A place where you are permitted to be successful provided you share an ever-increasing amount of that success with the masses of people that failed to achieve or have chosen to not even try.

A nation of citizens clutching to nothing more than “hope” that they will not be crushed by the massive debt amassed by the few to acquire and maintain political power at the expense of many.

A country perceived with such wealth that its citizens commonly choose to remain uninformed and uninvolved yet they still expect the entitlement of that wealth.

An unconcerned populace expecting a prosperous future while blatantly disregarding all perils since they have never proved ruinous before. Assurance is bestowed by the impression that government cares about its citizens more than itself.

The belief that a nation’s greatness is unmatched and endless was undoubtedly the prominent outlook of former world empires as each was in the grips of their own demise. It is an agonizing thought that we appear to be traveling down the very same road to mediocrity. We have arrived to the point in our country where capitalism is no longer the favored economic system, instead our Government is pursuing a socialistic agenda as the remedy for our current struggles. The degree of this transformation can be debated incessantly although it is incrementally progressing by the day. The unfortunate aspect to this is that we can look around the world and realize that socialism is where all great nations or empires have gone to die. It is sad that we choose to ignore the lessons of these other nations by following their same path with the absurd thought that we will do it better.

We are living in an era that we should all mark in our minds because it will be the period that transforms America as we know it. Every facet of our existence and our beliefs are subject to infringement as a “new” America is being mandated while questions linger regarding if it represents the prevalent sentiment of our citizens or not. The policies being implemented on our behalf over the next few years will significantly alter America’s future for better or worse. It is not realistic to assume that if things go wrong we can always recover later because the changes are so monumental as to make a future recovery extremely difficult. The obliteration of our Constitution may well be at hand thus removing the prominent obstacle to paving the way for integrating our nation into a world Government. It seems doubtful that our citizens are really aware of the true magnitude of the policy proposals and the consequences on their daily lives, or even worse they do not care. Most are certainly going about their days oblivious to the changes being made that will affect their lives so dramatically, which is often the case preceding so many tragedies in this world’s history. Americans will indeed notice the shift in the nation once it infringes on their lifestyles and impedes their freedoms and choices, but the damage will be extensive by that point. An uninformed or apathetic public is the means being exploited to reshape the nation as our Government executes its perceived mandate of control and our silence is their affirmation. The thought of what we are becoming is terrifying, and to know it is resulting from our own lack of engagement is disgraceful.

Why would anyone want to disclaim religion in our society as it appears so many are attempting? It seems that there is good reason to keep religion alive and well among our population. Not only does it connect us with our past and the primary beliefs that built this country, but it also espouses principles and values that should be agreeable to all civilized people regardless of their individual level of religious interest. Keeping religion as a fundamental tenet in our country also serves as a balance to governmental control, because any Government that believes they bestow our rights on us will also presume they have the power to amend or withdraw those rights at will. Our citizens can choose any religion they would like to follow, or choose to refrain if they so desire, either way the values promoted by religious teachings could only enhance our collective character as a nation. Individuals that seek to disclaim, destroy, or remove religious ideology from our society is doing so for their own selfish reasons. One could only assume that they have chosen to not believe, and that is their right, but why do they feel so compelled to destroy other people’s beliefs and their joy? What would be the purpose of removing something that has served as a moral compass for so many in our nation since its founding, what inner need or desire does this satisfy? Whether we choose to believe or not, we should still have an appreciation for the contribution that religion has made in the development of America which became an inspiration to the world.

Inevitably, the explanation reverts to the separation of church and state. This is a notion that finds its origin with a letter Thomas Jefferson wrote to the Baptist association in Danbury, Connecticut. He was responding to their complaint about the scarce religious liberties afforded them by the Connecticut State Constitution because it did not specifically prohibit the state from legislating on religious issues. This created a situation where religious liberties were essentially being granted to them by the state and not inalienable rights as expressed in the U.S. Constitution. Jefferson’s response is the origin for the separation of church and state being that there will be no law establishing a religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. In other words, the Federal Government will not establish a religion nor will they interfere with the people or the states to pursue their own course regarding matters of religion. This is the separation of church and state that was expressed by Jefferson and which became distorted over the years to mean that all expressions of a religious nature must be eliminated from our public institutions. There is no basis for these reactions of today based on quoting Jefferson’s letter as precedence. With this in mind, it again leads to the question that if religion has shaped our nation so admirably, and provides a basis of moral guidance for so many, what objective is being served by publicly disclaiming or instigating efforts to purge it from society? Whatever one chooses to believe should be acceptable, and any religious references residing within our public institutions should serve as a tribute to our history.

Then, we labored onward because it was at the heart of who we were – a proud and industrious people that never quit.

Now, it appears many of us have forgotten ourselves and our history, not seeming to care about anything unless it directly affects our life in the moment. What has happened?

Why do we want Government to solve our problems
Why is it acceptable to do nothing while expecting to be supported
Why do we tolerate such an inept and corrupt Government
Why are there aspirations to a life of welfare
Why are we so willing to give away our sovereignty
Why do we think illegal immigration is acceptable
Why do we waste so much time and effort bickering about race
Why are we allowing our schools to fail
Why are lawsuits and the lottery now the paths to wealth
Why do we reject religion that has been a hallmark of our history
Why are we no longer driven to stay on top of the world
Why are we always looking for someone to blame
Why are we no longer responsible for our own actions
Why do we feel such a sense of entitlement
Why are we always looking for the easy road out
Why has it become a crime to be successful
Why do we search for reasons to be offended
Why have we become so narcissistic
Why have we abandoned ethics, integrity, and discipline
Why don’t we make anything anymore

It would sure be nice to know how we think we will be the great America of tomorrow while refusing to be the America of our past that created such greatness. Our country was not built on these destructive attitudes, on the contrary, they have settled among us over time. It is time for us to care again, to get involved, and do our part individually to bring the greatness back, because this destructive path we are following is disastrous. Our Founding Fathers knew the exact principles by which a successful nation would be built, ones we have apparently forgotten. For Americans to flourish in the future, it will be essential to embrace those principles once again.