Our American Heritage and Our Responsibility for Preserving It
by Christian D. Keller
Now more than ever, our world is facing what seems to be what Christians describe as the “End Times.” Jesus said these days would be filled with deception, turmoil, devastation, andtribulation. For many of us, it is fair to say that we do not have to look very far to see evidence ofour world's deterioration. Our nation was built on moral principles that have been the essence of what many know as the United States. The good citizens who founded our country had a dream to escape tyrannical government and create a nation with fundamental rights such as liberty, freespeech, freedom of religion, and freedom of assembly, as well as many others. These ideas wereconstituted and signed in 1787, as a list of grievances against the tyrant King of England. Thechallenges our nation faces today seem to trace to the qualities of a good citizen and our failureto uphold these traits. Dependability, service, leadership, and patriotism, have supported ournation since its founding in 1776, and good citizens are the source of what keeps our country prospering. A good citizen must be dependable, ready to serve when called. A prime example of dependable American citizens, are the Minute Men of the Revolutionary War. If these men had not been as dependable and ready “within a minute's notice,” we might not have the freedom we have today. To combat the issues our nation faces today, more of us must be dependable in what we do. A good citizen is dependable in their field no matter what it may be. In addition to dependability, it is also service that helps define a good citizen, as service is what keeps the United States free as we know today. Service comes in many different forms, and we will forever be thankful to those who gave their lives serving our nation on the battlefield. However, good citizens can serve by being involved in their community, and give back to better the welfare of our nation. Many of the issues seen in our culture today, trace to the lack of service. Perhaps if we encouraged more people to be involved for a good cause, we could avoid the reliance on government: something the founding fathers warned of. Service however, cannot be at hand without the presence of leadership. Leadership is what makes for organized service, and leaders have the ability to encourage and influence others to serve their community. Our founding fathers are an exemplary example of leaders. Tired of a controlling government, they sought to create a nation of freedom, calling on men to help serve the cause. Patriotism is the term we use to describe the love for that nation. Today however, patriotism is what we lack the most, and the root cause for most of the issues we face. Wherever we look, we see hatred toward our nation, and people overlooking the sacrifices made for their freedom. We do not know how blessed we are in this country, and as good citizens we must influence our peers to embrace the four qualities of a good citizen.