God. Freedom. Unity.

     My previous post features a video of Dennis Prager talking about the single greatest threat to America today.
     He says that most Americans who love this country simply aren't able to articulate why... that we were never taught what we believe as a nation... who we really are... and what we stand for. And if we don't know why we are America, we won't know how to preserve America.
     He lays it out quite simply. He calls it our American Trinity...
     In God We Trust... Our Founders knew that Providence was guiding them. We are a nation founded under God. God is with us... out in the open... not swept quietly into the corner, as not to offend anyone.
     Liberty... God created us to be free. Our rights come from God, not the government. We have the right to our lives, our freedom, and our property. What we earn honestly, we should be able to keep... and use as we decide. We, as people, do not belong to the government. Neither does our property. We are not serfs of the government.
     Unity... E Pluribus Unum. Out of many, one. This phrase originated at the time of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It was extraordinary that the thirteen original, very different, colonies came together the way they did, and debated, and finally agreed on a vision for America, without any dissenters. I read that it was difficult to get the original 13 to agree on the time of day, let alone to design a nation.
     Even today, although we may have differing opinions, we are one nation. We are Americans, not hyphenated subsets. Our strength comes when we pull together, not when we are all divided up and pitted against each other. America is a melting pot, not a fruit bowl.
     Prager went on to say that the French use the word Egalite. Equality. Americans do not espouse that the way the Europeans do. We believe in equality of birth, not equality of outcome. Equal opportunity... yes. Redistribution of the wealth... no. Socialist societies believe in equality of outcome... America does not.
     On big government... Prager notes that limited government is primarily a moral issue, not an economical issue. While small government does make good economic sense, it is primarily the negative effect big government has on its citizens that is the greater concern... the bigger the government, the worse the citizen.
     When the government is limited, the people are free... free to live as we choose... free to keep what we earn... free to make our own decisions... and free to give as we wish. And give we do.
     Socialist societies think, How is this going to affect me?... What benefits can I get?... What's in it for me?... Where's mine? That is not America.
     Americans are historically the most generous people in the world, because we believe it to be good and right to share abundantly with others. But we ought to have the freedom to choose to share our resources. The government should not forcibly take them. We know that we have a responsibility to provide for each other. And that we trust in God's goodness for what we need. We do not depend on the government.
     The American Trinity. God. Freedom. Unity.
     I was thinking... Where have I seen these ideas all together before. Then I remembered. So simple. I reached for the nearest quarter, and printed right there were... In God We Trust... Liberty... E Pluribus Unum.