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A New Birth of American Freedom, Again
Townhall.com ^ | July 8, 2013 | Star Parker

Posted on 07/08/2013 5:53:55 AM PDT by Kaslin

A Fourth of July Gallup poll presented an interesting picture about our country.

Americans overwhelmingly express pride in being American, yet the division is wide and deep about what being an American means.

Eighty-five percent of respondents say they are “extremely” or “very” proud to be an American.

Yet, 71 percent say they think the signers of the Declaration of Independence would be “disappointed” how the country has turned out.

Only 15 percent of conservatives and 12 percent of Republicans say the signers of the Declaration would be “pleased” with how the country has turned out. But, 41 percent of liberals and 42 percent of Democrats say the signers of the Declaration would be pleased.

Clearly, there are very different ideas between the two parties and between conservatives and liberals about what “truths” the signers of the Declaration felt were “self evident” and what exactly rights to “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” means.

That’s not to say that there was unanimity of opinion even among those who signed the Declaration of Independence.

To state the obvious, there are signatures affixed to the bottom of the Declaration of men who saw no inherent contradiction in a nation founded on the idea of liberty in which slavery was legal.

My guess is that the 85 percent who today express pride in being an American do so because they believe this is a free and moral country. We all agree, I think, on these principles.

But, like the difference of opinion about slavery two centuries ago, we have huge disconnects among large parts of our population about what a free and moral country is about.

Anyone who follows what I write can guess where I stand.

It is hard for me to believe that many in our country see no contradiction in believing that freedom can be an American ideal while half of Americans live in households getting some sort of government benefits.

Or that somehow a country can be thought of as free in which forty cents of every dollar the national economy produces goes to government at either the federal, state, or local level.

Or that government can put us in debt to the tune of the total value of the annual output of our economy.

Or that the real debt burden sitting on the American public is some $90 trillion – more than five times the size of our GDP – that represents the unfunded liabilities of social security, Medicare, and other government programs.

How can we see this as a free, moral country when we legally and casually use abortion as a means of birth control and provide hundreds of millions of taxpayer funds to Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider?

Or that government can tell us what kind of health care we need and must buy and can tell employers what kind of health care they must provide.

Or that government can force employers to provide birth control and abortion pills to employees, even, as in the case of the Christian owners of Hobby Lobby, it violates their religious convictions.

Or that children go to public schools where it is illegal to pray or teach traditional family values.

There’s been a lot of writing recently about the battle of Gettysburg.

When Lincoln gave his famous address at Gettysburg, he said the nation’s business was “unfinished” and he defined the task ahead that “this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom.”

The challenges to freedom stand before us today as they stood before Lincoln then.

America is deeply divided and confused today, as it was when the bloody battle at Gettysburg was fought.

We again need courageous leadership that will lead us back to the path of freedom and moral principle that inspired our founders and which is our destiny.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: declaration; liberty; ofindependence; patriotism

1 posted on 07/08/2013 5:53:55 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

“... they believe this is a free and moral country.”

That’s their first mistake. This is not presently a free and moral country.


2 posted on 07/08/2013 6:01:48 AM PDT by Fireone (Impeach and imprison, NOW! Treason and murder are still crimes.)
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To: Kaslin

America needs industry to support our lifestyle.

Bring back manufacturing.

Otherwise, it’s all just collapse. Bring back US manufacturing.


3 posted on 07/08/2013 6:07:33 AM PDT by Cringing Negativism Network
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To: Fireone

It’s certainly not a moral country. Internationally, we stand for immorality, actively promoting baby-killing and sexual depravity to other nations. As the Kenyan cardinal said about Obama, “Those people who have already ruined their society…let them not become our teachers to tell us where to go.”


4 posted on 07/08/2013 6:11:06 AM PDT by madprof98
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To: Fireone

‘Only 15 percent of conservatives and 12 percent of Republicans say the signers of the Declaration would be “pleased” with how the country has turned out. But, 41 percent of liberals and 42 percent of Democrats say the signers of the Declaration would be pleased.”
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
When things are so bad that ONLY 42 percent of people who are stupid enough to self identify as Democrats say the signers would be proud of how we have turned out there is NO EXCUSE for even one percent of Republicans or conservatives to think they would be proud. It verifies my belief that many who call themselves conservatives are anything but. It takes a complete fool to believe that any of the signers of the declaration of independence would be proud of the mess we have made. Obviously they would say that we have created something FAR WORSE than what they revolted against.


5 posted on 07/08/2013 7:03:27 AM PDT by RipSawyer (I was born on Earth, what planet is this?)
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To: Fireone

“That’s their first mistake. This is not presently a free and moral country.”
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

I honestly don’t understand how anyone could say that it is unless their definition is the opposite of mine.


6 posted on 07/08/2013 7:05:47 AM PDT by RipSawyer (I was born on Earth, what planet is this?)
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To: Kaslin

I was in Nassau, Bahamas last week, and they are getting ready to celebrate 40 years of independence. Everyone was wearing the flag, and the colors of the flag, unembarrassed at the open displays of patriotism. I noted to a waitress that it was refreshing to be in a country in which people were not made to feel embarrassed by their opinion-setters about expressing their patriotism. I explained that our intellectual “leaders” try to make us feel like a bunch of neanderthals for being patriotic. She was shocked.


7 posted on 07/08/2013 7:12:24 AM PDT by Daveinyork
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To: Daveinyork

I can believe that


8 posted on 07/08/2013 7:18:33 AM PDT by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him, and he got them. Now we all have to pay the consequenses)
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To: Fireone

Partial Government control is Socialism.

Total Government control is Communism.

B. Hussein Obama is a Communist for his Obama’care.’

BTW, if you doubt that Obama does not have total control of you, just try not paying for Federally mandated insurance, or the fine.


9 posted on 07/08/2013 7:51:40 AM PDT by Graewoulf (Traitor John Roberts' Commune-Style Obama'care' violates U.S. Constitution AND Anti-Trust Law.)
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To: Cringing Negativism Network

I live in a highly protectionist country. Hasn’t alleviated poverty and all who can afford to travel to the US to shop.


10 posted on 07/08/2013 9:33:27 AM PDT by Clemenza ("History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil governm)
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