Americans’ love affair with hating those they don’t agree has gotten worse. Unemployment is at the lowest point it seems in 16 years? Sure, but have we calculated the unprecedented number of people who have left the workforce (92+ million) and the fact that a majority of the jobs created were part-time? And what about the fact that 2 months ago, nearly every new job went to immigrants?

Our enemies laugh at us and our allies fear us. They fear we won’t be there for them. Who can blame them? We haven’t been there for many of them over the last few years. We have fewer allies in the Middle East than we did under both Bushes. Even Jimmy Carter recently stated that he has never known of a time when we were held in such low esteem. I believe the light is a little dimmer today!

A year ago, I wrote about my concern for America…  I was concerned then and am even more so now. What follows is a reprint of that reflective look on America and a look forward to our future. Sadly, it’s just as fitting one year later. Let’s hope next year things are on the upswing.

Happy Birthday America?

You know that awkward moment when you go to your wife’s, Aunt Mabel’s, second cousin’s 96^th birthday party? She is in a wheelchair, doesn’t really know who is in the room with her, and has to be fed and cleaned by others. Everyone remembers when she was a vibrant, smart, and loving person, not always nice, but always fair. She helped whenever she could. You don’t know whether to wish her “Happy Birthday with many more to come” or “God’s speed” to be in the presence of the Almighty, pain-free and without earthly shackles.

I felt that way this past week. How was I going to wish America a Happy Birthday when I wasn’t really sure if the America we all know and love would exist as that “shining city on the hill” next year or in years to come?

America’s birthday (4^th of July), according to John Quincy Adams, and Christmas (birth of Christ) were intrinsically connected. He went on to imply that on the 4^th the Founders simply took the precepts of Christ and incorporated those principles into civil government.

The Founders understood that for America to survive, it had to have a solid code by which it functioned and existed. It had to have a moral compass and guide. But whose? And what kind?

The French? No, that was a monarchy and tyranny. The Spanish? More of the same. The Brits? That’s what they were running away from. The Germans? Who?

They wanted freedom for man. None of these provided that. The ultimate power was in a King, a man. That’s not what they wanted. They wanted freedom for the citizenry to choose their leaders, their way of life, their religion, to start or not start a business, to celebrate or not celebrate Christmas or any other holiday! Complete freedom!

The America my grandparents came to live in, the one my mom came to live in, the one I saw those many immigrants that came to the Italian North End of Boston to work and start their own business in is no longer here. Now for clarity, many of the immigrants I have spoken with over the last year say America is still much better than where they came from, but that even they have seen freedoms erode since arriving.

We no longer have 3 branches of government. We have one: The chief and grand supreme dictator, Barrack Obama. His pen and his phone will do all the work. His “Capos” will carry out his commands and he will run America the way he sees fit. It won’t matter what his experts say. It won’t matter what history has seen. It won’t even matter if the facts and figures show him to be wrong. He will continue do it his way.

Great presidents before him understood how the Constitution worked and usually reached out to all parties. Reagan and Tip O’Neil worked together, Clinton and Gingrich did too, and they got things done. It was not uncommon for those presidents to call the Speaker of the House and others over to discuss working through these issues with both sides giving and taking to come up with a solution.

Not this guy! He knows all and sees all. He is a savior to all he can con. He takes no advice from anyone (well, maybe Valerie Jarret, maybe.) He has made America the most untrusted country on the face of the planet. Trust has nothing to do with right or wrong, it has to do with being counted on to operate a certain way every time. Right now, our allies can trust that we will talk a big game and leave them high and dry every time.

Mr. Obama, it’s the United States Constitution, not the United States Constitutional Suggestions! It takes the people, not your pen, phone and henchmen to change it.

People, if Obama was president during World War II, we would all be speaking German. Really! When he figures out how to side step the Supreme Court we will be in an even worse world of hurt!

Happy Birthday America? Only if that means we go back to a free market not one propped up by over $80 billion a month infused by the Fed. Happy Birthday America? Only if that means we back off the EPA, IRS, NSA to name a few! Happy Birthday America? Only if that means we go back to a 3 branch government.

In the words of Ben Franklin: (speech at Continental Congress)

“Mr, President: The small progress we have made after four or five weeks close attendance & continual reasonings with each other our different sentiments on almost every question, several of the last producing as many noes as ayes, is methinks a melancholy proof of the imperfection of the Human Understanding….” “…..In the beginning of the Contest with Great Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayer in this room for Divine protection Our prayers, Sir, were heard, & they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a superintending Providence in our favor. To that kind Providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity.” “And what is worse, mankind may hereafter from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing Governments by Human wisdom and leave it to I chance, war and conquest. I therefore beg leave to move that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessing on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the clergy of this city be requested to officiate in that service.”

In the words of Ben Franklin… Let’s not look to human wisdom, but ask for Divine Providence to strengthen this country…

Happy Birthday America? I hope so! Only God knows.