by Mark Stout –

I was born in 1955 and grew up in southern California during the 60s. As a child I remember playing ball with my friends in the street of my neighborhood, with girls and boys of all ethnicities, drinking water straight from a hose when thirsty, facing the flag with my hand over my heart and saying the Pledge of Allegiance each morning at school, and being proud to be an American.

Yes, there were social issues then, issues that as a child I did not fully understand. But our country faced those issues head on and our nation improved over time. That process continues on today thanks to a well written Constitution given to us by our founding fathers who risked everything and who fought and died for our independence from the tyranny of a monarchy.

Civil Rights expanded, the Viet Nam war ended. We united against racism, sexism and communism. No other country offers more freedom and opportunity than the United States of America. We became, and still are, the greatest country in the world in terms of freedom, justice, equality and equal access to unlimited prosperity for both genders and all ethnicities who are willing to work for it.

But something insidious has invaded our great country recently. Division and dissatisfaction with the many gifts we have been given by our forefathers and by those who fought and died for our freedom has crept in. Our pride and patriotism are being suffocated by a dark force that is flooding in from those who seek to extinguish the light from the beacon of freedom and hope that our country represents to the entire world. Something sinister and evil is attempting to replace what we have inherited and built upon with the darkness of despair and the poverty of hate and envy.

As an old man I can only pray that America’s youth awaken to the truth before it’s too late, before America becomes another Venezuela.

This morning, I thankfully awaken again, grateful to still be alive and living in the greatest Republic the world has ever seen. May God continue to bless the United States of America.

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