Posted on 02/08/2014 7:04:02 AM PST by Doogle
Beautiful sound! It stirs the heart of every true American. I must bear witness that I too, nearing my sixtieth year, have felt like my country was now a stranger to me. I have keenly felt that same sense of grief/loss that some of you have also expressed.
But, then I sometimes remember and ask myself - what must have those freezing patriots thought, those half-starved Americans from every walk of life, who made up the Continental Army in the winter of 1777 at Valley Forge?
The future of the Revolution looked extremely dim. Washington could barely keep the army together - no food, no proper winter protection for his men, no money for supplies or to even pay his men - the loss of battle after battle. It is said that because his men hadn’t proper boots they wrapped strips of rags around their feet to try to protect them, but you could follow the American army by the blood in the snow from their frostbitten feet.
Washington had copies of Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” read to his troops, and I am reminded of one of Paine’s statements that we must be careful not to be a “fair weather patriot”. How apropos that thought must have been to the American army at the time.
I think I need to remember their sacrifice and how easy it would have been to have just left the fight and gone home (as many did).
With all that has happened in the last 30 years to our nation morally and politically, I often just want to withdraw to within the confines of my own family and forget what is going on around me - because it seems so hopeless - why not focus on one’s own family and try to just live ignoring the Obama’s, the Biden’s, the Clintons, the weak-kneed GOP rinos, etc, and etc.
But, we simply cannot let it go. When we hear such beautiful words as our National Anthem, sung so well, is there any real American that does not hear the call of the trumpet to the battle? Is there any who would retreat and leave the field of battle to the enemy?
I also remember the Apostle Paul’s words that “we struggle not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual powers and authorities in high places” - this is a spiritual battle as well as political and moral.
But, I get tired. Coming to Free Republic and reading the humor and dedication of other true conservative Americans often cheers my flagging morale - sometimes it also makes me even angrier and more frustrated - but, more often than not, I am encouraged not to give up. God bless that beautiful text written by Frances Scott Key and God bless America - our real strength must come from God. Though we all know we don’t deserve His mercy, perhaps He will turn our nation around if we don’t give up. Evil has not won no matter how bad it looks to us.
I used to get angry with those of us here that say "all is lost"....I no longer do that, nor do I try to lift their spirits, let them wallow, the tide we were struck with a year ago is beginning to turn, as it must...the same doubters will climb upon the running board in the victory parade and profess never ending love and dedication.... I will always,as I have in the past, have faith in the American citizen.....that thought has even bought me ridicule here...can you imagine?
re: “ I will always,as I have in the past, have faith in the American citizen.....that thought has even bought me ridicule here...can you imagine?”
Yes, I can imagine it very well. I think some have gotten so discouraged that they have become cynical of all attempts to thwart what’s happening.
I’ve been there myself and probably will be tempted to do so again, but, as I mentioned, I think of all those Americans in our nation’s past who have faced so many terrible situations, yet never lost hope - how can we let them down, or, let down our children, our grand children, our great grandchildren, and on and on.
Glad to know you’re in the foxhole fighting along side. God bless you.
Since this morning, that YT page is now over 540K views !
*smiles*...makes ya proud...
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