Happy Fourth of July! It is a great day to be an American. But then; — I think any day is a great day to be an American. I think any day is a great day to salute the flag, to walk tall with our shoulders back and our head held high and proudly proclaim that we are Americans with our warts and faults and our love for our fellow Americans. I think every day is a day to give Almighty God praise and thanks for the men and women who have fought and died in the effort to keep this country a land that is free from oppression and tyranny.

You know, I’m so very tired of the effort of so many people to trash-talk our country. I totally support the right to free speech and the right to express an opinion without worrying that some agent of the government is going to haul you off to prison or worse. However, I’m really tired of self-important people like television hosts and movie stars who have made no measureable contribution to this nation; who have never served in defense of this nation; and yet come on television and rant and bash, and stand in protests shouting and ranting about what a terrible place this is to live and what a terrible president we have; and yet have not a single idea for workable soulutions to solve things with which they may have issue. I would suggest that if they really feel so indignant about how immigrants are treated that they sell a couple of their million dollar homes and cars and maybe help create some shelters and education programs and health-care facilities to take care of these people they are so concerned about. But is so much easier to not be held accountable  for what you say and not get your hands dirty.

I believe that if America is to remain free, if America is to remain a responsible country and a leader on the world, then we as a nation need to once again learn to roll up our sleeves and work together and get our hands dirty. Don’t protest about homelessness  —- go help Habitat for Humanity build a house. Don’t protest about people not having food, roll up your sleeves and go serve at a shelter or help to hold a food drive to support one. If you didn’t vote in the last election —- you forfeited your right to bitch. If you did vote and it didn’t go your way —- accept that it happened and be sure you vote in the next election. Pull out a blank piece of paper and stare at it. Listed there is everything you are entitled to and what society owes you.

If  my math is correct, we are celebrating our 242nd anniversary as the United States of America. I pray that in the year 2276 this nation will still be alive to celebrate its 500th birthday. I can’t begin to imagine what this nation or this world will be like by then. Will we still be the USA or will be we be part of a global community. Will we have solved the pollution problem of our air and oceans or will we have completely destroyed ourselves. Will we have spread out into the galaxie and colonized our moon or another planet? Will we have learned by then that in order to survive, —- we must first learn to care; about one another, about our world, about our universe, and about ourselves.

I don’t know the answer to any of those questions and neither do you. What I do know is; God will still be God, and if we are still alive, no matter what our form or fashion, God will still love us; for God and God’s love is eternal. May God bless America, and may God bless you. Peace.