“Free health care!” “Free cell phones!” “I don’t have to make my car payment any more!” Such were the excited ravings that accompanied the political slogan/promise of “Hope and Change.” Really? Is that all hope and change amounts to…more “free stuff”? Given the opportunity, what would you hope for…for yourself, your family, for America? If you were “King of America” what changes would you make? You may protest and say there is no king in America, but history tells a different story.

American Exceptionalism. The very term evokes highly charged emotions backed by two very distinct schools of thought diametrically opposed to one another. Rather than adding yet another opinion to the mix, let’s search for principles in our founding documents, ask some questions and define a couple of terms.

Time for an air freshener – truth! America and Americans benefit when law is upheld, when compassion and opportunity join hands to help those who need a temporary hand up, not those who want a permanent hand out. Martin Luther King, in his famous I Have a Dream speech, said he dreamed of the day when a man would not be judged by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character. Right on, Brother. America is about equal opportunity under law – not privilege based on skin color or ethnicity.

We’ve all heard the protests: “Separation of church and State! You can’t post the 10 Commandments in a courthouse! You can’t have Jesus in a Christmas play in a public school! That would violate the First Amendment!” Really? Have any of the people making such proclamations read the First Amendment, or what any of the founders said in regard to the relationship between the church and the state? Time for a dose of truth by way of a brief history lesson.

Will the real social justice please stand up? How do you find truth within the two very conflicting camps pervading America today on this hot topic? A principle approach comparison of modernism/progressive thinking versus biblical/principled reasoning is in order. Definitions and historical applications will prove to be far more accurate than just parroting some pundit’s opinion.

When Congress is considering any bill, their criteria should not be the latest Gallup poll, your opinion, or their opinion about whether or not this potential legislation is a good or bad idea. Their sole concern should be keeping their oath of office when they pledged to Almighty God that they would protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

Do you find yourself discouraged over the sheer volume of battles we face as progressives continue to interfere in so many areas of our personal and public lives? Education, property rights, marriage…the list is long. Many Tea Party and Liberty Groups are losing members who are weary of not seeing the changes they desire. It’s just too hard, they say. There are just too many obstacles to overcome. Let me ask a question: Have you ever considered obstacles may be opportunities in disguise?

We’re told by progressives and many public educators that God, specifically the Judeo-Christian God of the Bible, has no place in the classroom. Not only, they say, is this a bad idea, but it’s actually breaking the law – a violation of students’ religious liberties. Really? Christianity in the classroom is a historical fact. How would schools be different, and student’s behavior improved if we returned to teaching the moral values found in scripture? Spit wads or bullets?

Most Americans today would call themselves patriots. Would you? But what does that mean…to be an American…to be a patriot? What is the basis for your self-description as a patriotic American? This is something to think about!