{"id":346,"date":"2011-07-02T23:22:45","date_gmt":"2011-07-03T03:22:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/sweetshore\/?p=346"},"modified":"2011-07-02T23:29:29","modified_gmt":"2011-07-03T03:29:29","slug":"independence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/sweetshore\/2011\/07\/independence.html","title":{"rendered":"Independence…"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\" <\/strong>This weekend is a perfect opportunity to teach your children about our country’s birth and what America stands for. <\/span><\/p>\n

More and more these things are not taught in school or really even discussed anywhere. \u00a0Just go to a baseball game and see how many people stop talking, remove their hats, or know the words when our National Anthem is sung.<\/span><\/p>\n

I know that there are a lot of things going on right now that give one pause, and sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of the unique history we have and the visionary foresight that our Founding Fathers possessed.<\/span><\/p>\n

That aside, this country has offered more opportunity and freedom than any other country in the history of the world. \u00a0I am convinced that there is still more than enough reason to love our country and be proud of what she stands for. \u00a0\"\"The principles are laid out in the Declaration of Independence: \u00a0 \u00a0 “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

With a few stumbles along the way, the United States has primarily stood for those principles and, in the long run, stands as Ronald Reagan said in 1984: <\/span>…I’ve spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I don’t know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when I said it. But in my mind it was a tall proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, wind-swept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace, a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity, and if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. That’s how I saw it and see it still….<\/span>“<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Teach your children to appreciate all that we take for granted as citizens of this nation. \u00a0Help them to see with clear vision the opportunities the United States still has to lead in the world. \u00a0They will be the next generation to take up the banner and share our freedoms and blessings with other less fortunate nations.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Teach them to hold their heads up and be proud to be Americans, proud of their heritage, proud of the good this country has done in the world<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span>Teach them to thank God for their country\"\" and always to be thankful for the blessing of being born here into freedom. <\/span> <\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Thank God for the men and women who are currently serving our country and make them aware of the sacrifices that are being made; educate them about those who have gone before. Help them learn from history so that its mistakes won’t be repeated.<\/span><\/p>\n

The words to the 2nd and 3rd verses of America the Beautiful<\/em> are beautiful, and not very familiar to most of us–take a<\/span> moment to read them:<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

O beautiful for heroes proved<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/strong><\/span>In liberating strife. <\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

who more than self their<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

country loved<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

And mercy more than life!<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n


\nAmerica! America!<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

May God thy gold refine<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Till all success be nobleness<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

And every gain divine!<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

O beautiful for patriot dream <\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

That sees beyond the years <\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Thine alabaster cities gleam<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Undimmed by human tears! <\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

America! America! <\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

God shed his grace on thee<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

And crown thy good with brotherhood<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

From sea to shining sea!<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA!!<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This weekend is a perfect opportunity to teach your children about our country’s birth and what America stands for. More and more these things are not taught in school or really even discussed anywhere. \u00a0Just go to a baseball game and see how many people stop talking, remove their hats, or know the words when…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":424,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[58,10,4,57,5,3],"tags":[502,59,61,60,62],"class_list":["post-346","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-america","category-children","category-how-to-survive-and-enjoy-motherhood-part-1","category-patriotism","category-personal-observations","category-seen-it-before-but-i-love-to-watch-this-now-thats-what-i-call-a-welcome-home","tag-children","tag-independence","tag-patriot","tag-teach","tag-united-states"],"yoast_head":"\nIndependence... - Sweet Shore<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/sweetshore\/2011\/07\/independence.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Independence... - Sweet Shore\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This weekend is a perfect opportunity to teach your children about our country’s birth and what America stands for. 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