Posted by
Gretske on Friday, June 08, 2007 6:02:52 AM
Ronald Reagan, the greatest president of the 20th Century, called America, a "shining city on the hill" for the rest of the world. He was completely right about this. Now, don't get me wrong, America is not perfect, far from it, but we are still the best that the world has to offer, and the hope for all humanity.
Now, you have probably guessed by now that I am an American through and through. I bleed red, white and blue. "Oh no!" you may say. "Another of those despicable super-patriots."
I may be despicable, and I may even be a super-patriot, but let me explain why.
On Memorial Day, the
day when Americans remember those who have died in service our country, I had the honor of being present when over 200 Army
recruits were sworn in by battalion commander, LTC Charles Heatherly.
Also present were two members of the Easy Company Band of Brothers. LTC
Heatherly reminded the new soldiers that were swearing to uphold and
defend the Constitution of the United States, not a flag, not the
President, not even the nation itself, but the founding document of our democracy.
It reminded me of a conversation I had with a professor of engineering from the Nizny Novgorad
Technical University in Russia several years ago. In the US on a green
card, he was a former cold warrior, having developed submarine weapon
systems for the Soviet Union. In broken, heavily accented English, one day he expressed to me more eloquently than I have ever heard, why he thought the United States is unique among
nations of the world. He said that our country is founded on a principle,
freedom, where other nations are based on ethnicity, a religion, a
language, a geography or some other exclusionary criteria.
Heatherly underlined this for me, and reminded me how powerful
that principle is, that people are willing to unselfishly sacrifice
themselves for freedom. We are truly the shining city on the hill, and it is time we start believing that again, and acting like it.
I am truly full up to here with all the political crap! Enough
is enough already. It is time that we come back together
again as Americans, and forget all the political arm wrestling. It is time for America show its commitment to liberty, and the courage to fight for it.
This
site is dedicated to those who have the intellectual
honesty to put the best interests of their country
ahead of their petty, self-serving partisan interests.