Thoughts of the Day April 17, 2009

In today's world, we find ourselves trapped in a predicament, especially the youth voters out there. What political party do we ally ourselves with? For most young people, the answer is simple: I don't know. Most of the time, the youth will follow whatever political beliefs and parties their parents hold to be dear and true. But most of the time, the youth will not take the necessary time to research all aspects of a certain policy, idea, conflict, situation, etc. They will instead allow themselves to be indoctrinated into whatever beliefs their parents hold and will state "that's that!" and be done with it. This is wrong.

How can we expect to be independent thinkers and reach our own logical conclusions about anything without branching out a little? How can we be expected to carry the torch of our great nation until the time comes to pass it to our children? How can we pass the baton of freedom when we allow a blindfold to be placed over our eyes?

Thomas Jefferson once wrote, "Shake off all the fears of servile prejudices, under which weak minds are servilely crouched. Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call on her tribunal for every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear." We the people can actively apply this to our policies, our actions, how we interact with people, anything and everything, and we would be a better people and create a better world for it.

Perhaps this is a reason why we have so much conflict and strife within this world. Perhaps we are unable to look beyond our personal prejudges, carried down by our previous generations onto us to carry on, because it is easier to hate then it is to love. It is easier to be blindly led into a never ending hole of hate and mistrust when we never take a peek as to what the world is really like and how good people truely are. Then we have no option but to have blind trust towards whomever is leading us.

Ronald Reagan once said, "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same."

Today, we Americans have become a bit passive in the things we do. We have grown so used to freedom and all the liberties we posses (especially natural born citizens), that we cannot fathom how we could have lived in any other way. I believe that's why my heart gains immense happiness whenever I watch a video of a immigrant coming to the United States with a American flag waving in their hand and the look of ecstatic joy on their face of finally having the blessing of becoming an American. They know the true value of liberty and freedom. Perhaps we should look upon the face of the newly libertated Americans to fully understand what our Founding Fathers were fighting sweat, blood, tooth and nail for.

Of course, being a American, we are all free to hold our opinions, however alien it may be to any one's neighbor. As Patrick Henry once said, "I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

It is my humble opinion that we need to look back and realize exactly what it means to be an American. Americans have always been the guiding light of the world. We must constantly question, open our minds to new possibilities, and become more tolerant of others, for how else are we suppose to successfully be united when we are all so diverse without the threat of force of arms? God bless America and God bless the world.