American Be See Do

American Be See Do By Alfred Brock It has become common parlance that there is no real evidence of what it takes to be an American. It is a common attack against anyone saying this thing or that thing is American or is not American to say that no one really knows what an American is or what an American thing is. Is this really true, though? Is there really no thing upon which we can fix our attention and say, ‘Yes, this thing is American.’ Many people say, ‘Yes, there is Jazz. It is the one purely American art form that has originated in America.’ For them they are satisfied with this. That’s enough. Music. Okay. Some people, and there are many of them today, however, claim there is nothing that truly is American. As if all that is around us is merely the happenstance of circumstance – it just happened, so to speak. As if everything were here and had always been here – all these statues, businesses, farms – cities like New York, Chicago, Detroit, San Francisco, Houston, Los Angeles, Charlotte, Richmond, Orlando, Seattle, Portland…as if they had all sprung out of the earth like weeds. There are some truly militant types of people who become nearly unhinged if someone should dare to utter the phrase, ‘Oh, that is not American.’ They fly to the barricades, ready to fight and bring down thunder and brimstone on anyone that would challenge what they believe by uttering the words that would indicate that it is not American to do that thing. They do no argue, however, that is IS American to do the thing so derided, they resort to the argument that there is no real definition for anything or anyone being American. I believe this is untrue. I do not believe that type of argument is true. I don’t think there is a grain of truth in it. I don’t think it holds water. I think it is a weak argument and it undermines and undercuts reason, common sense and the way of life and the life that created the peculiar notion after all. Is there anything that is American? I say that there is. I hope that after you read this book you will agree with me, or have what you know to be true confirmed as true – or if you disagree – at least you will be able to understand that there are many people who believe that there are many things which are American and that there are many people who are truly American. At this point in history there are about 320 million people living in the United States of America. In the world they say there are 7 billion. That makes the population of the United States about 4 percent of the world population. In the United States itself about 20 percent of the population is new to the nation. Amongst the entire population, new and old, immigrant and natural born, there are many citizens who do not believe there are American things. There are many people who consider themselves hyphenated Americans – Belgian-Americans, Spanish-Americans, French-Americans, German-Americans, Italian-Americans, Chinese-Americans, Japanese-Americans, Indian-Americans, Asian-Americans – even Mexican-Americans and Canadian-Americans for goodness sake! Those last two never fail to make me laugh when I see them because Mexicans and Canadians are, because they are in North America – already Americans. I think you can see something at this point that I was lucky enough to see long ago. It just doesn’t make sense. Some people – and it is because of these few that I am writing this – actually do not like Americans. They live here in the United States of America but they are convinced without a doubt that they are smarter and better than Americans. You may know one or two them. They are either newly arrived immigrants or even might be second or even third generation – but at the root of their being they either hate Americans and the idea of America or they are convinced it is below them to participate. That’s a shame – but I am not writing this book for them – I am writing it because of them – but not for them. They may never understand and that is too bad for them. I am writing this book for the rest of us. The Americans. The people in this country who were raised as Americans to be Americans and those millions of new Americans who have joined us because they not only want to live with us – they want to be like us. This book is for the memory of all those people (Americans) who have made it possible to be American in this modern world. This book is for the benefit of all those who find themselves, simply because they were born here and educated here, to be Americans. This book is for all those folks who have fought, charmed and worked their way to our shores just to have one little chance to be an American. We are a minority. We are fewer now in relation to the entire population of the world than we have been for a long time. If I am not mistaken – we were at a similar disadvantage by point of numbers at the time when this nation was created – when this country declared itself by right of Liberty and Justice to be the United States of America. So maybe all is not lost. Maybe this guide to what it means to be American will not be some dusty old side note to history. Maybe this book will not be supporting evidence to an out-of-date dictionary reference without soul or heart as to what an American is. American A•mer•i•can    [uh-mer-i-kuhn] adjective 1. of or pertaining to the United States of America or its inhabitants: an American citizen. 2. of or pertaining to North or South America; of the Western Hemisphere: the American continents. 3. of or pertaining to the aboriginal Indians of North and South America, usually excluding the Eskimos, regarded as being of Asian ancestry and marked generally by reddish to brownish skin, black hair, dark eyes, and prominent cheekbones. 4. a citizen of the United States of America. 5. a native or inhabitant of the Western Hemisphere. 6. an Indian of North or South America. 7. American English. 8. a steam locomotive having a four-wheeled front truck, four driving wheels, and no rear truck. Maybe it will show someone what it means to be an American. I invite you, as an American, to Be, See, Do.   A Brief History and Reasoning of Americanism The history of the United States and Americans in general is long and varied. There are heroes and villains. What we are concerned with here, however, are Americans. When the Europeans arrived in the Americas there were already Americans here. Millions of them. Their history is our history. Many natural born Americans are descended from the mix of peoples that lived here and came here later. No matter when someone arrived here – the simple fact is that the only two prerequisites for being an American is that you are alive and that you are here. Having said that the duties that come along with being an American are several. They are simple and profound. They can bring you great joy if you know of them and allow you to get along better in American society if you practice them. The history of America taught in classrooms usually begins with a narration about some unnamed people crossing a land bridge from Asia. Then children are shown a map with arrows pointing east and south from Alaska. Nothing much is mentioned about the breadth of civilizations and societies that existed here, some of which persist to this day. There are lessons about the Incas, the Mayans and the Aztecs and suddenly, Christopher Columbus, the Spaniards and ‘history’ begins. That is not a charming part of American studies. It needs to be changed. It needs to be changed for this simple reason. Some of the things which are important and sacred to us as modern Americans were imparted to us by the Americans who were already here when modern ‘history’ began. These ideals include family ideals, religious beliefs (if not in substance then in understanding) and even political arrangements. To this day the American President is referred to as Commander in Chief and as being Chief of the Nation. The history of Americans as we know them today started about 100 years prior to the American Revolution. It is formed of a desire for self-rule, religious freedom, profit and private property. During the course of the 100 years leading to the Revolution – which also was a revolt against European royalty and old social arrangements that could not be supported in the ‘New World’ (the Americas) – problems arose due to governing bodies being so far away and having interests of their own that differed from the people living here. These same arguments are raised today as people complain of their government being ‘distant’ and ‘out of touch’. It is a checkered past. After the American Revolution and the Battle With Britain there was an uneasy peace between the new nation and the rest of the world. As Napolean ravaged Europe some years later the British Empire decided to try and recapture the American continent. The War of 1812 lasted a number of years and ended the idea that England would again rule the United States, but also cemented their possessions in Canada. The relative peace that lasted until the American Civil War was filled with westward expansion. I say relative peace because it was interspersed with Indian Wars and range wars and other undeclared hostilities like the Mormon Rebellion and the establishment of Utah and the annexation of California along with the War With Mexico. It was not a peaceful and idyllic time. The Civil War was long in coming and involved the emancipation of the slaves as well as a reordering of the Federal Government and the way in which it would be run. The whispers and ghosts of that conflict haunt this nation still. Among those born in the regions of the North and South that were touched directly by the Civil War and the insane violence of it there can still be detected hints of anger and suspicion. It is important to note that many of the ‘modern’ munitions used to kill large numbers of people in war were invented and first use on a large scale during the American Civil War. You can learn much about it by visiting any historical park dedicated to the memory of the fallen. After the Civil War the United States then began another period of expansion. It ended with the War With Spain. As a result of that war Spain was no longer a World Empire or, at least, no longer a world power able to stand alone. American influence included taking over Spanish colonies in Asia like the Philippines and dominating countries like Cuba as well as taking islands previously administered by Spain. World War I was not long in coming. The bloodshed and horror of that conflict was never fully understood by the American people who had already forgotten the lessons of the Civil War. It is obvious when looking back in time to see that the seeds of World War II were sown in World War I. Korea, Vietnam and many other conflicts followed up until the more recent era as we see American forces battling in the Middle East and preparing to intervene in Asia. Are the American errors of judgment or a curse of humanity? I am not here to write about war but about how to be an American. To leave out war would be to leave out a large part of our heritage and miss a great opportunity to understand American behavior. Even during times of hottest war and when war fever ran high and hatred was boiling over there were always Americans willing to stand up for their rights and their beliefs and if that meant opposing the war then that was what they did. In the case of the War With Mexico President Abraham Lincoln had this to say, “First, it is to be done by a more vigorous prossecution of the war in the vital parts of the enemies country; and, after apparently, talking himself tired, on this point, the President drops down into a half despairing tone, and tells us that "with a people distracted and divided by contending factions, and a government subject to constant changes, by successive revolutions, the continued success of our arms may fail to secure a satisfactory peace[.]" Then he suggests the propriety of wheedling the Mexican people to desert the counsels of their own leaders, and trusting in our protection, to set up a government from which we can secure a satisfactory peace; telling us, that "this may become the only mode of obtaining such a peace." But soon he falls into doubt of this too; and then drops back on to the already half abandoned ground of "more vigorous prosecution”. “ What I am trying to illustrate here is that being patriotic is not the same as being blind and just because you don’t agree with someone or something on some point of national interest does not make you American – it makes you MOST American if you express yourself and let your ideas be known. There is a good chance you may be right and it would be a loss to us all if you kept your tongue while others lost their lives. Here is this again from President Lincoln, "Allow the President to invade a neighboring nation whenever he shall deem it necessary to repel an invasion, and you shall allow him to do so whenever he may choose to say he deems it necessary for such purpose, and you allow him to make war at pleasure. Study to see if you can fix any limit to his power in this respect. If today he should choose to say he thinks it necessary to invade Canada to prevent the British from invading us, how could you stop him? You may say to him, "I see no probability of the British invading us"; but he will say to you, "Be silent: I see it if you don't."" This gets to the root of the matter concerning what it means to be an American. Often times during war or periods of severe loss – the Great Depression or some other calamitous events – Americans will complain. They will also go forward and do their duty. Finally I revert to President Lincoln one last time in an effort to allow you to understand the attitude of Americans to government and how this government of Americans was set up – to be free not only means to be allowed to do what we wish or need to do without interference – (as long as it does not hurt someone else) means that we are free from something or someone. Who was that? Free from God? Free from Reason? Free from Truth? No. Free from oppression and repression in the world. The oppression presented by a nation ruled by right of birth rather than right of ability – which is what the United States is and what one facet of being American is all about. From President Lincoln when talking about a President taking on powers not granted by the Constituion, “Kings had always been involving and impoverishing their people in wars, pretending, generally, if not always, that the good of the people was the object. This our convention understood to be the most oppressive of the kingly oppressions, and they resolved to so frame the Constitution that no one man should hold the power of bringing this oppression down upon us. But your view destroys the whole matter, and places our President where kings have always stood." I have leaned heavily on President Lincoln during this part of this very brief history – but that is only because the words seem to fit the idea very well and to illustrate it. The kernel of American history that has brought us to this modern day and is the focus of this book, which I have written for you, is contained in the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States of America : “We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”   Chapter 1 Justice A lot of people do not believe in Justice in the United States today. There are stories every day of injustice. Some of them are true and some of them are the result of irresponsible news writers and reporters trying to fill some space on a page or a minute on national television. Some politicians cry out against injustice so that they can draw attention away from other things they may be doing – like trying to get reelected or not doing – like their job. The Justice I am writing of here is American Justice. That can rightly defined as “the quality of being just; righteousness, equitableness, or moral rightness”. In today’s America the word ‘moral’ can start an argument at the drop of a hat. The truth is that in today’s America moral education has been neglected because religion has been under attack. It can also be said that in many places religion has been attacking the government as well. The problem that resulted is that moral education is not imparted in an official manner. It is not a regular part of most school curriculums because religious education used to provide this support and framework. In modern America often decisions regarding right and wrong, whether to steal or not, whether to kill or not are either avoided completely or given the same sort of light touch that goes along with finger painting. American Justice is still strong, however, and has a long history. At the core of it is the inner desire of the individual to be just, righteous, equitable and morally right – in short – to be human. Without Justice of this kind many abuses take place. The society and government at large become unequal to any task put before them because their response to the task has been set in such a way that is wrong at the beginning – and so – excluding some miracle of judgment – the result will be wrong. President Abraham Lincoln had this to say and I think it somehow describes the idea of American Justice I want to impart to you, “If some men will kill, or beat, or constrain others, or despoil them of property, by force, fraud, or noncompliance with contracts, it is a common object with peaceful and just men to prevent it.” I prefer this supporting definition by Abraham Lincoln in this case because it makes it clear that peaceful and just people themselves are responsible to ensure that justice is done. In this case – what is justice or American Justice? It is to ensure, of course, that men and women disposed to killing, beating or restraining others who take the property of others for force, fraud or lying will not prosper. In that case, then, is not American Justice a good thing and something to advocate for and work towards? It is not enough to listen to some reporter or politician talk about the lack of American Justice – each American – you and I included – need to ensure that what is being said is true and has substance. If so – then the wrong must be righted and swiftly too. If it turns out that the story we have been told in this instance is false then it is with American Justice we must deal with the reporter or politician that told the lie and tried to influence circumstances for their own selfish ends. You see – if they had done that – lied to us – then they are the brutish, ignorant people that American Justice is set against. Here is what President George Washington had to say about American Justice and how it was to be administered and imparted through the government, “Impressed with a conviction that the due administration of justice is the firmest pillar of good Government, I have considered the first arrangement of the Judicial department as essential to the happiness of our Country, and to the stability of its political system; hence the selection of the fittest characters to expound the law, and dispense justice, has been an invariable object of my anxious concern.”—George Washington, in a letter to Attorney General Edmund Randolph concerning the selection and qualification of U.S. attorneys and judges (1789) Mainly what he was saying there was that he was paying close attention to the persons being selected as United States Attorneys and Judges. Obviously, if bad persons or persons inclined to killing, beating or restraining others who take the property of others for force, fraud or lying were appointed to these posts then they would be dangerous to American citizens as well as to the national interest. In the first place they could hurt good, law abiding citizens by their actions and inactions. In the second place should they come in contact with foreign embassies or agents their own bad behavior might be taken as the norm and rule of American society and all sorts of evils would descend from that – not the least of which would be corruption and war. President Thomas Jefferson had this to say about American Justice, “I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever.” Now what could Thomas Jefferson have possibly meant by that? At the time of the creation of our nation there was a great controversy about slavery. The unfortunate outcome of the controversy was that slavery was not set aside and the stage was set for corruption and war. His worry about the United States being subject to God’s Justice is pertinent today. It is a religious subject some might say but considering that the course of human events is tied so closely to so many mysteries and immense power of the cosmos around us it is not a foolish comment. Many enemies of the United States today call for their god or gods to administer their own justice against the United States – and for what reason? In some cases it may be argued that the behavior of the United States has been such that is not in line with American Justice. In those cases then good people, good Americans like you and I, need to take a hand in correcting the injustice. In other cases the attacks on American behavior are totally without merit and again it is the responsibility of good persons to say so and act on those statements. American Justice is not something carved in marble that we can go visit every once in a while or point at. American Justice is part of the American Way. To see it and understand it is to be able to wield it and partake in it. “If there is no Justice in your heart then there is no Justice in the land.” President Andrew Jackson had this to say about American Justice, “Any man worth his salt will stick up for what he believes right, but it takes a slightly better man to acknowledge instantly and without reservation that he is in error.” It is a common idea in the world that the proper way for a person to conduct their affairs in accord with what they believe to be right. It is peculiarly American to expect that same person to perform a review of these affairs and ideas and ideals with which they are carried out to ensure that they are up to date and can truly still be called ‘right’. It is wrong for an American to go along as if everything is right if they have detected an error either in thinking or behavior that no longer allows for the present activities to continue under a spirit of injustice. The overwhelming tide of American Justice was what led to the abolition of slavery, the emancipation of women and the tempering of the execution of some wars and in the case of Vietnam the cessation of hostilities. It remains to be seen that if in today’s world American Justice will overcome the evils that lap at our shores. It is difficult to do or see what is right when the airwaves and newspapers are filled with what is wrong. When your neighbor only speaks ill how can you get them to see right? When all that is said is bad how can one get a good word in edgewise? The sense of American Justice, however, is lasting and is a force. It is force like a tide that can wash away iniquities and lies – but only if they are recognized and worked on to correct – otherwise you may find the bad situations persist. The important thing to keep in mind is that if you see something wrong – you’re not having a hallucination – you are not imagining it. You have a right and a duty to speak up about it. You may be surprised to know that its not all perfect here in the United States. It’s not easy to have a free country. It is especially hard if no one speaks up for what is right. It is impossible if justice is ignored or not expected from the government and society because it is their duty to provide it just as it is our duty to participate, work and pay taxes. What do I mean by your duty? President Howard Taft said this, "The world is not going to be saved by legislation." The politicians will pass laws. Some will be enforced and many will not. What is right and wrong, however, will not change because of that. If there is a bad law then it is our duty to see it repealed and to inform our Representatives and Senators to do that. If something is right and it is not being done it is up to us as Americans to make it so. In this way American society and being American is participatory. It is a social occasion as well as a moral duty. I am using quotes from American Presidents to bring out that you are not alone in thinking about what is right and what is wrong. You are not alone in your consideration of American Justice. The most important reason I am bringing out these quotes from famous Americans is to illustrate to you that your ideas and ideals belong with them. Some people hold office but we all hold America. All of us as Americans have rights and responsibilities and one of them is to ensure that American Justice is done in an American way. What is the American way for American Justice? The quality of being just. Righteousness. Equitableness. Moral rightness. Now that you are involved American Justice becomes more than a word with a dictionary definition. It becomes a right and a duty – like plowing, working a lathe, doing math figures, writing, plumbing, carpentry, science, medicine – it is a tool and an object and a process. It is something not be ignored or used selfishly. It is yours to partake in and ensure that others do not abuse it or use it for selfish ends. Maybe it is like this in all countries and maybe there have always been times like this in the United States, but it seems lately that a lot of people are losing their sense of responsibility about Justice. Some people feel that it carrying out Justice or ensuring that it is carried out and not delayed is for someone else to deal with. Many people expect politicians or judges to do it all by themselves. Here in the United States, however, we need to take care as to how Justice is defined and carried out. If it is delayed too long then it is not Justice. If it is too fierce it is not Justice. Of course, if it is not carried out at all then it is not Justice either. When a person loses their dog or their keys they take great pains to find them. It seems, however, that when some people lose their sense of responsibility that they don’t care to find it and some don’t even know it is gone. It is enough to say that if you live in the United States and you are a citizen that being an American carries with it the responsibility to ensure that Justice is done. It is not enough to watch the news and wonder aloud what is going on. You must make the effort to find out the truth and act on it if necessary. The best way to understand American Justice and how you can expect it to appear to you and treat you or how you can use it as a tool if necessary (for a tool is all it is) is to acknowledge that at first Americans are expected to do the right thing. If you do that thing which is right in your heart and which does not harm others or keep them from their own pursuit of their rightful goals then Justice will be on your side. Some people are not guided by an inner understanding of the principle of goodness nor do they understand the underlying motive of cooperation which is Love. These people are therefore treated to the formality of American Justice in a court setting which appeals to their intellect and reason in order to convince them or compel them to act right. It is this combination of situations – the personal and internal conviction and knowledge of right and wrong combined with, when necessary, the formal operation of the application of right and the knowledge of wrong externally through the courts that American Justice is done. When Justice is ‘served’ so to speak – it is not being worshipped or forced upon someone, though sometimes the courts need to resort to some sort of force, what is being expressed is that it has been prepared and presented in such a way that it will be acceptable. Like a meal on a menu. If properly prepared and being nutritious and tasty then the product, Justice, like food, may be consumed or put into practice and so business and general social intercourse may continue to the profit of all. It is true that sometimes when Justice is served that not everyone agrees on the taste. It is at this time that individual involved in the case, in so far as their personal liberty or property is not at risk, may trust to a higher power or social grace to right whatever perceived wrong or hurt might still stick to the issue at hand. The purpose of American Justice, rather than revenge or oppression, is to set things right and allow all parties considered to continue on in their dealings and not waste another moment worrying over a disagreement that will not matter a whit in the future anyway. This is the sort of Justice that Americans aspire to though often it is mocked in the newspapers and general society. It has its place and is not intended to be theatre or entertaining but a means of business to free up abilities and resources to more profitable enterprises. Sometimes it takes courage to deal with this sort of Justice. It is not always clear cut but it usually is sufficient to the situation presented. It is also a painstaking process because the Wheels of Justice do turn slowly in the United States – but they do turn. It is the idea and ideals of courage that are believed in and acted upon by Americans that I am going to deal with next.   Chapter 2 Courage Courage is not a virtue if it is not exercised for righteous reasons. What good is the courage of a criminal when conducting criminal activities except excessive brute force? What good is the courage of a bad person when doing bad except to make a bad situation worse? Courage in order to be a virtue must be exercised in righteous fashion. American courage as an ideal is expressed as a righteous act often against long odds. That is – it is an action taken against common sense or realistic appraisal of the situation in order to achieve a righteous goal. There is no shortage of tales of American courage. I could fill up a book about American courage. In fact, many people have. One book in particular is ‘Profiles in Courage’. A book by President John F. Kennedy. That is a book about statesmen in the government of the United States who took positions on issues that were unpopular – but which were righteous and ultimately proven to be right. President Kennedy had this to say, “The true democracy, living and growing and inspiring, puts its faith in the people – faith that the people will not simply elect men who will represent their views ably and faithfully, but also elect men who will exercise their conscientious judgment – faith that the people will not condemn those whose devotion to principle leads them to unpopular courses, but will reward courage, respect honor and ultimately recognize right.” Of course there is always the danger that popular opinion will condemn someone no matter what their virtues or stance. One of the purposes of this book is to bring your attention to the fact that you, as an American, may have an opinion but it need not be a ‘popular’ opinion. Consider that old retort used by parents around the world when a child is asked why they did some foolish thing. The child says, ‘My friend did it, that’s why I did it.’ The parent responds wisely, ‘If your friend jumped off a bridge, would you do that too?’ Obviously the ‘popular’ opinion is not always right and it is never right if it is accepted merely because it is popular and everyone else thinks that way. As an American your independent and individual consideration of the issue at hand is the most important point. What do YOU think about the issue at hand? For example, if everyone else in the country is making a mistake, do you have to make that mistake too? The story of the Emperor’s clothes and how one little boy sees the obvious while all the adults and other people of ‘quality’ and ‘position’ go along with the popular view that the Emperor is not naked and they actually believe that he is clothed. Of course there is a more ominous and negative aspect of that story and that is that there are many among the crowds that view the naked Emperor strutting around in ignorance who know that he is not wearing any clothes but they go along with the popular view for their own selfish reasons or because they are afraid. As an American, first of all, you don’t have to be afraid. Even if you are you are allowed to and expected to express your views. In the second case it would be morally wrong to take advantage of the ignorance of your fellow Americans in order to exploit the situation. These things happen but you should know they do not last. As we know the wheels of Justice turn slowly but they do turn because of the living expression of American Courage. American Courage is displayed by astronauts, jet fighter pilots, soldiers, marines, sailors, police officers, firefighters, doctors, lawyers, teachers… all sorts of people in all sorts of activities across our nation – across your nation. What is American Courage? It is the same courage you would see in any nation dedicated to freedom, justice, equality and fair play. In some countries it is unpopular or even illegal to take part in the government unless expressly sanctioned to do so. In the United States this is not the case. President Kennedy again, “In a democracy, every citizen, regardless of his interest in politics, “holds office”; every one of us is in a position of responsibility; and, in the final analysis, the kind of government we get depends upon how we fulfill those responsibilities. We, the people, are the boss, and we will get the kind of political leadership, be it good or bad, that we demand and deserve.” This means that sometimes it will be necessary to go to public meetings to see what is being discussed. It means expressing your opinion on things in the public eye. It means bringing out issues that may be hidden or ignored. These are your responsibility in this nation and they are expressions of your own American Courage. Let us hear from President Kennedy one more time, “Without belittling the courage with which men have died, we should not forget those acts of courage with which men have lived.” “…those acts of courage with which men have lived.” After all, isn’t that the reason for good government and a nation founded on morals and behaving in a righteous manner? American Courage is needed to ensure that might does not make right and that the popular thing, though it is popular, does not destroy what is good and right for today and our future. Who is to say what is good and right for today and our future? That would be you and the way to express that would be through own particular type of American Courage. American Courage cannot be bought. It is an expression of good and valor. Sometimes American Courage requires that all must be risked in order to gain the greater good, but often that is merely gambling. The true American Courage is expressed when you, as an American, move to do the right thing even if others do not believe as you do or even know that it is necessary. What is required is that you do it because being a free nation there is a possibility that you may be the only one with the knowledge and ability to do what is right. Maybe I am not expressing this right. I have talked about the courage of astronauts, soldier, politicians and powerful people. People we are all accustomed to expecting to see display courage whether actually or in stories. The American Courage I am talking about hope you will take heart in and express yourself is the human courage of your own spirit. It is the courage of the mother who gets up every morning in some poor neighborhood and prepares breakfast and sends her children off to school before going to work herself. It is the courage of a man who dispirited in his career aspirations or frustrated by some business setback continues to work hard and strive for something better. It is the courage of a farmer who faced with drought or other hardship continues to care for his farm and his family because he rightly knows that things will improve in time. It is the courage of believing in the future and the fruit of your labors. It is believing with the same belief and expectation of success that your forbears had if you are a native born American and the same belief and expectation of success that brought you to this nation in the first place – if you have just arrived. It doesn’t matter if you have been here for five minutes or your family has been here for five hundred or even five thousand years – the courage I am talking about as American courage is the courage in your own heart to do what is right. To bear up under hard times. To smile in the rain. To whistle at the wind. It is not a cavalier or careless kind of courage. Any fool can have that sort of courage. Any fool can risk their life or throw it away. It is the courageous and the brave that honor life by living it even when it is hard. When it is hard to do that is when the thing becomes honorable. This is not to say that one should accept without reservation hard times and always expect them. I do not say that. This is America and being American it is right that you expect things to change and improve. It is right that you expect that things improve for your family and friends. It is necessary that you take a hand yourself in spurring on or causing that improvement and betterment. The courage is in your heart. The way to express that courage is in your mind. The means to carry out that courage is in your hands. The will to do it is in your spirit. The United States has sometimes been called a melting pot. I have heard it said that we are not melting so well. I do not believe that. I think we are moving along just fine. There are historical references to it in the stories that we tell our children right now. As new people come to the United States and take on the rights and responsibilities of being American their own stories will blend into these so that our children’s children will be infused with what is good and right and will be able to enjoy their own lives through the fruits of their labor by the expression of their own American Courage. Pecos Bill is a good example of the union of good hearted feelings and expressions of human courage that have become entwined and are now expressed as American Courage. Pecos Bill is the story of a man from the Western States in the United States. Stories told about him are often referred to as ‘Tall Tales’. Are they true or are they not? It does not really matter – though I suppose it would have mattered to Bill. What matters are the topics told about and the responses Bill had to his difficulties. Pecos Bill stories contain a mixture of super human (American) feats of courage and strength. Like roping and riding a tornado whirlwind like a wild bronco and using a dangerous rattlesnake for a lasso. According to the legend Pecos Bill was born in the Western United States in the 1830's. As a baby he was being carried in a covered wagon when he bounced out and into the desert wonderland. His family did not notice and luckily Bill was raised by a pack of coyotes. He became a legendary cowboy and his horse Lightning was literally as fast as lighting. It was said you could tell Pecos Bill had gone by if you saw a flash of light and the sound of Lighting’s hooves rang out like thunder. In some of the stories Pecos Bill saddled a mountain lion and rode him through the hills carrying out extraordinary deeds of strength, speed and courage. This particular story and many others like is the result of the ‘melting’ or combination of several cultures, all of which make up America. There are the tall tales from Western Spain and Portugal along with the storytelling of Mexico and the Native American Indians, combined with the Northern European habits of telling tales and, of course, those tales and beliefs held by Americans in general. American Courage is not a standalone feat. The ideas combined together in the legend of Pecos Bill like his riding a cyclone or roping an entire herd of wild longhorn cattle at one time or using a rattlesnake as a whip and harnessing the Rio Grande River to water his parched ranch are all tall tales indeed but they speak about American Courage in a unique way. They allow us as adults to impart the importance of strong action in the face of danger or difficulties to our children. They give us a way to express to people of other nationalities that what we are doing, though strange to them perhaps, is indeed marvelous and remarkable. Each of the feats that is ascribed to Pecos Bill were repeated over and over again by Americans across the Western United States. For example : continue to work a farm ravaged by a tornado. Putting it back together and making it work. Using the natural resources of the area, even if it was dangerous to harness them – like a rattlesnake, and benefitting from them for the good of the family. As for harnessing the Rio Grande River – why that act has been repeated all across the United States by Americans intent on gaining the benefits of electricity from water power and to water croplands and turn barren desert into fruitful fields and orchards. This is the sort of American Courage I am talking about. I can’t make it any more clear than to say that if you feel it strange to you that all you have to do to correct that is accept it as your own even though it may have a different name. What wild and tall tales do you have to tell us so that we can share in them as much as we would like to you to share in ours? Some tall tales have a direct relation to the American character and history. For example – the State of Delaware is known as ‘The Blue Hen State’. Why is that? The story goes that a Delaware man went to war during the American Revolution and joined the militia from his state. For entertainment, he brought with him two fighting cocks. When asked about the chickens by soldiers from other state militias and the Continental Army, the soldier is said to have replied, "Why, they are the chicks of a blue hen I have at home." It is said that these game birds could fight like no others! They were so fierce that no other could stand against them. The Delaware troops took to boasting to the troops from the other states that they could out-fight anyone, just like those famous blue game birds. "We're the Blue Hen's Chicks. We will fight to the end!" became their theme and of the bravery of the Delaware troops stories are told to this day. Eventually other troops took to calling the men from Delaware "The Blue Hen's Chicks", and that is why Delaware is known as the Blue Hen State. There are many wonderful stories like this. Each containing in them fact and fancy. Each containing some hint of the people that they are told about and more importantly, about the people that tell them. The ‘Blue Hen’s Chicks’ – the uniform of the Continental Army was blue – and the fact that the Mother Hen had sent them on such an errand as to fight for the freedom of their country shows two things. First, that even the mild-mannered hen showed strength and vivacity enough to send her own brood out to fight the mighty British Lion. Secondly – that the same mild-manner hen sitting at home was on another brood and she would send them out too if need be. A small story with a funny twist. Of course the truth is that the Delaware men and women and children all fought for their freedom and achieved it. The outcome of the story is the outcome provided by their expression of American Courage – Delaware Style. Just as each segment of the country has their own speciality in food or dress or custom – they also each express American Courage in their own unique, endearing, fierce and lasting way. American Courage is expressed quietly and with vigor. It is sometimes performed in a day’s work or expressed in spoken words at a public meeting or in the words of a letter written to support or defy some notion taken up by government or society that is unseemly and harsh. American Courage is the type of thing that does not surrender easily. In the even I have not properly expressed what American Courage is by telling you what I believe it to be let me also tell you what I feel it is not and you can arrange it in your mind for yourself what rightly is American Courage. American Courage is not thrill-seeking. American Courage is not a violent acts to satiate some blood lust. American Courage is not bullying. As Ralph Waldo Emerson, the great American poet has written : ‘I think no virtue goes with size; The reason of all cowardice Is, that men are overgrown, And, to be valiant, must come down To the titmouse dimension’ American Courage is not expended for a trifling or trivial matter because once engaged it will be seen through to the end. Lastly – American Courage is not something held by just one person or type of person. It is not kept in just one Church or Temple or Synagogue or in the heart and brain of just one kind of reasoning man or woman. It is not locked away for special use by special superhuman people. Thucydides, ancient Greet poet and philosopher wrote, “The secret to happiness is freedom. The secret to freedom is courage.” Harper Lee wrote about courage in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ - "I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do." To finish on a positive note – American Courage is your courage. The courage that you express as you face difficulties in your life or help people you love or know to face theirs. American Courage is a good thing and it belongs to you. Expressing American Courage is done in many ways – not just in ways of war. It is these other ways that American Courage is expressed that I will address next as we talk about American Goodwill and Kindness.   Chapter 3 Goodwill and Kindness Chapter 3 Good Will and Kindness American good will. What is good will? Let us hear from Ralph Waldo Emerson, American poet, once again : 'T is good will makes intelligence’ Good will is often equated with Charity in the United States these days. It stands for someone with something giving something to someone else who does not have it. In some places good will and Charity have a bad reputation. It is often believed that if one helps out someone else that the person being helped will become dependent upon you. So goes the saying, ‘Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.’ Some people use this as an excuse to keep all the fish for themselves. More importantly – it is often used in an incorrect sense. Let us for example imagine someone in poverty or even someone well off – able to feed their family and getting along. Then – through some calamity – maybe a mistake or a horrible storm or the financial ruin of the company the person was working for – their income is not only suspended but entirely removed. The State governments and Federal government have relief programs designed to aid people so they do not die but is that enough? Are airy ideas about economy and ensuring cash flow enough to ensure that your neighbor and his family do not lose their ability to pursue the American dream? Often that is the case. These ruinous events can lead to the demise of a person, a couple or even an entire family even here in the Land of Plenty. What is it to you? Why should you care if your neighbor is prosperous? Besides the fact that desperate persons do desperate things the reason why you as an American should be concerned in a positive fashion about the prosperity of your neighbor is that your prosperity is tied to theirs. It is your tax money the State and Federal governments spend to ensure that those people do not die. That state of affairs will not change for those people until they are gainfully employed again in the private sector. Every opportunity given to keep them away from falling into real dependence upon government programs designed to keep themselves in business is better and more profitable for you. In many cases ‘common’ beliefs about relief and food assistance are just plain wrong. Most people, when they go for food assistance or other financial relief, to avoid starvation or financial ruin, do not continually take it or receive it for the rest of their lives. That is a rare occurrence and it those persons that do that without good reason that have brought a bad reputation to the practice. In fact most families that take food assistance rely on the material for not much more than a year and a half on average. That is amazing but is not widely known. How do Americans act with Good Will and Kindness? Some people donate to charities. Some share goods that they no longer need. The ‘sharing’ can be as simple as dropping things off at a good will store or selling it at a garage sale on their own property or at community even ‘rummage’ sales. In the United States, and most of the world, Kindness is often mistaken for weakness. Let us use for example a scene on a battlefield. Two soldiers are in combat and facing the enemy. One runs out of ammunition to defend himself and his friend. What does the soldier with ammunition do? Teach the one that ran out of ammunition how to make bullets? Does he empty his pockets and hope that the other soldier can find something useful there? Obviously – the best thing to do in a case like that is split the ammunition so they can defend themselves and live another day. Make no mistake – the world of international finance and business is not a friendly place. Even internally in the United States business is conducted in a cut throat way. So unions have had to rise up and some lawyers make a very good business protecting people or securing the rights of people that were working for companies that do not honor their duties to the nation as much as individuals do. It is good sense to help our neighbor. It is actually wise to ensure they are not pushed to extremes. There are many examples in American history where towns have come apart because the people themselves, after losing some major income, like a mining interest, can no longer continue on in their work and must shift for themselves. During the Great Depression the communities that exited that horrible time with Good-Will and Kindness intact were able to recover quicker than those communities that settled into bickering and selfishness. In those locations where the ‘well-off’ ensure that everyone in their community is treated fairly - by access to schooling, sanitation, clean water and safety – they benefit more than in communities where ‘Good-Will’ has broken down and anarchy threatens. Any new Americans just arriving from nations that are being ravaged by those forces will be able to identify with this. It is one reason that some people leave the nation of their birth to come to the United States and be Americans. To lose sight of Good-Will and Kindness is to abandon an important part of the experience of being American. ‘Good-Will’ is so important in American society that is actually has a price tag associated with it. It is an idea representing value of an asset owned that is intangible but has a measurable "prudent value". For example - a reputation the firm enjoys with its clients. To an American, having a good reputation means, essentially, being good, being approachable, being dependable and being counted on to right wrongs and assist when someone is in distress – because – the same thing is expected to be returned if the shoe is on the other foot. American Good-Will and Kindness are at the same time virtues and prudent defense against personal loss. It is a kind of insurance no one wants to collect on. Love, affection for others, sympathy and empathy are all known as human virtues. An ancient Chinese philosopher, Confucius, wrote, “Let but a prince cultivate virtue, people will flock to him. With people will come to him lands. Lands will bring forth for him wealth. Wealth will give him the benefits of right uses. Virtue is the root. Wealth is the outcome.” Knowing this we can see that the benefits of American Good-Will and Kindness greatly outweigh the imagined benefits of greed and selfishness. So we see national actions to feed and assist other nations have roots in American Good-Will and Kindness. In case weakness or the idea that Good-Will and Kindness are not strong responses to a harsh world environment let us recall another old saying, “The bravest are the tenderest, the loving are the daring.” American Good-Will and Kindness are actions of Adventure. Their results are clear and easy to see. Their effects and impact easy to discern. Just as well planted seeds yield rich harvests of fruits and vegetables so goes it with Good-Will and Kindness properly dispersed and cared for. The lack or absence of these American virtues are seen where poverty grows or persists. Their absence is marked by disease, loss and want. What should an American do if appealed to for these virtues? Well, “It becomes not the fowler to slay the bird which has taken refuge in his bosom.” Here is a sample of what the great American Poet Walt Whitman suggests as becoming not only to an American but to any human being, “"This is what you shall do; Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others…” During times of distress often there is not much for the well off or well positioned to do. All the fun seemingly taken out of life. Even as they prosper all around are suffering. To be plain – what good is that? To express it selfishly as some will have it – what fun is there in that? It is a good time when times are bad to do good. If a child does not have enough to eat they will not be able to concentrate on their studies. This can lead to delinquency and crime. Ultimately they will get caught and go to prison should they turn bad. If they pay the ultimate price with their lives it is no gain for American society. It is a loss all around. All those years of productive service wasted and all the horror and ruin they themselves might have brought to the world simply because they did not have enough to eat. I am making no plea on your charity here. It is common knowledge that in the United States each year we destroy much food either because it can’t get to market or because the market is unwilling to pay what is asked for it. That may be a crime in some eyes and certainly is in many hearts but it is plain fact. How can it be changed so that more people benefit – producer and consumer alike? That is a question that may well be answered by you because that question still begs an answer these many years after which the United States has practically insured that there will be a bumper crop. Questions of work and fairness in labor are also included in American Good-Will and Kindness for who would work for a bad boss or poor task master and be happy about it? Because of Unions, Labor Relations and expert management and owners there are seeds of a cooperative effort that when expressed on both sides with American Good-Will and Kindness profits grow and work is assured. American Good-Will and Kindness are something which need to be demanded sometimes because all too often people feel that they are either entitled to get what is coming to them or they refuse to produce the materials expected of them when they are doing well. As a popular cartoon character, Sally, sister of Charlie Brown, says, ‘All I want is what is coming to me. All I want is my fair share.’ That is not a good expression of American Good-Will or Kindness. That is a parody of it. In times of need it is right for people to ask for assistance. During the Great Depression and other times in American history this was either not done or the people asking for assistance were treated badly. The result was starvation to death and illness and misery for men, women and children alike. The elderly were treated poorly. These things and actions have repercussions. They create memories of pain and anger. It is best to avoid situations like this simply by doing the right thing. In this way American Good-Will and Kindness become more than a profitable business action, they are more than charitable acts taken by the strong in a gesture to the weak. When American Good-Will and Kindness are expressed when needed they are like mortar being added to a weakened wall. They are like leaven in bread. They are like a new finish on a fine piece of furniture. Everyone, as you know, in the United States, has a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It is written in the Declaration of Independence. It is not a dream. It is not a figment of the imagination. It is a set of ideals that are eternal and lasting. They are human needs expressed in human words. Human actions have all too often failed. They failed on such a monumental scale that an entire nation – our nation – your nation – was founded on principles to ensure that these failures were conquered with the success of hard work, labor, cooperation and love. Some people decry the Welfare system, likening it to similar systems in oppressive countries where a dole is established and generations of people are trapped in a cycle of poverty and ill-use. In the United States there have been plenty of examples of this happening in some cities and a few states. Each one has worked to try and reverse or eliminate the mistakes of that system. I mention that before I talk about welfare in another sense – a greater sense. We are a nation of individuals but we are a nation of individuals working together to establish and run a nation. In this case if I am doing well you are likely to be doing well also. If we work together or compete fairly – then again we will prosper. There are many things we need to do together – defense, international trade and other things. The Constitution of the United States contains these ideas and delineates them very well : “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” As for American Good-Will and Kindness – these are the actions taken to ‘…promote the general welfare…’ by the national government, the state government, local government and most of all and above all others – by individual Americans. Why would any American believe that promoting the general welfare is a good thing? Again – if I am doing well you are likely doing well. If there is a slum or poverty or crime right across the street from your house or you need to deal with such social ills just to go to work and come back to your home – your Pursuit of Happiness is going to be harder than it should be and you might spend your life trying not to be miserable rather than just being happy. If there is disease – and there used to be a lot of it in the United States – is rampant, it is wise to express American Good-Will and Kindness by promoting the general welfare. What is an example of that? Polio was a very good example of that. Polio is a ravaging disease. It was at one time frighteningly common in the United States and the world. President Franklin Roosevelt had contracted polio and his valiant efforts to overcome the limitations put on him are legendary. He was a lucky man born into a family of wealth – the outcome for poorer children was often much more harsh and dark. When the Salk Vaccine was first invented Doctor Salk could have become an enormously wealthy man but this American is quoted as saying when asked if he would patent he vaccine, "There is no patent. Could you patent the sun?" He was honored by President Dwight D. Eisenhower as a benefactor to mankind. Eisenhower himself worked tirelessly to ensure that the Polio Vaccine was made available widely. To this day it is an important and potent weapon in the fight for world health. What I am describing here is a set of circumstances that are not small in stature. They are not soft-handed or flabby. This is the stuff of great things and honest things and good things. Things done by Americans for human good. I need to mention here, because this is a book about ‘How To Be An American’ – that Doctor Salk was the child of immigrants from Russia who moved into New York City and adopted our nation as their own. Each person has their own way and understanding of what means to be an American but what actions to take – these are clear when you happen upon them. Their children were sent to school and learned how to work and they as a family participated in and used the ideal of promoting the general welfare in their lives just as they contributed to defense. They played a part in securing the Blessings of Liberty for ourselves and our posterity. There is for me no argument here. Just plain, simple fact. Doctor Salk could have held the patent for himself and garnered fame and fortune for himself. Instead – with an open hand he demonstrated quite simply and mightily the ideas I have come to understand as American Good-Will and Kindness. Just as Pecos Bill is an example of what Americans dream about and express themselves as a participant in a grand adventure of spirit – Doctor Salk demonstrated in real life what American Good-Will and Kindness can be. I hope it is clear even at this early stage in this book that your actions or inactions will influence your child’s participation in the grand adventure of America. Your attitudes and desires will effect how they view themselves as Americans – or if they participate at all. In some countries they say that not everyone can be great. Here in the United States – that is not true. Which do you prefer to believe? Every one of us can be great and each one is wonderful. Each American may achieve their own expression of their own highest ideals. Two American ideals are Good-Will and Kindness. How will you express them? How will you teach your children that these things belong to them and are just as important as the chance of becoming a famous sports figure or rich businessman? Chapter 4 Politeness Politeness. American Politeness matches a standard dictionary definition of the word politeness. That is : showing good manners toward others, as in behavior, speech, being courteous, being civil or to reply politely. Many Americans as children are taught not to speak until spoken to. So, in many cases, you might find it hard to get a word out of them if you don’t speak to them first. A polite ‘Hello’ or ‘How are you?’ can do quite well to start a conversation. It is often said in the United States that some citizens in certain cities or states are unfriendly or lack politeness. In fact there is an explanation for this. New York City is a big and famous city. It is often one of those locales in the United States that people hint that the inhabitants are not very polite. The reality is that they are polite – only they are polite, sometimes, very quickly. New York City is a very big city. The people there are often busy at many different things at once. It is difficult sometimes to get around in such a crowded and urban environment. The people of New York have not lost their sense of refinement nor society – it is just that in a crowded rush when making one’s way to a train or a bus or into a crowded elevator or store – exchanges are made at a very fast pace. ‘Pardon me.’, ‘Excuse me.’ or other such phrases might be heard, if you listen above the din, thousands of times as you make your way through your day. People are jostled and hurried sometimes but the same rules and regulations regarding careful crossing of streets, driving of cars, buying and selling things and laws in general – are all held in esteem and carefully adhered to by the majority of New Yorkers. As you make your way through such a crowded atmosphere someone might think it is good to develop a ‘thick skin’ and just plow right through but the result of such brutish behavior is immediately apparent as anyone behaving in an openly anti-social behavior soon finds themselves in hot water. Suffice it to say that the phrase, ‘Keep on one’s toes.’ is a good one to keep in mind while visiting New York. It is entertaining and informative to watch two people from New York who have a long acquaintance and are engaged in business having an exchange with each other. In some parts of the country the people in the city think the people outside the city have no manners – but this is not the case. Their manners may be more refined or carried out more slowly than the actions of a person from Chicago, New York, Houston or San Francisco. They get to the same place but may work at a different rhythm. This difference in tempo can be the reason some people believe that some other citizens are not polite. I could go on at length and tell you of all the idiosyncrasies of behavior that might be considered polite in one part of the country only to put you at a disadvantage if you travel to another part of the nation. Americans are from many lands and many cultures. It is always best to be aware of your surroundings and ask questions if you are not clear on something or how to behave. Do not be insulted if someone gives you unbidden guidance. Of course, it is another story if they do so with a bad attitude in which case you can be assured they are not expressing American Politeness. Many Americans consider it polite and sincere to look each other directly in the eye from time to time when having. It can be considered rude and may be interpreted as threatening to look continuously at someone or stare at someone unless you are talking with them. Sincerity is very important American trait. Now that we are talking about Politeness I will bring forth the opinion of one of America’s greatest writers, Mark Twain. He wrote, “The highest perfection of politeness is only a beautiful edifice, built, from the base to the dome, of ungraceful and gilded forms of charitable and unselfish lying.” At times politeness may be used to hide ugly feelings but if that is the case then you will know it. The proper response in such occasions is to respond politely until you can exit the interaction. Mark Twain had a lot to say, not all of which I agree with, but as you watch American entertainment, whether on television or in the movies you may see many examples of comic episodes where politeness is masking some other emotion or meaning. In general, however, in America, politeness is intended to grease the wheels of commerce on the one hand and to ease and make more pleasant human relations on the other. After all, as it has been said often, we are all in this together. In the book ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, Harper Lee gives an excellent example of American Politeness. A young boy is invited to stay for dinner and not having much at his own home excitedly eats what is offered to him. After eating hungrily his young friend nearly says something rude to him at the table but the girl is told by the housekeeper, “There are some folks who don't eat like us, but you ain't called on to contradict 'em at the table when they don't. That boy's yo' comp'ny and if he wants to eat up the tablecloth you let him, you hear?" The idea of American Politeness is most best understood and expressed by an American when they are offering you hospitality whether at their table or in their home. As you become used to the idea of being an American you may find yourself behaving in this way. Of course – you probably do already. America is made up of the best from all places and times – or should be anyway. American politeness can be used to disarm an unpleasant situation or increase the joy from a pleasant one. Offering a chair to someone advanced in years or to a pregnant woman. Holding a door open for someone else. Passing the salt. Passing the butter. Asking please for the jelly to be passed. Using words like ‘Please’, ‘Thank you’, ‘You’re welcome’, ‘After you’, ‘Much obliged’ – whether in a slow style or with much rush – shows that the person speaking these words has an understanding of society and the need for civil cooperation even among those not already acquainted. There is a difference that can be seen at a shopping mall full of holiday shoppers or thousands of fans at a sports event that is different from that of a riotous mob or drunken revelry. Notwithstanding the gruff, standalone attitude one may encounter around the nation it has long been recognized that politeness has its place in American commerce and society. If a car breaks down there will be someone to help which is only polite as the same may be needed for themselves someday. This is not a matter of selfishness, but rather, common sense. If a stranger asks how to get to a certain destination wherever they happen to be in the United States they are likely to get a polite set of instructions to set them on their way safely to their destination. If a woman or a weaker person is bullied or bothered there will often be someone or several to speak up for them. A rude action being balanced by a polite response. American Politeness has always been a matter of manners and the way in which people conduct themselves. To borrow from Emily Post – a writer about etiquette and manners we can draw these things out. An education that limits the mind is an obviously limited education. The best man puts himself in touch with whomever he happens to be. It follows that the more subjects he is acquainted with the more people he will be able to communicate with. Therefore the more customers, associates or constituents he will have. Here we have seen more than a hint of selfishness in the idea of American Politeness. Just as sometimes the heart or the soul does not prod someone on to right action in many different arenas – right reason can be brought to bear to help them along. The more individuals that are successful at this sort of American Politeness, you see, ensures that the society they move in will have more opportunity and gain than a closed society of ill-manner people. The real measure of American Politeness is how an individual develops their interest in people, things, and events so as to be a stimulating and supporting influence on the people he has occasion to meet. By expressing American Politeness it is possible to work through and even enjoy a wide variety of social occasions, work situations and sporting events because such a person, whether at a work bench, controlling a machine, performing accountancy, playing sports or taking leisure gives an impression of such ease as to make his accomplishment seemingly require no skill. It is more than a social grace. It is necessary in a world of violence and vice. Though someone may pretend to it in the end it is clear if the person expression American Politeness is doing it as extension of their own good self for your benefit as a fellow citizen or as the act of a puppet. A man by the name of Samuel Wells wrote that politeness is something more than pretense and I have to agree with him. He continues, “It is the result of the combined action of all the moral and social feelings, guided by judgment and refined by taste. It requires the exercise of benevolence, veneration (in its human aspect), adhesiveness, and ideality, as well as of conscientiousness. It is the spontaneous recognition of human solidarity—the flowering of philanthropy—the fine art of the social passions. It is to the heart what music is to the ear, and painting and sculpture to the eye.” That may be a bit too detailed of a description but I thank Mr. Wells for his expression of American Politeness. The points I would like to indicate as being most important about American Politeness in our society is that is a tie that binds. It is a display of benevolence whenever expressed. It shows veneration, admiration and appreciation in the human aspect by recognizing in others the same light and life that burns within ourselves. A religious person might equate it with God and the admonition that we are to love others as we love ourselves. A person of stout heart who does not believe in God might see that American Politeness is acknowledgement of the ideal that we are all created equal in this nation and due the respect that we give unto others. Mr. Wells gives us even more to go on. He agrees that there is no greater mistake in society and human relations than to believe that politeness is a “matter of arbitrary forms”. What he is saying there that politeness, American Politeness is not just a series of learned actions to go along with a certain situation – like the correct placing of a fork or knife on a table. He goes on to assure us, and again, I agree that it has as real foundation in the nature and relations of men and women. Just as we have government and common law we have a structure of American Politeness that allows us to traverse social occasions and business activities. Without American Politeness we would have an even harder time among ourselves. Our nation is so diverse and scattered at times that when two cultures meet American Politeness allows us to interact in positive fashions – or at least avoid unfortunate circumstances and any clash that might have occurred otherwise. We do not hear much about the particulars of individual crimes or personal errors through the media. We hear or see only the outrageous results. It is common, however, that when the tales of the actual event are told that without a doubt that the recounting of the entire horrid set of affairs – whatever they may be – clearly lack human empathy and to put it simply the actions that accompany or that are seen when American Politeness is expressed. I am not trying to say that this is the answer to crime and violence. Clearly, however, just as we can see that when social mores and empathy are removed also go the arts of civility known as politeness. We can detect that they are in our social interactions and are important by noting where they are lacking which is in situation which are diametrically opposed to the smooth and orderly relations we are concerned with. American Politeness is a code of civility. It is how we get along daily as we pass through our social and business functions. Consider again the great metropolis of New York. It is no exception. Without roots in politeness and that particular international kind we are talking about, American Politeness, New York would not last long. C. P. Bronson, “originally listed as a Deacon and Missionary for the Episcopal church, by 1829, he was an ordained Episcopalian minister, serving at St. Paul's Church in Norwalk, Ohio, has been recorded as saying, "In politeness, as in every thing else connected with the formation of character, we are too apt to begin on the outside, instead of the inside; instead of beginning with the heart, and trusting to that to form the manners, many begin with the manners, and leave the heart to chance and influences. The golden rule contains the very life and soul of politeness: 'Do unto others as you would they should do unto you.'” American Politeness is based on sincerity, good-will, self-control and a habitual ingrained regard for the rights of others. We can see that in its root politeness is akin to polity. Polity is a particular form or system of government. Politeness, or American Politeness in this case, is a loose system of behavior with very tightly defined results. The looseness is not to indicate baseness but a wide sourcing. As we know Americans are descended from and come from many different cultures, backgrounds and religions. Each one of them has their own set of social systems expressed in politeness. American Politeness comes into play when the barriers of language, culture and habit need to be cleared away for a social or business occasion. As it is used more often American Politeness can come to reveal a love and respect for others that truly expresses a person’s own inner worth. It is this individual participation that is the bedrock and supporting cloth of American society. Inazo Nitobe wrote in ‘BUSHIDO THE SOUL OF JAPAN ‘ “Politeness is a poor virtue, if it is actuated only by a fear of offending good taste, whereas it should be the outward manifestation of a sympathetic regard for the feelings of others.” This is the same for American Politeness. It is a poor thing, indeed, if it is only done out of fear. To be properly addressed and expressed and experienced, American Politeness should be grounded in concern for the feelings of others and the situation at hand. If all things are the same it is behavior of a heartfelt quality that will ring true. American Politeness is no display of weakness. It is a display of power and certitude that everything will come out all right. It is through manners that American Politeness can be expressed. It is taught to the children with the caution to ‘mind your manners’. It is taught through business interactions that allow business arrangements to be made conveniently and to the advantage of both or several parties with a minimum of disruption. American Politeness developed over a great deal of time. It originated from its roots in America and from the influx of peoples from Europe and Asia and Africa. Each group of people bringing their own special ways of communicating and each one measuring the other until the best have settled over the nation. The openness of American Politeness means that it is easy to engage it. Used in private social situations it allows us to wish each other ‘Happy Birthday’ or ask someone if they need help with something or to offer something to them they might like without their having to ask. In business situations it allows for introductions to be made smoothly and for business relations to be carried out in an easy and honest manner. Ralph Waldo Emerson had this to say about manners, though I take it, like the quote by Mark Twain, with a grain of salt, because as Mark Twain was showing a modest disrespect of false manners or politeness Ralph Waldo Emerson here is painting it with a high flourish and intended it to be reflective of a certain ‘class’ of society while I believe it is today indicative of the general use and expression of American Politeness, “The association of these masters with each other, and with men intelligent of their merits, is mutually agreeable and stimulating. The good forms, the happiest expressions of each, are repeated and adopted. By swift consent, everything superfluous is dropped, everything graceful is renewed.” What I see he has written here I explain this way for our modern selves and the American Politeness that has developed. Like sign language it is a universal language that we can all agree on as common ground. So when we see two or more practitioners of American Politeness actually interacting in this way we can all appreciate it intellectually and personally that this is such and such a way to do such and such a thing. The best ways, of course, survive and are repeated and themselves develop into new and more exciting and easy to understand methods of communication that we can all use as Americans in our daily social and business interactions. How can you learn how to do it? Watch and learn. Be. See. Do. Sincerity, however, I feel is absolutely important and necessary when expressing American Politeness. It is the sincerity that raises it above mere politeness to get things done to American Politeness which is part of our adventure. That is why I am going to discuss Sincerity – American Sincerity next.  Chapter 5 Sincerity How to be sincere as an American? Be truthful, honest and trustworthy. If you are these things within then expressing American Sincerity is a natural consequence. The word ‘Sincere’ is defined as ‘not hypocritical or deceitful, open, genuine. It is the idea of being genuine that is at the heart of American Sincerity. Mark Twain has said, “Any emotion, if it is sincere, is involuntary.” It is a quality of American Sincerity that it be involuntary. It is a learned and appreciated value. It is not only a kind act or a selfish act performed for business reasons. Sincerity – American Sincerity – is absolutely essential to the American way of life and the proper operation of our government – if that operation is to “…form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity…” Walt Whitman, a great American poet wrote, “Have you learned the lessons only of those who admired you, and were tender with you, and stood aside for you? Have you not learned great lessons from those who braced themselves against you, and disputed passage with you?” Who hasn’t heard that the rebuke of the parents is for the good of the children? Who has not seen in it in action? These are sincere actions and the same kind of sincerity only outwardly expressed to our elected representatives and fellow citizens in order to ensure that our government is doing right and not running wrong. If you do not take a sincere hand in the running of this government and express yourself with your own brand of American Sincerity – the results will likely not be what you expect and more importantly could be things detrimental to you, your family or your friends – if not all three. President John F. Kennedy said, ‘Sincerity is always subject to proof.’ What that means to me is that if you are sincere in your convictions and they are true then, when examined they will be proven so and you will be vindicated. If in the observation of your convictions or the positions you assert it becomes obvious they might be wrong or need to be changed or corrected – it will be your sincerity that allows for forgiveness and understanding so that progress can continue. Just because the majority believes something is right does not make it so. You may know something that everyone else does not and if you do not share it they may continue on in their ignorance to their own destruction and even harm you as they pass. We must all take a hand in our affairs and the best way to do it is with a sincere heart, clear mind and attention. It is well and good to have elected ‘representation’ but sometimes even our representatives may not be representing us as we wish. What do Americans do then? If you believe sincerely that something should be done differently then it follows that by expressing yourself you will be expressing American Sincerity. It is not always easy or convenient but it is a duty and when done should be done well, I am sure you will agree. Emily Dickinson, a great American poet, wrote this : Judgement is justest Judgment is justest When the Judged, His action laid away, Divested is of every Disk But his sincerity. Honor is then the safest hue In a posthumous Sun -- Not any color will endure That scrutiny can burn. This poem may be interpreted many ways but considering she is an American poet and talking about sincerity I will interpret it at this time along those lines. It is important to be sincere and express your own kind of American Sincerity because in the end, should the whole affair become public or you, yourself wish to share your wisdom with others – whether they be your friends, family or children – it is the sincerity that will tell you apart and your actions will have a light thrown upon them. By sincerely striving for liberty, freedom and keeping in mind equality and kindness – the sincere person can perform their civic duty, if not easily, at least with a clean conscience. The end does not justify the means. The way you play the game really does matter. Whether you win or lose is of little consequence in the long term unless, of course, you had not tried your best and had been insincere. Socrates, an ancient philosopher tells us, “The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear.” If you desire to be a good person and a fair dealing person and a successful person then it is best to begin with sincere intentions of reaching those goals. If you intend to succeed in business, care for your family and be a good citizen then it would be best, again, to be sincere in those intentions as your inner sincerity will make it easier for you to attain those goals because they will be easy to see in the light of your sincerity to achieve them. American Sincerity is an individual thing. It is proven in the fire of action. An insincere act will fall apart of its own structure while sincerity will follow through. If the action fails or is incomplete – the sincere American will repeat it and expand on it or improve it in order to make it better so that they can succeed the next time. Henry Ford, great American inventor said, “It’s your thinking that decides whether you’re going to succeed or fail.“ If you are sincere in your efforts and reasoning you will likely succeed or come to see what you need to correct in a much more focused manner than if you half-heartedly attempt anything. People can detect your sincerity. Eventually it will out just like the truth because American Sincerity is the source of the truth that you know and discover and share with others. Sincerity, of course, especially American Sincerity, does not operate in a vacuum. It is itself an expression of truth, trustworthiness, honesty and integrity. If you are a sincere person and this has been proven over time and through circumstances the weight of your words and the sound of your voice will be heard and accorded attention. Do not feel that in the United States your voice will not be heard. If you speak up people will listen to you. If you are sincere then your words will carry weight with them. Your potential for good in public and private situations is very great. This brings with it responsibility but American Sincerity, when expressed, helps a person understand that responsibility. A philosopher by the name of Immanuel Kant wrote, “Sincerity is the indispensable ground of all conscientiousness, and by consequence of all heartfelt religion.” I won’t go as far to say that American Sincerity is the basis of some sort of American religion – it is just true that sincerity is the base of all heartfelt religion. It is also the base of all heartfelt fact and reason too. It is with sincere devotion and understanding of facts that we can work through the problems presented by a modern mechanical society with all of its contrivances, chemicals and difficulties. We can understand and take a position in a nation where sometimes corporations or businesses are treated like individual humans. There must be sincerity in order to pierce the bizarre media presentations we are daily exposed to in order to understand the truth of what is behind the exciting story we are being told. For example – is that society story really exciting or is it just interesting or is it just some human tragedy being played upon for profit? Is there something else going on behind the assertions made to us about the necessity of some armed conflict with another nation, armed intervention or international trade agreement we heard about but never seem able to participate in ourselves? It is with sincerity that we as American citizens can participate in the sometimes confusing flood of issues and conflicting viewpoints we are exposed to. Honestly speaking American Sincerity is that tool which you can use to sort the information you are receiving into workable and understandable pieces. Participation then in the governing of our nation becomes more than that of a spectator, innocent bystander or witness. You can express American Sincerity by getting involved or merely letting others know where you stand and what you think. American Sincerity has a special qualification to it and that is trust. In order for American Sincerity to be used as the tool that it is in civil affairs others must trust you. That is where the issue of proof noted by President John F. Kennedy and is the same thing alluded by Emily Dickinson as scrutiny. It is important to see the proof of the actions of your elected representatives and to scrutinize them or the evidence against them so that you can express your own opinions with sincerity. It is an ongoing process that builds on itself but is very simple at its core as it is built on honesty and integrity and expressed as American Sincerity. In the United States of late it seems a common conception that ‘everyone is out to get you’ – that is – everyone or seemingly everyone – is taking steps and actions that are self-centered and may not be in your best interests in the best of circumstances and may actually injure you in the worst. It is sad commentary that this state of affairs is oft-repeated but even worse that it sometimes seems to be true. This is why it is so important for each American to express their sincerity and get to the heart of the matter – no matter what is being discussed. This is not a closed society. This is not a secret society. This is an open society by and for the people. If you do not yourself participate then you truly will be alone and that is a shame and would make a sham of our government and nation. If you are sincere in your ideas and desires and they are of a positive nature and useful then you can expect that they will heard and perhaps acted upon. Insincere people in the United States are often found out and they suffer the mighty consequences associated with trials, public humiliation or other such things. It is unfortunate that many people believe the majority of people in public life are bad people because of the few that take advantage and do not act sincerely. This is not a negative book. It is a positive book. It is about how to be an American. Be. See. Do. Confucius, an ancient Chinese philosopher said, “To practice five things under all circumstances constitutes perfect virtue; these five are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness.” These are not just empty words when combined with action. The action can either be the spoken word, a letter, participation at a public meeting or just taking the time to check the facts for yourself so you know where you stand. These simple actions are an expression of American Sincerity. It is okay to take someone’s word but if you do not trust them then it is time to scrutinize the facts and gain the proof for yourself. If you find the thing to be in the right – then they are vindicated. If you find a thing that is wrong and then talk about it then you are expressing your own American Sincerity by not just going along with the pack but by participating with your heart, mind and soul. The American Journey and American Adventure is not a spectator sport. If you are here and you are alive then you are an American – it follows then that you have responsibilities associated with that. Whether or not you act on those responsibilities or leave the work to others is your choice. What choice will you make? Tacitus, a historian from the times of the Roman Empire, had this to say, “Fear is not in the habit of speaking truth; when perfect sincerity is expected, perfect freedom must be allowed; nor has anyone who is apt to be angry when he hears the truth any cause to wonder that he does not hear it. “ You as an American have perfect freedom. You have perfect freedom of movement, of thought, of speech, of religion (or not), of action and responsibility. The nation, each one of us, expects you to be sincere in your criticism or praise of what is going on around you. We have no one person to answer to and there is no emperor or tyrant who will correct or make worse some situation that you are aware of. The person most responsible for the things in your environment (and by that I mean the place where you live) and life is you. You have nothing to fear. In point of fact, there are people in our society that are here to ensure that your ability to express yourself is protected. The First Amendment in the Constitution of the United States reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” It also means that no private person can set up a situation that interferes with religion, freedom of speech, the press or the right of Americans to assemble or work together to correct a wrong. These are not empty words. They are a call to action and a prohibition against those persons that would put you in a state of slavery and servitude. In fact as to slavery, the thirteenth amendment to the Constitution of the United States reads, “Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction. Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.” It is illegal in the United States for you to sign yourself into slavery or even agree to enter into such a contract by word of mouth. It follows that no one can put you in that state. It is by the expression of American Sincerity in your life that you ensure that this state of affairs remains the same and that your family and friends, as well as yourself, remain free as you are intended to be by your own voluntary act of participating in the national, state and local governments. Benjamin Franklin, great American statesman, considered Sincerity to be a virtue. He defined it in this way : SINCERITY. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly. By not using hurtful deceit Benjamin Franklin is reminding us that no good fortune or fortune worthy of goodness, will come from using hateful, untruthful words against someone. He also encourages us to think innocently, and so, be in that free state of mind as that of a child or that of a person who has just encountered the situation they are in, for truly, one does not know everything and this is why it is important to scrutinize and to seek proof of sincerity through truth. As for thinking justly – we are constantly reminded that it is unfair to be prejudiced or to act on incomplete or unfair ideas. To think justly is to consider both sides of the question and choose that one closer to right and that will provide for the greatest good. As you can see – great questions and consequences in America begin with you and what you say, what you are and what you decide to do. Finally – to speak accordingly – when responding and adding to the adventure – be just, open-minded and fair. No one can ask more and no one does. You are an American and you are free. If you choose not to be sincere then you are undermining everything good that you could use to your own advantage. The expression of American Sincerity requires honesty and that is what we shall discuss next.  Chapter 6 Honesty American Honesty. ‘Honesty is the best policy.’ This contains within it the idea that honesty is good business tactic. It implies that by being honest you will earn more because you are honest than if you are dishonest. This virtue – honesty – is sometimes likened to being its own reward. It is not a selfish thing, however, to be honest. Even though it is the simplest form of interaction to take – because you will not need to remember lies or deceitful plans – by being honest you can continue on your way in a clear direct path. Some people may take advantage of honest people. These are dishonest people. If you are honest and proceed with honesty then the deceptions of dishonest people will be clear to those around you who are also following in an honest path. You are likely to be alerted to dishonesty by your fellows in this case because they have an interest in seeing that the dishonest do not prosper. If, in the event, that sometimes they do, the dishonest person does prosper, then that is the time for American Justice to intervene. American Honesty is simple and straightforward. We have the story of President George Washington, as a child, chopping down a cherry tree. I quote : “When George Washington was near eight years old, he was given a hatchet. He went about chopping everything that came his way. One day he came across a newly planted cherry tree which his father had just put in. He cut down the cherry tree with a few blows. Shortly after, his father saw what had happened to his tree. He demanded to know who had cut down his cherry tree. Little George Washington said, “I cannot tell a lie, father, you know I cannot tell a lie! I did cut it with my little hatchet.'' His father was more pleased with his son having told the truth than concerned with the loss of the cherry tree.” Of late there has been ‘intellectual’ disagreements about whether or not George Washington actually chopped down the cherry tree. For myself, I believe the story. The fact is, however, that it matters not whether the story actually took place or is a fabrication designed to impart a moral – in this case the moral of American Honesty. The question is not whether or not this is a factual story but whether or not you would want your children to tell the truth. The question becomes one of a societal nature. Would you want your neighbors to tell you the truth or a lie? The question is a political one. Would you want your representatives to tell you the truth or a lie? The question is a national one. Would you want to live in a nation based on lies or truth? American Honesty demands that we live in a nation based on truth. It is by your watchful eye and the things you teach and the way you act that will ensure that this is the case. American Honesty is also an individual act. If you are given wrong change at a counter and it is in your favor – have you made a gain? Is it not right to return the extra given to you in error in the event that in the future you are shorted and you can rightfully demand that the correction be made? There is a story told by the famous American Benjamin Franklin concerning honesty during his youth. Benjamin Franklin wrote about taking stones not belonging to him, for work, and how his father responded. “There was a salt-marsh that bounded part of the mill-pond, on the edge of which, at high water, we used to stand to fish for minnows. By much trampling, we had made it a mere quagmire. My proposal was to build a wharf there fit for us to stand upon, and I showed my comrades a large heap of stones, which were intended for a new house near the marsh, and which would very well suit our purpose. Accordingly, in the evening, when the workmen were gone, I assembled a number of my playfellows, and working with them diligently like so many emmets, sometimes two or three to a stone, we brought them all away and built our little wharf. The next morning the workmen were surprised at missing the stones, which were found in our wharf. Inquiry was made after the removers; we were discovered and complained of; several of us were corrected by our fathers; and, though I pleaded the usefulness of the work, mine convinced me that nothing was useful which was not honest.” The most important part of this story that I can reflect on or bring attention to from the point of view of American honesty is that Benjamin Franklin’s father convinced him that ‘nothing was useful which was not honest’. It is true that liar, cheaters, turncoats and traitors may make money and gain wealth through their activities – but have they done anything useful? Even for themselves? The answer is clear to me. American Honesty will have it no other way than to be honest. It is a personal thing and it is brings personal satisfaction, ease of business arrangements and makes for a more social and better operating system of government. It is a relief to do business with an honest person. Trust is engendered and greater and better things can come of it. President Abraham Lincoln had a reputation for honesty. It is said that when he was working as a clerk at a country story that he mistakenly charged customer a little too much for the purchase. He closed the store down and walked miles to make the correct change. Because of his honesty he was awarded more and more cases and causes during his life to work with – as a lawyer and then as a politician. Dishonesty can not only slow society down – it can bring it to a screeching halt. Honesty in the home is honesty in public. There is no shade of difference between the two, I think you might agree. Honesty is defined as : truthfulness, sincerity, or frankness. So we see that American Honesty is closely tied to some other issues we have already discussed. American Honesty is a duty which, it is true, is its own reward, but what of it? Is it surprising that doing the right thing leads to right results? Not to me and I suppose not to you either as you are here in America and participating as an American however you see fit. Thomas Paine, great American author, wrote : “Of more worth is one honest man to society and in the sight of God, than all the crowned ruffians that ever lived.” In the United States honest is a tool and responsibility. Each citizen’s honesty determines whether or not the social and business interactions around them will go on in a sensible and reasonable manner or whether they will not. American Honesty is a very personal thing. No one can reasonably check up on the thoughts of another as they are being thought out. An honest person will consider what information they have an attempt to be objective within reason. In business it is important to keep an honest accounting. Honesty is its own reward in that if you are an honest merchant, businessman or craftsman, others will trust you and you can expect to see more custom as a result of it. In today’s America too often we hear people saying that you can’t trust anyone. Well – I ask – can you trust yourself? Are you an honest person? If so – it would follow you would be able to determine for yourself if someone else is worthy to be trusted. Sometimes those we trust may turn out to be untrustworthy – in which case – they must be made to set accounts right and suffer whatever consequences come about because of their own actions. The act of trusting someone who fails to be trustworthy does not warrant distrusting everyone and everything. American Honesty is not lazy. It investigates, inquires and assures that the dealings and beliefs being considered and acted up on are worthy. Mark Twain, celebrated American Author wrote, ““Honesty: The best of all the lost arts”. American Honesty is an effort to ensure that your word is good and that your actions, as you have predicted they will be, will match your word. Keeping one’s word has always been an important part of the American Journey and Adventure. In today’s media and all throughout American history the best way to ruin your reputation is to not be honest. It is possible it has been shown to prosper dishonestly – but I do not think it is worth it. The majority of Americans appear to think it is not worth it. It is better to live an honest life than a dishonest one which may be taken apart at any moment. Dishonesty is just not worth it. American Honesty is working hard, making sacrifice, participating in society and striving to do the very best in every situation. Marcus Aurelius, Roman Statesman, wrote : “If it is not right do not do it; if it is not true do not say it.” I cannot think of any better definition of American Honesty. If it is not right – don’t do it. If it is not true – don’t say it. This is because American Action and Inaction are based on truth. If you are honest and set in motion a chain of events you can be reasonably assured that good may come of them – and if not – they can be stopped in time before wreaking too much havoc. Events begun, however, in falsehood and lies are impossible to control and usually harm many more people than the few who believe they may gain advantage. John F. Dodge, one of the founders of the Dodge Motor Company, once said, “There is no twilight zone of honesty in business. A thing is right or it's wrong. It's black or it's white.” The reason American Honesty is so important in business is the same reason it is important in politics, peace or war. The decisions and actions of many good people lie in the balance. Their very lives can depend upon the honesty of the people involved. Some people claim that contracts are made to be broken but contracts are written to ensure that certain work is done at certain times. Anyone making and breaking contracts on a regular basis can expect to be out of business at best and in jail at worst. Some people believe publicly that honesty is a sham and something to be laughed at. Consider though, what would happen in your home if it were filled with dishonest people and you could not count on anyone for their word or action. What sort of home would that be? So the same goes for the nation. Without a proper accounting not only of cash and goods but of actions we cannot be sure of any actions. The American Journey and Adventure would become nothing more than a howling circus. Yet it is not that. The Unites States of America and the behavior of most Americans, both public and private, is sterling and to be admired and imitated. If dishonesty were the patent way of doing business and living lives – how would the children be taught? What sorts of trickery and knavery could they be schooled in that would last? What tricks would be taught to counter tricks? That way is confusion and error. ‘So shines a good deed in a weary world.’ That is a quote from the popular movie ‘Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory’. A children’s story with overtones for adults. The honest action of one person – done without thought because the thing is right to do is something that is prized in children and honored in adults. It is a state of affairs with which we cannot do without. There are oaths taken to assure that it is understood by all involved that shades of meaning and hiding facts and truths will not be acceptable in courts of law, when signing up for service to our country and for many other offices and positions. These ceremonies are put in place to make it absolutely evident that there is a necessity for honesty. The person elected to the Office of President of the United States must make the following statement before officially taking up the duties of that office: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” The reason this is done and done publicly is to ensure that everyone understands, especially the person being so sworn in, that they are assuming a position of trust. We the people shall check on them but we should not have to look in on them every hour of every day because they are being entrusted with this special office and we expect them to carry out their duties with American Honesty. All Civil Servants and Military Personnel must swear or affirm a similar oath : “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.” We must assume and then subject to periodic tests that American Honesty has been achieved in this case. American Honesty is necessary because we have so much to do as individuals and as a nation that we cannot be expected to check up on everyone all the time. Suffice it to say, as we have seen, honesty is its own reward in that others will know whether you are honest or not by your reputation. If your reputation is that of dishonesty then that too will become known. American Honesty is doing the right thing even in the face of danger. American Honesty is doing the right thing even though doing the wrong thing might bring fame, fortune and seeming success – because those things will be fleeting and worthless if not made of the real thing. American Honesty is dealing fairly in business. American Honesty is sometimes not easy to express. Sometimes it takes courage. American Honesty is doing the right thing even if it is hard to do. American Honesty is doing the right thing even if it is not popular. American Honesty is doing the right thing even if others feel it really does not matter. Around the world and in the United States Scientists are normally trained to achieve great accuracy in their thinking and actions. It is tantamount that in the circles of science that intellectual honesty is held high and important. This is the sort of arena that American Honesty takes on its true shape and importance. Truth in science, engineering, mathematics, language, machinery, productions, agriculture – these are the activities and realm within which American Honesty is trained to excel. The importance of honesty in all these disciplines mentioned, as well as others, like medicine, education, astronomy, geology – is obvious to many if not all. Too many lives are at stake in modern America. Yours, mine – all of ours. It is a dangerous world and the truth can make it safer. The greatest minds in science, from Marie Curie to the Wright Brothers to Albert Einstein have been acutely aware of the importance and necessity of truth. It is obvious to them and to us that this truth can only be communicated with a sense of honesty. Honesty for it to be expressed and honesty for it to be understood and accepted. Being that these are professions and skills that many of our children will enter into and their own actions and words will produce similar if not greater impact on the societies in which they live – on the lives of their fellow Americans and others it is all important that we ourselves conduct our affairs with American Honesty at their core. It might be as simple as returning the correct change at a supermarket or it might be as complicated as detecting an error in a formula designed for a new type of aircraft or fuel that might hurt many people if it is not corrected. This is a very serious issue. It is important that it be paid proper attention and to understand the way to do that our next topic will be Honor – American Honor.  Chapter 7 Honor American Honor is tied to honesty, sincerity, courage and a desire to do right. The United States Marine Corps has unofficially adopted the slogan, ‘Death Before Dishonor’. It is not a joke phrase. The men and women that ascribe to that idea are serious about it and will live and die according to it. The phrase ‘Death Before Dishonor’ suggests to us that there is no life without honor – or what life there would be would be imperfect. That is a rather heavy piece of thought but I think you should know that some Americans feel this way. Insults are not taken lightly. We have all seen the use of American military force around the world or the actions of some police officers. The application of persons working under a framework of American Honor can sometimes seem extreme. American Honor demands that adherence to certain behaviors is carried out. Again – they include honesty, sincerity, courage and a desire to do right. There is also a fervor in it because American Honor is active and the person expressing it will actively go about demonstrating in some way – unashamedly. The motto of the State of New Hampshire, one of the original 13 colonies, is “Live Free Or Die”. That State mottos is an example of American Honor expressed as an example of the assertive independence found in American government and the hearts of the American people. The phrase comes from a letter written by General John Stark on the date of July 31, 1809. General Stark had been declining in health and as New Hampshire's most famous soldier of the American Revolutionary War he was invited to an anniversary marking the Battle of Bennington. The entire phrase he wrote was, “ Live free or die: Death is not the worst of evils.” American Honor bristles at the thought of being held in slavery or even the appearance of such servitude. Honor is defined as : honesty, fairness, or integrity in one's beliefs and actions This is one step beyond ‘Honesty is the best policy’ and reveals behind it the desired integrity of those persons expressing American Honor. It has to do not only with a reputation in business but a reputation in life for the self and family. To be distinguished. In the United States of America we are not born into situations of dictated ease and power. Some people, it is true, are born rich, but even they may find it a hard row to hoe when seeking recognition and personal integrity beyond the boundaries that they can influence with money. The United States Medal of Honor is awarded when someone displays “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States.” It is important to understand that in the United States honor, American Honor, is expressed positively. This may be hard to understand considering that the Medal of Honor is normally awarded posthumously – that is, after death. Let me be clear. In some countries and cultures defending the honor of the family means punishing members of the family that do not live up to some way out definition of honor defined either by that culture or family or religion. I am referring to ‘honor killing’. American Honor and ‘honor killing’ have nothing in common. In fact in light of American Honor the act of ‘honor killing’ is dishonorable. American Honor demands sacrifice of self – not sacrifice of others. American Honor is a defense and a harbor – it is not judge, jury and executioner. If there were some situation in a family which one or more persons might have perpetrated that brought disgrace on the family it would be the responsibility, according to the unwritten code of American Honor, for the other members of the family or even those who committed the violation – to make it up in an honorable fashion. That is the way of redemption beyond forgiveness which is also virtue in American society but which we will not discuss here. Suffice it to say about forgiveness is that most Americans will ‘forgive but not forget’, so that, they are on guard for any future difficulty. The person wishing to express American Honor is seeking a way to excel. It could be in academics in mathematics or a spelling bee, it could be in politics, it could be in the military, it could be in science or manufacturing. The important thing would be that they were working to excel and create something of worth and goodness not only for themselves but to share with others. It is a strong root in the nation and national honor is tied up in it. Let me provide you with a few notes about what American Honor is – and what it is not. American Honor considers it honorable to tell the truth. It is dishonorable to lie. American Honor believes it honorable to be honest. It is dishonorable to deceive. American Honor means that you fulfill your promises to the best of your ability. It is considered dishonorable to break your promises in order to make gain for yourself. Showing up on time is a good way to express American Honor. It is dishonorable to be repeatedly late. It is honorable to care about others and work for the common good. It is dishonorable to treat others with contempt or to avoid your public duties. It a sign of American Honor to be kind and courteous to those that are weaker than you. It is dishonorable to be a bully. It is honorable to help those less intelligent than you are. It is dishonorable to take advantage of others. American Honor feels it is meritorious to play by the rules. It is dishonorable to cheat. It is honorable to work diligently whether for yourself or someone else. It is dishonorable to slack off or be lazy. It is considered American Honor to share. It is dishonorable to be a miser. It is the height of American Honor to be tolerant. It is dishonorable to be prejudiced or intolerant. American Honor calls us to persevere and perseverance is considered honorable. Giving up or surrendering when things get difficult is considered dishonorable. This last one needs clarification because it is not honorable to throw your life away. Prudence and wisdom are to be used to determine what the best and wisest course of action is to take. American Honor calls on you to take that option and if it is difficult to bear up with it. American Honor does not call for death. Wasting life is dishonorable. In many ways American Honor is nothing more than ensuring that you have a good name. It is enough to be recognized as honest, hard working and considerate. You will have no end of opportunities if you fulfill just those three items. From the many nations and millions of individuals that have inhabited the United States we as Americans have collected a wide experience of the world. The best from it seems to be family and friends and society – in that order. Society in this case being the local economy which affords for everyone to make a living and join together in social harmony. Violence and arrogance, though being displayed often in American society of late by people in many different roles does not change the fact that violence and arrogance are dishonorable. Strength and forbearance are honorable. Nothing has changed those facts. Being polite, ready to work, humble, courageous and interested – these are American Honor in action. American Honor is aware that we cannot tell what will come to us in the future. We must be prepared for fair or foul weather. American Honor requires that if a person meets with success and grows rich or great that they share what they have gained with others and that they shall assist those in need without being haughty. Expressing American honor means when coming into contact with the blind, lame, deaf, mentally or physically handicapped that they will be treated with respect because you deserve the same. American Honor calls for us to put aside mocking and whining talk against us. It is honorable to prove them wrong by not allowing patience to fail or work to stop. It is best to keep on going even in the face of trouble. American Honor is a work of action and part of the American Journey and Adventure. It is important not to be easily offended by the coarse and brutish. It is important to attempt to fix things if you find that they are not right. The plain fact is if you do not act when you see the need to – it is quite possible that no one ever will. Keeping this simple fact in mind can lead you into some very interesting and exciting adventures. It is no small thing to be called to express American Honor. You can examine the lives of many good American men and women for their actions and see how they willingly subjected themselves to hardships and trials that they took upon themselves. It is because of men and women like John Brown, Susan B. Anthony and others that we live in a society worthy to be able to have a concept and idea like American Honor. It is breathtaking to consider that one day you or one of your children, relatives or friends could, by simply being an honorable American, help us all on the American Journey by making it either easier for us or better. Slavery is dishonorable for the slave holders. Freedom is honorable for all. Keeping certain rights reserved for one sex is dishonorable. Having the right to vote for all is honorable. Allowing people to starve in the streets or wilderness is dishonorable. Ensuring that all citizens have access to food is honorable and intelligent. The same may be said for medical care. It is dishonorable to let some die or suffer because they cannot afford a doctor bill even though they have the same disease that someone with much money might have. It is honorable to work towards ensuring that all of us may take comfort and be cared for by the fruits of the colleges, universities, hospitals and other institutions that have come into existence in this nation as a direct result of the work and sacrifice all Americans have made. It is honorable and wise. Sometimes American Honor is expressed in a fashion that some people cannot understand. It is usually enough that the person doing it thought it worthwhile and so it is matter of tolerance, if not understanding, to investigate for ourselves if we agree with them and want to help them. If we decide to move forward with them and assist them, we, in essence, take on that part of the American Journey and Adventure for ourselves. It is simple and easy. There is a popular song that has the following lines in it and I think it fit to repeat them here. They are written by Van Morrison and they go like this : “You can’t stop us on the road to freedom You can’t keep us ’cause our eyes can see Men with insight, men in granite Knights in armor bent on chivalry” It is so. It can be seen clearly by the history of our nation that this is one of our songs expressing our soul. You may feel that you do not have the ability to make a change or any difference in this world but I tell you unequivocally that when you act in a positive in a good way, when you express American Honor in your own way, that you are making a change and that it is far reaching. No expected the United States of America to last very long. Even at its weakest points, however, the strength of the people never faded. The belief in equality, freedom and reward for ability rather than position, reawakens daring and ignites adventure in the soul. It is the song that has brought millions to our shores not for conquest but to join in and have the opportunity presented to them. It is a bright and brilliant journey and when you express American Honor you are expressing it with every bit of courage and daring as Daniel Boone, Daniel Webster or anyone ever could. There is a story told in the United States about a man called John Henry. He expressed American Honor in the most extreme way in the story. The story, simply told, is that John Henry was miner. A mighty and powerful miner. He could drill right through a mountain all on his own, it was said. One day the company brought a steam drill to the work site and told John Henry that it could do more work than him. One thing led to another and a contest was laid out where John Henry would drill through one tunnel and the steam drill through another till both had crossed the same mountain. Many people expected John Henry to fail but he not only kept up with the steam engine he passed it. In fact the steam engine broke down but he kept on going. He went right through the mountain and won the contest. However – he died after collecting his prize as a result of the dire and extreme actions he had taken. The story is often told as an example of the differences the nation faced when steam power swept across the continent and showed up everywhere from ships to railroads to machines of every kind – including steam drills. Whatever the reason for telling the story whenever I heard it there was always a mention of John Henry’s honor. I mean, he wouldn’t have done it simply to beat the machine, right? That would have been foolish. It was his humanity that caused him to spring forward. It was his frailty against iron and coal and steam that caused him to lose his life but he did not lose his honor. It would have been a better story, I always thought, if John Henry did not die. It wasn’t necessary for him to die – even to express his honor. It was dishonorable for those that set up the contest to have done that in the first place. It was dishonorable once it commenced not to stop it. It was dishonorable when the machine broke down not to tell John Henry that he had completed his task and could dig at a more reasonable rate and not die. Given the circumstances, though, and the fact that the story is likely not altogether true, except for the fact that many men in real life were spurred on to extraordinary labors and put into positions where they actually were competing against machines – John Henry did express American Honor. He did it for his family, his friends and his way of life. I think the main point of the story in light of American Honor is that those persons who had the ability to humanize the introduction of the machinery while increasing their own profits and activities – they acted dishonorably by not trying to meld the old and the new together. Progress happens. There is not much to do about it. The very nature of American Honor calls out for improvement, daring, self-sacrifice and hard work. It should be tempered, however, with understanding, knowledge, forbearance and mercy. Once you set the things in motion that you will set in motion or once you join in the wonderful series of events connected with some enterprise that you believe in or must act you will perceive the great power that is contained within the phrase American Honor. The outward expression of American Honor helps us to protect our shores, care for our friends, sail around the world, sail to the moon and the bottom of the sea or climb to the top of the highest mountain. Honor is different for many people. In America it is an expression of good. It is building a bridge to others as well as into the future. It is an idea and that idea turned into action not to hurt but to free, liberate and expand. When expressing American Honor if you join with someone or express it yourself – it is best to see it through to the end no matter what. To do that requires loyalty. We will be discussing American Loyalty next.   Chapter 8 Loyalty American Loyalty is narrowly defined. It is adherence to to commitments or obligations. In other nations it might be blind obedience to the government, political party or some individual in power. That is the type of loyalty that a dog has for its master. American Loyalty is fidelity, friendship, family, friends and the future. The sterling quality about American Loyalty is that it must be reviewed from time to time and scrutinized. In the first case to ensure that you are adhering to whatever promises you have made to fulfill it. In the second case to ensure that thing or person to whom you are being loyal is still worthy of your loyalty. This is not to say you would become a traitor but it must be admitted that just because you have decided to be loyal to someone or something does not mean you will receive the same in turn. Normally these bonds are reciprocal but sometimes people make mistakes. In some countries if these mistakes are made – whether in personal life or public duties – the consequences can be quite severe. They include death, for example, in the form of executions or assassinations or so-called ‘honor killing’ all of which are nothing more than murder. If someone makes a mistake or an organization fails in its obligations towards those it is supposed to serve then it is right that they or it should be called to account. The loyalty of those most closely involved is called into account as well as their motives. It is wise to examine the situation for yourself as an American to determine if this person or cause is worth your continued loyalty. If it turns out that something is amiss then American Loyalty demands that you either remove yourself from the connection or immediately go about doing whatever it is that can be done to correct the situation. By your strong, positive action in the face of some poisoned circumstance you can express American Loyalty in a way to show that the intention of what was being done was good but the result, unfortunately, turned out bad. When people turn on others with no plan for correction or concern about their own involvement up to that point they can plant seeds of cynicism and spoil future plans of others. Clear and honest action can avoid that problem. There are many stories of loyalty in the world and in the United States. The ones I am most inclined to understand and agree with are those that allow for free will and logic and understanding as well as love to enter in. A cause that is exclusive because it is cause of hatred is not a cause to be loyal to. In the balance of something like that – what would you choose? The cause of hate or the cause of your nation, your family and friends? When considered in this light choices become easy to see. If it is not about cooperation and strength – what is it about? Some political organizations in the United States operate on a process of exclusivity. That is – they are exclusive and allow some people in and keep other people out. For the people that join these units they may feel it is okay. For people excluded or negatively impacted by the actions of the exclusive group this is not okay. Some people call loyalty to political party very important. They vote one party whether it is right or wrong. They don’t even review the issues or the candidates. This is not American Loyalty. That is the loyalty of a dog for its master. American Loyalty demands that you investigate and understand those things or people to whom you are going to give your loyalty because participation in the American Nation means that your loyalty belongs first to yourself, your family, your friends, your nation and then others or other things. If there is any conflict the order of importance helps to work it out. Worse than having no loyalty is having misplaced or misapplied loyalty. Misplaced or misapplied loyalty can lead to tragedy and has done so on many occasions. We have seen too often in the course of human events the kind of errors and horror that misplaced or misapplied loyalty can exact. Consider the actions of religious fanatics. War, exploitation, murder. The list goes on. History is filled with their excesses. We are seeing some of it even today. Consider political extremists. Whether Left Wing or Right Wing, Conservative or Liberal, Communist or Capitalist, the rolls of the dead are long. Stalin, Lenin, Hitler, the genocide of the Native Americans along with modern murdering political zealots leaves much to be desired when considering party loyalty. Consider the outcome from the behaviors of organized criminals – or even disorganized or individual criminals. Acts of violence, the appearance of governments within governments. Al Capone of Chicago infamy is a good example of this. Consider the outcomes caused by business interests loyal to each other and to profits in such a way that their actions lead to starvation, privation, impeding of progress and death. Loyalty to an object is questionable unless the loyalty is expressed to the things which the object represents are taken into account. In that case it is not the flag people die for but the things for which the flag stands for. My country right or wrong is not a statement of loyalty. If there are actions taken by the nation that are clearly wrong then as Americans the right thing to do is correct them. All of these negative aspects of loyalty are often played up by the American press and entertainment industries. This is not surprising considering that the American press and entertainment industries are by and large controlled by the same companies. They have one product and they push it well. They hardly ever touch on American Loyalty except to mock it or try to show how weak a force it may be. Actually American Loyalty is what is responsible for children being sent to school each day, teachers showing up to work, carpenters builds, mechanics fixing, scientists inventing and the entire array of activities taken up in the United States each day. They are powered by loyalty to family, friends and country. It is puzzling to note that if everything is so bad then why is everyone still going along with it? The fact is that is not that bad if you apply yourself. Even if you find yourself in a hard situation if you apply yourself you can make it work out. Loyalty to self and your own beliefs is American Loyalty. Belief in the good and right – that is American Loyalty. To see American Loyalty enshrined – visit Washington, DC, or any place where there are statues of people who have done some thing or another that might be notable. Take into account that they were loyal to something – to what? To themselves, their families, the nation and the future. Loyal to you. So what are you loyal to? What would gain your loyalty or trust over a long period of time? What do you care about so much that you would keep a close eye on it and pay attention to it and guard it? That is the thing towards which you are expressing American Loyalty. Who in the United States would show forth something like American Loyalty? The night watchman, fathers and mothers, soldiers, sailors, patriots, teachers, the scientist – these and many more. It is the motives of the loyalty that play an important part in determining if it is American Loyalty being expressed, private loyalty or extremism. No less important than motive – what is actually done? What actions are taken to express the feeling of loyalty? If the actions taken to express this virtue are violent and selfish and destructive then it is misplaced or misapplied loyalty. If the actions taken are personal, productive and the act of a guardian or actively concerned individual then this is the type of loyalty I am speaking of. American Loyalty is not something to laugh at. It is the raising of the flag – or lowering of it. It is the placing of the flag at half-staff when someone has died and we wish to honor that person. More importantly – so that person would not have died in vain – if it is necessary to correct whatever caused that death then those actions should be taken by the person wishing to express American Loyalty. I am not talking about revenge. Today, in my state, flags were flown at half-staff for a young man sent to Afghanistan. He did what he thought he had to do in order to express his own sense of American Loyalty. Now he is dead. I expressed my American Loyalty by mourning for his loss and recognizing the sacrifice that he made. But why did he make it? Am I to say the reason he made the sacrifice was to make a sacrifice? That is wrong and forbidden by religion and law. It puts his life, in that context, at one and the same as a sacrifice made of a slave. Without my understanding or response to his sacrifice then all that happened was a sacrifice. If that is the case then another will need to be made – and another and another. But what is the thing to which human life is being sacrificed to? Is it a flag? Many people would react in horror if I suggested that. Was the life sacrificed to honor? No. Was the life sacrificed to wealth? Well – now we begin to have an issue arising out of this. Is it American Loyalty to deny that a small number of people, in ratio to the entire population of the United States, are making an extraordinary amount of money and as a result of that profit Americans are being killed? Is it American Loyalty to deny that American military might is being expended to kill people that likely do not make up a threat to the United States – no matter how despicable and dishonorable they might be? These are questions that you can answer for yourself. The media and entertainment industry each day takes great pains and receives great sums to answer those questions for you – or to hide them away. We are ‘lucky’ to receive the notice that the young man or woman died. The stories that follow are simple and unadorned. They include reminiscences of his or her life as a track star or football player. How he or she was popular and might have had some favorite saying, television show or food. Teachers, preachers, friends, family members and finally the newscasters themselves, talking as if they knew the dead warrior personally – talk on at length. What is never discussed or is noted only briefly – is why they died. The War in Afghanistan is not being discussed right now. It is a political season. We, as Americans, see more in the newspapers about the lack of jobs or road building contracts than we see about the advanced weapons that these warriors are using in a country that is supposedly not even able to feed its own people. If we ask questions we are given misleading or meaningless answers. The question becomes one of who is expressing loyalty? The politicians are closely expressing loyalty to their parties. The news media to their companies. The friends and relatives of the deceased to the deceased. Where in this awful mess was anyone expressing American Loyalty? It would have to be the friends and relatives of the deceased. But is there more to do? Is it enough that in this case that I am referring to that the boy is dead or is there something else that needs to be done? Do we as Americans leave it to someone else to work this out? After all we are told it is all being done in our name. It is certainly being done with our money. The people that are being helped in Afghanistan, if they lived in the United States and behaved the way they do in Afghanistan, would either end up in jail or dead. Yet they are receiving the protection of this nation. It is a thorny issue – but one that clearly delineates the type of loyalty that I consider American Loyalty. It becomes then a question of courage to express this American Loyalty to drive home the facts and get the answers to the questions that are being unanswered or lied about. Some people would resort to name calling if anyone raised a question about what the government was doing – but the fact remains this is a government of the people, for the people and by the people. Insults will not change that. There are examples in history of people so lost in loyalty that they acted worse than a dog loyal to its master. Is American Loyalty to be expressed as lies or in silence that can be interpreted as so secret that even the truth will be hidden? Isn’t that lying? American Loyalty cannot be expressed that way. It has never been expressed that way. It will never be expressed that way. Lying is lying. Cheating is cheating. Killing is killing. Stealing is stealing. American Loyalty is honesty seeing a situation and commenting on it. Right now it seems like the bad guys are in control and that they are running things. I think it is more accurate for the good guys to show themselves and their actions a little more. If you want to be one of the good guys, after all, you have to act like a good guy. If you take on all the actions and behaviors of a bad guy and still want to consider yourself a good guy – you are not automatically a good guy – you are just a bad guy lying to yourself. American Loyalty is a personal thing. It is something held and honored and expressed for self, family and nation even in spite of the actions of them. It stands up for the good in the self, family and nation and will not allow it to fall because of laziness, greed or trickery. Any good dog may be loyal to its master. For that it should be rewarded and cared for. The expression of American Loyalty, however, might mean rocking the boat or calling attention to something that should not be done in our name or anyone’s name. It might mean putting yourself at odds with the majority or the ones with loud voices. It means perseverance and learning the truth and sharing it. American Loyalty is a very involved set of actions and thoughts. It is restless and ever changing but its roots are in the self, family and nation and so it is a true and good set of actions and thoughts. In order to responsibly express American Loyalty one needs tools to do so. Education can be the tool to do this. We will discuss the Appreciation of Education and Learning and Wisdom next.   Chapter 9 Appreciation of Education, Learning and Wisdom From the formation of the United States of America there has been a history of appreciation of education, learning and wisdom. Education has always been important in the United States because we are a free nation. If we do not see to the education of our children then it is possible that in a very short time every advantage and ability we have would be lost. Ignorance is a terrible foe. It is also recognized that if everyone is given access to a public education, not only will we assure the continuation of our society but those persons who would have not been able to excel in a planned or controlled society will be able to distinguish themselves. Learning is important in the United States because besides having a basic education that will allow a person to read, write and perform arithmetic, learning should be ongoing throughout life. It is a recent phenomenon, and somewhat painful to note, that learning has become associated with degrees and now seems to carry a price tag. Learning in the American sense is a continuing expansion of knowledge in a subject that you deal with on a regular basis or something that you take an interest in. It is the application of the techniques taught in the schools to issues and concerns and interests in your own life. A construction worker does not stop learning just as a dentist does not stop learning. Learning is the continuation of the education received from the schools and sometimes specialized education that is sometimes referred to as ‘higher’ education. Wisdom, of course, is the combination of education received from the primary schools combined with learning and the personal experience of the individual. Benjamin Franklin, famous American Statesman and scientist said, ‘Early to be and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.’ It is important, of course, to have plenty of rest to take on these duties of education and learning in order to work towards acquiring wisdom. Without education and learning we as Americans have no connection to the future. Many families have come to the United States primarily because they were seeking a way to better themselves and to gain an honest education for themselves and their children. It is through education, learning and the eventual accomplishment of wisdom that individuals can better themselves in American society and just generally make a very nice life for themselves. By ignoring education and learning many people can condemn themselves to a lifetime of poverty and occupations to which they are ill-suited and which can bring them much unhappiness. From the point of view of American society and the United States of America – having a population of ignorant persons is not only irresponsible but dangerous. Any nation that depends on the ignorance of the populace in order to keep order and maintain power is always in danger of its own destruction. Two things happen when education is kept from the populace and retained by just a few. Learning loses its luster and eventually even the controlling minority falls into ignorance. Brutality is the final result. If the controlling minority needs to do nothing else than keep information from others after a generation or two they will not even be able to tell what they are doing. It can even become enshrined in some sort of quasi-religion. Czarist Russia is an example of that happening. In the case of Russia the ignorant majority rose up to destroy the ‘educated’ minority. When they gained power, however, it was quickly realized that they lacked education and learning and their response to the situation showed a great deal of brutality which ended in the deaths of tens of millions of innocent people – their own citizens – the ones they were pledged to free and protect. It was a tragedy of immense proportions. The situation in Russia spawned a similar catharsis of violence and ignorance in neighboring China. The result of both of these ‘revolutions’ has been to create governments that are just now beginning to realize that their power is not of their own making but is a result of the people themselves. Without education and learning the situation in the United States could just as quickly deteriorate. Many problems in the United States at this time can be directly traced to a lack of education and the negative reputation that learning has taken on in some communities. Drugs, violence, corruption – all of them have some root in a lack of education and disrespect for learning. As a result the attainment of wisdom is fairly impossible. Any wisdom that might be gained in such situations as drug dealing, criminal activity, political corruption or social abuse is either of an evil sort or quickly extinguished in a rising tide of blood. President Thomas Jefferson had a deep appreciation for education and learning. After leaving the Office of the Presidency of the United States he worked to establish the University of Virginia. It is a secular institution centered on learning. He believed, as many do today, that books and libraries are central to learning and a learned populace. His beliefs shaped his actions and he designed the university around the library. President Thomas Jefferson wrote this about education, "Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone. The people themselves, therefore, are its only safe depositories. And to render them safe, their minds must be improved to a certain degree." It is through learning and education that you can find ways to participate more fully in the great American Journey and Adventure. Some people are pulled along or buffeted about – but you don’t have to be. Martin Luther King, great American Statesman and Orator had this to say about education, “To save man from the morass of propaganda, in my opinion, is one of the chief aims of education. Education must enable one to sift and weigh evidence, to discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and the facts from the fiction." Education should be used by an American to take a look at an issue and delve into it. Taking both sides into account and realizing there may be more to the story yet. An education can allow the mind to tell one thing from another and quite simply to help us be able to tell right from wrong. Martin Luther King also said, "Intelligence plus character--that is the goal of true education." Finally – and this is not all that Martin Luther King said about education – he said, “Education must enable a man to become more efficient, to achieve with increasing facility the legitimate goals of his life.” What are you legitimate goals? What are the legitimate goals of your family, friend and nation? What are the legitimate goals of your local government or representatives? You have a right to know these things and you have a right and responsibility to do those things that you feel are your legitimate goals. I can think of no other troubling kind of person than one who has attained great reason but lacks morality. These are the men and women with whom an American must contend with. They are the criminal sort, they are the corrupted sort. They are the dangerous sort and the careless sort. Some of this work is not easy. It requires some of your time. It requires some of your attention. It requires some of your reason. The alternative is that you do not do it and that leaves open the very real possibility that no one will do it. Being American is a big duty. It’s something that has either been put upon you because you were born here or it is something that you chose to take by coming here. If you put it aside then what have you? Sometimes it appears that education is very expensive. It must be told, though, that in the United States, one way or another, you can get to books. If you can get to books you can get to knowledge. If you can get to knowledge you can get to education. If you learn you may strive for wisdom. These things that are available for you to learn and become educated in are new ways to make a living or to find a better way to do what you are doing now. I am not going to disparage a college degree but not everyone goes for one. Not everyone who goes for one gets one either. Learning, education and wisdom are things available to us all. They do not just fall into our laps, however, they must be sought out. Even the simple act of reading the newspaper or watching the news or some television programs about science can be of great use. To do nothing is of no use. Just as this nation needs farmers and soldiers and doctors and lawyers this nation needs all of us to learn and use discerningly as much as we can and are able to do. As Americans we are alone in this world. There is no one that is going to take it on themselves to correct us or help us. Many other nations wait for us to fail. Even more nations do not care whether we succeed or fail. If we do not work together we will all fall apart. Education and learning are the keys by which we can maintain our union and help assimilate new Americans joining us. They do not come empty handed, and if you are a new American reading this, then you already know that. As important as American education is to bringing facts to peoples’ minds and as important as learning is to understand how things work or how to make them work it is equally important to take into account that how that education and learning is used is also important. As already mentioned a learned person without morals is a dangerous person, indeed. It Is because of this aberrant behavior that as an American you always need to be on guard. Because we have a free nation and because all of this knowledge and information is available to us all it is possible that along with the good people getting educated the bad people will likewise benefit. That is why it is important to strive for wisdom so that we can not only tell right from wrong in action plain and simple but in the possible uses and abuses of information and power. Forewarned is forearmed. Education is sometimes a necessary thing. For example – Americans need to be able to read and write in English and perform simple mathematics. It is advantageous if they learn about the scientific method – especially since their competitors around the world in the most advanced countries are doing that. That is about the minimum that someone needs to function in American society. Some people arrive in the United States and come with family, friends and acquaintances. There have been historical examples of entire communities arriving and taking up residence in the wilderness. That does not happen to any great extent today but there are towns called ‘Colonistas’ (Little Colonies) that have formed up in some parts of the Southwestern United States. The Colonistas and the other communities like ‘Mexican Town’ in Detroit, or ‘China Town’ in San Francisco, New York and other places – have a unique place in American history and society but at the same time they have a darker purpose and are a mark against us. There are people that immigrate to the United States, who, because of age or intelligence, are unable to learn the language – they may not even need it. There are many others, however, who are younger and fit and able but do not learn the language either because they do not want to, which is foolish, or they do not know how to, which is tragic. The individuals who live in these cultural enclaves may be interesting and a diversion to other Americans to go and visit but is it fair to them? It is clear that many people object to their incursion into American society. Navigating around a modern American city is hard enough if you don’t read English well yourself but imagine what it is like if you are lost or trying to deliver a package or do work and you suddenly find yourself in a community where all the street signs and store signs are in Chinese or Spanish or some other language. President Theodore Roosevelt wrote the following : “We should insist that if the immigrant who comes here does in good faith become an American and assimilates himself to us he shall be treated on an exact equality with every one else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed or birth-place or origin. But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American and nothing but an American. If he tries to keep segregated with men of his own origin and separated from the rest of America, then he isn't doing his part as an American. There can be no divided allegiance here. . . We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language, for we intend to see that the crucible turns our people out as Americans, of American nationality, and not as dwellers in a polyglot boarding-house; and we have room for but one soul loyalty, and that is loyalty to the American people.” These words may seem a little harsh but what President Roosevelt is trying to express, I believe, is that if you have decided to join the American Journey and Adventure as an American then in order to fully participate the English language is the best and most common way to communicate. Some concepts are difficult to translate from one culture to another. The concepts of freedom, liberty and the pursuit of happiness take on different meanings in different languages. In the United States and in the context in which we use them in relation to the Constitution of the United States and our rights as free people – it is all rather clear. To listen to it and work with it in a foreign language while in this country is like having left-over pie or stale bread. Some people insist with a mania that everyone speak English. It is right, I feel to insist that everyone have a knowledge of and be able to speak English for the simple reason that if you do not then it is more easy for someone to take advantage of you in this economy. Again the history books are filled with examples of this. Entire companies made up of immigrants who, ignorant of their rights gave away their God given gifts of expertise and authority to people intent only on extracting an unfair profit from their labor. Instead of sharing in the American dream these people are plunged into the American nightmare. The plain fact is that when they allow this to happen and some shanty town springs up as a result of it the neighborhoods, businesses and lands around it can be blighted as well. In the end people may ask, and these are the same people living in this conditions, ‘How can this happen in America?’ The answer is that it can happen anywhere that trusting, scared and ignorant people gather. Unless there is a strong impetus to ensure that everyone is getting a fair shake there is a danger that they will be exploited. Once the situation is uncovered it may be altogether too tragically late. The experience of the farm laborers in California is a good example. By exploiting the laws and business practices on both sides of the border the farmers, corporations, local governments, state governments (in Mexico and the United States) conspired together in loose agreements to get some work done – that is – pick fruit and vegetables. The result was a long exploitation of migrant workers. Many people died in the fields of modern America just as if they had been laboring for some old tyrant back in Europe. To this day the disagreements and corruption evident on both sides and even in ‘organized’ labor purportedly representing these folks is still evident. How could all these negative effects be blunted or stopped? It is possible that if English were used as the regular business language and there was not a middle level of interpreters drawn, in some cases, from the worst of society and amounting to little more than slave holders and slave drivers – then things might have been and might still be different. In many places in the United States ignorance is praised as a manly quality. This can often mask learning disabilities and also allow for bullies and violence to rule the roost rather than learning and ability. It is sorry to say that shear brutality sometimes rules the day and not common sense. The way any American can navigate safely through and beyond these narrow barriers imposed by the ignorant and greedy is simply to get education, acquire learning and strive for wisdom. It may sound like a lot but learning how to read is not that difficult for most people. If there is a problem with reading these days there are taped books and other ways to get information. Learning disabilities or time constraints do not need to be allowed to cut you off from what rightfully belongs to you which is your own ability to reach for and attain your own legitimate goals in life. In the United States it is easy to get a hold of alcohol, cigarettes – even illegal drugs. Some people use these to ‘escape’ their problems little realizing that they are the source of most of the problems that they may be facing in living in modern America. These things rob many Americans of their rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Learning, education and wisdom are the keys to success in America, but not only that, to success in life and society. People have a natural affinity for and attraction to a person strongly grounded in knowledge. How to get these benefits? It is an act of Self-Control. With Self-Control these and many other things may be achieved. Self-Control is what we will discuss next. Chapter 10 Self Control Self-control. Many people in the world do not believe that Americans have self-control. Self-control is defined as : control or restraint of oneself or one's actions or feelings. In some cultures – like the Japanese culture – the self-control of feelings is held in high esteem by certain branches of thought including Bushido and certain types of Buddhism. Inazo Nitobe puts self-control under Bushido, or the Code of the Samurai as “The discipline of fortitude on the one hand, inculcating endurance without a groan, and the teaching of politeness on the other, requiring us not to mar the pleasure or serenity of another by manifestations of our own sorrow or pain.” If we look at it that way then in some ways Americans lack self-control. But it is a matter of opinion or point of view. It is known that Americans will face things with great fortitude and endurance – so in that case – Americans do have self-control. As for enduring hardship without a groan – this is not something that Americans do well. Sometimes during periods of great stress you will hear moans and groans or complaining in general. This is really just thinking out loud. It is a quest for an answer. It is a verbal way to seek a path out of the difficulties and so is not a measure of weakness but a notification that the spirit of those in difficulty has not been broken and they are thinking their way out. As for politeness – we have already discussed this. American Politeness is exhibited in many ways. The best way to offend someone is to ignore them. A confusion in etiquette is not so bad as not attempting communication at all. As for not trying to mar the pleasure or serenity of others by manifestations of our own sorrow or even joy – public disturbances or demonstrations do take place in the United States and people are allowed to express themselves. They may find someone to help them or someone to empathize with them or they might just get in trouble. It depends on the circumstances and how they are expressing themselves. Even in light of great suffering and tragedy Americans are expected to present themselves with decorum but at the same time humanity and freedom of expression are held high in estimation. To Americans self-control, like religion, can be held false if it is intended only for appearance sake. For example – if someone is pretending to have self-control when they do not or do not wish to have it they are being false. The same is the case with religion. It is considered beyond bad taste and even evil in some cases to put on a false front of religious behavior or belief while doing bad things. Self-control is not repression. If some forces down the feelings of irritability, anger, hatred, or even mirth and laughter it is still in the soul and mind. Self-control means finding a way to avoid the bad feelings or unnecessary mirth in order to do what needs to be done in the situation presented and to move on to higher thoughts and expressions of self. In America there are many things that one can become upset at. Unnecessary noise, pollution, violence, drugs, corruption, excessive drinking – the list is long and fills the courts and jails with problems and human tragedy. Self-control is a way to avoid those traps and pitfalls so that your energies may be more rightfully be put in the pursuit of those legitimate goals that you have set for yourself in life. You can still respond to the ills of society or unpleasant things in your environment but with self-control you will be able to do that in a measured sense in the way that it needs to be done so that you do not lose too much time in the pursuit of your own goals. Self-control means self-control and not control of the outer environment or the actions of others. One cannot lasso the wind nor can you bend the will of another to yours. Even if you could force someone to do what you wanted to do – then you would be in the region of criminality. What are your goals in life? Is something hindering you reaching them? You can take those steps to remove the hindrance, go around it, over it, under it or through it. It is important to keep in mind that the actions associated with the thing hindering you should not replace the actions you need to take to fulfill your goal. You will know what to do. If you have come this far this may sound like common sense to you – but it needs to be said because some people do become lost in the fight and when the battle is done they are just as lost as when they began. Sometimes they are in a worse position because they cannot recall what it was they had started fighting for. Self-control is an expression of mercy and kindness to yourself. There are currents and thoughts in the world and in American society that are obviously wasteful. Let us take for example a beer commercial. We are shown people frolicking in some sport or activity – many times sports or activities that should not be indulged in when drinking alcohol – and the people are always well-dressed, well-groomed and healthy. When I see these advertisements I often ask myself – what are these people drinking for? What are they trying to escape or what are they trying to attain by getting drunk. Of course the advertisement and the product manufacturer (the beer maker in this case) will deny that they are making drinking alcohol to excess look good – they will assert that they are only advertising their products to people and suggesting they drink responsibly. The reality is that is not how those companies make their money. Beer makers, liquor brewers, cigarette makers, gambling houses – they are not founded on and flourish from people acting responsibly and taking just a sample. They are found on and flourish from people consuming these things in excess. Why do some people drink or gamble to excess? There are many reasons. Why do many people do it too much? There are many reasons. Why do some people overdo it once in a while? There are many reasons. Why do some people use the products ‘just enough’ to be perfect? I don’t know. If a person drinks to excess to escape their problems are they escaping their problems or have they just chosen one known problem in exchange for the one they can’t figure out? If a person gamble incessantly is it because they are trying to reach some imagined goal or are they running away from the loss they just had? The point I am trying to make is that self-control is a personal thing. It cannot be dictated to us as Americans. It cannot be advertised to us. It is clear that many companies are dictating these rules and reasons even though they are not rules and they are unreasonable. It is really none of their business what Americans do with their products but in order to increase their business they have put a face on the activities that does not match the realities. As for how the world views America and the United States, I will quote Martin Luther King, great American Statesman and Orator, “Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.” In today’s conflicts or continuing bloodshed there are actually being used self-guided missiles that fly over a thousand miles and are controlled by someone tens of thousands of miles away. These missiles fly through the night or day spying on people and if considered necessary they are used as flying machine guns or remote controlled exploding bombs. Whether self-control is found in that set of circumstances anywhere, I am afraid I cannot tell you. I must ask, though, is this the sort of thing that someone or some nation can get wrapped up in and forget or obscure their legitimate goals? Robert Burns, a famous poet once wrote, “Prudent, cautious self-control, is wisdom's root.” If a problem presents itself does one drink it out or gamble it out or think it out? A prudent, cautious American would use self-control to think it out. In this case some people might believe that the prudence of an American is weakness but consider for yourself what would be the case if that prudent, cautious American, who, after exerting self-control and arriving at a wise answer has decided that the best thing to do is fight. From a national standpoint we must be cautious in how public debate goes because it is all too clear that if the logic in the United States runs to ‘fight’ then that is what is going to happen and the fight will be carried on until it is declared over or it is extinguished under its own weight. The problem with the military-industrial complex in the United States is another issue altogether and will not be dealt with here except I will say that it is something, I believe, that would be wise for you to consider at some time. Alfred Lord Tennyson, another famous poet, wrote, “Self-reverence, self-knowledge, self-control - these three alone lead life to sovereign power.” The point here being that if you respect yourself (self-reverence), know yourself and your motivations (self-knowledge) and exert directed in your life (self-control) you will be able to move towards your goals without getting in your own way or having circumstances carry you away from them. Self-control in this case does not mean cutting yourself off from your desires just because you desire them. I am not trying to express some religious or philosophical ideal. Self-control in this case just means avoiding or not doing those things which are likely, to a the idea of a prudent person, to make you lose your way or slow your progress towards your goals. What goals are worth striving for? These are all personal – just like the tool that you use to reach them is personal. Self-control can be used to work towards owning your own home, getting a good job, providing for your family in such a way that you are satisfied with it. If you encounter a difficulty or impediment self-control can be used to overcome it. Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor, wrote this, “You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” It is another way of saying that your attitude is what makes the difference. Benjamin Franklin, great American Statesman and Scientist had this to say about self-control, “Educate your children to self-control, to the habit of holding passion and prejudice and evil tendencies subject to an upright and reasoning will, and you have done much to abolish misery from their future and crimes from society.” Mistakes happen when passions are allowed to run wild. It is reason and the use of it that can bring the best results to all involved. Self-control is not to be used selfishly though it is a personal thing and can be used to selfish ends. It is a tool and a learned set of reasoning skills that will allow you, your children or your friends to move through a series of events without being distracted by those things which are not of value and which may be put there to mislead or deceive. Too much ease, luxury or even wealth can spoil the mind and soul if self-control is not exerted. There are many sad stories in the media concerning the children, friends or families of persons who have achieved a life’s worth of goods and money and yet have suffered tragedies of immense magnitude. Self-control allows us to be centered in our lives and desires so that tendencies to wander or miss the mark can be avoided. American Self-control can be conceived of as a matter of balance. While working or spending time with family or doing something else if there is an untoward event which occurs then self-control can be exerted to by-pass the problem or annoyance so that your attention may continue to be focused on the matter at hand – that is – the matter that you are most concerned with and interested in. Deception is the main root and tool of what is known as the ‘Art’ of war. The ‘Art’ of waris not the only destructive craft but it is clearly the worst one. In order to avoid being tricked, derailed or slowed down by duplicity of someone else , circumstances or your own misguided thoughts, you can rely on your own sense of self-control to see through to ensure the outcome that you foresee and desire. Spurious arguments – that is : arguments without which reason – which are raised during a disagreement by some clever individuals intent on achieving what they want at all costs may be countered by applying self-control and concentration. It is not necessary to actually counter spurious arguments with logic. Maintaining self-control will allow you to by-pass them. If it proves necessary all that is required to eliminate the spurious argument is to call attention to their meaningless content and pointless inclusion into the discussion or disagreement at hand. This is often all that is necessary to destroy their ill-formed concepts and any impression they have made upon the people attending or involved in the discussion or disagreement. Spurious arguments have the appearance of logic but are not logical at all. Let us take an example. Some people are sitting around talking. They just happen to be Americans. One of them starts talking about some matter they have read in the newspaper about a local politician and their involvement in some business deal. This person asserts that they have investigated the matter to their best ability and can see no fault in what was done. A second person says that they have also investigated the matter to the best of their ability and see fault in what was done. A third person throws in the spurious argument that no one can trust politicians because they all lie and there is no way to get to the specialized business information needed to make a logical judgment or decision regarding the matter. The third person’s argument in this case is spurious. First of all, not all politicians lie and even those that do may not lie all the time. As for getting the ‘specialized’ business information mentioned – there are ways to get business information. Even if those normal avenues are blocked then that is a piece of information that can be used to decide, as an American with vested interests in the outcome, what has happened and what to do about it next. The spurious arguments put forth can lead to a paralysis of action. Inaction or silence can be interpreted as agreement – and so – if there had been a necessity for someone to speak out – either for or against the situation in the example – and the spurious argument was allowed to derail the series of events that had already begun then, if indeed the politician in the example had been lying and the company involved had been doing something wrong then it is possible they might get away with it. The negative result is a bad outlook for American citizens on their government and ways of doing business, the success of bad people doing bad things and the general growth of ignorance compounded by inaction. Self-control exerted upon a situation like this might politely dismiss the spurious argument and continue in with the discussion or series of events that are likely to unfold if responsible, caring and intelligent Americans become involved. The affairs of government in the United States are not closed off to citizens. The affairs of government in the United States are the responsibility of citizens. It is through self-control that honest and dependable responses may be made to troubling circumstances or help and assistance provided to issues in need of the same. What do you want out of your life? What are you willing to do to get it? If you are honest, hard-working, industrious, caring and have a degree of self-control you will likely be able to achieve much of what you want to achieve. Bad hearted people are sometimes apt to make gains for themselves – but not without lasting damage to others and ultimately to themselves. Bad hearted people who lack self-control are very dangerous. They are easy to spot. Much easy to spot than people who pretend to be law abiding when in fact they immoral in action. The best way to make a way for yourself is to keep good company. Self-control is more than just avoiding drink or bad things. If a desire for these things is strong then self-control is actually used to replace the yearnings for these things that waste time and waste lives. It is not easy for some people to gain self-control but just because something is difficult does not mean it should not be done. The harder it is the more merit it has to do and do well. Self-control – rather than leading to repression and denial is one of the keys to gaining and enjoying true Liberty. American Liberty has many expressions, enjoyments and accomplishments. Liberty is what we will discuss next.  Chapter 11 Liberty Patrick Henry, famous American statesman and orator once said, “Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” Liberty is defined as : freedom from arbitrary or despotic government. Many Americans arrived on these shores seeking relief from arbitrary or despotic government. Many born here chafed at the thought of having to live under such government. Liberty. Some people confuse liberty with doing anything they want at all without regard to consequences for themselves or others. American Liberty is quite another thing. It is freedom being told to do this or that when you know that it would be better to do some other thing. American Liberty is free from being told not to do something when it makes good sense and would serve the common good to do that thing. We have many examples throughout history of this and many instances of it occurring in the United States right now. The confusion between doing anything a person wants without regard to consequences and doing the right thing is compounded by our system of government which of late has put the process of deciding what is right and wrong in some sort of stylized ritual. It is important from a personal point of view for individual Americans to develop their own sense of Liberty, without which, our government and society can not long continue to operate in any semblance of order. As we have seen already American Liberty is a very strong issue and one not to be trifled with. It is for American Liberty that men and women have died for. It is American Liberty with which the American flag has become entwined with. Benjamin Franklin also took a weighty view of liberty when he wrote, “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” It is important as Americans that we look to our own to ensure that our lives and fortunes are kept safe and able to prosper. It will not be done through the orders of some tyrant or ill-informed and selfish politicians. Americans, in order to enjoy Liberty must exercise Liberty and have interaction with their elected representatives so that those persons remain grounded in the duties to which they have been assigned. It is especially important in today’s world because of the numbers of people involved. It may be nearly impossible to conceive but it seems that as our population has grown Americans have exercised their Liberty, in regards to interacting with their elected officials, less and less. What does this mean to you as an American? Quite simply that if you are among those small numbers that exercise your Liberty then it is more than likely that you may meet your goals. Unfortunately this is a true and apt statement. As you exercise your Liberty and enjoy your Liberty others may follow – your family, friends and neighbors. And is this a bad thing? I say, ‘Far from it.’, but until you do it you will not know. Your Liberty is your own. If you do not exercise it someone will take it away. It will either go away in a moment with chains clamped upon your arms or bit by bit by bit – hardly noticeably until again, ‘Click!’ To be free from arbitrary or despotic government can be a consideration for a person concerned with the actions of the Federal Government, the State Government or Local Governments. It is possible for persons, as we have seen, to worm their way into public office in order to take advantage for themselves at the expense of their constituents. Just because we have a democratically elected government working for us in a republic does not mean all of them are honest and hard working. On the flip side it certainly does not mean they are all corrupt and no good. A few bad apples, it is said, can spoil the whole bunch – but that is if they are left in there long enough to do it. If you notice something out of order in your area, state or at the Federal level, it is your responsibility as an American at the least to notice it and keep an eye on it or bring it to someone’s attention. This is not ‘ratting someone out’. This is ensuring that some criminal element or incompetent individual is not doing things they should not be doing at your expense. The expense to you can be as simple as a loss to your pocket book. Maybe an unnecessary tax to pay for some service this is really not needed and will be provided by some friend of the corrupt person. It may be as serious as a loss of Liberty to you. If you do not act and respond to wicked events, it is known that wicked people will reach ever further in their endeavor to control and take advantage of their environment. We have safeguards in our society like local, state and federal police and ethics panels and newspapers – but if they do not know what is going on and you do then you have a responsibility to let your side know. If you are a sports enthusiast – what would you do if you knew the other team was cheating or stealing your equipment? Same thing. Act and respond. Observe and report. You would not refer to a Scout on the battlefield as a ‘rat’ so consider the words you use when you are talking about someone who has taken it on themselves to enter onto the battlefield of Liberty. It’s not an easy thing to do and all Americans should back them up one hundred percent. Let us keep in mind these words from the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” As it has already been mentioned. The concept of Liberty for Americans is very important and at the root of government and public life as well as business. It should not be underestimated as a source of action. President John F. Kennedy gave particular emphasis to this idea when he said, “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.” In common parlance, ‘Them’s fighting words.’ It is not only an indication that this is a idea worthy of contention and that Americans will fight for it. That is obvious from the root. It is more important to develop a sense of Liberty in thought and deed that is equal to the sacrifice that would be and has been born by millions of Americans merely trying to fulfill for themselves, their family, friends and nation, their own legitimate goals in life. It is not hard to see what is at stake when we compare what is happening in tyrannical, despotic or communist nations with what is happening, or should be allowed to happen here in the United States. The individual is supreme in the United States – not the government. Most Americans do not want to be told what to do. That is to say once they know what they want to do they would not mind instruction on how to do it. Being told what to do, or ordered to do things, however, this is a different story. Especially if these orders come from the government. That is because American government is rooted in Liberty. It is not for the government to lead the parade and tell us which way to march and where to. Our personal goals belong to us each individually as Americans. How could it be that a faceless government would know our dreams and aspirations? Even if that government knew them then what would compel it to honor or even respect them? The dangers to Liberty in the United States and the way in which the treatment of Liberty suffers or how Liberty is extinguished – if it ever existed at all in other nations or other times – is clear when we look at individual tyrants, presidents-for-life, generals or others who wield military power or act through mob rule. It is in those societies that we can see most clearly what happens to the individual person when government becomes arbitrary, despotic or both. Laws are written in those circumstances and places to serve the interests of those writing the laws or to serve the government at the expense of the individual. Laws are written on whim. They are alternately exercised, enforced, ignored or repealed in a haphazard or chillingly efficient manner that once again benefits those who wrote the laws or the few people benefitting them. In the worst cases it is done solely for the faceless and unknown government in power. When Liberty is understood as a value for and by the individual then this arbitrary and despotic behavior not only becomes unpopular it is held in contempt and everything that can be done to restore or establish Liberty will be done. So now we know the depths of individualism with which Americans infuse their ideas and ideals of Liberty and which we highly prize and express as Liberty. With these rights of person, privacy and the pursuit of personal goals come along heavy responsibilities. It is actually necessary in this case and in a nation based on individual Liberty for each American to keep an eye out for any incursion on that same Liberty which we have established for ourselves and our posterity. It Is not enough to pay lip service. It is good to have government which performs certain duties. It is not good for that government or any government – in order to carry out the duties is has arbitrarily declared for its own to force all Americans to give up some part or all of their Liberty in order to do it. It is not right for the government to enforce laws that curtail or eliminate individual Liberty so that the government may have its way. Giving up Liberty for efficiency is to surrender to slavery without a whimper and to place those manacles upon our own limbs that we had forged ourselves. American government, simply, is intended to serve and not to be served. When American Liberty is expressed it allows for the excellence of the human spirit to be displayed. For most of recorded history Liberty was feared by governments and kings and tyrants. It was crushed down wherever it appeared. Even as nations expanded under the old order – whether in warfare or peace – they recreated their own systems of repression and violence that they had most recently removed themselves, as individual people or communities. They went about rebuilding their own furious and ignorant despotisms only to set the stage again for violence and upheaval to be repeated over and over again. Thinking they were ruling themselves they were binding themselves in chains and arbitrary oaths to faceless governments or tyrants – no matter how benign or long lasting they might appear on the surface or through the brightly colored lenses of history. Chains are chains even if their binding and terrible aspect appears be comforting at first and no matter how bright and shiny and sparkling and pretty they may appear when new. Chains are chains. In the United States Liberty has been enshrined and we must be careful lest we believe Liberty is something provided by the government. It is not. Liberty is not something that can be legislated. It is something that can be achieved by men and women in a society only if they decide to achieve it. It may form on its own for a short time but would not be given the assistance it needs to endure without a structure to ensure that it does continue. To paraphrase John Locke, noted author, the natural expression of Liberty is for men and women to realized that to attain what they wish to attain for themselves they must make some arrangement whereby others can also attain their own goals. That is, if a person wished to receive good from others or wishes to pursue their own goals without interference from others than it is best to offer good to others in the first place and take measures to ensure that any actions taken do not interfere with the actions or outcomes others are attempting to achieved. There are different forms of liberty and different ways in which liberty can be expressed. ‘Liberty of the Press’ is important because men and women must be able to freely share their ideas and ideals with others. If the newspapers and publishers were not at liberty to print what was considered to be popular or necessary questions would arise as to who is the person or what is the organization that would regulate the information so distributed. In the present age the flood of information is so great that any attempt to regulate it other than assuring no real hurt is disseminated could very well cause unease in the populace not to mention introduce instability into the commerce of the world. There are many governments that do regulate the press. Without exception they are, so to speak, ‘Behind the Times’, and likely to falter or fail at any time. Even though they may appear to be strong in the world their place in history and human events is tremulous to say the least. Closed societies rely on advancement, for the most part, to come from outside. They are cautious or even paranoid in their dealings with others. This causes them to rise up a population of rude and ignorant people who themselves, even after the first generation, take on the cautious and paranoid behaviors exhibited to them and even expected of them by their overbearing and interfering governments. Some religious organizations, likewise, take on this sort of aspect, but thankfully, do to the broad expanse of humankind’s ability to work towards understanding the infinite these groups are few and far between. The major religions have a working relationship with the world and express and understanding that the works of humankind sometimes are separate from the works of the Almighty. So we have the saying of Jesus, ‘Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s.’ Most religions reflect this behavior. Despotic and tyrannical governments do not. They often refer to themselves as ‘The Fatherland’ and put their goals and the goals of their leaders in the forms normally reserved for family relationships. It is true that some national and citizen relationships might be thought of as family relationships but even when we speak of our ‘Founding Fathers’ here in the United States the intent is not to introduce a belief that these people were the physical cogenitors of the United States of America but a strange way of saying they were responsible for bringing the activity all together. The inference with a biological act or the inference that it was fertilized and grew like a plant or a child is unfortunate but common enough in the annals of history to be tolerated on the surface but the reality is that this organization and democratic republic is just as much an invention and property of each one of use alive now as it was to those who first began the processes that we know today. We may shape the form in any way we see fit but the inner meanings of it – which include the expression of Liberty in the broadest human sense – cannot be put aside or the whole thing becomes meaningless. The ancient playwright, statesman and poet Euripides wrote these lines from Athens long ago : This is true liberty, when free-born men, Having to advise the public, may speak free, Which he who can, and will, deserves high praise; Who neither can, nor will, may hold his peace: What can be juster in a state than this? It seem to me that here Euripides is saying, let a person have their say, the same kind of person who would not hold their tongue anyway, that if they are heard, we may hear not only from their own minds but the words of others and that in allowing this one or that one or those to speak, then others, who might have been silent but who know the true way or the reason or truth will not be bound to be silent but will speak up and allow us all to benefit from their wisdom. That would be wise and just rather than to loudly declare only the thoughts and ways of those powerful enough to command the podium should hold sway and enslave the whole bunch of us. This American government in the United States is established under the precept that Liberty is an inalienable individual right accorded to all humans by Providence. Understanding of this precept is vital to understanding the rights and duties we have as individual Americans. This is a government of the people, by the people and for the people. Not the other way around. It is our individual or combined goals, as we see fit, and pursuits, which are tantamount. We are not here to pledge tithes and work to the ends of the arbitrary and despotic dictates of a government. This is Freedom of which we are speaking of and that is what we will discuss next.  Chapter 12 Reaching for Freedom Being Free Freedom is defined as : The power to determine personal action without restraint. American Freedom does not mean you are able to do whatever you please whenever you please. Likewise it does not mean that you have the freedom to not do some things or abandon your responsibilities. As Americans we have the power to determine personal action without restraint and then act to follow through on our determinations. The limitations I mention are that it is not right nor morally correct that any actions you take hurt or kill others. Any actions you take should not include withholding your responsibility in situations where your responsibility is clear. Those are the limitations and they are imposed from within with external sanctions if you should violate some rule of nature and human kind like killing someone else or selling or giving them something that hurts them or others or cheating people. This nation was formed from out of a part of a self-style ‘Empire’. At the time the form of government in vogue in the world were mostly Empires. The British Empire, Russian Empire, Spanish Empire, French Empire, Chinese Empire – and many other ‘royal’ houses and organizations behaved as if they were empires or building them. Notably the Portugese and Dutch. In Africa there were also Empires and predating the invasions from Europe Empires and large political organizations existed in South, Central and North America. The incredible idea that a government could break away the ‘Empire’ was viewed as treasonous and illegal. The idea that people within those breakaway areas – like the original 13 Colonies – could exercise personal action without restraint was not only viewed with distrust and unease it was considered by some to be impossible. For many others it was the natural order of events. Empires just weren’t working out. Some of them persisted quite late in history – like the Russian Empire and one has partially reformed itself under a new name – that is the Chinese Empire – but by and large they all have either fallen apart or been consumed by other societies and civilizations that have adopted and taken for their own the idea that individuals can and should determine personal action without restraint. The formation of the United States and American Freedom was done with the satisfaction and relief that accompanies slaves being set free. It is a sad commentary that slaves in the United States were not set free when the country was set free. The institution of slavery in the United States, referred to as ‘The Peculiar Institution’ persisted nearly 100 years after the nation was declared free. The pressures of maintaining slavery and the arbitrary and despotic rules and manners and laws that it spawned led to the American Civil War. The American Civil War decided not only the issue of slavery in the United States but many other questions as well that have deviling American citizens. The ownership of land, the organization of corporations, the rule of law and the role of government. The government of the United States had been set up as a free nation and beacon to the world yet in a few decades after its formation it had become a referee in disputes involving one man playing bondage and shackles upon another. The situation nearly destroyed the nation. Immigrants and Americans born here worked together to fight against the internal tyranny that had arisen in one part of the country and infected the whole system. In some areas – it was not clear who was on which side. Since the Civil War the dispute has been boiled down to a war between the North and the South with the deciding issue being slavery. Slavery was the undisputed main point of change following the war but the division of North and South itself is a confused concept. Though the state governments were divided primarily along the lines ‘North and South’ due to the surveyed line known as the ‘Mason-Dixon’ line – the ideological differences were not as striking in most areas as they have been painted. Some people in the so-called northern area believed in or practiced slavery while in the southern areas there were people who do not believe in slavery or avoided the practice and its practitioners altogether. As we can see from today’s society, obviously the practice left a scar in society. The wound need not be refreshed as it is confusing and contains too many warring ideas and concepts. It is a sad time to consider in American history and it is best it is over with. Suffice it to say that after more than 200 years of struggle and work all Americans are free and have the power to determine personal action without restraint. Benjamin Franklin, great American orator and statesman wrote, “Freedom is not a gift bestowed upon us by other men, but a right that belongs to us by the laws of God and nature.” It is a right we have inherently upon birth as humans. It is a state into which we are born and any individuals, organizations or governments who interfere with this right and state of being are themselves corrupt in spirit and attitude. Nothing good can or will come from their actions. War and deprivation will appear at their door and their power will be torn asunder and they will be lost. All that will be left is perhaps a fleeting mark of their passing. Knowing this and the course of human events it is clear that the fleeting circumstances of tyrants and despots is not limited only to them. If mistakes are made and individuals in this nation do not act in a civil and patriotic manner towards their nation and this government does not hold justice, liberty and freedom to be values that cannot be sacrificed then too this nation may falter. It is only with continued scrutiny and attention to detail can we preserve this union, which, besides being a union of governments is a union of free people bent on doing right and good in the world overall and ensuring that we all have the power to determine personal action without restraint. Martin Luther King, Jr, great American orator and statesman said, “Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can't ride you unless your back is bent.” Freedom is a continual work in progress. We cannot for a moment stand aside and hope that someone else will watch over our right to the power to determine personal action without restraint as well as we could ourselves. It is right and good to become involved in this nation and comment upon its actions lest its actions turn out to be against our best interests and lead to its and ultimately our demise. Many people believe that things will just go on as they do without change. Even though change will not normally come without action – if there are some persons or forces at work to cause change it is quite possible that a person who is not paying attention and not participating may be caught unawares by circumstances. This is certainly true in our society and nation today. Workers and individuals who do not pay attention and participate as much as they can in their local governments and societies have found to their dismay that companies and corporations have either made inroads on their own personal power to determine personal action without restraint or expanded their own to such proportions as to overshadow the rights of the individual. In other cases companies or corporations might have turned tail and fled taking away with them large portions of the underpinning of the local economy. To what effect? Loss of jobs, loss of opportunity and the destruction of the local economy used to ensure that food, housing and fuel are available for the Americans living in that location are available so that they in turn may us their own personal power to determine personal action without restraint. Circumstances of life are complicated, this is true. By not being involved in the normal daily events surrounding us or not responding to them may embolden the bad tempered and hard hearted to further depredations on our freedoms. Even the most informed and able persons may be overcome by events – but when there is a populace of persons ready to defend their right to being able to exercise their personal power to determine personal action without restraint then it becomes less likely that circumstances will become so unworkable that they must be abandoned or changed to suit the needs and arbitrary despotic choices of the few rather than for the benefit of the many and our posterity. Walt Whitman, great American poet and philosopher wrote, “IT is not only true that most people entirely misunderstand Freedom, but I sometimes think I have not yet met one person who rightly understands it. The whole Universe is absolute Law. Freedom only opens entire activity and license under the law. To the degraded or undeveloped—and even to too many others—the thought of freedom is a thought of escaping from law—which, of course, is impossible. “ Escaping the law – whether natural or imposed – if the law is just and reasonable – is not an exercise in freedom but is an exercise in futility. Slavery is unlawful. It is against the law to hold another person a slave. It is also illegal for a person to sell themselves into slavery. If someone decides to enter into this state or cause this circumstance because they feel it is their right then they are breaking the law and are not only not being free but they are putting themselves at odds with the American people – a natural born and living example of a free people with all the rights and responsibilities attached to that state of being. If a person believes they will exercise their freedom by destroying their lives by consuming drugs which have been proscribed by law then they are entering into direct opposition to the American way of life as well as destroying their relationship to the benign and good power that has formed us all. If good intentions and actions are not the result of the exercise of freedom then the opposite becomes an expression against freedom and those actions become bestial and the results become personally arbitrary and despotic. The rule of addictive drugs over lives better spent with loved ones, friends and in communication with their society and government is a tragedy that plays itself out all too often. Addiction to drugs – the sale of drugs to persons who become addicted or are addicted is a form of slavery. Until this is clearly realized and recognized then the chains will be forged day after day and sadly taken up by Americans who should, instead of being chained to circumstances and the arbitrary and despotic rule of cruel and inhuman persons distributing and selling the drugs should be exercising their own power to determine personal action without restraint. Some people decide that criminal behavior is how they will be free – or more aptly – how they will thumb their nose in the entire ideal of American Freedom and take what they want and not worry about anyone else. Eventually the majority of these people are either foiled by the law or more commonly by others who are pursuing the same course of events. To build their dreams by taking away the dreams and aspirations of others they merely draw upon themselves the attention and approbation of those good hearted people intent on pursuing their own legitimate goals. If such evil minded persons were to win out then chaos would ensue and all freedom lost. The natural state of affairs to allow activities like to prosper being a nation government in an arbitrary and despotic fashion. By working towards your own legitimate goals and watching out for those who are taking advantage or cheating you will do more for this country than you would imagine and at the same time do yourself an immense number of favors. Again – to repeat the concept of Freedom to Americans and the stories and legends, facts, fancy and laws that have descended to us – I give you something that President George Washington said, “If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.” The Bill of Rights plainly spells out many of the Freedoms that Americans expect to enjoy and are guaranteed by our Constitution. These Freedoms include, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, right to bear arms. freedom of the press, right to petition, ‘no-quartering’ right, the right to own private property and the right to enjoy many other freedoms – like choosing where to live or what work to do. The freedom of religion allows us to tolerate at least and appreciate at most the religions and customers of others that might not match our own but do not touch upon our ability to pursue our own legitimate goals. The freedom of speech allows us to say whatever we please as long as we do not incite violence. I am enjoying that freedom now by writing this brief synopsis of ‘Being American’. The right to bear arms is guaranteed to us so that we may provide for our table if we hunt or we may protect ourselves from the potential ravages of others and guard against arbitrary and despotic government or protect our shores and borders, if need be, from invasion and foreign governmental influence and intrusion. We have the freedom of the press to share all of these ideas and ideals that we want to continue, change or end, as the case may be. We have the right to petition to ensure that our government remains accountable to the citizens and does not begin that long careening arc into chaos. We have the ‘no-quartering’ right to ensure that soldiers are not given leave to take our possessions in the pursuit of some goal that we may not be directly involved in or necessarily directly need to support because we do so through our taxes and other arrangements. We have the right to own private property and this ends or sharply curtails the eventuality that some system resembling the feudal system might grow up again and envelop us in ignorance. Finally – we have the right to enjoy many other freedoms. We may move around the country and live in different locations if we choose to. We can work at different jobs if we choose to. These things are not accorded to us or assigned to us by the government. They are matter of personal choice. These freedoms and the method by which they are attained – that is – the government is simply not allowed to do any of it or legislate it – allows Americans to live their lives, for the most part, as they see fit, without interference from the government and without undue interference from our fellow citizens. In the United States Freedom is sometimes compared to Life itself. Some people would give up their lives – and many have – to obtain Freedom. Freedom has been an idea and ideal since antiquity and here in the United States and among our friendlier and kindler nations abroad – it is generally felt we have obtained at least some measure of it. Freedom is not something to be taken lightly. Some people may easily surrender it in return for riches or ease – at which point they have lost, in my opinion, far more than they have gained. We come now to the last portion of this book - the last short piece to be a direct set of instructions or suggestions on how to be an American. In these past chapters we have looked at the American forms of Justice, Courage, Goodwill and Kindness, Politeness, Sincerity, Honesty, Honor, Loyalty, Education, Learning, Wisdom, Self-Control, Liberty and finally Freedom. Thank you for your time.   Chapter 13 In Closing How To Be An American Be Yourself Tell the Truth Be Courageous If Necessary Do Not Hurt Others Pursue Those Goals Most Dear To Your Heart Honor Your Family and Friends Raise Your Children To Do Right and Be Good Persons Love God if you care to or don’t. The decision is individual. Use the government as a tool. Do not abuse it. Keep an eye on it. Do not be afraid. Thucydides, Ancient Greek philosopher and poet wrote, “The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it.” Be charitable and caring of your neighbors. Work hard. Learn things. I can’t tell you anymore than these things. I hope it is enough but I know there is so much more. It is encompassed in the lives of our citizens – in all of us Americans – you and I included. You are the one who decides how to be an American. You are an American.