SoA - The Spirit of America

The Spirit of America (SoA) is several things: an Entity, a Gift and a Burden.

The Entity
The SoA truly is a being unto itself. It exists as much as you or I. While it may not be corporeal, it has impact, it has being. It was conceived (July 4^th, 1776), gestated (1776-1788) and born(Jun. 21, 1788). It is an entity that came about as a joint effort between the Creator and Mankind. And because of such it has both spiritual and secular components. The philosophy(Americanism) that the SoA espouses has moved millions of men and women to spread it, defend it and even die for it so that their children and all of mankind may benefit by it. It has convinced millions to give up everything they have and even to risk their lives to move to a place that practices it. It has rewarded those that follow it by raising their standard of living, by giving them a chance to improve their lives, to practice their religion, to voice any of their thoughts, to assemble with any they choose, to pursue their idea of happiness.

Hi The Gift
The Gift is the philosophy that the SoA espouses: Americanism(to be defined in a different post). Each man and woman that lives in a place that follows it has so much because of it. The Gift comes directly from the Creator and put into writing and practice by the Founding Fathers. That the Creator had a part in it is so obvious and it is what makes it so special beyond words. What part? Think about a car. It has ‘Critical Components’ to it. A car’s mission is to get you from point A to point B. If it lacks a radio, it will still fulfill its mission. If it has no tires however, it can’t. Tires therefore are ‘Critical Components’. Same with its engine; no engine, it fails. But if no windows, no problem, it’ll still succeed. Well, for the SoA to have come about, several things had to have been ‘in place’. And never before has all the ‘Critical Components’ been in place, never. Such as the greatest assemblage of moral geniuses in the same time and same place and working on the same topic. And then there are the leaders… so many great leaders and again in the same time and place. And a Tyrant; for without him there would have been no reason to rebel. And distance. It aided in our rebellion in many ways. And Heroes. Sooooooo many heroes that fought, that gave their lives and fortunes. Never before or since has so many ‘Critical Components’ been in place to make such an entity happen. If any one of the above things, and others, been missing we would not have Americanism. You are living in a time that Americanism exists, and you did absolutely nothing to earn that initial circumstance. That’s called a Gift.

The Burden
Participate. That’s the burden. By participating, the true SoA is kept alive, functioning and healthy. And there are so many ways to participate. Military service is participation; the military defends the SoA from tangible, physical threats to its well-being. Voting is participation; it demonstrates that such a Gift is worthy of your attention. Attending city council meetings, writing to your Senator and/or your Representative to express your opinions, that’s participation. To be honest in your debating of topics that pertain to the SoA demonstrating good solid character and moral fortitude. Volunteering time and energy helping others in your community; it shows passing on the Gift as it was passed onto you. Pick any one or more of the above, and others not mentioned. Even if only one man or woman(instead of the millions) gave their life or fortune so you could have the Gift of the SoA, don’t you think it’s your most basic yet important of all duties to complete? To shoulder such a light burden for such an astounding Gift is quite literally the deal of your lifetime.