THANKFUL FOR...

George Offerman

There is much to be thankful for and it seems to be the time of the year to look at those things. We can start with the fact that God has allowed another day in which the world has not fallen apart. It seems we may have a much calmer world than we deserve, but nonetheless, things could be a lot worse than they are.

I am personally thankful for having been born and living in the greatest country to have ever existed in the history of the world. I know there are many problems with America, but we have done things as a country that has been unprecedented in world history. There are too many people ‘bashing’ this country that either don’t know about our heritage, or are more interested in getting something for nothing, and want to ‘confiscate’ the labor of those, in Al Gore’s words “who lady luck smiled upon”.

I can’t do a whole lot about the latter, but the former needs to be reviewed, and I include myself in that review. Our founding fathers risked their lives, liberty and fortunes to follow a dream. It primarily started around imposed taxes by the King of England at that time and the colonies had no representation at that time. Similar to the people of today, the founding fathers wanted the ability to live life on their terms, and did not believe the king had a right to confiscate their labor, basically for nothing in return, and having no say in the matter.

Regardless of what one wants to say, the founding fathers were believers in God, and the declaration of independence reflects this in four places.

When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

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 among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do.

And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.
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This country is worth fighting for, and we should be thankful, but also committed to keeping this dream alive. It may mean being ‘politically incorrect’ but it is time to take back our country and make it once again, the land that God has blessed. No one should be forced to worship God, but on the other hand, a minority should not have the right to silence the majority simply because they feel inconvenienced or uncomfortable. We have our heritage and it ought to be honored as the people who pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor envisioned.