Government history used to bore me. What was I thinking?

From Vicki:

One of my favorite Ronald Reagan quotes on why we need limited government: “the nine most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’”

Until the past quarter century, I really wasn't very interested in government history because it seemed boring. It is anything but! Now, I'm learning just as much as I can lest I contribute to history [negatively] repeating itself. As I read the genealogy books written by my mom, I have a more vivid picture of my forefathers in their periods of history. I thank her for being interested in and actually preserving our family's history. It is one small piece of the beautiful quilt of the United States of America and its people.

Back to government history: None of the opinion columns and news shows can effectively illustrate what was in the hearts and minds of our founding fathers. We weren't there. We have no concept of living under the rule of a country an ocean away, a country with no understanding of what the people in the colonies were up against just trying to survive. And, you know what? I don't think we ever want to be in that position.

Freedom was hard won. Freedom was not taken for granted. Freedom was governance of the people, by the people, and for the people. Our founding fathers may not have considered themselves brilliant with their thoughts and writings; these were frustrated individuals who needed independence to do what was best for themselves and their families.

I do know this: God had a hand in guiding these rogues who chose freedom. They understood quite well how too much government can actually be a hindrance to a talented, hardworking body of individuals.

We need to keep we the people in our government. We need to keep God in our pledge of allegiance to this free United States of America. When those two basic ideals are threatened, we are priming the country for negative world history to repeat itself. When the government feels we can no longer help ourselves without its help, we need to go back to our Constitution; we need to read it and live it or chance losing it.

I thank President George W. Bush for being a prayerful president who has worked diligently to keep our soil free from another 9-11 for seven years. I thank God for positioning George W. Bush at that place at that time.

It was one of the most difficult periods for any of us in our United States of America, especially the generation born after WWII. It took leadership to live up to our Constitution and face up to those who don't like our US of A.

Say what you want about President Bush; in my book, regardless of how he handled the business of our economy or anything else in the realm of the presidential job description, he'll always be a hero who stood up for our country's freedom. He'll always be a president who teared up at the loss of American life because he and their families understood the [ofttimes terrible] cost of freedom. I will miss him, the imperfect human being he is, as are all of us. We haven't walked a mile in his mocassins, so we can't know just how much he's done for all of us. God bless his family as he moves into the private sector.

And God Bless America, the land of the free and the home of the brave!