(this is my submission to our Cub Scout Pack Achievement to write 'why America is special to me'. As their Den Leader, I felt compelled to add a few words of my own.)
THE AMERICAN SPIRIT
“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. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.” Declaration of Independence July 4, 1774.
That, Scouts, is the basis of what has made our United States of America so great. Our nation’s founding fathers knew that for people to be truly free, they must be in charge of their own destiny. At the time of America declaring it’s independence from Great Britain, the citizens had already been fighting a war against a British military sent over to the colonies to collect taxes and enforce British laws that would only benefit the King. The Americans took on this battle against a mighty army with only their hunting rifles and a strong will to be free from tyranny.
This will to be free and preserve the rights of all people has come to be known as the American Spirit. The American Spirit is what makes our country so great. It has kept us a free nation for 236 years and, I believe, will keep us free for thousands of years to come. Our Constitution guarantees these freedoms by setting up a form of government in which it is the citizens who are ultimately in charge, and whose basic laws are based on centuries old teachings of faith. It is the American Spirit that lured our ancestors to come to America in search of a better life for them and their future generations. It would be the American Spirit that would prevail in battles all over the world, not only to preserve the freedom of all people in America, but also to help establish democracy in other countries, so that others could know true freedom. It has been the American Spirit that has driven us, the U.S., to be the leader of industry for hundreds of year; coming up with new inventions, and new ways of doing things better. The U.S. is a leader in helping those less fortunate than ourselves; lending a hand in times of need, and welcoming those in search of a better life;
Emma Lazarus "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
It is the American Spirit that we Scouts need to carry with us everyday.
-Abide by the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
-Work hard for what you want, never take anything you didn’t first earn.
-Keep dreaming. And do what it takes to make those dreams come true.
-Respect your body. Respect others. Respect nature and keep our environment clean.
-Volunteer, help someone else, help your country, do a good turn every chance you get.
-Thank a soldier, living and passed, for allowing the American Spirit to live on.
***Together, with our American Spirit, we all continue to make America
“the last best place to live” on Earth!***
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