January 23, 2024
Where is the America that I Love?
By: Ski Ingram
What has happened to America? Where did the freedoms that I enjoyed my whole life go? Who are these people that want to take away our freedom and where did they come from? Why are they being tolerated and where did they get all of their power?
How many of you remember the original motto of the United States? “E Pluribus Unum” has been printed on the Great Seal of our country since July 4, 1776. What is commonly referred to as the modern motto of our country is “In God We Trust.” This motto was established in 1956 and reaffirmed by Congress in 2011. You can still find “E Pluribus Unum” and “In God We Trust” printed on our money.
“E Pluribus Unum” means “out of many one.” This was relevant in 1776 as the thirteen colonies, once separate states, were now one nation. “In God We Trust” was established knowing that we get our rights and freedom from God, not from men.
The country today is divided. We are no longer one and there are many in America who do not believe in God. In fact, there are many who want to remove God from everything America does. I believe that this has done harm to the country. America will cease to be America if we start to get our liberty from men and not from God.
Our Founding Fathers understood that certain principles needed to be included in the Constitution for the government to function. These principles must include the rule of law and due process. This means that the government and its citizens abide by the same laws despite who is in political power. Human beings are flawed and many of them are continually looking for ways to increase their power. This is why our founders believed in limited government with its powers being shared through checks and balances.
It is evident that people today do not understand their rights or obligations to this country. Too many believe they are owed everything while others want to get their “fair share” before there is nothing left to get.
Many things that we once identified as coming from the Communist playbook are being touted today as a principle of good governance. The slogan “from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs,” is saying it’s okay to take from the rich and give to the poor or less fortunate. This encourages people to stop working knowing that the government is going to take care of their every need.
“Equal protection under the law” was once a valued principle in America. The line from the TV show Baretta (1975-1978) “don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time” has become an American cliche. Criminals today do not worry about doing the time. They recognize that there is a two-tiered justice system. Which means there is no equal protection under the law. Criminals have become a new protected class in America. This allows them to violate the law without the fear of being punished. We have criminal groups shoplifting in droves, there are car jackings every day, and Illegal aliens are flooding over our southern border in record numbers. All this with our police officers being afraid to do their job for fear of being sued or going to jail.
DEI (Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion) is a progressive idea that is doing great harm to this country. The radical Left no longer look for the most qualified person to fill a position. They look for people from one of the “protected classes” to fill positions in our government, our universities, and captains of industry.
Even though we feel the effects of Inflation every day, the Biden administration is trying to Convince us that inflation is getting better when in fact it’s still much higher than it was three years ago. The rate of inflation is going down, but that does not mean prices are going down. Let’s not forget that when reporting the inflation rate, gasoline and food are not included.
President Biden is also telling us that democracy is on the ballot, that if Donald Trump is elected, we will no longer have democracy in America. One of the things destroying our democracy is the two-tiered justice system. I believe that our Attorney General, Merrick Garland, is punishing many in the Republican party in retaliation for not being confirmed as a Supreme Court Judge when he was nominated in 2016. The justice system has gone after parents at PTA meetings who disagree with their School Board and has targeted members of the Catholic Church and people who demonstrate peacefully at Planned Parenthood facilities. The most egregious act in my mind was when our justice department prosecuted Kyle Rittenhouse for defending himself from violent rioters when none of the rioters themselves where arrested for their violent acts.
President Biden promised to be a uniter of the people, not a divider. He also promised to be the most transparent president on record. He has failed on both counts. He is constantly vilifying MAGA Republicans while at the same time protecting those who agree with him and support him.
I cannot think of one thing that the Biden administration has done to make America better. He spends an inordinate amount of time on vacation while America is “burning” from high crime rates, an unsecured southern border, and the wars in the Middle East, that he is doing his best to ignore. We must go back to standing together or America will not be able to stand at all.
Ski Ingram is a life member of Lester Keate Post 90 of the American Legion in St. George, Utah. He now lives in Gilbert, Arizona. He is a combat veteran and is a life member of six different veteran’s organizations as well as the NRA. He can be reached at Ski@Skiingram.com or www.Skiingram.com.
