The American Ideal

Each and every year, we celebrate our Independence Day, our Fourth of July.  We all know from our history that July 4th is the day the 13 colonies claim their independence from England and created what we know today as the United States of America.  But really, the Fourth of July celebrates the ideals of being an American.  Our nation grew from the Seas of Revolution and became a nation of unlimited possibilities.

I do know about those unlimited possibilities.  I've told many audiences and people over the past five decades how grateful I am and how thankful we all need to be.  And every time I speak, I make sure I have an American flag on stage.  For me, it’s more than a symbol — it's a way of life.  A life that we need to protect, a life we need to celebrate.

We need to be grateful for The American Ideal:  Faith, personal initiative, freedom, diversity, inclusion, reaching out to our brothers and sisters, and helping and assisting in every way.  One of my favorite quotes comes from Ronald Reagan, who said…

If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under.

So we must never forget what we as a country stand for.  We have to remember those who came before us and those who fought to preserve our American ideal.

I'm reminded of Gurney Crowd, a veteran of World War II.  He lied about his age to get into the army.  He was 17, not 18, like one needed to be.  Yet, when he got into the army, he traveled halfway around the world to fight for his country.  He fought for us.  He served in the Army from 1942 to 1945, and fought in North Africa as well as in Italy.  He passed away in 2019.  He was 94 years young.

In his obituary, it said Gurney remained a staunch Patriot to his last breath.  That my friend is the spirit we celebrate each day.  Have a great week.