortunately know a number of people who this applies to. However, I have also know "disabled" people who are truly challenged, that work even though it costs them greatly.

      I absolutely believe in helping those who are in need. God calls us to care for one another. I do not feel compelled to pay for drug addicts, criminals and basic degenerates. Those are the people of whom I speak.

      And just so you know - I have been in dire, desperate straights. I have fed my baby powdered milk because I couldn't afford formula, had my power turned off and even had my car repossessed - and through it all, I made it without govt. assistance. I walked to work. I used old dish towels as diapers and I didn't eat so I could buy powdered milk for my child. I do not speak from an Ivory Tower.

      May God bless your family as you rely on Him.

      Enola

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  8. Delight - if you have been a longtime reader of this blog, I dont know how in the world you would think, even for one second, that Enola was referring to anyone other than those who could work but choose not to.

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  9. Enola,
    Your posts are always right on the target. Disabled people certainly should have assistance and help; however, it was clear that you were speaking of those who are lazy and have an attitude of entitlement.
    May God bless your family abundantly as you bring forth truth and stand firm in following His guidelines. I check your blog everyday and always enjoy your posts.

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  10. Enola,
    Those of us who really have been following you for a long time, know that "Deelight" has not been truthful. Anyone who has read your blogs for any length of time knows that you believe in helping those who cannot help themselves. The Bible firmly states that those who WILL NOT WORK, will not eat, not those who cannot work. I also know that there are many out there who could work, but will not because it is easier to get the "free" money. Many use their "disability" as an excuse to be lazy and I for one despise my money being stolen from my family under threat of law and given to those freeloaders. I believe it was Thomas Jefferson who said that forced charity, is not charity at all.
    Paintedmoose

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  11. Thank you for your honesty as always....
    Love from NC

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  12. Alas, Enola, those days of honor, integrity, morality, I believe, are gone.
    A figment of a time past when people did work together with a sense of community and caring. When the Holy Scriptures meant something and students were taught right from wrong from it.

    Today the Ten Commandments are being removed from every vestige of our nation because people, including politicians, want them removed because they don';t like looking at what convict's them of their sin.

    We have a culture that rewards immoral and aberrant behavior at the expense of morality. As you said we honor evil over good.

    We have a generation of people who show little regard or respect for their elders, and for the unborn. When we devalue one form of life, we soon devalue all forms of life.

    I am NOT proud of the way I see America going. I am greatly ashamed of the arrogance and immoral decisions of our president and our political "leaders" who put their pocketbooks and a very anti-American, Marxist agenda before they honor America and those who pay their salaries by voting for such anti-American laws - Agenda 21 for example and Obamacare that has nothing whatsoever to do with healthcare.

    I am ashamed of a "leader" who panders to our so-called "enemies" when we have troops on the ground fighting for our freedoms and then dishonors a whole country with "mis-speak" as his recent comments to the people of Poland.
    A "leader" who one day says he is a Christian, then other days he says he is a Muslim! And we have gone against our own Constitution by electing this president who is ashamed to show hiw birth certificate!!

    We deserve what we get in my estimation.

    When people worship a human god, with tears running down their cheeks, hands raised and eyes closed in worship of their messiah who will "put gas in my cars and pay my mortgage" and who they think will bring about "change" but never understand what that change will be, we are no different than those in the bible who wprshipped gods made of wood, stone. Those nations were also destroyed! As were the people who worshipped false gods.

    We have an American public, today, without a backbone to stand up for what is good and right and moral because we have been silenced into complacency.When we do take a stand, like the Veteran's, Tea Party, pro-llife, Christian, we are called "terrorists". That should not be but it is.
    Pat

    We have devolved into a nation

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