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We Must Restore "One Nation Under God" by Michael D. Hume, M.S. America was founded as a Constitutional republic, with the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Two hundred years ago this year, the former colonists were forced to fight their "second war for independence," dubbed "The War of 1812," in which they threw off the British yoke for good. But the nation, still bitterly divided over the issue of slavery (an evil with which many nations were still dealing at the time), required a bloody civil war to finally establish itself as the "shining city on a hill" it has become. In the United States, anyone of any background - black or white, male or female, rich or poor, liberal or conservative - has always had the opportunity to be the best s/he could be, and to reach as high as individual talent and initiative would permit. And hundreds of thousands of people died to create that land of opportunity, that shining city on a hill, that last refuge of all mankind, that melting pot of the best of humanity, that place where people of all walks of life can be united in liberty and freedom. But like all of America's foes throughout history, the collective statists who've recently risen to power in this nation do not want us to be "united." The British wanted to divide-and-conquer the rebellion in one American colony at a time; it took literal blood, sweat, and tears to unite Americans into the sort of nation wherein the leaders of the colonies would pledge to each other their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. A few years later, Ben Franklin was leaving the Constitutional convention when a citizen asked him, "What have you given us?" "A republic," Franklin answered, "if you can keep it." And only through hanging together, as Franklin had said earlier, did the colonists avoid hanging separately... and manage to keep their republic. About fourscore years later, the country was once again bitterly divided; and that divisiveness nearly proved fatal to the republic. Abraham Lincoln's election in 1860 was far from certain - he did not even appear on the ballot in several southern states. But his election, and inauguration the following March, turned out to be the catalyst for the great conflict of our nation's history. At the end, the Union (as well as unity in general) prevailed. The result was the creation of a true republic of liberty and individual freedom, and this republic became the engine of unprecedented strength and prosperity. The Mexicans sought to divide us at the Alamo. The Kaiser, and later Hitler, wanted us divided... certainly, the Japanese empire wanted the same thing. Iranian ayatollahs and other Middle-Eastern dictators have always sought to divide us. But we've remained the "United States," home of a free and united people, and we have not been defeated. Today, though, the danger of divisiveness is perhaps greater in America than at any time since the Civil War. "Progressives," who seek to "progress" America away from free-market Constitutionalism and toward collective statism, are uniting in their efforts to divide-and-conquer the rest of us. Call them liberals, progressives, communists, socialists, even fascists... it doesn't matter, because the differences among them are small compared with what unites them: they seek an ever-larger national government which can eventually deliver them authoritarian control over every aspect of life in America. It's the opposite ideology from the limited-government concept upon which the nation was founded. But, also like our other foes, the statists realize they can't defeat America when it's united... so they are trying to drive between us every wedge they can find. Having taken control of all the institutions of influence in this country, the progressives are using every weapon in their considerable arsenal to divide Americans against each other. Watch any movie... attend any class... turn on the TV and watch any drama, comedy, or "news" program... read your union bulletin... listen to the "public service announcements" on any radio station. You'll get a constant barrage of divisiveness, in every aspect imaginable. Consider just these recent examples, all meant to divide us, and to point the finger at conservatives (and at the major political party most closely aligned with the Constitution, the Republican party). First, there has been the media-created "war on women," featuring recent comments by a Democrat strategist that Ann Romney had "never worked a day in her life." (The "war on women" campaign is backfiring, but for a brief time the media were able to trumpet "polls" showing Romney significantly trailed Obama among women). The entire "Occupy" movement was manufactured to drive a wedge between the successful and the dependent, claiming ad nauseam that the rich "one percent" are abusing the rest of us. Liberals always seek to divide hispanics along racial and economic lines from the freedom they came to America (legally or not) to enjoy. And then there's the Trayvon Martin "story." The ham-handedness with which the statists have attempted to use Martin's tragic death to create a renewed sense of American racism is staggering. A major network had to confess it had doctored tapes of Martin's confrontation with George Zimmerman in order to plant the impression that Zimmerman had used a racial slur and had "profiled" Martin racially. When it turned out Zimmerman was hispanic, the media further fanned the racism flames by calling him a "white hispanic," whatever that is. And the timing of the orchestrated outrage from the Big Racism industry (captains of which include Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton) over the whole mess has just been shameful. The radio waves were full of this Trayvon Martin hyperbole a few weeks ago, as I travelled through southern Tennessee and happened to see a sign pointing me toward the Shiloh National Battlefield. A quick tour of Shiloh, almost exactly 150 years after the famous Civil War battle there, made an unforgettable impression on me. After all, I'd just seen the hallowed ground upon which thousands of men died for our Union... for our republic... for our freedom... for our very unity. And all the way to and from the battlefield, my ears were filled with manufactured outrage over Trayvon Martin, politically-motivated tripe designed to tear holes in the very unity those unbelievably-brave men died for. We have a national restoration project to undertake. You have to do your part. Why? Six hundred thousand men died in the Civil War alone. We each must do what we can to ensure those men, as well as all who fought in all the wars to preserve our Union and our unity, did not die in vain. Can you give a talk at your kid's school, to give the kids a bit of history their teachers' union won't allow them to get otherwise? Can you start a business? Can you dig into the shady dealings of your local government as a "citizen journalist?" Speaking of government, can you run for office, or support a restorationist ballot campaign? What sort of personal project can you take on that helps preserve our precious Union, and the unity of our citizens that makes it possible? We're not black or white, or hispanic... we're Americans. We're not men or women... we're Americans. We're not rich or poor... we're Americans. We’re not old or young… we’re Americans. We're supposed to be ONE nation, under God. We must hang together, or we'll be divided, and conquered. Whatever other restoration projects you take on - however you help restore our limited-government, free-market republic - make sure your values and behaviors bolster American unity. We value diversity in America, sure, but that doesn't mean we don't value unity. Unity is the foundation of our republic. Always has been, and always (as long as we can keep our republic) will be. -30- Michael Hume is a speaker, writer, and consultant specializing in helping people maximize their potential and enjoy inspiring lives. As part of his inspirational leadership mission, he coaches executives and leaders in growing their personal sense of well-being through wealth creation and management, along with personal vitality. Those with an entrepreneurial spirit who want to make money "one less thing to worry about" can learn more about working with Michael at http://tinyurl.com/myownbiznow Anyone wanting to jump-start their vitality can browse through the best (and most convenient) nutraceuticals on the market at http://shop.enivausa.com/239824 Michael and his wife, Kathryn, divide their time between homes in California and Colorado. They are very proud of their offspring, who grew up to include a homemaker, a rock star, a service talent, and a television expert. Two grandchildren also warm their hearts! Visit Michael's web site at http://michaelhume.net
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