Happy Birthday America!
We The People
"Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country"
-John F. Kennedy
As we approach the 250th anniversary of the birth of this great nation, I am reminded of this statement by President John F. Kennedy.
This iconic line comes from Kennedy’s inaugural address on January 20, 1961. Delivered at the start of his presidency, the speech emphasized both domestic and international responsibilities, reflecting the challenges of the Cold War and the need for global cooperation. It was a call to civic responsibility and public service, urging citizens to contribute actively to the nation.
Kennedy's administration was fraught with extreme dangers, and that political danger resulted in his assassination on November 22nd, 1963. His death was a stark reminder that there are always dark forces at work that seek to topple what Americans have worked so diligently to secure for the last 250 years.
Kennedy's call was also reminder that we have a civic responsibility to preserve our history and to honor of ancestors who risked everything to give us a better life. No one has the right to destroy our history or our culture without our consent, or to unite with outside forces to overthrow our elected government. We are a nation of freedoms, which must be protected at all costs. It is a travesty when writers, journalist and historical gatekeepers hide behind cheap political platitudes, silence or self-righteousness to serve themselves or slave masters when freedom, freedom of speech, freedom of content and freedom of open research is at stake.
Our national elections must be both free and secure. Honest, free and secure elections are a pillar of democracy. Our borders must also be secure, as it is the inherent responsibility of all governments to protect its citizens, this is the first and foremost duty of the United States government and those protections are enshrined within our Constitution.
Abraham Lincoln held the utmost respect for the Constitution and believed that any of his controversial actions in relation to the Constitution were necessary for the preservation of the Union during the extraordinary times of the Civil War. Throughout his career he spoke of the importance of the Constitution.
1856
“Don’t interfere with anything in the Constitution. That must be maintained, for it is the only safeguard of our liberties.”
1858
“[The prosperity of the United States] is not the result of accident. It has a philosophic cause. Without the Constitution and the Union, we could not have attained the result.”
1861
“I am exceedingly anxious that this Union, the Constitution, and the liberties of the people shall be perpetuated in accordance with the original idea for which that struggle was made.”
ref National Park Service
I pray that everyone has a safe and prosperous July 4th.
G.C. Stevens
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