I was asked by several members to print the text of the speech I delievered on July 4th at Memorial Park.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA
Ladies and gentlemen,
Today, we are gathered here to celebrate the birth of our Country, and what a magnificent Country it is. The spirit of America, reminds me of the haunting lyric of the Impossible Dream, as it personifies the quest of our Founding Fathers, and the legacy and responsibility that is now ours
.
To dream, the impossible,dream
(That these 13 Colonies shall be a free nation)
To fight, the unbeatable foe
(the British army, the most powerful at that time)
To bear,with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave, dare not go
To right the unrightable wrong,
To love pure. and chaste, from afar
To try when your, arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star
This is our quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far
To fight for the right,
Without question, or pause
To be willing to march into Hell
For a heavenly cause
And we know, if we'll only be true
To this glorious quest
That our hearts will lie peaceful and calm
When we're laid to our rest
And the world will be better for this
That Americans, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with their last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star!
Courageous, and daring; meeting the enemy head on, rising to the challenges, that was the spirit of America. Those colonists believed they were unstoppable, they were righteous, they were unconquerable. Nothing was impossible.
In May 1961, President John F. Kennedy declared that America should land a man on the moon. Not because it was easy, but because it was hard, because it was a race against the Soviet Union. We intended to win. And America did win; we were the first to put a man on the moon.
In WWII, Americans again, were an unstoppable force; simultaneously, fighting in two wars. Our Pacific Fleet, almost wiped out by the attack at Pearl Harbor; our military in the Atlantic, fighting in Europe against the Nazi's - it was not easy, it was not without challenges - and every man, every woman, and every child in America sacrificed, to rebuild our military.
We were victorious in both wars, not because we feared the enemy, but because we outsmarted, out fought, the enemy.
We can still hear the voice of Ronald Reagan, as he called the Soviet Union evil; and he didn't mince words, when in 1987 he forcefully declared: Mr Goberchev, tear down this wall! Strength, and courage, unafraid.
On another front, there was Gil Meche, a baseball player who was injured in 2012, and could no longer play. He gave up his $12 Million paycheck, he voided his contract, because he believed, he could no longer EARN that money, and he refused to be paid for something he had not earned.
Examples of American ingenuity, American determination, and American integrity.'
Two hundred and forty years ago today, daring men, spanning the ages of 27 years old, to 70 years old, declared these colonies to be free from the rule of England and the despot King George. These men knew they were up against a stronger and more well equipped army,
They knew, (now think of this) the moment they signed the Declaration of Independence, they had put their life, their fortunes and their sacred honor, at risk. But, they did so with the resolve that they would rather die free than to live under tyranny.
That they would rather die free, than to live under tyranny.
Their desire and vision for liberty and self-government dwarfed all other fears, and should they die, they would die seeking freedom. .
It was not easy, it was not safe, it was not guaranteed...but it was compelling. These are the men who gave us "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" as decreed under our Creator.
America was the gift of our Creator
. She was destined to be the hope of mankind. She was to shine as a beacon in the night, and glisten as gold in the day. Patriots, for over 240 years have given their lives so that she, so that we, Americans, would survive.
Our homeland, the United States of America, and all that we know, and all that we love, is embedded in her essence.
Above all else, and in honor of all those who have given their lives for America, we must stand strong, we must stand as Americans, we must acknowledge that we, are a people unto our own.
The pride we have in America must always be celebrated;
the love and protection of our country must always be paramount,
and the knowledge that we walk without apology,
for we have earned our place in this world and have paid dearly for all that we have.
And so, I close in prayer, asking God for His continued blessing.
God bless America, Land that I love, Stand beside her, and guide her, through the night from the light from above.
And the world will be better for this,
That Americans, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with their last ounce of courage.
To reach the unreachable star.
Happy Birthday, America.
