What Makes America Different AND Special?

February 20, 2014 by John Dunne 1 Comment

Today’s world is a very dangerous place. If you stop for a minute, clear your mind, and take an objective look at the world today, what do you see? You can see the spread of fascism, the spread of a mixture of communism / socialism / progressivism, and the spread of terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda (which now controls more territory than ever.) All these groups have different aims and ambitions, but they all share one common goal – they seek to dehumanize the individual and control YOU!

So where is the counter balance? Where are the next great freedom movements? When you look through history, you realize that movement for freedom starts and ends with AMERICA.  Simply put, there are no other freedom movements past or present that can compete with the founding of America. There have been many great revolutions in the world, but those countries seemed to take solace in being ruled by someone born within their own country. That is not freedom. It is replacing one ruler with another. Many of my American friends hold up Ireland as a great example of a freedom movement. Ireland was not a real freedom movement – they took English common law and replaced England with Ireland. The Irish people have always had a master. Before the revolution, it was the Crown of England; today, it is the Taoiseach Enda Kenny and a select few within his cabinet. America was different and followed a different path at the time of your founding.
It all started in July 1776 (depending on your view, it can be either the 2^nd or the 4^th July) when America declared their independence and said, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that amongst these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. These simple, truthful words should be self-evident to everyone. They altered not only the course of human events but challenged the perception of “rulers” and “subjects”. The founders spoke about returning to God’s and Nature’s law, which are everlasting, instead of man’s law or a Kings decree–which is deeply flawed and usually changes with time. However, the best was yet to come.
When America defeated the British, they had to discuss what path their collection of states would follow. Would they follow other nations and install a monarchy or some kind of parliamentary system? No, America decided to alter the course of history once more; and James Madison wasted no time in the Constitution letting everyone in America and the world know where the real power lay. It does not lie with a King or Queen or collection of people in a political party who have an elected majority; the real power in America lies in the hands of the first three words of your Constitution, “WE THE PEOPLE.” I hope that never changes.
Sadly, today, America has gone way off course. America is no longer a leader in the world for freedom and liberty, instead following other nations that view their people as subjects and as people to rule over. The Constitution is no longer viewed as that safety net for the individual, and today is violated on a daily basis. When your founders wrote the Bill of Rights, they included the rights of free speech, right to bear arms, and the right not to incriminate yourself. Ask yourself which constitutional right is more secure: any of these, or the 16^th amendment (which allowed the government to collect income tax)? If you want to really test the strength of a nation, ask which amendment is the least likely to be repealed. I would love to hear from people which amendment they think is more secure than the 16^th. Sadly, this highlights the problem with America today. America has stopped following God’s and nature’s law and has returned to the failed policies of man’s law, where nothing is sacred and everything is up for discussion.
While some might think American ideals are over, and freedom is nothing more than a bumper sticker, I still believe in America. I believe in America because of your history and everything you have achieved and overcome. America overcame the military superpower of the day at your founding, led the way in defeating Nazism and Communism, and has been the world leader in exploring everything from the swamp to the stars. I agree with Ronald Reagan when he said, “America truly is the last best hope for man on earth”. I never heard of the Chinese Dream, or the Russian Dream, or even the Irish Dream. Despite all your troubles, many around the world still would give everything they own for a chance at the America Dream, myself included.

I know many like to point to the history about societies crumbling from within; and I believe if America falls, the world as we know will end. I still believe in the greatness of the American people. I know if you wake up and realize the power that each of you possess and unite together over a set of principles, you can and will overcome this totalitarian utopian mindset and return to being a beacon of light and hope.
Photo credit: marsmet531 (Creative Commons)