Renewing the American Spirit

Patriot Week begins on 9/11 and ends on 9/17 (the anniversary of the signing of the Constitution (Constitution Day)) and renews America’s spirit by celebrating the First Principles, Founding Fathers and other Patriots, vital documents and speeches, and flags that make America the greatest nation in world history. Many of current holidays have become overly commercialized or have lost their deeper meaning. We need to invigorate our appreciation and understanding of America’s spirit. This blog is dedicated to keeping the spirit of Patriot Week - and America - alive all year long.....

Monday, May 30, 2011

Memorial Day - Time to Renew the Spirit of America

The National Holiday Act of 1971 destroyed Memorial Day.  It did so by making it a floating day to ensure a 3 day weekend.  Memorial Day once served as solemn day to commemorate those who gave there last full measure of devotion to our republic.  Today it is an empty excuse for carpet and appliance sales.
We are the beneficiaries of hundreds of thousands of servicemen and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country.  Let us remember them, and let us renew our commitment to ensuring that that their sacrifices were not in vain. We need to deepen and renew the Spirit of America by defending our way of life, our Constitution, and our freedoms and liberties. 
I fear we will never reverse this trend of the commercialization of our civic calendar, which is why Patriot Week is so important.  We can honor our sacred dead by relearning our Founding First Principles and history, and ensuring that those in power do the same.
For more on our founding First Principles and history, visit:www.AmericasSurvivalGuide.com. for more Patriot Week, visit www.PatriotWeek.org.

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Jonathan’s and Washington’s Example: A Few Make All the Difference

“Perhaps the Lord will help us, because it is no more difficult for the Lord to grant victory through a few than through many.” 1 Samuel 14:6.

Jonathan, the son of King Saul, uttered these words to his armor bearer as the two alone proceeded to attack a small enemy outpost.  Within a few minutes they had slain 20 enemies, and the outpost panicked.  That panic lead to a full scale retreat of large army that vastly outnumbered the Hebrew forces led by Jonathan and Saul.  Israel proceeded to gain an enormous victory over their enemies.
Jonathan's courage foreshadowed the courage of our Founding Fathers and other great Patriots who have led the fight for freedom and liberty here and across the globe.  The British Empire should have overwhelmed the ragtag army barely held together by Washington (the indispensable man), but by perseverance and divine intervention, we won our freedom.  Likewise, we survived other threats by holding fast and true to our ideals - and each other - in the face of adversity.
When someone tells you that "it can't be done," you are outnumbered - remember Jonathan, and the Founding Fathers - you will be in good company.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Freedom is Not Free

On the 175th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, President Harry Truman remarked:

Some things have not changed at all since 1776. For one thing, freedom is still expensive. It still costs money. It still costs blood. It still calls for courage and endurance, not only in soldiers, but in every man and woman who is free and how is determined to remain free.

Indeed, President Truman's words continue to ring true today.  The challenge of American liberty lies at our feet.  We are responsible for its preservation - or demise.  That's why efforts like Patriot Week are so vital.  But so are so many other efforts to preserve our liberty - the wars, the soldiers, the treasure, the teaching. For all those working so hard to preserve our republic - I salute you. For the rest of you, get it together or lose freedom's last best hope. Truman was right - it takes every man and woman to keep our freedom.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

"It is not the critic who counts. . . The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena . . . ."

The Man in the Arena - April 23, 1910 - Theodore Roosevelt Speeches- Roosevelt Almanac


"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."
"Citizenship in a Republic,"
Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910