by M. J. Joachim

Created on: November 04, 2009

What does it mean to call oneself an American? Can someone who lives on this soil truly appreciate all that our forefathers did to claim it? We hear the tales of heroism, bravery and courage. We sit complacently, rarely humbled anymore by the cost of these badges of honor. We are Americans, strong and proud, debating our positions, sometimes without even knowing what they are or should be. We demand change, without thinking about the downside of changing things. Have we really forgotten so easily who we are and what we are all about?

No one has a right to anything they're not willing to believe in and offer their lives for. Which American will die for the cause of global warming? Who will defend their right to answer to the government in an effort to gain free health care? How will people live when freedom disappears? Perhaps they'll give up, believing no life is better than the alternative.

When did we vote to let our politicians have so much power that they no longer work for us, but in spite of us? We told them what we wanted, and they said we could have it-for a price. That price is freedom, dear people. That price was earned with the blood of those who came before us, breaking free from laws that bound them, suffocated them, and tried to kill their spirit! They did not give up, and their spirit lives on, still fighting for the freedoms we so carelessly take for granted!

We are Americans, born here, raising families here, becoming educated here. We have the power to stand up and call the game! Yes, we do have a right to health care! We have a right to work hard and receive an honest wage. But somewhere along the line, we lost sight of what we are fighting for. We begged for treatment to ease our symptoms, instead of solutions to cure our illness.

America was founded on truth, justice, and the pursuit of happiness. It provided that all people are created equal and should never be oppressed, no matter what the circumstance. The American Constitution is a living document, not an outdated decree of how our forefathers thought it might be nice for us to live. It speaks of self evident truths that are timeless, not laws that need to rewritten to accommodate the times. If we believe in the rights that were gained so long ago, we must try to understand exactly what they are. We must be willing to unravel the war of words in documents that are jeopardizing and challenging the value of what was fought for so very long ago, the Constitution of the United States of America, a living document that promises true freedom to all who will defend it with honor and integrity!

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