The Sentinel of Liberty has always been my favorite superhero. I love all things Captain America: movies, comics, pez dispensers, pajamas, (yes, I wear Captain America pajamas) and anything with the emblem of the star-spangled avenger. I even read a book recently called "The Virtues of Captain America," by Mark D. White. When I take the time to do something for my wife, or for our baby, or for our home, she refers to me as her "Captain America." If only I were so lucky.
I am building to a point here. I'm not just expressing my "man-crush" on Captain America. I love Steve Rogers because of what he represents. He is the personification of everything we all wish we could be. He is often called, "the man out of time," but I believe that we could all use a little more of the Cap in our lives.
Obviously, Captain America's patriotism runs deep. However, his true loyalty is not to the United States. It is, rather, to the principles which she espouses: freedom, justice, truth, responsibility. The Captain has always shown that he is willing to die to protect these ideals for the American people. A RESPONSIBILITY that he bore to protect our RIGHTS.
(I'm getting a little worked up; sometimes I can forget that Steve Rogers is not a real person.)
As citizens of the United States, dear reader, we were meant to share Captain America's task. We are guaranteed our God-given rights, because we live in a free country. While this is a blessing for Americans, it has led over the course of time to a depreciated value of those rights and what it took to earn them. As a result, we now live in an age of entitlement. There are people who believe that it is their right to have anything their heart desires. There are people who believe that they have the right to obtain anything the want without working for it. Anything that violates the "me first" mentality, is irrelevant to these people. I do not exaggerate when I say that this will lead to a morally bankrupt society. We have a RESPONSIBILITY to live our lives in a manner which benefits our families, loved ones, and all the people of this great country.
The Captain can "save" our country by reminding us of the merits of traditional values. Now don't get me wrong; I know that there are beliefs and cultural norms from our past that we have rightfully left behind. However, the overwhelming majority of traditional ideals would benefit all of us today. Let me take you through a few of them.
1) Godly people are moral people. I don't constrict this statement to Christianity. While the principles of our different religions may vary greatly, we share aspects of traditional ideals. We should be outspoken in society about our beliefs. They are what help us to live honorable and moral lives.
(And yes, I know that atheists and agnostics are often moral people, too. However, I believe that even though they don't recognize it; that God wrote his natural law upon their hearts when he created them.)
2) Family first. This is pretty self-explanatory. Strong families build strong communities, which build strong states, which builds a strong nation, etc. As a new father, I am admittedly inexperienced on this topic. However, it doesn't take a great leap of logic to know that parents have the responsibility to teach their children right and wrong. Our job is not to let our children pursue 'whatever makes them happy.' I know this is an unpopular view, but there are many choices that children shouldn't be allowed to make. Biologically, their brains haven't developed fully to the point where they can make responsible decisions. Firm yet loving parents raise moral and responsible children.
3) Love our country. This is probably the trickiest to phrase. Make no mistake: I am not saying love our government. When the government attempts to engage in tyranny, resistance is not only acceptable but necessary! That being said, anarchy is just as unacceptable as tyranny. While we have the right to disagree with our elected officials, we have to remember that we put them there and we can remove them from their positions safely and through legal means. By love our country, I believe -- like Captain America believes -- that we should remember the ideals which this country stands for.
Oh, look at that. Faith, family, country.
Andrew.
Obviously, Captain America's patriotism runs deep. However, his true loyalty is not to the United States. It is, rather, to the principles which she espouses: freedom, justice, truth, responsibility. The Captain has always shown that he is willing to die to protect these ideals for the American people. A RESPONSIBILITY that he bore to protect our RIGHTS.
(I'm getting a little worked up; sometimes I can forget that Steve Rogers is not a real person.)
As citizens of the United States, dear reader, we were meant to share Captain America's task. We are guaranteed our God-given rights, because we live in a free country. While this is a blessing for Americans, it has led over the course of time to a depreciated value of those rights and what it took to earn them. As a result, we now live in an age of entitlement. There are people who believe that it is their right to have anything their heart desires. There are people who believe that they have the right to obtain anything the want without working for it. Anything that violates the "me first" mentality, is irrelevant to these people. I do not exaggerate when I say that this will lead to a morally bankrupt society. We have a RESPONSIBILITY to live our lives in a manner which benefits our families, loved ones, and all the people of this great country.
The Captain can "save" our country by reminding us of the merits of traditional values. Now don't get me wrong; I know that there are beliefs and cultural norms from our past that we have rightfully left behind. However, the overwhelming majority of traditional ideals would benefit all of us today. Let me take you through a few of them.
1) Godly people are moral people. I don't constrict this statement to Christianity. While the principles of our different religions may vary greatly, we share aspects of traditional ideals. We should be outspoken in society about our beliefs. They are what help us to live honorable and moral lives.
(And yes, I know that atheists and agnostics are often moral people, too. However, I believe that even though they don't recognize it; that God wrote his natural law upon their hearts when he created them.)
2) Family first. This is pretty self-explanatory. Strong families build strong communities, which build strong states, which builds a strong nation, etc. As a new father, I am admittedly inexperienced on this topic. However, it doesn't take a great leap of logic to know that parents have the responsibility to teach their children right and wrong. Our job is not to let our children pursue 'whatever makes them happy.' I know this is an unpopular view, but there are many choices that children shouldn't be allowed to make. Biologically, their brains haven't developed fully to the point where they can make responsible decisions. Firm yet loving parents raise moral and responsible children.
3) Love our country. This is probably the trickiest to phrase. Make no mistake: I am not saying love our government. When the government attempts to engage in tyranny, resistance is not only acceptable but necessary! That being said, anarchy is just as unacceptable as tyranny. While we have the right to disagree with our elected officials, we have to remember that we put them there and we can remove them from their positions safely and through legal means. By love our country, I believe -- like Captain America believes -- that we should remember the ideals which this country stands for.
Oh, look at that. Faith, family, country.
Andrew.
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