| The American Way of Life |
September 15, 2001 |
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Over the last 225 years
our country has been tested. Those who would disagree with us have
attacked our resolve and our belief in the cause of freedom. Tyrants and
petty dictators have tried from time to time to change our belief in the
‘American Way of Life’. When in truth, they do not really understand
what that phrase means. What really confuses them is that the words
Each of us has heard these words a thousand times and every day millions of us get up and pursue the things that are embodied in those simple words. And on September 11th, 2001 we all got up and started our day safe in the knowledge that whatever the day brought we would face it surrounded in the comfort of freedom. But cowards tried to take that away. Cowards took innocence lives and tried to create a horror so terrible that it would bring this great nation to its knees. They took away the lives of thousands in the misguided attempt to take away our liberty. And though they succeeded in slowing down our pursuit of Happiness, they did not break our backs. There are two major reasons why they did not and will not succeed in this endeavor. The first is to be found in more words from Jefferson. As familiar as we all are with the previous quote that begins the Declaration of Independence, we are less familiar with the ending. And while these words end the Declaration of Independence, they begin a nation:
Yes, we are all created equal with inalienable rights and yes, we are all individuals who are free to pursue our own definitions of the word Happiness. And yet, Jefferson knew that these rights and pursuits spring forth from God and are unassailable if and only if we are willing to fight for those rights and defend each other from assaults from the outside. And Jefferson also knew that the fight was not going to be with words alone. He wanted everyone to know that Americans were willing to give up their fortunes and their lives to defend our American Way of Life. The second reason these terrorists did not succeed is that while they did succeed in driving America to its knees, they did not realize that when America goes to its knees, it is to pray. And from those prayers comes a strength that other nations can only dream about. It is a strength best summed up by the words of Julia Ward Howe in the Battle Hymn of the Republic:
On September 11th, 2001, misguided and uneducated cowards took it upon themselves to teach the United States a lesson and to bring down our American Way of Life. The lesson it seems has back-fired for all they did was remind us how precious our American Way of Life really is and just how far we are willing to go to defend that way of life. When the first plane crashed into the World Trade Center, the giant that we all are together woke up and on bended knees reminded itself that ‘As He died to make men holy, let us die to make and keep men free.’
God bless our leaders who must make the decisions for our future. God bless the rescue workers who have laid down their lives in the effort to save others. God bless the victims who paid the ultimate price. And, God Bless America with strength, justice and humility as we together defend our American Way of Life. Paul
H. Tarver
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‘American Way of Life’ can mean something different to each and every
one of us. My American Way of Life is not necessarily your American Way of
Life. But in reality is it something very simple and the words were
written down for us all those years ago by Thomas Jefferson who gave us
the most accurate definition that is still just as valid today as it was
over 200 years ago:
