Observations©

By Donald S. Conkey

Date: November 27, 2008 - # 8848 - Title: Thanksgiving 2008 (814)

As each of us gather our families around us today, on this major of all major American holidays -Thanksgiving, we do so on America’s only national holiday that expresses our gratitude for being an American regardless of our race, religious affiliation, nationality or culture, and for the blessings of living in a land where freedom and liberty have been a by word for 221 years.

             In recent years however I have wondered if we Americans, especially the younger generations, fully appreciate what it means to be “American Free.”  “American Free” means each of us have access to those unalienable rights of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” that Jefferson enshrined in the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson was inspired to include these freedoms by He, the “Creator,” who raised up the Founding Fathers and endowed them with the wisdom, energy and integrity needed to create America’s three indispensable documents, the documents that inspired three millions individuals to create a nation governed by law, not by men using the world’s secular philosophies with “we the people” as the sovereign entity.

            The United States was the world’s second major nation to have God’s laws of liberty embedded in a written constitution. Ancient Israel was the other nation to have their liberties established on God’s Laws. A close reading of Moses’ four books reveals 59 basic laws for governing their society. These 59 laws, along with the Ten Commandments, were referred to by James as ‘the perfect laws of liberty.’ Jefferson referred to them as “the laws of nature and of nature’s God” and declared them as the cornerstone of America’s liberties.

All biblical students know those laws given to Moses were written in stone, a written constitution – and not to be tampered with. The Founders found these laws as they studied and pondered the writings of Moses. And they understood perfectly that they were given to Moses to help him govern three million unruly Israelites, former Egyptian slaves, who understood little of personal freedom and liberty – like many Americans today.

How then did God’s laws become so embedded in the fabric of Colonial America? The Founders found God’s laws during their study of the Bible, especially in Deuteronomy. They were then inspired to pattern America’s laws after God’s laws of liberty.

I was reminded of how different American life is from Russian life last week when neighbors Earl and Lynn Mecham showed their Siberia mission slide presentation to a group of fellow ‘empty nester’ church members.

The beauty of the Russian mountains, rivers, and lakes are little different than here in the United States and their buildings were similar to our buildings in design and use of construction materials. The real difference was in the people. Yes they look like us - but they are not “American Free.” The Mecham’s told us they trust no one and accept graft and corruption as a way of life. Earl told of being stopped by the police, for no reason, with cars lined up behind them to pay off the police, 100 rubles or $4 American, rather than go before a corrupt judge on trumped up charges. “Sadly,” Earl said, “the people learn to live with it.” This is a heavy burden for any people to live with and it prevents them from enjoying the blessing of a country where equality before the law is a written guarantee.  

Lynn Mecham explained their living conditions were not up to American standards. Apartments are small, heat is centrally controlled by a committee, and the water is centrally heated. The Mecham’s often had to wait 30 minutes to take a warm shower. And incentive to succeed financially is hampered by the Russian Mafia. If one becomes too successful the Mafia steps in and takes a substantial cut. And all citizens carry two passports, one for external travel, and one for internal travel. And they had to register in each town they visited. The government knew where they were every day while in Russia. And every three months they had to leave the country, get a new visa, and return to their registered address. They were not American Free.

Last Saturday the Tribune gave Cal Thomas’ column the headline “The Other Deficit” with a sub headline of “Our scant knowledge of history poses real threats.” Every freedom loving American should read this column. Thomas suggested Americans wake up and become aware we can lose our liberties. Thomas then suggesting all Americans should get involved and insist our children be taught how “American Free” values came to be, their source, and what we have to do to maintain them.

As you wrap your family around you today take a moment to express to your family your gratitude for being “American Free” and for living in America and being an American – and then tell them why.

Happy Thanksgiving.