"And they entered into a covenant to fight for the liberty of the Nephites, yea, to protect the land unto the laying down of their lives; yeah, even they covenanted that they never would give up their liberty, but they would fight in all cases to protect the Nephites and themselves from bondage." -Alma 53:17 (emphasis added)
"...and he bowed himself to the earth, and he prayed mightily unto his God for the blessings of liberty to rest upon his brethren, so longas there should a band of Christians remain to possess the land...And he said: Surely God shall not suffer that we, who are despised because we take upon us the name of Christ, shall be trodden down and destroyed, until we bring it upon us by our own transgressions." -Alma 46:13, 18
Eleven score and sixteen years ago, this country was founded upon the ideal that all men are created equal, and that " the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them" to certain inalienable rights. Since then, many men and women have given their lives to the cause of maintaining this idea of liberty. Some fought and died for it on the fields of what is now the Eastern US. Others fought and died for it in the behalf of those who couldn't on the beaches of Normandy, and in the Pacific. Men and women marched on Washington, staged sit-ins and protests for liberty and equality during the civil rights movement.
Still others have fought for it in less recognizable ways. My parents were some of these; I was taught from a young age that it is a privilege to live in this country, and with that privilege come responsibilities, like serving in the community, voting, and working hard for the living I need. Above all, I was always taught to revere the men and women who pioneered the way, and who purchased my liberty with their own blood and sweat, and to love America with all my heart. We had a book/tape combination (now a thing of the past, I know) when I was small that sang a song to the effect of "Take your hat off and stand up when the flag goes by", because that's how you show your respect and love for America. It's one of those things from my childhood that's stuck with me.
I've made no bones in the past about my feelings regarding the current state of things. Today I was just as disappointed as ever. My dad, my two little sisters and I went to the parade by our house. We were late, and so we had to settle for a spot behind two rows of other people. My sisters were totally engrossed in getting candy, which left Dad and I, neither of whom are talkers, really. So, I mostly listened to the things people said around me. More than once, I heard complaints regarding the "lack of patriotism", or the "commercial nature of these entries". And yet, when the Classic Skating kids went by, it was all cheering and laughing, and when the several military floats went by? Utter silence. That might be interpreted as a good thing, but when the military colorguards went by with the flag, guess who the only two people standing in my sight were. If you guessed Dad and I, you got it. And it's not like these people around me were too young to know what they ought to be doing-most of them must have been in their late thirties at least. Add to that the conversation I had with my little sister on the walk home about why it is that no, stores don't always close today, because they can make money by being open, and lots of people don't get the day off, and you can see why I might be wondering if this is how the Founding Fathers would have us be celebrating their sacrifice.
The fact is, liberty may be something that every human being is entitled to, but it isn't something that comes automagically. Liberty has already cost the blood of thousands of young men and women, as well as the tears of their mothers and families. Freedom is not now, nor will it ever be free, because there is always someone looking to take it away. I think most of us understand that, but the problem I see is that everyone is looking for someone else to come and stand up for them. It's simply never worked that way. Want more patriotism at the parade? Stand up when the flag goes by. Shout "God bless America" and mean it. You want something? Go work your tail off and get it. That's always been the American Dream.
Don't get me wrong: I think America is still a great place to live, and there are a lot of people who are still trying to live the way I want to. Most of them are probably doing better than I am at it. I just think it's sad that today's meaning has been lost in the fireworks and commercialism. After all, it's not just physical freedom from bondage that the revolutionary war brought us-because of the spiritual liberties allowed in this nation (which, by the way, are rapidly being eroded, thanks to the fact that some people's sensitivities are offended by the fact that others might consider what they are doing "wrong", whether the Laws of Nature and Nature's God say that they are wrong or not) the Restoration of the Gospel could occur, allowing us freedom from the spiritual bondage of sin.
The fact is, we stand in many ways on the brink of losing the liberties (including the religious ones that were the motivation for the movement of most of the groups that colonized the early US, by the way) that so many have died for, simply because we've grown fat, and lazy, and complacent. We've reached a point where most people I know, when they're honest, know they ought to be doing something, but feel that they can't do enough. That's true--this problem is one that requires personal responsibility; it takes everybody (or at least at lot of people) standing up to fix a problem like this. So, let's start real simple: show some respect for the men and women who gave their lives so we could fly that flag. Take your hat off and stand up when it goes by you, and teach your kids to do so as well. Spend a little less time scoping out your place at the fireworks show, and a little more talking about why we have this holiday. Then, if things don't change, please complain to me.
"...and he bowed himself to the earth, and he prayed mightily unto his God for the blessings of liberty to rest upon his brethren, so longas there should a band of Christians remain to possess the land...And he said: Surely God shall not suffer that we, who are despised because we take upon us the name of Christ, shall be trodden down and destroyed, until we bring it upon us by our own transgressions." -Alma 46:13, 18
Eleven score and sixteen years ago, this country was founded upon the ideal that all men are created equal, and that " the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them" to certain inalienable rights. Since then, many men and women have given their lives to the cause of maintaining this idea of liberty. Some fought and died for it on the fields of what is now the Eastern US. Others fought and died for it in the behalf of those who couldn't on the beaches of Normandy, and in the Pacific. Men and women marched on Washington, staged sit-ins and protests for liberty and equality during the civil rights movement.
Still others have fought for it in less recognizable ways. My parents were some of these; I was taught from a young age that it is a privilege to live in this country, and with that privilege come responsibilities, like serving in the community, voting, and working hard for the living I need. Above all, I was always taught to revere the men and women who pioneered the way, and who purchased my liberty with their own blood and sweat, and to love America with all my heart. We had a book/tape combination (now a thing of the past, I know) when I was small that sang a song to the effect of "Take your hat off and stand up when the flag goes by", because that's how you show your respect and love for America. It's one of those things from my childhood that's stuck with me.
I've made no bones in the past about my feelings regarding the current state of things. Today I was just as disappointed as ever. My dad, my two little sisters and I went to the parade by our house. We were late, and so we had to settle for a spot behind two rows of other people. My sisters were totally engrossed in getting candy, which left Dad and I, neither of whom are talkers, really. So, I mostly listened to the things people said around me. More than once, I heard complaints regarding the "lack of patriotism", or the "commercial nature of these entries". And yet, when the Classic Skating kids went by, it was all cheering and laughing, and when the several military floats went by? Utter silence. That might be interpreted as a good thing, but when the military colorguards went by with the flag, guess who the only two people standing in my sight were. If you guessed Dad and I, you got it. And it's not like these people around me were too young to know what they ought to be doing-most of them must have been in their late thirties at least. Add to that the conversation I had with my little sister on the walk home about why it is that no, stores don't always close today, because they can make money by being open, and lots of people don't get the day off, and you can see why I might be wondering if this is how the Founding Fathers would have us be celebrating their sacrifice.
The fact is, liberty may be something that every human being is entitled to, but it isn't something that comes automagically. Liberty has already cost the blood of thousands of young men and women, as well as the tears of their mothers and families. Freedom is not now, nor will it ever be free, because there is always someone looking to take it away. I think most of us understand that, but the problem I see is that everyone is looking for someone else to come and stand up for them. It's simply never worked that way. Want more patriotism at the parade? Stand up when the flag goes by. Shout "God bless America" and mean it. You want something? Go work your tail off and get it. That's always been the American Dream.
Don't get me wrong: I think America is still a great place to live, and there are a lot of people who are still trying to live the way I want to. Most of them are probably doing better than I am at it. I just think it's sad that today's meaning has been lost in the fireworks and commercialism. After all, it's not just physical freedom from bondage that the revolutionary war brought us-because of the spiritual liberties allowed in this nation (which, by the way, are rapidly being eroded, thanks to the fact that some people's sensitivities are offended by the fact that others might consider what they are doing "wrong", whether the Laws of Nature and Nature's God say that they are wrong or not) the Restoration of the Gospel could occur, allowing us freedom from the spiritual bondage of sin.
The fact is, we stand in many ways on the brink of losing the liberties (including the religious ones that were the motivation for the movement of most of the groups that colonized the early US, by the way) that so many have died for, simply because we've grown fat, and lazy, and complacent. We've reached a point where most people I know, when they're honest, know they ought to be doing something, but feel that they can't do enough. That's true--this problem is one that requires personal responsibility; it takes everybody (or at least at lot of people) standing up to fix a problem like this. So, let's start real simple: show some respect for the men and women who gave their lives so we could fly that flag. Take your hat off and stand up when it goes by you, and teach your kids to do so as well. Spend a little less time scoping out your place at the fireworks show, and a little more talking about why we have this holiday. Then, if things don't change, please complain to me.
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