Has the American spirit been lost?
What is the American spirit and will we see a resurgence of it this election year. Time will only tell. Each of us has a spirit within us as citizens and that spirit sometimes becomes dormant. As individuals we sometimes become disillusioned with events in our political environment and the decisions made by our elected officials. Our country was found on a spirit that found it either broken or non-existent in other countries. This among other reasons is why people of all faiths and country of origin came to start a new life.
The spirit of an American is something that others outside our country can see and some even wonder how it originated and why it still exists today. Granted not everyone has the American spirit but they should. This is a great country and our spirit is what sets us apart from the rest of the world. It is one of the reasons why some want to destroy or affect our way of life. The world today is much different than when our country first began and it is more important to maintain the spirit which existed when it first began. The spirit that developed in the beginning of our country shaped what our country became and took us on the road to where we are today.
The American spirit as it was recognized in the beginning of our country played an important part in winning our independence from England. It was an attitude that we as individuals and together could change their destiny. Today the spirit of America is under fire in the actions being taken by organizations and sometimes government entities. Many things embody the spirit of America and many would eliminate such things as the word God in the Pledge of Allegiance. The very fiber of our culture is our spirit and we must work together to make sure this spirit does not disappear from society. This will not be easy as many individuals become depressed resulting from their circumstances and they sometimes feel the American spirit has forgotten them.
The spirit in place when this country began is something that needs to be regenerated today. There are many problems facing our country today that our forefathers could not even imagine. We in this country have, I believe, the drive, the innovation, resolve and determination to solve our problems if we work together. Examples of this are organizations that have the willingness to help others who are less fortunate. Other examples involved the industrial revolution, putting a man on the moon, natural disasters and the reaction to the terrorists attach on September 11, 2001. These events created a spirit which should never be forgotten.
There are many fine organizations that are in place today that have the spirit and willingness to help others less fortunate. This is a great thing. Those who properly qualify should take advantage of these resources. Our country is made up of many fine individuals and some of the problems we currently have today involves the lack of the spirit of America that was in place when our country began. There are other conditions that were included in the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution one of these is the right to bear arms. In the beginning of our country it was necessary to carry arms to protect family and property. It was a right that many felt was necessary to document in the constitution when it was written. This right is also becoming under fire and the spirit that was in place in the beginning of our country needs to be reinvigorated again to fight this battle.
As seen in the examples provided above we have the character as a country to solve many problems facing our nation. We must stop fighting among ourselves and work toward the goal of resolving the problems facing our economy Our beliefs and our individual spirit are different but we all have a spirit whether it is in focus with the spirit of our country is the question. Let us resolve to regain that spirit and work together to solve or at least improve the problems facing our country. This election year we as individuals must understand that we need to inject the spirit of our county into the election process and participate in choosing our next President.
One of the rights we have as citizens is our right to vote if we meet the qualifications. Voting to some can be an exercise while to others it is voicing their opinion on the issues and the candidates through our votes. Some say that one vote does not make a difference. They are wrong. True in some cases the amount of gap between candidates is wide but in other cases it can result in deciding who wins the applicable election. In primaries there are a number of counties within a state and one vote in each county can make the difference in the identifying the winner. A prime example is the turn of events in the caucuses in Iowa. There was only a difference of 42 votes between the first place candidate and the second. The same can happen in any election. Voting is a right we should not ignore, especially this election year. One statement used in a previous election year asked the question are you better off today than four years ago? This applies not only to us as individuals but also our country. The answer must be decided as an individual and as a country.
